Do you get excited when the temperatures drop and the first big snowfall comes? Whether you spend your winter days sledding down hills in your neighborhood with your kids, hitting the slopes at your favorite resort or snowmobiling through open landscapes in the wild, winter fun comes with risk. You can’t cut back on the pleasure in order to protect yourself or those you love, but you can make sure your insurance policy has your back if something goes wrong.

The Risk Behind Your Favorite Winter Sports

From sitting in a shack fishing through ice to racing down a mountain on a snowboard, there’s risk with every winter sport. When you travel away from home to enjoy those sports, you introduce new types of risk. Look at some of the obstacles you may run into when heading out for cold weather fun:

• Lost, stolen or damaged equipment
• Vehicle accidents
• Vehicle damage
• Personal injury or illness
• Missed flights
• Wrecked or damaged rental cars
• Property damage

When assessing the risk for any winter outing, consider every element of the trip. How will you travel to and from your destination? Will you venture out of your state or to another country? What equipment will you purchase or rent, and what are the consequences for damaging or losing that equipment?

You’ll find that the simplest winter plans come with serious risks that are easily overlooked until something goes wrong. It’s always better to plan ahead and get your insurance in line with your lifestyle.

What Insurance Should You Consider?

Start by ensuring that you and your loved ones are adequately covered by insurance for physical injuries or illness. If you’re venturing beyond your health insurance network, you may need a new policy to cover medical care out of state or in a different country. That may require some research into the health insurance system at your destination.

Next, think about insurance coverage for all vehicles, structures and equipment that you will buy or rent. Your homeowner’s insurance may accept an ice shack or similar structures as trailers or other add-ons. You can buy policies that cover the cost of replacement or repair for snowmobiles, ski equipment and other expensive items that you can’t afford to lose. Check with your auto insurance carrier to make sure you don’t need add-ons to protect your vehicle as well.

You may also consider general travel insurance policies or winter sports coverage that you can add onto many existing insurance policies. These policies may go beyond insuring your equipment and health to covering unexpected missed flights or more severe circumstances like damage from an avalanche.

You never know when something will go wrong, so it’s better to have the protection of good winter sports coverage and/or travel insurance.

Don’t Assume You’re Covered

Even if you have excellent insurance coverage, take the time to meet with your insurance broker before immersing in the fun of winter. Each new adventure can come with risks that didn’t apply to your lifestyle previously. In addition to the coverage you carry year-round, you may have seasonal add-ons and short-term policies that deliver the peace of mind you need to relax no matter how much risk you’re taking this winter.

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