Incidents & Accidents: 9
Funneled With No Place To Go.
Who: Randall White
Where: Mt St Louis, Ontario, Canada, near Toronto
What Happened: Skier-snowboarder collision at convergence and crossover of blue ski runs. These were moderate to high speed runs without any warning signs, and it was a crowded day. See recorded GoPro video for a detailed visual account of the accident, and thoughts on improvements.
Role of Ski Patrol: Neither person was seriously injured or required transport, so Patrol not called. The protocol at this ski area is for Patrol to take a “not injured statement and signature” from people. That is for relief of liability.
Lessons Learned: Read maps carefully, ski off to the side of the run in busy intersections, go slow, and watch out for fast skiers behind you. Runs with funnel points should be avoided or approached with caution.
Advice: Wear a flashing red bicycle light on your helmet aimed behind you. Choose one of very high lumens for daylight visibility. That may help reduce the probability of rear end collisions.
Action: Make a report to the manager of Ski Patrol, or the GM of the ski area for such hazardous conditions. Suggest that they install metering chicanes in such locations to slow skiers down and allow for safer crossovers and merges. See video.
For Prevention: Stay away from overcrowded ski slopes that are too close to large metropolitan areas. There are inherent hazards/accidents that while preventable, are unlikely to be corrected by the ski area operators.