Preventing On-Mountain Collisions: The Snow Angel Safety Message
“We want to have a positive impact on this industry after a tragic event in our lives,” says Chauncey Johnson, who founded the Snow Angel Foundation with wife Kelli, to educate skiers and snowboarders to be safe on the slopes, by being more aware of those around them – and slowing down.
In 2010, their daughter Elise was killed by a snowboarder zooming down the trail at a high speed. “She was five, he was doing 50,” he told a group at the recent Snowbound Expo in Boston. Kelli also was seriously hurt, with a traumatic brain injury that required her to learn to walk, speak and ski again.
The snowboarder was 23-years-old, older than the stereotype of the out-of-control, don’t-care-about-anybody-else teenaged boarder. He also was killed, in what was one of the worst on-mountain accidents in history that wasn’t an avalanche – although this created an avalanche of sorrow, and then action, for the Johnsons.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as he told the story. I stopped breathing as he told it. I was remembering about putting my own kids on skis at that age, and protecting them from the speedsters, even on the green runs we were skiing, including yelling at the speeders to slow down. Haven’t we all done that!
The accident was on a small, local mountain in Wyoming, close to where they live, but it could have been anywhere. Clearly, they want to prevent collisions from happening again anywhere. Honoring the memory of Elise means working full-time to educate young skiers, even Ski Patrollers, about preventing accidents.
That’s the reason behind the Snow Angel Foundation – which uses a snow angel for its logo.
The Johnsons work with resorts, schools in resort areas and online to promote what he describes as a triangle of safety –
- Speed – keep it relative to others on the same trail
- Space – keep a safe distance from others
- Self – be aware of your limits, including tiredness
The Johnson’s first effort was “Ride Another Day”, a simple theme we can all relate to. They work with the NSAA, the National Ski Areas Association, to promote the safety message, which continues to be incorporated into their current work under Snow Angel Foundation.
They are now partnering with Killington, which is adding Snow Angel safety signage at lift access, on chair towers even in the lodge.
They also work with patrollers at various resorts. Ski Patrol used to clip a lift ticket when somebody went down a roped-off closed run, or went 50mph in a 10-30 zone. Now, they can disengage the electronic ticket. Johnson wants patrollers to have a positive – not confrontational talk – before it’s reactivated. Or not, if the misbehaving speeder doesn’t get the message.
He encourages all of us to take an active role in on-mountain safety, by talking to too-fast skiers and boarders. Johnson suggests starting the conversation by saying something like, “My friends Chauncy and Kelli,” and then tell the story and its lesson.
Simply, we all have a role in on-mountain safety. Chauncey and Kelli Johnson are leading the way, along with Killington, and we at SeniorsSkiing hope more resorts sign up with the program.
See you on the slopes!
- Tips and Tactics for Spring Skiing - March 19, 2026
- Short Swings: Timely Tidbits of Snowy News - March 5, 2026
- Indy Pass Adds 16 Resorts for Next Season - March 5, 2026
Hello,
I learned about Ride Another Day when my husband and I were researching whether our ski safety device, SkiGuardian, was a necessary tool. The Johnson family’s story was heartbreaking, and I’ve shared it with many people. Their experience inspired us to develop SkiGuardian, a device that creates a visible ski boundary and enhances your presence on the mountain.
In the 1990s, I stopped skiing after witnessing a snowboarder tragically kill a ski patroller. When I returned to skiing 20 years later, I felt like I was a target for snowboarders.
We hope SkiGuardian can reach the ski world and help save lives.
An article and ad about SkiGuardian are included in this issue of SeniorsSkiing.
We would appreciate your feedback.
Sincerely,
Michelle and Rob
We can’t just blame snowboarders for going too fast . My experience last year on a “green” run at a Vermont resort was with a skier who was going VERY fast and shouting at other skiers to “get out of the way”.
Also spoke with an instructor at the same mountain who said that he had a similar experience with a skier skiing very fast and very close to his class of students while he was teaching (and in his Snow Sports uniform!)
