When I go skiing I love to do turns, practice my technique, learn something new, have some fun and enjoy that I am fit. I see no need for skiing as fast as humanly possible down a green or blue run, it’s plain stupid and it’s incredibly dangerous to not only yourself, but to others around you. I don’t understand the enjoyment in it. That’s just my opinion, others see it differently.
Many people think that skiing ‘Bonsai!’ down a mountain is to be admired. The thing is is most people who speed down ski slopes have very little control over what they are doing and they rarely care about what others around them are doing as well. Numerous times I’ve had a snowboarder or skier schuss past me at what looks like 100km/h and it’s makes me angry that they do not care for others, particularly beginners, who just want to relax and enjoy their skiing. 20-something male snowboarders in groups seem to be the main culprits, to the point that I won’t ski down particular runs if I see them. I just want to ski without having to look back up the mountain when I turn. I know the rules are that people in front have right of way and you need to anticipate their actions, but I don’t trust that speeding skiiers and boarders coming up behind me know how to stop in time, cause they generally don’t. I wish Ski Patrol would pick these people up and confiscate their lift ticket. But sadly I have never seen that happen.
I was surprised to read an article that the councils of Park City and Deer Valley in Utah, USA, are so concerned by out of controll skiers and snowboarders that they have recently voted to make skiing recklessly a Class B Misdemeanour which is punishable by a fine of up to US$1,000 and up to six months in jail (very similar to a DUI charge). Ski Patrollers can restrain the offender on the slope, call the police and the offender is consequently taken to court to face the charge/s.
Jail time might seem a little harsh to some people. But it’s not about what you are doing, it’s about what you could potentially do, and if you are clocking above 50km/h then you have the potential to cause as much harm as you could when you drive at those speeds. The thing is, you can’t just put your foot on a break pedal as you can in a car. You need to know how to stop fast and do it safely and in control.
There have been many efforts to curb speeding skiers and snowboarders. In Europe, a couple of the resorts in Switzerland have introduced speed limits on particular areas of slopes so that beginners could have some quality time without being frightened by others around them. There was also talk about some resorts in Europe where Ski Patrollers carry around speed cameras, but this hasn’t happened. However, a Swiss insurance group will be placing timers on particular runs so people can view how fast they are going. This is in conjunction with a safety campaign to encourage skiing within your limits.
In an older post I placed about skiing injuries, only 10 percent of injuries on slopes are caused by collisions, with injuries resulting from people to people collisions being more severe than non-collision injuries. Ski Lifts are getting quicker and able to carry more people, which means people are spending alot more time on the slopes and I’m sure this will lead to an increase in this percentage.
Another reason to invest in a Ski Helmet.
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