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Is resort skiing getting more dangerous?

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Interesting article on this in The Summit Daily.

I'm lucky enough to ski weekdays when it's not crowded, but the few times I've been out this year on the weekends and holidays, I was alarmed by the number of near-collisions I witnessed. I had a few close calls, myself. Is it getting worse? I don't know. But I definitely believe that more people need to be aware of what it means to ski safely.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I love that that group formed and is getting attention. We've talked a lot here about accidents, reckless skiers, etc. Maybe the thing to do is for all of us to encourage our ski mountains to make safety a priority, to point out all of the people we know that don't ski anymore because of the collisions they've had. How is it good for business if people feel like they are taking their life in their hands and then just end up not going? We always hear that ski resorts aren't liable for injuries because the nature of the sport is dangerous, but we aren't talking about suing a resort for having icy patches. We're talking about pulling passes, speed control, making sure everyone knows that leaving the scene of a collision is a crime in most cases.

I don't know if it's getting worse proportionally or if most of our resorts are just more crowded, but I think we are well past the awareness stage. The idea that we can slap some responsibility code posters up and think that's enough...it's not. I wish resorts would do for all of their slopes what Boyne does for terrain park use, which is require a special pass you get after you do their interactive presentation. Make this mandatory for the under 18 skiing unaccompanied crowd, give everyone else $10 off or special lift access for doing it.

I'm sure ski resorts won't be more proactive because they think it will hurt business, but then I think about the way the Seattle Mariners handle unruly fans. You'd think there would be no way to restrain bad behavior at a sporting event, right? That people wouldn't want to come and it would be bad for business? But the Mariners have decided they are a family friendly venue and they are quick to remove anyone that crosses a line. Yelling expletives, being drunk and disorderly, saying anything homophobic or racist...if the people around you complain to the usher you will likely get tossed out. I've seen many people removed over the years. It's awesome. Families don't have to worry about some a**hole screaming expletives in their kids' ears, my gay friends that go to games don't have to worry about someone making a slur, etc. I think this is reasonably analogous to a ski resort deciding to crack down on reckless skiers. I think it could be good for business.

Could be a good Ski Diva blog post...
 

dloveski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't know that resorts are more dangerous today. As a skier since the 1960's here in Utah, safety was not a priority. We rode ancient one or two seater lifts, helmets were unheard of. The equipment we skied on was horrid (remember cable bindings?) And in-bounds slides were not that uncommon.

I think resorts are making safety more a priority. What has changed, IMO, and causes the danger, is that there are more people on the slopes; the chairs get them on the hill faster (adding to the crowding); the equipment has evolved and thus some skiers/boarders are able to ski beyond their technical ability. And (cringe) there are boarders now.

Before I get slammed---let me say, my kids all are boarders, some of my friends are boarders---but boarders that are not good at boarding are more hazardous that skiers who are learning.
 

Gratefulgal

Certified Ski Diva
Yesterday my brother was in town for my birthday and since it's the only time he can get up to Mount Snow we braved the crowds and went out for some runs.

While I had an awesome time, it was an obstacle course of people peppered with snowboarders baha ing down and zig zagging across the trails. On my last run one crossed right in front of me, clipping my tips. I almost went down and it was why it became my last run. Just too many reckless folks, too many bodies in general, it's hard to enjoy when you're spending your whole way down worrying about being taken down or avoiding hitting someone yourself.

I don't remember things ever being this way.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
In my opinion, the main issue is overcrowding. I also think the multi resort passes are a big part of the problem. Resorts used to limit ticket sales which kept the crowds at reasonable levels. With the mega passes, the resorts have no way of knowing how many folks will actually show up to ski that day. It's not that difficult an issue to solve. Have everyone declare a home mountain. Those numbers can be factored into individual resort's expected weekend numbers. To use the mega pass at any other resort, require the skier to go online and reserve their spots at least 24 hours in advance. It works for Deer Valley.
 

HikenSki

Angel Diva
Yesterday my brother was in town for my birthday and since it's the only time he can get up to Mount Snow we braved the crowds and went out for some runs.

