Injury on the slopes

[jtslalom]

While riding last night in the terrain park I came across a group of park riders aiding a friend. The rider was down on the ground directly after a jump. Apparently she had mis calculated the landing causing her to face plant. Coming up on the scene I noticed her two friends kneeling by her side as she laid in the snow. Her arms were shaking and she was not conscious and bleeding about her lip and eye brow. As I stopped to help I noticed her friends were trying to pull her helmet off shouting her name in order to awaken her. I convinced the one not to pull her helmet off in case she had a neck injury. I asked if ski patrol had been notified and they told me they just called. I asked if she was breathing and both her friends looked at each other and said they didn't know. I nelt down and placed my ear near her nose to listen. She was breathing but awkwardly as if she was snoring. Just then ski patrol pulled up and took over. Man I was happy to see them. About 10 minutes later I was on the lift and could see that the scene hadn't changed much. The girl was still lying there having many ski patrollers around her.

You hear about accidents on the slopes every now and then but may not realize the severity of them until you come up on one yourself. The one I came upon really makes me think about how easy accidents can happen and the severity of damage they can cause. I will still ride fast and drive hard turns but definately be a little more aware of my surroundings. I don't hit many jumps but do take chances of getting hit when coming across the slope in transition. My head is right at boot buckle level. Any fast or out of control skier/rider can pop me from behind if I'm not aware.

[softbootsurfer]

Living and Riding where the X games dwell, I have witnessed an unbelievable amount of carnage to unsuspecting new bees...Big Air means Big Crashes for the Pros and disaster for the rest...even the small terrain park on west causes multiple injuries from 1 or 2 ft. off the ground and landing wrong...Riding up on Aspen Mt. requires a great degree of Caution...Surfing the contours while being surrounded by Skiers hauling ass can be trying at times especially in Copper or going down Spar...here is a shot I randomly took from the Gondola yesterday of Copper Trail...

[jp1]

jtslalom, thanks for posting as a reminder ! Wishing the young lady the best for a rapid & full recovery.

SBS, that picture looks like it is a millisecond from disaster. Hope all rode away upright (but it don't look promising).

[michael.a]

Unfortunately this is the de facto number one issue I have with carving: safety. After having gotten hit by a number of skiers and snowboarders (with most of them blaming me for being in their way, even having two separate fights on the slope), having a few million close calls and also being literally torn to pieces by poor conditions (ankle tendons) I've become very paranoid when riding. I don't know about the rest of you but I simply sit down and wait until the slope clears up before I do some heavy-duty carving and then have my head and eyeballs swivel around nonstop as well as keep my ears perked up listening to anyone coming up from behind me, as well as know when to quit. I think most of our accidents come at the end of the day when we're tired, after a few beers and have to ride on ripped up moguled slopes.

[crucible]

Unfortunately, I have found out that most skiers and riders are completely ignorant of the Alpine Responsibility Code, which plainly states that the DOWNHILL rider has the right of way. That means that the UPHILL person has to have enough control to slow down, stop, or go around, so as not to cause a collison.

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard, "It's not my fault, he just came right in front of me", I could have bought a Kessler, a Jasey Jay, AND an Apex board by now...

I will not start a down a run with GS carves until I have looked uphill and made sure that I have at least 100-125m of clearance from other people.

[jtslalom]

...I simply sit down and wait until the slope clears up before I do some heavy-duty carving...

I hear that bentech. That is a must for me too. I also agree with crucible.

Unfortunately, I have found out that most skiers and riders are completely ignorant of the Alpine Responsibility Code, which plainly states that the DOWNHILL rider has the right of way. That means that the UPHILL person has to have enough control to slow down, stop, or go around, so as not to cause a collison.

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard, "It's not my fault, he just came right in front of me", I could have bought a Kessler, a Jasey Jay, AND an Apex board by now...

I will not start a down a run with GS carves until I have looked uphill and made sure that I have at least 100-125m of clearance from other people.

It seems almost no one reads the back of their lift ticket any more. There once was a time that some lift tickets had a signature area on the bottom of the back of the ticket. You were suppose to sign it in that you understood the "Skier Responsibility Code"

[bumpyride]

Not many read nor listen. Ever seen the ads "Please drink responsibly". Sadly, but true, you're on your own. Look up hill always.

I hear that bentech. That is a must for me too. I also agree with crucible.

It seems almost no one reads the back of their lift ticket any more. There once was a time that some lift tickets had a signature area on the bottom of the back of the ticket. You were suppose to sign it in that you understood the "Skier Responsibility Code"

[bonzo]

While riding last night in the terrain park I came across a group of park riders aiding a friend. The rider was down on the ground directly after a jump. Apparently she had mis calculated the landing causing her to face plant. Coming up on the scene I noticed her two friends kneeling by her side as she laid in the snow. Her arms were shaking and she was not conscious and bleeding about her lip and eye brow. As I stopped to help I noticed her friends were trying to pull her helmet off shouting her name in order to awaken her. I convinced the one not to pull her helmet off in case she had a neck injury. I asked if ski patrol had been notified and they told me they just called. I asked if she was breathing and both her friends looked at each other and said they didn't know. I nelt down and placed my ear near her nose to listen. She was breathing but awkwardly as if she was snoring. Just then ski patrol pulled up and took over. Man I was happy to see them. About 10 minutes later I was on the lift and could see that the scene hadn't changed much. The girl was still lying there having many ski patrollers around her.

You hear about accidents on the slopes every now and then but may not realize the severity of them until you come up on one yourself. The one I came upon really makes me think about how easy accidents can happen and the severity of damage they can cause. I will still ride fast and drive hard turns but definately be a little more aware of my surroundings. I don't hit many jumps but do take chances of getting hit when coming across the slope in transition. My head is right at boot buckle level. Any fast or out of control skier/rider can pop me from behind if I'm not aware.

Let me commend you on how you handled the situation. Protecting her C-Spine is highly important, second only to making sure that the patient has an open airway, is breathing, and has a good pulse (or not loosing too much blood). You recognized these issues immediately. If the patient had a spinal injury, she probably owes you a debt of gratitude for keeping here friends from doing more harm.

Trust me, through misfortune often accompanied by on party being hormonally challenged, the range of accidents I have seen on the slope is astounding, but if you factory the hours of participation per injury, the numbers are not too bad.