Comments on: IS RESORT SKIING GETTING MORE DANGEROUS?

By: Barry Hanish

Barry Hanish — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 23:16:14 +0000

NEED SPEED ELECTRONIC CONTROL DEVICES.
IF YOU SPEED YOU ARE ESCORTED TO A PADDLE BOARD ROOM,
WHERE TICKET IS CANCELED AND GIVEN 50 PADDLES ON YOUR NAKED ASS.
ALSO BEFORE GETTING ON A LIFT YOU MUST TAKE BREATH TEST. IF DRUNK BACK TO THE PADDLE ROOM.
ANOTHER WAY WHICH WORKS FOR ME IS TO KEEP MY SHARPED POLE END IN BACK OF ME POINTING UP THE SLOPE.

IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE A DRVERS TEST TO DRIVE A CAR DOSEN’T THE SAME APPLY FOR SKIERS?

By: Laurie

Laurie — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 15:11:16 +0000

I’ve been skiing since 1974. I had never been hit on skis until last year. I was skiing with a group (mountain tour) of mostly intermediate / advanced skiers. There was one person in the group who seemed much less skilled than the others. The person had a propensity to follow others too closely. Perhaps concerned she’d loose the group? I usually ski defensively and did my best to avoid her but alas she came from behind me out of nowhere and out of control on a steeper pitch and ran over my ski tips. I don’t fall often so I at least know my bindings are doing their job. She did not stop to check on me, just kept going. I gathered myself up and skied to the group meeting point. There she was apparently clueless as to what she did. Several others witnessed it occur and confirmed what happened to me. The group sweeper who did stop for me indicated it was illegal in MT to not stop if you hit someone. He didn’t see this occur. He asked if I wanted to pursue. I declined and did not call her out. At the end of the group tour heading down there she was again, right on my tail. I yelled towards her to get lost and skied away from her. It probably would have been better to have called her out for her benefit and everyone else’s. Ended up loosing a day of skiing as once my boot came off I had a fairly swollen ankle. I considered myself lucky. Personally I think it’s safer on the more difficult terrain. It’s great to see more people enjoying skiing but I think many have no idea of the safety codes or common courtesy. The greens and blues can be a free for all which is dangerous for all. I always let someone know where I am when I plan on safely passing them.

By: John+Gelb

John+Gelb — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 17:51:59 +0000

Wendy,
A lot of upset people for sure, and I get it. When I wrote a piece earlier this season regarding “stopping the fast and dangerous skiers”, I received more comments than I had ever gotten by 3-4x.

Here’s one thing no one said – and you don’t need data to say it:
Today, many ski areas groom ALL their green & blue runs, and at ski areas without much vertical, they groom all their black runs too.

In a nutshell, that’s a big part of the problem: so many ski runs are now ski-able, at FAST speeds, without any significant skills. Think about it.

Back in the day, few blue or black runs were groomed more often than once every week or two, if that often. Therefore, moguls (bumps) developed, the natural, real-life version of “speed bumps”. These bumps served two purposes: they gave proficient skiers fun challenges, and they scared the hell out of low-proficiency skiers…who would stay away.

Now, so much is corduroy-groomed all the time. That equals more fast skiers everywhere. Maybe encourage ski areas to groom only HALF of each blue run, thereby leaving some small bumps.

There are never too many skiers on a bumped-up trail from what I’ve seen both in VT, MA and UT.

By: John+Gelb

John+Gelb — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 17:34:53 +0000

In reply to Iris Yipp.

Iris,
This may be a problem, but it’s clearly nothing to do with safety on the hill.

You should know that it’s true at many areas (I’m a ski instructor with 12+ seasons experience) that you’ll be disappointed if you walk up and request a private lesson…the reason is that it’s not “free” for ski areas to have extra ski instructors hanging around just in case someone wants a lesson. The norm is that people are expected to make reservations (and pay) for private lessons ahead of time. Group lessons will sometimes afford a person the opportunity to get into a lesson at the last minute.