While I had an awesome time, it was an obstacle course of people peppered with snowboarders baha ing down and zig zagging across the trails. On my last run one crossed right in front of me, clipping my tips. I almost went down and it was why it became my last run. Just too many reckless folks, too many bodies in general, it's hard to enjoy when you're spending your whole way down worrying about being taken down or avoiding hitting someone yourself.

I don't remember things ever being this way.
I've been quitting earlier and earlier these days when I become more concerned about someone hitting me and am no longer having fun because the slopes are way too crowded with too many hotshots or folks skiing beyond their ability. I've had too many close calls this season and just thinking about them sitting here on the couch makes me nervous and hesitant to go out again. We try to avoid weekends when we can but sometimes that's all we have available with our busy schedules.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't know if it's more dangerous or not. I just know that my local mountain's effort to sell cheap season passes and join the mountain collective has resulted in extremely dangerous slopes on busy days, primarily Saturdays. WAY too many people I know getting hurt by being hit by others.

IMO the way the terrain parks are laid out where I ski adds greatly to the kamikaze attitude, ineptitude, and general disregard for anyone else on the mountain. The parks are spread out all over the mountain, and the park riders use all the terrain in BETWEEN said parks as one giant park, which includes the second busiest choke point on the mountain. I am sad to say that all I hear are excuses and have smoke blown. I'm pretty over it. The perspective definitely changes when you have a child out there.
 

Susan L

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My husband can only ski on the weekends so we have no choice. But we get there early and be ready right at 9am and leave at 11am when most people start to come in. We also started paying extra every Sunday to start an hour early - $75/person for that hour just to avoid the crowds is worth it to my husband.
 

QCskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
As someone who can only ski on weekends it does seem that the mountains are more crowded and people just aren't being mindful of those around them. I was at Tremblant one Saturday and saw the patrol taking someone off in a stretcher three different times. I have also noticed many near collisions and have had a few incidents myself where someone got way too close to me while trying to pass me. In two cases they whizzed right over the tips of my skis causing me to lose my balance. Neither fall was particularly bad but they could have been easily avoided.

I have noticed that resorts out here in Quebec aren't doing enough to make people aware of the alpine code of conduct. They have it posted by the lifts but many simply don't pay attention it and so they aren't aware that they have a responsibility to be mindful of others and maintain a proper distance between themselves and everyone else on the slope.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's hard for me to say that things have gotten worse as before I moved here fifteen years ago I skied at Camelback. And I skied weekends. I was hit every single year. My kid was hit regularly as well. The last season I was there I was hit six times. Most of those times I was pulled off to the side of a trail and was hit anyway.

Then I moved here, and ski mostly midweek. Since you could be on a run here midweek and not see a single soul the whole way down, it's hard to make comparisons. Yet the increasing visitation is noticeable. And unlike Camelback, which had its "rangers" whose sole job was preventing carnage and who definitely would pull your ticket, there is nothing here like that. Yes, occasionally I've heard of season passes yanked, but normally for stuff like going into closed areas and only rarely for REPEATED collisions. There are slow signs all over being totally ignored (snowboarders straight-lining at high speed right past neon slow signs) and no enforcement. Occasionally in the past I've seen ski patrol standing at the bottom of the Ant Hill waving people to slow down, but never pursued. What it comes down to is they are not seeing SUFFICIENT carnage to actually do anything about it.

I leave if it gets too busy. I am not above waiting for considerable numbers of people to go by until I see a gap in traffic I'm comfortable with. To the point that I irritate those who ski with me, in fact. Because at 67, I know that I could be finished as a skier if I'm hit. I know already that bodies don't recover that fast at my age. I'd rather wait for a long gap than risk it. And I'll go home if the waiting is getting frequent.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I quit skiing at our local bump because of the crowds and out of control skiers. They decided to sell a $99 night time only pass. It was a zoo. I was working with a friend on the long beginner run, when an out of control kid, scared the sh*t out of her and she fell. Broke her wrist. I was done after that. Because next time it could have been me being hit.

Tremblant has a group of people with "caution" written on the back of their jackets. Not really sure what their job is, but I have seen them at the end of the day on the bottom pitch slowing people down.

