19-Year Old’s Death Raises Concerns Over $2.5 Billion Industry’s Negligence Over Athlete Safety

Skiing is often touted as that perfect mix of luxury and thrill, attracting millions to the slopes for that adrenaline rush and picturesque mountain views. With over $2.5 billion in annual revenue in the U.S. alone, the industry seems like a well-oiled machine. But beneath the glitter of fresh powder and high-speed lifts lies a glaring issue—safety often gets sidelined.

Recent tragedies—most recently, the tragic death of a dynamic and gifted young competitor—have forced ski resorts to address an uncomfortable truth. All improvements to equipment and slope maintenance aside, life-shattering injury and death occur at an alarmingly high rate. So the question is, where is all the money going, and why is not enough spent to save lives?

A bright star lost too soon

Alex Kemp was that kind of nineteen-year-old freshman at Williams College who seemed to have been born for greatness: a top student, a standout track-and-field athlete, and a young man who brightened the day for everyone around him. His future was bright as a snow-covered peak. But all that changed on January 6, 2025, in a skiing accident at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Massachusetts.

The accident happened on Cutter Trail when Kemp lost control and swerved over an embankment. Though he was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, he succumbed the following day. The ski world was, along with his family and friends, utterly shocked by his death since none of them could make sense of such a tragedy on a trip that was supposed to be routine. Here is the kicker: Kemp was wearing safety gear. And yet, the absence of protective barriers in high-risk areas like sharp turns continues to be a major problem. Ski resorts in a country proud of “state-of-the-art” facilities, but how can they be that state-of-the-art without basic safety measures?

Increase in skiing accidents

Kemp’s tragic death is not an outlier but part of a disturbing trend. A few weeks ago, in December 2024, a 12-year-old skier died after hitting a tree at Colorado’s Keystone Resort. Earlier this season, a veteran snowboarder with safety equipment died in a backcountry avalanche in Utah. These tragedies put into focus a sad but true reality that no one—even the most professional athletes—is protected from the hazards of skiing and snowboarding.

The NSAA estimates that over 40 people die, and some 50 others incur serious injuries every year in the United States alone. It’s not all about freak accidents. Poorly maintained equipment, inadequate marking of trails, and appallingly bad emergency response systems contribute to a great extent. Ski resorts would quickly build expensive lodges and gondolas, but it’s always with the lowest priority regarding the issue of safety. Even the NSAA’s “Your Responsibility Code,” a voluntary set of guidelines to ultimately encourage safer skiing, feels more like a polite suggestion than a mandate. Critics believe that with billions flowing into the industry, it is high time resorts really prioritize mandatory helmet laws, proper trail barriers, and more rigorous safety enforcement.

Let’s face it: skiing will never be without risk. But that’s no reason we shouldn’t take every reasonable measure to make it as safe as possible. The death of Alex Kemp should serve as a wake-up call to an industry that has grown far too comfortable trading thrills for negligence. Just think about it—if some of that $2.5 billion revenue went to improve safety, that would include lifesaving investments in better training of staff, upgrading emergency response, and making safety protocols mandatory for all skiers.

The tragic story of Kemp is a loss not just to his family and friends but to all of us. It’s a reminder that as we seek the thrill of the slopes, we are responsible for protecting every skier’s right to come home safely. The mountain may be unpredictable, but our commitment to safety shouldn’t be.