By: Mike Roth

Mike Roth — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 18:41:27 +0000

If we can ingrain in everyones mind ” on you right or on your left” so it becomes second nature, rather than “watch out or why did you get in my way!” Which I have heard. Things would be much better. That’s why I ski weekdays and not popular trails. It can get crowded on the slopes but education should be the best remedy, not figuring the cause. People today just are rude and only care about themselves. How many times do our readers announce when they are going to pass someone ? I do every time!

By: EILEEN FISHKIN

EILEEN FISHKIN — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:44:38 +0000

I was hit in the back full on by what felt like a Mack truck 3 1/2 weeks ago. A very large out-of-control skier who, I was told by fellow skiers fell further on, looked back at the carnage he had caused and went on. I am an 87 year old 128 lb. experienced skier. My ski buddies told me I was lifted off the slope and came down on my butt. My skis and poles were scattered everywhere. Luckily no bones broken, but the sciatica since then in excruciating, and is limiting my normal life to the point that just getting out of bed in the morning is a horror. Something must be done to limit sales, or insist that newer, younger skiers learn the rules.

By: Michael Mielech

Michael Mielech — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 01:17:42 +0000

“And while I dont have the data, it seems like the situation is getting increasingly worse.”

You really should have stopped there, because the rest is just speculation and reckless suggestions to inconvenience others. Fact is, almost all ski areas are not required to release injury and death totals and specifics to the public or government authorities, and the ski industry does not keep a collective database, for obvious reasons. So, how could this problem be solved, when even those basic facts aren’t known?
An older man just died at Killington the other day. He was 72 or so. Collapsed from what seems to be cardiac failure, or maybe stroke. Eyewitness and friend’s accounts confirm this. This is the third older person to die at Killington this season for the same reason, according to my friend in patrol. So, should we ban anyone over a certain age from the slopes, since they, at least, are now the majority of fatalities at one large eastern mountain this season? Or maybe limit ticket sales to anyone over 65?

As the warning says on your lift ticket and in various places on the mountain, skiing is inherently a dangerous sport, and you have to assume that risk every time you boot up. Be careful out there, but, when you start hearing footsteps, to use a term from another sport, maybe it’s time to consider the beach.

Btw, I’m 70.

By: Jim Cameron

Jim Cameron — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 20:20:26 +0000

Vail Resorts used to have a workforce of “Yellow Jackets” that attempted to control the free for all coming down the arteries of the mountain. Those were a great help in controlling some of the insanity barreling down the mountain. This part of mountain ops was hard to be found this season at all at Park City. I love the idea of a small discount to watch a safety video clinic. This would be helpful for participants buying their first day lift ticket. Maybe a discount /incentive could also be built into their system to educate pass holders when they buy their season pass.

It’s nuts out there trying to get down the mountain at the end of the day! The resorts just continue to spend millions to increase the uphill capacity. I don’t see this problem getting better anytime soon without some creative solutions.

By: Jim Stangl

Jim Stangl — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 22:18:22 +0000

As far as the suggestions listed in the article, I strongly support 1) limiting ticket sales and days for the multi-resort passes, 2) regulating alcohol and other substance use, and 3) Zero tolerance on the part of resorts for unsafe behavior. Informing the resort about unsafe behavior is good, but I feel that resorts have an obligation to enforce some standards for safe skiing/riding. I know that from other skiing forums, some patrollers don’t want to be cast in the role of police, but then WHO is responsible??

And I agree with others about avoiding certain areas on weekends. My “home” hill, Crystal Mountain in WA, has become a circus on weekends, especially since being purchased by the Alterra/Ikon folks. Took my teen daughter there yesterday, and with the typical PNW low visibility plus crowds of less-experienced beer-swilling skiers and boarders, we were happy to be out of there in one piece by early afternoon. It’s lost a lot of its charm for me.

By: William Miles

William Miles — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 21:37:49 +0000

The part about high speed lifts getting more people on the hill is only partially correct.

On one hand, there is still only one chair every five or six seconds loading and unloading, so the high speed and slow speed lifts of equal capacity will deposit the same number of skiers per hour at the top of the hill.

On the other hand, if volume is enough to fill every chair, there will be more people on chairs on a slow speed lift, therefore fewer on the slopes.