Whistler at one time used off duty RCMP officers with radar guns. Tickets were pulled. Last time I was out they had employee people stationed at slow areas on the out runs slowing people down. I saw one take off after someone that went speeding past them. They had lots of warning to slow down, so don't blame the employee for going after them.

I really hope this group gets heard throughout the the snow world. Something needs to be done.
 

Gratefulgal

Certified Ski Diva
The boarder who cut me off didn't even look back or seem to care. :(.
I am not anti snow boarding but I do see a lot more reckless behavior from them than skiers here.
I'm grateful I have at least one weekday off to ski because it's doubtful I'll ski another weekend day because of this.
 

HikenSki

Angel Diva
Yup. I do the same thing. Stand there and guage the peeps around me. We can tell the hotshots and the questionables. LOL. It's the subtle nod or go ahead from the others waiting too when we know it's clear. They are just as concerned as we are.
 

MI-skier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
DH was taken out by a boarder who was out of control behind him and it damaged DH's knee for the season. I HATE to think what would have happened if it had been our younger, smaller kids at that time. We also try and assess the lay of the land before going out. I am always worried about the crazies who don't care about collateral damage.
 

GaSkier

Certified Ski Diva
I am so glad to hear other voicing the same concerns I and my spouse have realized over the past several years.

I've been hit hard enough to be knocked out of my bindings (ski patrol did NOT pull the person's pass even though he had been straight lining down the mountain while I stood stopped in plain view at the bottom of the mountain along with a good crowd of other skiers), had a snowboarder plow entirely over the back of my skis while we were both moving along at a good clip down a run this last trip (I didn't fall, but it was too close for me), and decided I was NEVER skiing Breckinridge again after a boarder blasting out of the trees at head height in front of me almost clipped my helmet because he launched himself into the air with no visibility of the actual run (one of several incidents). Breckinridge scared us both when we last skied there 4 years ago. And Heavenly doesn't seem to be any better.

Unfortunately, I agree that the boarders seem to cause a lot of havoc on the mountains. Maybe it is because of the encouragement to board the entire mountain like it's a terrain park and the placement of the parks. Of course, I've seen plenty of skiers that are no better. I always feel bad for the newbies on the mountain when someone who should know better crowds them or cuts them off on a narrower run just to get to the bottom a minute or two quicker. I remember what it was like to learn to ski (both terrifying and fun moments) and I'm not sure if I were learning today that I'd feel safe from other skiers/boarders.

I, too, think the way the passes are structured, the reluctance of resorts to limit ticket sales, and terrain parks all over the mountain are contributing. I believe that most skiers and boarders do want to ski and board safely, but the awareness of what is actually safe may not match up to reality. I would like to see more aggressiveness on the part of the resorts to control some of the reckless behavior, but not certain how to encourage them to do that. Maybe we should all start a ski industry lobbying effort. :smile:
 

BlizzardBabe

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I got hit in the lift line last week. Idiot 20-something who I suspect was drunk and wouldn't have known how to stop even when sober. The drinking thing is a whole 'nuther topic.
 

GaSkier

Certified Ski Diva
Interesting article on this in The Summit Daily.

I'm lucky enough to ski weekdays when it's not crowded, but the few times I've been out this year on the weekends and holidays, I was alarmed by the number of near-collisions I witnessed. I had a few close calls, myself. Is it getting worse? I don't know. But I definitely believe that more people need to be aware of what it means to ski safely.

Thanks for the article regarding the efforts by the Summit County group. I worked with a couple of people from the Denver area, one who grew up skiing Winter Park and other resorts along the I70 corridor. Both said that they no longer skied the Colorado resorts during the high season due to crowds and reckless behavior. The guy who grew up skiing the area resorts said he went from skiing 35-40 days a year to 10-15 max. Neither of his now college-age kids ski the resorts either, opting to head to less crowded areas in the west when they have time. His daughter was seriously injured by a snowboarder a couple of years ago at Winter Park and had to take a semester off of college to recover. The boarder hit her as he was making a jump near the bottom of a lift.
 

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