Another one bites the dust....

[skimee]

So sorry to hear that a great skier got hit today by a snowboarder, and broke her ankle. Please Get well quick and you guys out there, please be considerate and careful. We noticed the boarders were going nuts today on the slopes. Keeping her name off here cause it would not be right to tell who she is without her consent.

[MrsG]

I know a "few bad apples" ruin the bunch . . . but I encountered the same experience yesterday . . . it was crazy with peeps going nuts . . . please be careful and considerate out there . . .

[tyrolean_skier]

Wishing her a speedy recovery. I did yell at a few guys who almost hit me either by jumping off the sides of the trails and landing very close to me or by cutting me off.

[Ski_the_Moguls]

Where are the ski patrollers when this is going on? It sounds like something they should be cracking down on, but almost never do. The high number of reckless skiers and boarders is my biggest complaint about Killington.

[millerm277]

Very unfortunate to hear, hope they recover quickly and continue skiing.

It's definitely an issue at Killington (as well as many other areas). On busy days I pretty much adopt the strategy of skiing fast and not stopping anywhere on the hill, much easier to avoid idiots in front of me than to need eyes in the back of my head to stay safe.

[Big Bob]

From what I heard the snowboarder was a beginner on his first day on a board. What part of NO BEGINNER TERRAIN IS AVALIABLE do people Not understand!!! Go to Okemo! She will undergo sugery this morning. I wish her well.

[Dr. NO]

From what I heard the snowboarder was a beginner on his first day on a board. What part of NO BEGINNER TERRAIN IS AVALIABLE do people Not understand!!! Go to Okemo! She will undergo sugery this morning. I wish her well.

I was wondering the same yesterday as I was skiing down. Several people, boarders and skiers, could barely get around the top of GN never mind navigate Rhime or Reason.

[Guy in Shorts]

Wishing her a speedy recovery. I did yell at a few guys who almost hit me either by jumping off the sides of the trails and landing very close to me or by cutting me off.

I try to give the snowboarders their landing zones. Improves my chances for a injury free day.

[da Pimp]

This is the unfortunate part of a business. Everyone wants ticket sales, and since there is no practical way to determine your ability or intentions at the ticket window you will always see people out there that are viewed by the more capable people as unfit. If patrollers or ambasadors were chasing people off the hill midday because of lower ability levels that would be pretty bad for business and the industry in general. I had a boarder slide across my ski tails from behind last weekend while I was moving pretty fast. I guess I was inches away from a total takedown from the rear and it would have been ugly most likely for me. Later in the day I cut super close to someone else's tails trying to get around them instead of stopping first. Both scenes showed poor decisions.

What we need to see is patrollers/ambassadors approaching the risk takers on the hill and the feeble who do not understand, and get them into areas that are safer for everyone. One minute of education and explanation would go a long way towards preventing broken ankles and all the other collision injuries that we see all season.

I wonder if the Killington patroller policy is still to sit at the top and wait for a call. If so, then the best trained experienced eyes for safety are not being used. The far majority of skiers/riders that I talk to have one common complaint - out of control people and people who are where they do not belong.

A lot has to do with friends & peers who drag along people where they want to go regardless of whether or not their friends should be there, too. And we have all seen the eager parents who take 2 or 3 year old rank novices down blue trails or even blacks on crowded days. What are they thinking? They are thinking of themselves, not their kids and not anyone else. They want to ski/ride so badly so they come up with all sorts of jargon on why they should be out there.

So what do we do in the face of ignorance, stupidity, poor decision making? First we ask the mountain to get their act in gear for safety. Second we have to accept most of the situation as inevitable and accept the risks of mixing it up with unknown people of unknown ability. I surely hope that I do not go flying down a slope and slam into someone standing on the side because right up to the moment before we collide I will have thought that I was doing the right thing and I was in control. It's all subjective, hard to police or enforce. I ride a bike in the summer and you quickly learn to watch every direction and expect cars to move or turn in any direction at any time. That is a requirement to riding. The same holds true for skiing/riding to a certain extent. Being aware and watching others around you works 95% of the time.

[brownman]

Sorry to learn of the slope mis-hap.
Hope it all works out for the victim.

The single lane traffic coming out of Glades always perks my attantion.
Without directional signals, it's tough knowing which way a slider is about to go perpendicular.
Ever vigilant, and considerate of the downhill person...concepts even advanced skiers often forget.

As has been indicated many times ... Fait attention mes amis !

[Marc Shepherd]

A lot has to do with friends & peers who drag along people where they want to go regardless of whether or not their friends should be there, too. And we have all seen the eager parents who take 2 or 3 year old rank novices down blue trails or even blacks on crowded days. What are they thinking? They are thinking of themselves, not their kids and not anyone else. They want to ski/ride so badly so they come up with all sorts of jargon on why they should be out there.

