happened already

[philfell]

A few years ago a friend of mine had a colision with a skier. She stop below a knoll and wasn't visible from above. Many locals use this knoll to catch some air off of (both skiers and snowboarders), by the time my friend saw her, he was already in the air and could do nothing to avoid crashing into her. Yes the downhill skier has the right of way, but also in the responsibility code it states that you should always stop where you can be seen from above.

I think that people put too much emphasis on the downhill skier being in the right, that they sometimes over look the other parts of the responsibility code. And other times the throw out all common sense. Like today we had a big powder day and I was in the bowls at Park City. There is a traverse at the top that takes you to the West Face bowls. The traverse is only one board width wide and you have to be "one it" so to speak in order to make it to the good lines. Today I almost hit a person on the traverse becasue he was stopped in the middle of the taverse between some trees looking at his potential line. I was barly able to get around him with out hitting a tree or him. He started yelling at me saying that he was the downhill skier and he could do what he wanted and it was up to me to avoid him.

Also I've had multiple run ins with ski patrol who have threatened to take my pass because I was "out of control" and riding "recklessly". I've been sliding on snow for more than half of my life and know my limits. And in all this time I've never had a cloision. I take extra care in knowing who is around me when I ride, behind me as well as to the sides and in front. "Out of control" is all up to the eye of the beholder.

As far as the incident at Keystone goes, there is always two sides to every story. But I'm am all for someone who is truly in the worng getting cited for it.

[Gecko]

I like Snowboard Parks so much...the folks who don't obey the code (all of it) usually spend most of their time in the park and leave the rest of the mountain to those of us who cruise. I pet peeve is the folks who stop out of sight and then get pissed when you hit them because you can't see them...here in Japan is usually the americans (go figure)

[LeeW]

this happens to me sometimes in the skatepark. some kid dont get to know the etiquette of skating the park (dropping in and such or watching someone and decide to drop in or not). he rammed into me. he was sore for a bit, and he was ok. hope that taught him for not paying attention in the skatepark.

[Baka Dasai]

The only time that I feel like the responsibility code doesn't quite work is in situations like Phil mentioned, on a traverse or cat track where to stop (or even slow down) to avoid somebody "below" you will mean a lot of walking.

It would be kinda hard to get that sort of subtlety into a written code, and probably pointless considering how few people are willing or able to understand the code as it currently is.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by LeeW

this happens to me sometimes in the skatepark. some kid dont get to know the etiquette of skating the park (dropping in and such or watching someone and decide to drop in or not). he rammed into me. he was sore for a bit, and he was ok. hope that taught him for not paying attention in the skatepark.

Skatepark:D :D :D while I was in hawaii the we had over 30 days Tues/Thurs nights and Sunday mornings...the big reason for this was that we older guys skated lines in the park the youngun's skated point to point and then turned around...At 35 I was usually the youngest and it ain't pretty when my 180 lbs PD padded a$$ slams into a 98lbs little twerp wearing the latest in skate fashion (lacking any protection). And lets not forget all the guys like Jay Adams charging hard and fast who make me look soft.

[ALPINE]

I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOU IN PRINCIPLE BUT TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE .....LIKE YOU GUYS I HAD A FRIEND WHO STOPPED BELOW A LIP OFF THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL AT THE RACE COURSE START AND WAS HIT BY A SNOWBOARDER CATCHING SOME AIR, SHE WAS NOT SEEN BY HIM AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE........HE SHOULD NOT HAVE JUMPED THERE WITHOUT A SPOTTER. GUESS WHO LOST ???

SHE DID 6 FX RIBS, PUNCTURED LUNG, I WAS THE FIRST RESPONDER FROM PATROL TO GET TO HER ( A CLOSE CARVING FELLOW RIDER) IT TOOK ALL MY TRAINING AND 30 YEARS OF EXPERIANCE TO KEEP HER ALIVE AND BREATHING.

