Loss of control and safety-binding failure were found to be the major causes of skiing injuries at Squaw Valley, Calif. Inadequate instruction as manifest by lack of competence, poor judgment, and over-reliance upon the functional capabilities of safety bindings was a greater contributory factor than snow or slope conditions. Consideration of the nature and distribution of injuries sustained in the lower extremity showed that the release characteristics of safety bindings do not compensate for the forces present during a fall condition.