Most of us didn't see this exact situation, or how it happened. Fortunately I've never been in a serious crash. But I do think that advanced skiers sometimes misunderstand how these things happen. The only way to get better at skiing/boarding is to try something just a bit more difficult than the last "most difficult" thing you have done. Unless you have an instructor with you all the time (and who can afford that?), this inevitably requires some guesswork. Fortunately, I've never been in a position where my attempts to get better endangered myself or others, but I am naturally very cautious.

[Stormchaser]

This is the unfortunate part of a business. Everyone wants ticket sales, and since there is no practical way to determine your ability or intentions at the ticket window you will always see people out there that are viewed by the more capable people as unfit. If patrollers or ambasadors were chasing people off the hill midday because of lower ability levels that would be pretty bad for business and the industry in general. I had a boarder slide across my ski tails from behind last weekend while I was moving pretty fast. I guess I was inches away from a total takedown from the rear and it would have been ugly most likely for me. Later in the day I cut super close to someone else's tails trying to get around them instead of stopping first. Both scenes showed poor decisions.

What we need to see is patrollers/ambassadors approaching the risk takers on the hill and the feeble who do not understand, and get them into areas that are safer for everyone. One minute of education and explanation would go a long way towards preventing broken ankles and all the other collision injuries that we see all season.

I wonder if the Killington patroller policy is still to sit at the top and wait for a call. If so, then the best trained experienced eyes for safety are not being used. The far majority of skiers/riders that I talk to have one common complaint - out of control people and people who are where they do not belong.

A lot has to do with friends & peers who drag along people where they want to go regardless of whether or not their friends should be there, too. And we have all seen the eager parents who take 2 or 3 year old rank novices down blue trails or even blacks on crowded days. What are they thinking? They are thinking of themselves, not their kids and not anyone else. They want to ski/ride so badly so they come up with all sorts of jargon on why they should be out there.

So what do we do in the face of ignorance, stupidity, poor decision making? First we ask the mountain to get their act in gear for safety. Second we have to accept most of the situation as inevitable and accept the risks of mixing it up with unknown people of unknown ability. I surely hope that I do not go flying down a slope and slam into someone standing on the side because right up to the moment before we collide I will have thought that I was doing the right thing and I was in control. It's all subjective, hard to police or enforce. I ride a bike in the summer and you quickly learn to watch every direction and expect cars to move or turn in any direction at any time. That is a requirement to riding. The same holds true for skiing/riding to a certain extent. Being aware and watching others around you works 95% of the time.

Well said. Everyone out there needs to be aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately most beginners don't realize this as they are too wrapped up in trying to make it down the hill... I've always liked the driving analogy - either stay in your lane, or check your blind spots before making a change. Maybe the groomers could be equipped to paint lines in the snow. Start on the groomed trails at Snowshed and Ramshead so the newbs are trained early... I TRULY believe, that many low level skiers view upper level skiers as reckless, because they aren't aware enough of the skiers and riders around them, and are surprised when one comes whizzing by. Not to discount the reckless, because they are out there, and they are a problem, but lets not confuse speed and line choice for recklessness. Personally, I'm much more inclined to give beginners/lower-abilities more caution, because they are unpredictable and ignorant when it comes to sharing the hill with others. That's reckless...throw someone in car who's just got their learners permit and ask em to drive in Boston or New York or the Mass Pike in rush hour and see how many accidents they cause.

I've got another question. How close is too close? How close should you ski to another person, before it's considered too close? When approaching a moving skier/rider? When passing a moving skier/rider? When passing a stationary skier/rider?

[tt431]

Phew, I thought someone died.

[tt431]

This is the unfortunate part of a business. Everyone wants ticket sales, and since there is no practical way to determine your ability or intentions at the ticket window you will always see people out there that are viewed by the more capable people as unfit. If patrollers or ambasadors were chasing people off the hill midday because of lower ability levels that would be pretty bad for business and the industry in general. I had a boarder slide across my ski tails from behind last weekend while I was moving pretty fast. I guess I was inches away from a total takedown from the rear and it would have been ugly most likely for me. Later in the day I cut super close to someone else's tails trying to get around them instead of stopping first. Both scenes showed poor decisions.

What we need to see is patrollers/ambassadors approaching the risk takers on the hill and the feeble who do not understand, and get them into areas that are safer for everyone. One minute of education and explanation would go a long way towards preventing broken ankles and all the other collision injuries that we see all season.

I wonder if the Killington patroller policy is still to sit at the top and wait for a call. If so, then the best trained experienced eyes for safety are not being used. The far majority of skiers/riders that I talk to have one common complaint - out of control people and people who are where they do not belong.

A lot has to do with friends & peers who drag along people where they want to go regardless of whether or not their friends should be there, too. And we have all seen the eager parents who take 2 or 3 year old rank novices down blue trails or even blacks on crowded days. What are they thinking? They are thinking of themselves, not their kids and not anyone else. They want to ski/ride so badly so they come up with all sorts of jargon on why they should be out there.

