Vision and Winter Sports

Do you enjoy skiing down the slopes, doing a smooth figure eight on the ice, riding a snowmobile, or scoring a goal in hockey?  If so, good vision skills can help you ski a tougher course, do those difficult moves on the ice or put more pucks in the net.  And, like most skills, you can improve your vision skills and gain a “winning edge” in winter sports.  So whenever you move onto the snow or ice, be sure of two things: 1) your eyes are working efficiently for good performance; 2) you are wearing proper eyewear to protect your eyes from injury.

Important Vision Skills

There are many vision skills that contribute to your success and enjoyment of winter sports. 

Dynamic visual acuity enables you to see distant objects clearly while in motion.  This vision skill is important to getting an overall view of the course while skiing, sledding, or operating a snowmobile at high speeds.

Depth perception is your ability to quickly and accurately judge the distance and speed of objects, or players.  When snow skiing, you use this skill in spotting and avoiding bumps, trees and other skiers in your path.  Likewise, when skating, you use it to determine where you are in the rink before starting certain moves.

Your peripheral (side) vision enables you to see objects or people “out of the corner of your eye.”  You don’t actually see them in the same way you see something in front of you, but you’re aware of their presence on your left and right.  Noticing skiers and snowmobiles crossing your path, or being aware of other skaters in a rink are ways you use your peripheral vision.

Visualization involves picturing different parts of your activity in your “mind’s eye” while your eyes are seeing and concentrating on something else, usually the performance.

For instance, when ice-skating, your attention should be on executing the performance, but in your “mind’s eyes” you should be picturing the next move.  This helps add flow to your performance and snap to each move.

Working together, these vision skills help you make split-second decisions while on the ice or snow.  You learn these skills as part of your vision development process and can improve them with optometric care, advice and practice.

Protection from ultraviolet radiation

The need for wearing ski goggles or sunglasses to protect your eyes from wind and blowing snow is obvious.  But, it is also important to wear them to protect your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.  When you’re on snow or ice, you’re on a surface that reflects a high amount of UV radiation from the sun, even on cloudy days.  Although you can’t see these UV rays, they do exist and can potentially harm your eyes.

Long exposure to UV radiation, without wearing proper protection, can lead to problems such as snow blindness, cataracts, retinal damage or other visual impairments. 

Most ski goggles and sunglasses block or absorb some UV radiation, but the amount of protection varies with the type of lens.  It’s important therefore the wear eyewear that offers a maximum UV protection, especially when skiing or hiking above 10,000 feet where UV rays are stronger.

Winter sports lighting conditions

Glare is a lighting condition associated with the brightness of light on a sunny or cloudy day.  It can cause you seeing discomfort and pain while doing outdoor activities.  That’s why it’s important to wear eyewear that screens out 75 to 90 percent of available light.

Lighting conditions, particularly on ski slopes, may vary from region to region.  Be sure to use protective eyewear with tints that are appropriate for your area.  For instance, if you’re an Eastern U.S. skier, you often contend with poor or flat lighting on the slopes so it’s better to wear lighter tints.  If you’re a Western U.S. skier, you need darker tints because you ski higher in the mountains where the sunlight is more intense.

Protection from eye injuries

Playing contact or high-speed sports, such as hockey, skiing or sledding, can be dangerous to your eyes.  Be sure to wear eyewear sturdy enough to protect your eyes from impact.  Consider polycarbonate lenses and special frames when selecting your sports eyewear.

Although most prescription eyeglasses are impact-resistant, they are not tough enough for eye hazardous winter sports activities.

Discuss your sports activities with a doctor of optometry during your annual eye examination.  As an eye care professional, your optometrist can prescribe or recommend the proper eyewear needed for your favorite sport.