The ABS Avalanche Airbag is a system designed to prevent you from being buried in an avalanche and injured during the fall. It sounds simple, but it's not. How do you stay on top in an avalanche? As the name suggests, the system works with airbags that are integrated in a fully functional snowboard backpack. The operation of the airbags is based on the "Brazil nut effect", which means that larger objects in motion always rise to the top. You see this principle in your cereal every morning, but it also applies to avalanches. However, because your body is heavier than snow in proportion to its volume, the upward movement stops and you fall down anyway.
Surviving avalanches
To stay on top, you need to increase your volume. By activating the airbags, with a simple pull of a lever, you gain 170 litres of volume in one go. In addition, the streamlined shape of the dual airbags provides a dynamic lift and keeps you as horizontal as possible during the crucial phase, making it easier to rescue yourself. The ABS Airbag system has been extensively tested and proven in practice. Research by the independent Swiss Avalanche Institute shows that 97 percent of the 262 people who activated their airbag survived the avalanche. Of the people who did not wear an ABS Airbag in the same avalanche this was only 75 percent. In short: with an ABS Airbag you have eight times more chance to survive. ABS engineers work closely with rescue teams, guides, scientists and athletes to perfect the system and increase its ease of use.