So what do we do in the face of ignorance, stupidity, poor decision making? First we ask the mountain to get their act in gear for safety. Second we have to accept most of the situation as inevitable and accept the risks of mixing it up with unknown people of unknown ability. I surely hope that I do not go flying down a slope and slam into someone standing on the side because right up to the moment before we collide I will have thought that I was doing the right thing and I was in control. It's all subjective, hard to police or enforce. I ride a bike in the summer and you quickly learn to watch every direction and expect cars to move or turn in any direction at any time. That is a requirement to riding. The same holds true for skiing/riding to a certain extent. Being aware and watching others around you works 95% of the time.

Well said. Everyone out there needs to be aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately most beginners don't realize this as they are too wrapped up in trying to make it down the hill... I've always liked the driving analogy - either stay in your lane, or check your blind spots before making a change. Maybe the groomers could be equipped to paint lines in the snow. Start on the groomed trails at Snowshed and Ramshead so the newbs are trained early... I TRULY believe, that many low level skiers view upper level skiers as reckless, because they aren't aware enough of the skiers and riders around them, and are surprised when one comes whizzing by. Not to discount the reckless, because they are out there, and they are a problem, but lets not confuse speed and line choice for recklessness. Personally, I'm much more inclined to give beginners/lower-abilities more caution, because they are unpredictable and ignorant when it comes to sharing the hill with others. That's reckless...throw someone in car who's just got their learners permit and ask em to drive in Boston or New York or the Mass Pike in rush hour and see how many accidents they cause.

I've got another question. How close is too close? How close should you ski to another person, before it's considered too close? When approaching a moving skier/rider? When passing a moving skier/rider? When passing a stationary skier/rider?

Too close!

[Stormchaser]

This is the unfortunate part of a business. Everyone wants ticket sales, and since there is no practical way to determine your ability or intentions at the ticket window you will always see people out there that are viewed by the more capable people as unfit. If patrollers or ambasadors were chasing people off the hill midday because of lower ability levels that would be pretty bad for business and the industry in general. I had a boarder slide across my ski tails from behind last weekend while I was moving pretty fast. I guess I was inches away from a total takedown from the rear and it would have been ugly most likely for me. Later in the day I cut super close to someone else's tails trying to get around them instead of stopping first. Both scenes showed poor decisions.

What we need to see is patrollers/ambassadors approaching the risk takers on the hill and the feeble who do not understand, and get them into areas that are safer for everyone. One minute of education and explanation would go a long way towards preventing broken ankles and all the other collision injuries that we see all season.

I wonder if the Killington patroller policy is still to sit at the top and wait for a call. If so, then the best trained experienced eyes for safety are not being used. The far majority of skiers/riders that I talk to have one common complaint - out of control people and people who are where they do not belong.

A lot has to do with friends & peers who drag along people where they want to go regardless of whether or not their friends should be there, too. And we have all seen the eager parents who take 2 or 3 year old rank novices down blue trails or even blacks on crowded days. What are they thinking? They are thinking of themselves, not their kids and not anyone else. They want to ski/ride so badly so they come up with all sorts of jargon on why they should be out there.

So what do we do in the face of ignorance, stupidity, poor decision making? First we ask the mountain to get their act in gear for safety. Second we have to accept most of the situation as inevitable and accept the risks of mixing it up with unknown people of unknown ability. I surely hope that I do not go flying down a slope and slam into someone standing on the side because right up to the moment before we collide I will have thought that I was doing the right thing and I was in control. It's all subjective, hard to police or enforce. I ride a bike in the summer and you quickly learn to watch every direction and expect cars to move or turn in any direction at any time. That is a requirement to riding. The same holds true for skiing/riding to a certain extent. Being aware and watching others around you works 95% of the time.

Well said. Everyone out there needs to be aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately most beginners don't realize this as they are too wrapped up in trying to make it down the hill... I've always liked the driving analogy - either stay in your lane, or check your blind spots before making a change. Maybe the groomers could be equipped to paint lines in the snow. Start on the groomed trails at Snowshed and Ramshead so the newbs are trained early... I TRULY believe, that many low level skiers view upper level skiers as reckless, because they aren't aware enough of the skiers and riders around them, and are surprised when one comes whizzing by. Not to discount the reckless, because they are out there, and they are a problem, but lets not confuse speed and line choice for recklessness. Personally, I'm much more inclined to give beginners/lower-abilities more caution, because they are unpredictable and ignorant when it comes to sharing the hill with others. That's reckless...throw someone in car who's just got their learners permit and ask em to drive in Boston or New York or the Mass Pike in rush hour and see how many accidents they cause.

I've got another question. How close is too close? How close should you ski to another person, before it's considered too close? When approaching a moving skier/rider? When passing a moving skier/rider? When passing a stationary skier/rider?

Too close!

Agreed!