The thing about skiing (and snowboarding) is that improving measurable performance almost always requires taking more risks - harder trails or higher speed. Contrast with running, for example, where increasing speed involves no risk at all. Most people want to improve at what they do, so the ski resorts are filled with people at the edge of their ability, all in proximity to one another. That plus the sheer speed practically guarantees a high injury rate.
Personally, while I do challenge myself in those ways some of the time, I'm just as happy seeing how many turns I can make on a run I've already mastered, or trying to make each turn absolutely perfect. Slight increase in risk, but much less than the human cannonballs I see around me.
Personally, while I do challenge myself in those ways some of the time, I'm just as happy seeing how many turns I can make on a run I've already mastered, or trying to make each turn absolutely perfect. Slight increase in risk, but much less than the human cannonballs I see around me.