Another sad story of a hit and run incident

[locknload]

I love this part.

Me 2. I think people overlooked this amazing line and reaction. Wondering if he dropped the ski off at ski Patrol for the offender to pick it up?

 

[locknload]

The resorts can mitigate much of the out of control skiing by cutting back on the relentless grooming.

Great point...leave more crud and moguls out there.....only problem is that may divert EVEN MORE crowds on to limited groomers. Bumps are always the safest way down as far as I'm concerned.

 

[locknload]

My perfect record ended today on Lower Superstar as a snowboarder took me out from behind. I head a good head of steam carving the smooth surface under the snow guns. Out of control boarder bouncing on his backside swept my legs right out from under me. No injuries as I still can bounce. Over two thousand ski days of never having a collision wiped out in a second.

Glad you are ok.

 

[Tricia]

I heard today that Betty is recovering well, but the search for the boy continues.

Thank you for the update.

 

[NickD]

These kind of stories make me so sad and mad. Ski bum / dirtbag culture doesn’t have to include being absolutely reckless about other people’s safety. Want to risk your own life? Go for it (although, I wish you wouldn’t)… want to risk other people’s safety? I’ve got no tolerance for that.

I got hit last year by a straightliner and broke two ribs while I was in uniform. Now I’m hyper aware of everyone else on the slope. I look before lane changes, even when it disrupts my skiing. I’m careful about where I stop with guests. I can ever, often, hear someone straightlining behind me.

And here’s the thing, 99% of the time it is college aged dudes. Guys, you don’t have to be this way. There’s tons of ways to show off your skiing ability or to get thills without being so obtuse. It isn’t cool, manly, or awesome to be out of control. Ever see Cody or Candide or Ted strightline it around other skiers, in bounds? Nope. And trust me, even still, you aren’t them and you can’t ski as well as them.

And above all, I’m frustrated with human sleds who want to point their twintip 120s straight down the hill because the only technique they have is being able to barely balance over their feet. In most of my life I’m not terribly judgmental, but I have a lot of disregard for selfish people who think they are invincible and are willing to risk not only their safety but that of others. I’ll get off my soapbox (although it sounds like I’m in agreeable company), but I’ll also add that I’ve often wished I could pull tickets since patrol won’t. I’m not a power trip kinda person, but I think of my guests‘ experiences and safety - most people take lessons because they want more control and a better feeling of safety. Having some human torpedo bomb past, on a green or blue, just tiggers my zen threshold.

 

[anders_nor]

After you get hit, your head is on a swivel forever. I've been hit 3 times in last 10 years or so, 1 standing in line waiting for beer at afterski (wtf) 1 time standing just outside the hill prepareing to take a leak near trees when a dude came flying with 0 control my helmet and backbrace saved me 100% in both situations. And of course last year twisting my knee 180 degrees by my GF filming me, trying to keep up. I was on my my 12-13M skis to lay some tracks. she never even tried to stop as the gopro 360 revealed. I try to be aware of just how fast I cross the slope on shorter radius skis so people are not caught off guard if straight lining or whatever.

I also find it funny that most of the time people looking around them/back, are the ones going fast. There are always heavier and better skiers. Snowboards.. not so much, even the guys on a racing board are fairly slow.

Here in europe the green, blue, red and black is a bit all over the place, our local black run I can barely break 55-60, while on other hills, a blue run can give you 65 easy and be super steep. The best carvingruns are usually the blue & reds.

It has been a bit crowded so far this year, but fairly low incident count, a lot of people do have less of a margin than my personal preference. Only a few runs were open so people congested on the single black run, and due to this I dialed my speed back 15-20-25mph, its early season, people dont have their A game, myself included.

Nobody will pull your pass for just carving the runs without scrubbing speed if your in control and just do it smooth, but there is no point of going closer to people than you need. Heck, they usually dont bother if you just straight line it in hockey either, terminal velocity on non waxed park skiss and baggy clothes are not that great.


