The huge snow flakes drifting down from the sky seem so soft and delicate.
But lose control while flying down your favourite slope, and those same gentle snowflakes will feel as hard and unforgiving as any concrete wall.
Downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding are popular sports in Manitoba, but they can lead to injuries if safety precautions aren’t taken.
There are plenty of ways to bang yourself up while skiing or snowboarding, from simply falling down to smacking into some trees.
Every year, as more people embrace winter, more people injure themselves. In Canada, more people are admitted to hospital from injuries sustained while snowboarding and alpine and cross-country skiing than from playing hockey.