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Getting hit by othe skiers and tips. Also how turn style amd shape may impact this.

echo_VT

Angel Diva
yup i've been nabbed this year by a snowboarder while on skis. i've also been hit by a skier while on a snowboard. my daughter was hit by a skier. some men came up to the woman and started yelling at her that she could have seriously hurt my daughter. i had no idea what was going on. i went to retrieve the woman's goggles which exploded on the hill. she was a complete mess. the little one was shaken up but ok thank goodness. i just don't ski if there's traffic on the run. if so, i just stand and i stick to the side and make sure i'm visible from above. when it opens up and is clear, then i ski. ain't got time to get hit!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
A friend of mine was hit about 3 weeks ago....broken collar bone. Then he got hit yesterday and dislocated the should on the same side. No damage to the collar bone, but it's about the 4th time for the shoulder. He can just about put it back himself now.

There are inherit risks to skiing. The best is to mitigate them and stay away from out of control people. If things start to go that way....time to change terrain or go home.
 

skibum4ever

Angel Diva
@ski diva I had a similar experience at Mammoth some years ago. Quad chair, I am alone at the line, 3 boarders come up behind me and I end up in one of their laps. Boarder says, "I can hold you all the way up". Um no, chair is pretty high and pretty long. I jump off, several feet, fortunately into powder, and I'm shaken up but not hurt at all. But it does take a while for the lift to get going again and everyone in line is glaring at me like it's my fault.

Some days I want my own mountain.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I hate getting hit. It has thankfully in 17 seasons only happened twice, and both times by my own students loosing control. Accidents, not caused by being reckless do happen. Many are unfortunately related to people being reckless though.

While it is true that those passing us need to give us a wide berth, I do occasionally peak uphill and choose to pull over if I see skiers/riders that seem out of control.

Were you in the middle or on the side of the run when you were hit? When I ski with students that are slower than most on a run, I now tend to stay in the middle as many fast people like to pass on the outside of the trail. I also do try to keep to a narrow corridor, not because I have to, but because it might minimize the probability of being hit from behind. I find that skiers and riders seem to often come in waves, and pulling over to let a wave pass can sometimes give me a window to make downward progress with less concern about other skiers.

I have been nicknamed Crazy Ivan, which was an evasive submarine maneuver undertaken by the soviets to evade their enemies by making unexpected turns. At some point, there will always be a faster person behind us.

I agree with a previous comment that many people go too fast on mellow groomed runs instead of using steeper bumpier runs as their challenge. Nastar course is a good place to bomb down a hill in my opinion, but speed is often so relative.

As for @newboots, I have some reservations about the idea that backcountry is safer. You don't always know who is above you making poor line choices and potentially triggering slides. This is not to take away from the fun and serenity of ski touring, but I think it is a very real risk than even the wisest forget about when they make good decisions for themselves.

Wishing all the gals and their friends a safe end to the season!
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Our trails are narrow here in NE, and lots of people get their thrills by scaring themselves silly going fast just at or beyond the limit of their control. They are not paying attention to what's in front of them, and they don't know the skiers' code. At the end of their turns their skis have no grip and they cannot slow down or effectively veer to avoid colliding with a slower skier in front of them even if they are paying attention. Any time I'm going slow and hear faster skiers behind me, I don't trust them.

It is not always easy to pull over since there are no turn signals in skiing. Speeding up and leaving the approaching skiers behind sometimes works. Detecting them early and pulling over before they get close works too. These groups of fast out-of-control intermediates are like a stampede of hoofed animals; they are scary for good reason. It's shocking how often a clump of these fast intermediates forms on the groomers around here. They don't seem to realize they are dangerous to each other and to others in front of them.

In the bumps there's little need to worry about approaching skiers colliding with those below them. There won't be as many people there (at least not around here in New England), and although there are always some skiers who go faster than others, most fast bump skiers can stop on a dime if they need to. Out of control skiers don't last long in the bumps. Plus, the fast bumpers are paying close attention to what's in front of them.

I like skiing in the bumps. It's safer.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I always find that staying on black trails as much as possible cuts down on the amount of skiers on a trail immensely. I avoid greens like the plague because there are usually just so many people going in so many directions that it makes me nervous. Bumps and trees, even better to further weed out crowds.. I also tend to ski on the edge of trails, often on the left which is the opposite of what I find many people around me do since the normal inclination can be to go to the right perhaps? Lastly I try and be predictable with my turns so if someone wants to zoom around me they have a better shot at picking the right time to do it.
 

kiki

Angel Diva
This weekend we skid blues and some bumps and trees and there was WAY fewer people in those areas and those that were seemed more able to work around us.

My coach also noticed when i get scared i stop or slow doen/hesitate so she was pushing me just to keep going in the same gentle rhythhm. I think this will help a lot.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
This weekend we skid blues and some bumps and trees and there was WAY fewer people in those areas and those that were seemed more able to work around us.

My coach also noticed when i get scared i stop or slow doen/hesitate so she was pushing me just to keep going in the same gentle rhythhm. I think this will help a lot.

That's makes sense. Some people revert to old habits....most sit back. I curl my toes....don't know what I'm trying to hang on to!
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
This weekend we skid blues and some bumps and trees and there was WAY fewer people in those areas and those that were seemed more able to work around us.

My coach also noticed when i get scared i stop or slow doen/hesitate so she was pushing me just to keep going in the same gentle rhythhm. I think this will help a lot.

That sounds like very helpful tips! If you stop or slow down suddenly those behind you who are following too closely or not paying attention could become a hazard (even though it is their responsibility to watch out for you). Having these things in mind from your instructor is great for future awareness of your behaviors for progress in the right direction. :smile:
 

Randi M.

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
:frusty:

Aaak! So glad you both are (mostly) not injured! The Dude sounds drunk, which bothers me a lot. Especially if you’re not an accomplished skier, getting out there under the influence puts other people at risk on the lift and on the hill! Not to mention on the drive home.

And the guy with the racing kids! Is he loading the lift with his eyes closed?

Grrr. It’s a risky sport already without having to share the mountain with these yahoos.

You know what’s funny? I never have a drink during the ski day, no matter how glorious and relaxing the lodge is at lunch. I want to be sharp, awake and alert. I would 100% hurt myself or someone else if I skied with a buzz.
 

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