SO KEEP IN MIND IF AND WHEN YOU HIT SOMEONE CAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE A FEW STEPS OR HIKING, OR TOO LAZY TO HAVE A SPOTTER YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE GUILT OF ENDING SOMEONES LIFE OR CARVING ABILITY.

[Tommy D]

Originally posted by Neil Gendzwill

I used to do that. But I found people could mistake a shouted "on your right" to mean "move right". So now I just make sure there's room and that I know where they'll be moving while I'm passing, and zip by. Sometimes they're a little startled but I figure that's better than a sudden move in the wrong direction.

Yeah, I've had this experience too. Now I go for the zipping by method, then make a lot of noise if they suddenly turn towards me.

If I do try a 'on your left' etc, I make sure they are between turns. I had one guy crash when I indicated where I was passing; he panicked and drove off the side of the trail, luckilly before I started passing.

[CarvCanada]

Hehe, One weekday at Orford, there was nobody on the mountain and it was really nice hardpack, so I brought my Coiler 186, and to warm up I did the 4K, which is a really cool trail that starts off thin and windy, with a few really cool 180 degree turns that are perfect for a 15m radius :) , and this guy I was on the chairlift with (on a forum... hehe) decided he was faster than me. On the thin part of the trail I was carving back and forth, taking my time to warm up, and this idiot is suddenly right next to me and just stared at me and said "hey!". I think he was angry cause I was carving on the whole trail? Whatever. I opened up and he was gone in about 10 seconds :)

[Tommy D]

Originally posted by philfell

Also I've had multiple run ins with ski patrol who have threatened to take my pass because I was "out of control" and riding "recklessly". I've been sliding on snow for more than half of my life and know my limits. And in all this time I've never had a cloision. I take extra care in knowing who is around me when I ride, behind me as well as to the sides and in front. "Out of control" is all up to the eye of the beholder.

Yup. Me too, at Stratton. I was skiing into a slow skiing zone near a lift line. No crowds, no line, nobody between me and the lift. I slowed my forward velocity, but made lightning quick cross-under turns on the trail edge while approaching the corral.

The patroller standing at the slow skiing zone sign about 50 feet across the hill, didn't like it (envy? ;) ), feverishly blew his whislte, and waved his arms. I ignored him figuring he was after someone behind me, but just before I got on the lift, he ran up to me, tripping over the corral ropes along the way.

Huffing and puffing and indignant he straddles my skis and gets right in my face, telling me I failed to slow down and that I was going so fast that I didn't see him and that I could have hurt somebody. I told him that I was ignoring him, that I was in full control and to go away. He was about to get into it further, then realized the lift line was empty and on either side of me were two of my rather large and intimidating friends.

That was the end of that.

*soapbox on*

I can appreciate the efforts of patrolling a ski area, but speed is a relative thing. If a patroller is observant enough to pick out the 'fast' skiers, that same patroller should be observant enought to recognize the skiers' ability and the situation in which that skier is going 'fast.'

*soapbox off*

How slow is 'slow' for a slow skiing zone? It's time to integrate a speedometer into my goggles. ;)

[willywhit]

I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOU IN PRINCIPLE BUT TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE .....LIKE YOU GUYS I HAD A FRIEND WHO STOPPED BELOW A LIP OFF THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL AT THE RACE COURSE START AND WAS HIT BY A SNOWBOARDER CATCHING SOME AIR, SHE WAS NOT SEEN BY HIM AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE........HE SHOULD NOT HAVE JUMPED THERE WITHOUT A SPOTTER. GUESS WHO LOST ???

If I had a nickel for every time I've yelled "Bad place to be sitting guys !" as I dive over a blind knoll...at speed. Too many close calls and you really have to ride respectively to the crowds on the hill. Esp women and kids. Baggy pants jibbers get sprayed regularly to let them know they're parked in a bad spot. Nothin' like a nice big frosting to get the message across. ALPINE, if you can ride Sunday River or ATTITRASH(:rolleyes: ) on your day off, let us know. Unless you can hook us up at Bretton Woods ;) ...midweek.Dude, I think yer CAPS LOCK is stuck:D ~~~~~~~~~~~*