A replica of the Rodin sculpture ‘The Thinker’ has been installed at the New Zealand ski area of Mt Hutt with the intention of making skiers and boarders think safety when making decisions about their day on the slopes.
The idea has come from an organisation known as ACC, New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme, who say that injuries to skiers and snowboarders cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each winter.
(Image credit ACC)
Over the five seasons to 2021, ACC report it looked after a total of 48,000 skiers and a further 32,000 snowboarders, paying compensation of $32 million (NZ) last year alone. It says that research found that 90% of injuries are not random events, but predictable and therefore preventable.
Besides the statue itself, the safety bars on Mt Hutt’s chairlifts carry the message, “Have a hmmm…” with the intention of encouraging anyone who is heading to the mountain to take time to assess the risk, then make smart choices that keep them injury-free and having fun.
The original Thinker is a bronze nude male figure Rodin made in 1904 and is now exhibited at the Musée Rodin in Paris. There are also 27 other known full-sized castings, although not all were made during Rodin’s lifetime.
