Both whining and skating: sales of "cheesecakes" increased by one and a half times
In the winter season of 2025/2026, Russians began to get injured more often riding on "cheesecakes" and sledges from slides, the Ministry of Health of the regions told Izvestia. Sales of cheesecakes, which doctors have been warning about the dangers of riding for several years, have increased by more than one and a half times, and in Moscow they were bought by 1000% more than in the same period last year. The dangers of such skating are described in the Izvestia article.
How many people were affected by the "cheesecakes"
The number of injuries from cheesecakes is growing rapidly, Izvestia found out. For example, the Ministry of Health of the Kaluga Region said that 446 people applied to regional hospitals with injuries after tubing in winter. Most of them — 416 people — are children aged 3 to 17 years. In the Astrakhan region, it was noted that several dozen people with winter injuries sustained on slides and ice rinks are admitted to hospitals every day.
— Inflatable sledding is recognized as one of the most traumatic winter activities for both children and adults, — the Ministry of Health of the Murmansk region told Izvestia.
Bruises and sprains are usually diagnosed in victims, but severe injuries are also common. In the Ulyanovsk region, where there are only two victims, one person suffered a subcapsular rupture of the liver (damage to liver tissue). In Kabardino-Balkaria, a 53-year-old Russian suffered a lumbar spine injury. In addition, ten children were injured there, most with minor injuries, but there is also an open thigh wound.
"Every year, one quarter of all children's outdoor injuries in winter are caused by tubing," the regional Ministry of Health clarified.
In the Ivanovo region, 247 cases of injuries due to riding on "cheesecakes" were registered. The average age of the applicants is 30 years. In the Trans-Baikal Territory, 154 people needed help after going downhill.
In the Lipetsk region, more than 120 minors needed medical care, Tatyana Moiseeva, head of the trauma center at the regional children's hospital, orthopedic traumatologist, told Izvestia.
— This is a significant figure, — said the specialist. — One child suffered a fractured skull.
102 people were injured while riding downhill in Kuzbass, and 71 in the Samara region. 41 children were injured in the Pskov region. The injuries include a broken coccyx, collarbone, and lacerations. In the Kirov region, 30 people were injured, four needed hospitalization. Six people were admitted to the Montenegrin interdistrict hospital of Khakassia after riding on "cheesecakes".
How Russians get hurt
In the republican hospital in Mari El, five children aged three to 14 had injuries after tubing: two had spinal compression fractures, two had traumatic brain injury and concussion, and one had a femoral fracture. Five more children had minor injuries in another hospital.
And in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a man with a complex spinal compression injury was admitted to the hospital that deals with the most severe cases after riding a cheesecake. He needed surgery.
"Last year, there were several patients on this date. Experts attribute the decrease in the number of hospitalized people to the temperature regime in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in recent weeks — we had extremely low temperatures," the regional Ministry of Health said.
As Izvestia wrote, during the New Year holidays, more than 37% of appeals are for fractures and serious bruises due to ice and snow—covered sidewalks, as well as skiing, skating, sledding and "cheesecakes". For example, at the end of January 2026, in the Astrakhan region, a 16-year-old teenager unsuccessfully rode a tube, which led to a serious head injury, including a brain contusion and a fracture of the base of the skull. In order to provide specialized care, he was urgently transported from the Akhtuba Central district hospital to the regional children's hospital by helicopter. The regional Ministry of Health reported that the child is now under the supervision of doctors in the neurosurgery department.
On Sunday, January 25, in the village of Nikolo-Uryupino, Moscow region, a child was playing by the road and, gaining speed, rolled down on a tube right under the wheels of a passing Volvo. The boy was hospitalized and died in the hospital.
In the city of Yefremovo in mid-January, emergency workers rescued a teenager who was injured while tubing, the press service of the region reported. The boy was riding a "cheesecake" with a friend in the wrong place, and during the descent from the slide he crashed into a tree and fell into a ravine. Due to his injuries, he could not get out on his own.
Why are they buying tubes and ice cubes?
In December — January, sales of various "cheesecakes" and ice slides showed high growth rates compared to the same period last year, the Wildberries & Russ press service told Izvestia.
Among the leaders both in terms of sales and in physical terms are cheesecakes, whose turnover increased by 80% in total and by 63% in units, the average receipt increased by 11%. Ice cubes occupy the second place in terms of the number of pieces sold. Sales growth compared to last year was 53%, and in units — by 68%, the average receipt decreased by 9%.
"Snowcats occupy the second place in terms of sales and the third in terms of the number of goods sold, and the growth was 48% and 33%, respectively. The average check increased by 11%," they said. — "At the same time, sleds showed negative sales dynamics — the total number of sleds sold decreased slightly."
