TAKE IT EASY SKIERS OF ANY SKILL LEVEL SHOULD NOT PROCEED BEFORE GETTING READY.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

Rose Reinhardt knows the drill. She's had eight surgeries to repair injured knees as a result of falls and accidents caused by skiing. So when Reinhardt takes to Big Bear Mountain every morning, she follows her own preventive medicine: Take it easy.

Reinhardt is the resort's risk manager and she says she sees it happen every day. Skiers arrive from the Southern California valleys, lace up their boots and head for the expert run, only to crash and become injured.

``On their first run, people want to go and do jumps and go fast,'' she says.

And that's where the problem starts. Because the skier or snowboarder did not warm up, something usually happens. A bone breaks, a ligament is pulled or there is serious head trauma.

``What goes up must come down,'' she said. ``I've seen people arrive after a two-hour drive, get out of the car and jump on a lift. People forget that they're at a higher altitude. They're a little tighter and it's cold. They're not getting prepared properly. They need to stretch.''

It's a misconception, she says, that more injuries happen in the afternoon, when skiers are tired and want to take ``one last run.''

``No, we get more injuries in the morning,'' she said.

``You should take a couple of easy runs before going to the more difficult stuff,'' she said. ``That doesn't mean you have to start on the beginner runs. Just take the expert runs easy at first, until you're warmed up.''

But Mount Baldy Ski Resort ski patrol director Bill Dauria says the smaller ski area has more injuries in the afternoon.

``They want to run once more, they don't realize they're tired and they get hurt,'' he said.

Reinhardt says Bear Mountain averages about 17 to 20 serious injuries a season that require transportation to a trauma unit. Big Bear's hospital does not have one. Dauria says that the most amount of injuries Mount Baldy will get is about 150, of which about two are trauma injuries. The National Ski Areas Association says there are 54 million visitors to ski areas in the United States. The American Medical Association reports that an average of 2.5 percent of those a year suffer an injury that needs medical assistance.

``With any athletic sport,'' Reinhardt said, ``there are risks and hazards. In skiing, you're risking injury and possibly death.''

Dave Merrian of the National Ski Patrol suggests skiers prepare for time on the slopes by doing aerobic exercises, strengthening the body and working on flexibility.

``These are demanding activities and if you haven't conditioned your body accordingly, you tire quicker, become sore more easily and also stand a greater chance of getting injured,'' he said.

Reinhardt says she requires all staff members to warm up before hitting the slopes. The ski schools also do this and they're done where other skiers can see the exercising.

``People see that we do it and they'll do it, too,'' she said. ``It catches on. We've significantly reduced the number of employee injuries.''

Dauria says being prepared for conditions can make a big impact on avoiding injuries.

``Come prepared for the environment,'' he said. ``Bring sunglasses. We get a lot of snowblindness and sunburned eyes. People wear regular shoes that get wet and get frostbite. The first part of not being hurt is being prepared and knowing your equipment.''

The AMA, citing a 17-year study done at a Vermont resort, says skiing injuries have declined 48 percent in the last decade, but head trauma injuries have increased from 1.5 percent to 2.9 percent. There were 34 deaths during that period.

Reinhardt admits that with the addition of snowboards on the slopes - and she anticipates more and more - the nature of injuries has changed. One reason she expects more boarders is cost: It takes about $300 to get outfitted for a board, compared to at least another $300 to $400 for ski equipment.

With skiers, she's used to seeing torn ACLs and ankle and femur fractures. But because snowboarders cannot adjust their legs, they suffer from different types of injuries. She cites more wrist and hand injuries, more tailbone injuries and more head trauma.

``We call tailbone injuries knuckle draggers,'' she said. ``They're constantly on their rear end.''

Dauria says finger injuries are epidemic.

``You're always falling backwards. We had one guy here who asked us to look at a compound fracture of the middle finger. The bone was sticking out.''

But it's the head traumas that concern Reinhardt and the industry. She said Bear Mountain has had two head traumas this year, both skiers. One was caused by poor visibility and the other went out of control on a steep slope.

The AMA issued an advisory in 1997, seeking snowboarders wear ``brain buckets,`` as 'boarders call them.

``The increased risk of (head injuries) among younger skiers may be due to faster speeds, reckless behavior or less well-developed skills,'' the advisory said.

``I've seen more people wearing them,'' Reinhardt says.

``I think they help,'' Dauria said. ``I see a lot more of them.''

Reinhardt says it's more than ``reckless behavior.'' Boarders doing flips and skateboard moves lead to more chances of injury.

``You can't completely prevent injuries and helmets won't prevent injuries,'' she said. ``But we can minimize the risk.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo: (1 -- color) Members of the National Ski Patrol patrol the mountains to advise skiers of some of the hazards.

Mike Mullen/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Patrolling the slopes can prevent some potentially damaging accidents for skiers.

Mike Mullen/Staff Photographer

(3) When accidents do happen, Ski Patrol members are quick to be on the spot.

Mike Mullen/Staff Photographer