This is too sad. I teared up watching and listening to the video. I have two daughters and a 4 year old granddaughter, and I simply can’t imagine the pain of losing any of them this way.
Now in my 70th year on skis I didn’t used to get passed on the slopes very often. I do like the feel of the g’s on my quads when carving a nice turn. However, grooming these days has become so perfect that it does not take much skill to simply go straight down even on steeper runs. I always leave room between myself and the edges of runs so as not to force a bomber to choose between me and the off piste, and I look over my shoulder before starting the next turn.
I was passed last year by a young woman in a wide crouching stance going absolutely straight, terminal velocity, and she kept it up all way the down the mountain and out of sight. It seems the only safe(r) places to ski are off the groomers, where it’s not so smooth, and seniors have to slow way down to protect aging body parts, or to avoid the big resorts with so many quads and sixpacks you are dumped onto runs with thousands of others and their varied abilities and speeds. I do like the idea of the Indy Pass for this reason. Good luck out there everyone, and stay aware.
Nice article Evelyn. The Triangle of Safety (speed, space, self) is important particularly because it simplifies the longer Skiers Responsibility Code. The Johnsons, who founded Snow Angel are to be applauded as they altruistically spread the word about an issue important to all of us. Please keep in mind that most of us are skiers AND snowboarders who are not out of control and are very concerned about avoidable collisions on the slopes. In fact, the Johnsons are snowboarders. As a snowboarder, I have been in 3 serious collisions caused by skiers. We all now have a friend who lost their daughter in a collision on the slopes that was unavoidable – open with that comment when you engage with a skier or snowboarder who is acting in a dangerous way on the ski slopes. Please consider contributing to the Snow Angel Foundation.
Thank you for bringing up the important issue of the danger of collisions and the responsibility of the individual to ski in a manner so as not to be a menace to others. In this era of narcissistic entitlement many are unguided human missiles on the slope believing they are the next Mikela Shiffrin – PS racers race and train on terrain closed to the public and are not a menace. Skiers who are a menace in the hill should lose their ticket. This almost never happens. Clearly the industry doesn’t want to lose customers by pulling passes but they are losing more customers who quit because they’re afraid of becoming hill kill. I am a former racer and retired licensed ski coach. I have never collided with anyone although I have been hit several times. When is stop on a hill I always perch just below a lift tower, snow gun or larger tree which will take an impact instead of me. The problem of out of control skiers is a serious problem which is NOT taken seriously.
The technology is now available to read a skier/snowboarders rfid tag associated with their ski pass. Ski Patrollers could “shoot” the offenders, have the information, send warning letters and repeat offenders have their privileges revoked.
Holding resorts responsible when they could play a huge part in correcting the problem and showing that they are truly concerned with problem by taking a lead on safety. But maybe they are only concerned with making money instead of the safety of their customers.
A few years ago, I was skiing at Northstar on an easy black diamond. I was skiing at a moderate speed. Suddenly, I was hit from behind by an out of control, teenage girl skier. I only mention the gender because we often suspect male snowboarders. It can be anyone. I was launched into the air and landed 30 feet away. When she hit me, I felt the most incredibly painful tearing in my shoulder. Three ligaments were torn. I was carried off the mountain in a rescue sled.
After the collision, ski patrol got the mother’s identification. It turned out to be a false location. I had thousands of dollars of medical bills to cover. Unfortunately, it was decided that nothing could be done to repair my shoulder. Now it drops down and the bones bang into each other. The damage to my shoulder has impacted my life greatly. I used to teach rock climbing, but now that’s impossible. No longer can I kayak and my rafting is very limited. Yet, I continue to ski, but when other snow enthusiasts get in my space, I want to go ballistic. There is no reason to be within 8 feet of another person on the slope. If a person is observed skiing fast within that 8 foot zone of another person, they should get their ticket pulled for the day. Repeat offenders should get a month or a season suspension.
The life changing, debilitating and expensive impacts that happen from negligence has to end. The resorts and ski patrol just has to do more to stop it.