At the same time, during the holidays in the capital region, which is traditionally the quietest sales season, compared with the snowless beginning of December, sales of "cheesecakes" showed record growth rates — by 1200% in total and by 1000% in pieces, while the average receipt has increased by only 4% since the beginning of December.
"Despite the benefits of outdoor activities in winter, we strongly recommend that our customers do not ride outside of special trails, as well as observe all necessary safety measures," the press service stressed.
According to Cooper analysts, in January 2026, there was a noticeable increase in interest in winter goods for outdoor activities, primarily cheesecakes, sleds and ice cubes, compared to the same period last year.
"Most of the time, Russians bought ice packs. The average number of orders containing "cheesecakes", ice cubes and sleds per day increased by more than 43%. Demand peaked in 2026 during the January holidays," the press service said.
Tubing dominates the winter entertainment segment, the Megamarket confirmed. They have generated more than 70% of all orders. Their popularity has significantly exceeded the demand.
"The leader in sales in this category is the metropolitan region, which accounts for 67% of total sales, sharing the top 3 with St. Petersburg and Krasnodar Krai, which for the first time entered the top three amid an abnormally snowy winter in the southern regions," they added.
According to Avito, in January 2026, consumers were more actively choosing alternatives to traditional cheesecakes. Interest in tubing in the retail market decreased by 19% year-on-year. Against this background, the demand for other types of winter equipment has noticeably increased: snowmobiles began to be bought 84% more often, sales of sleds increased by 36%, and ice packs — by 5%.
The average prices for new "cheesecakes" are 1,9 thousand rubles. At the same time, in the secondary market, the average cost of ice cans, tubing and snow shovels "with hands" is 47% less than when buying a new one, and amounts to 1 thousand rubles on average.
What are the dangers of "cheesecakes"?
Doctors interviewed by Izvestia also note an increase in injuries after tubing. Most often, damage is caused in places that are not equipped for winter fun.
Cheesecake riding is a very popular and at the same time traumatic winter entertainment, recalled Invitro internist Evgeny Kosmynin.
— The cheesecake cannot be controlled, the trajectory of its movement is determined by the surface of the slope, — the doctor explained. — There are no brakes, and in case of a dangerous situation, you can only stop with your feet. At the same time, it is capable of developing high speed, can spring up, throwing the passenger over itself, and can uncontrollably rotate and tip over.
All this together leads to high risks of injury, especially if you ride on wild slopes, and not in specially organized places, Evgeny Kosmynin emphasized. In addition, improper use of the cheesecake itself increases the risk. For example, if two people are riding on one at once, the acceleration speed increases significantly due to the greater mass.
— The most typical injuries include the consequences of a high—speed collision with an obstacle or other skaters, as well as the result of hitting the ground during a jump from a cheesecake, - the therapist added. — Traumatic brain injuries are common among them. This is the most common and dangerous category, as a headbutt at speed can lead to a concussion or bruise of the brain, and it can cause a fracture of the base of the skull.
At high speed, falls on the coccyx, limb fractures and injuries to internal organs are extremely dangerous. A blow to the stomach can lead to rupture of the spleen, injury to the liver and kidneys, and hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity).
Ilya Prokofiev, director of DIY, home goods and automotive products at Megamarket, also stressed that since tubing does not have steering and is rapidly gaining speed, the place for riding plays a key role.
— The optimal slope is with a slope of no more than 20 degrees, a smooth rolling surface and a long enough braking platform at the bottom. Before each descent, it is worth examining the track.: bumps, icy areas, or foreign objects can damage the tubing and cause it to fall," he said.
The expert also warned against riding a tube that was attached to a car — recently, you can find many such videos on social networks.
— Experts strongly advise against repeating such scenarios: when turning or making a sharp maneuver, tubing may lose its trajectory and collide with an obstacle, which is fraught with serious injuries, — said Ilya Prokofiev.
Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory and a neurologist, added that sleds and ice sleds seem more familiar and "manageable," but they are also unsafe.
"When riding down steep or icy slopes, a person may lose their balance, roll over, hit their head or back," she noted. — This can lead to dislocations and fractures of the arms and legs, pelvic bones, and chest contusions. The danger increases if skating takes place near a roadway, reservoir, or on a spontaneous slide that does not have protective fences.
It is also dangerous to ride after drinking alcohol or in a state of extreme fatigue — when the reaction speed and sense of balance decrease. Weather conditions deserve special attention. During a thaw, ice, rocks, and other hard objects can hide under the snow, and in severe frost, the coating becomes especially slippery and uncontrollable.
The doctors emphasized that it is important to take an extremely responsible approach to skating on "cheesecakes". For example, choose specially equipped slides where there are no steep slopes and obstacles along the trajectory.
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