They do adress people sitting around on the slopes, and even our young kids are tought not to do this. Most of the time when you see this its snowboarders or forreigners.

Before coming to a stop I always look around me as to plan so others can predict it, and I wont get in their way, going from 50 to 0 without doing so just seems illogical, I dont hit full ABS in left lane on a highway.

When skiiing with friends we always split the "lanes" and how many in a row with X distance and just lay out the runs. I'm to old to bump into friends. I also much prefer skiiing the same tracks, vs opposite and crossing near center.

 

[Jerez]

And if you groom less over all then the groomed area will be even more crowded and they then become more dangerous too.

This I'm afraid.

Like Grump, I'd like to see less zealous grooming. After all, bimps are how you make bump skiers and those bimps form on occasionally groomed terrain.

However, seeing the insanity this early season with too many people on too little terrain, I would guess that less grooming would crowd the very slopes where you find a mix of experience and understanding of the code and would likely result in a lot more accidents.

 

[markojp]

Ron LeMaster.. hit and killed a couple weeks ago.

 

[locknload]

These kind of stories make me so sad and mad. Ski bum / dirtbag culture doesn’t have to include being absolutely reckless about other people’s safety. Want to risk your own life? Go for it (although, I wish you wouldn’t)… want to risk other people’s safety? I’ve got no tolerance for that.

I got hit last year by a straightliner and broke two ribs while I was in uniform. Now I’m hyper aware of everyone else on the slope. I look before lane changes, even when it disrupts my skiing. I’m careful about where I stop with guests. I can ever, often, hear someone straightlining behind me.

And here’s the thing, 99% of the time it is college aged dudes. Guys, you don’t have to be this way. There’s tons of ways to show off your skiing ability or to get thills without being so obtuse. It isn’t cool, manly, or awesome to be out of control. Ever see Cody or Candide or Ted strightline it around other skiers, in bounds? Nope. And trust me, even still, you aren’t them and you can’t ski as well as them.

And above all, I’m frustrated with human sleds who want to point their twintip 120s straight down the hill because the only technique they have is being able to barely balance over their feet. In most of my life I’m not terribly judgmental, but I have a lot of disregard for selfish people who think they are invincible and are willing to risk not only their safety but that of others. I’ll get off my soapbox (although it sounds like I’m in agreeable company), but I’ll also add that I’ve often wished I could pull tickets since patrol won’t. I’m not a power trip kinda person, but I think of my guests‘ experiences and safety - most people take lessons because they want more control and a better feeling of safety. Having some human torpedo bomb past, on a green or blue, just tiggers my zen threshold.

Really well stated. Agree 1000%.

 

[Snowfan]

55 years skiing and I had no idea so many people were being run down. Appreciate the info and will ski a tad safer.

 

[martyg]

I am working on this very topic right now. More in January.

 

[Seldomski]

Ron LeMaster.. hit and killed a couple weeks ago.

Have more details been released? From the stories published, I couldn't tell what actually happened in the moments before the collision.

 

[KingGrump]

This I'm afraid.

Like Grump, I'd like to see less zealous grooming. After all, bimps are how you make bump skiers and those bimps form on occasionally groomed terrain.

However, seeing the insanity this early season with too many people on too little terrain, I would guess that less grooming would crowd the very slopes where you find a mix of experience and understanding of the code and would likely result in a lot more accidents.

That are many degrees of grooming. Most resorts groom their slop until they are billiard table smooth. Like the pic in this post. Doesn't take much skill to straight line that. Built false sense of competency for the groomer-zoomers. They don't really realize how much they suck until it's too late.

I am sure the resorts can groom the slope and leave them with a little bit more "texture and character." Don't have to be full on bump run kind of character. Just enough to discourage the barrage of unguided high speed meat missiles.

 

[dbostedo]

I am sure the resorts can groom the slope and leave them with a little bit more "texture and character."

And risk getting criticized and getting bad publicity for their bad grooming? Perish the thought....