Melanoma is an underrecognized hazard for skiers and snowboarders, where speed and terrain often overshadow the invisible danger of ultraviolet (UV) radiation at high altitude. Dermatology Times spotlights US Olympian Travis Ganong, whose melanoma in situ diagnosis at age 36 reveals critical gaps in prevention, screening, and education in snow sport communities.
Whitney Hovenic, MD, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon at Skin Cancer & Dermatology Institute in Reno, notes she treats skin cancers in snow sport enthusiasts “on a near-daily basis,” emphasizing that living and recreating at altitude compounds UV exposure. UV intensity rises an estimated 3% to 4% with every 1000 feet of elevation, and snow can reflect up to 90% of UV radiation, meaning athletes who spend 6 to 8 hours a day on the mountain accumulate significant exposure even on cold, cloudy days when they often forgo sunscreen.
Despite this risk, sunscreen adherence among winter athletes is poor, with full adherence rates reported as low as 4.4%, and many apply only once before heading out. Hovenic points out that “even when most of the face is covered by helmets, goggles, and neck gaiters,” small exposed areas like the nose remain common sites for skin cancers, and added lapses occur during lunch or après-ski when gear comes off.
Ganong reflects on a culture that once prized “the biggest goggle tan,” acknowledging it is “probably one of the reasons why I had melanoma.” Although he underwent extensive medical monitoring during 18 years on the US Olympic ski team, “we never saw a dermatologist,” a gap he and Hovenic hope to address through on-mountain skin checks, winter-specific sunscreen products, and advocacy for integrating dermatologic screening into athlete and resort employee care. As Hovenic tells patients who later express regret, the goal is to keep them “doing things we love, but…with protection so that we can do it until we’re old.”
Read the Original Article from Dermatology Times Here: https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/melanoma-on-the-mountain-addressing-the-uv-crisis-in-snow-sport-communities