wear high visibility vest allow at resort?

[pow4ever]

shower thought?
Is it ok for me to wear a high visibility vest while on mountain riding?  Don't think there are any rule against it?
This is for collision avoidance.

[David Kirk]

I know of a few guys that do that at my area for the same reason. I know of no rules against such a thing.

I try to dress in bright clothing and I pick bright colors for my boards in the hope that I'm better seen and given more room. There was a time when I wore a dark green jacket and black pants and I had too many close calls. Now I have bright lime or orange pants and a bright blue jacket and I'm pretty hard to miss at this point.

I feel like there are two types of people that blow by you when carving across the fall line - the first is the person above who just doesn't see you until it's too late. Bright clothing or a vest like you suggest is a help to those people. The others are people that see you just fine and just want to show you how cool they are by blowing past you while in the back seat with zero edge engagement. This type of person isn't coming close to you because they couldn't see you but instead they are aiming to be close to teach you a lesson. Making yourself more visible will not change this guy's behavior at all.

But in the end helping the first type of guy see you will help a certain proportion of the time and has no downsides as far as I've ever seen.

Put on the vest while still keeping the eyes in the back of your head open is a good plan.

 

dave

[big mario]

With jackasses around it doesn't matter.  I'm a big guy, dressed in ski patrol colors, and still got tagged from behind a few weeks ago. Dumbasses gunna dumbass

Mario

Edited December 13, 2022 by big mario

[pow4ever]

thank you for the feedback!
i do try to wear bright color; love the price tag at discount rack plus safety bonus.
It's never "fool" proof but to minimized risk.  logic(flawed?) is people will pay more attention when they see someone with safety vest on.

Past experience:  on avoiding un-planning high speed hug.
(for my mental notes) writing it down help this doo-doo brain of my

1. Pull to the side and waiting for clearing.  Patience is a super power; but sometime it feel like people purposely messing with you by taking the maximum time for it to be "not clear to send".  or pull over to wait.
see above patience is virtue.  Go out early and quit when it get busy doesn't work for those of us who don't get many days in.  

2.  A dilemma - i want to tackle steeper terrain but i need more room and often there are lots of skier/rider not familiar with our movement. 
if i keep a consistent carving pattern;  same radius; predictable then it help signaling that i am taking this part of the trail and i am not hugging it all. 
But
a.  i sometime are not fully in control and blow out a carve and had to recover/take a larger than expected turn
b. i sometime like to mix it up and vary my turns size or changes edges as exercise, and/or trying something new

3.  Not too sure what to do about: 
Those curious onlooker that got too close but didn't hit me are annoy as heck...  sound/shadow in your peripheral/blind spot.  Try to remain civil and educated ie be an ambassador for alpine snowboard; often people's intent is to paid a compliment and we know where good intention lead.

Be safe! 

[Odd Job]

I'm wearing a $1000 bogner jacket in hot pink with fur.

[Mr.E]

Most of my outfit is hiviz.

[Aracan]

My jacket is day-glo orange around the shoulders. Most people give me enough room.

[Ladia]

I am wearing orange bib with big letters Visually impair and it does not matter a bit.  I even think quite opposite. It just makes your target for idiots on slopes.

[JohnE]

I can't imagine there would be any rules against wearing a high-visibility vest. I too try to wear bright colors. However, as others have noted, even if you are seen by a careless person, it won't make any difference. 

[barryj]

Hey Pow,  if it makes you feel safer, Do It!   It can't make the situation any worse but Reckless is color blind and doesn't see/care what your wearing  and is still gonna flatten ya!

Keep your head on a swivel and wait for your skill and comfort level to tell you go or no go.

If the slopes get crowded I switch to a more maneuverable board and slow down or just go home......actually I'm usually done by 11am or sooner, when the lift lines start overflowing the ropes it's time to pack it in. 

Stay safe my friend!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I don’t tend to think the problem is being visible enough. Out of control riders don’t seem terribly focused on their primary colours. 

[Keenan]

I'm ordering a "Blind Skier" vest, so if anyone hits me they'll feel really bad.

[Ladia]

17 minutes ago, Keenan said:

I'm ordering a "Blind Skier" vest, so if anyone hits me they'll feel really bad.

Don’t be naive. They will not, telling you from my experience. More people actually asking do you really have vision problems or just wearing it to get more space around.

[Jack M]

16 hours ago, pow4ever said:

shower thought?
Is it ok for me to wear a high visibility vest while on mountain riding?

Not if you want to ride with @trailertrash and me. 

And anyway I doubt it would help.  People are lost in their own little worlds.  Just wear a colorful outfit.

[Spiny Norman]

As a commercial truck driver I can tell you Hi-Viz clothing makes a difference.

 

I like to think I see everyone near the road. I can definitely say that hi-vis colors burn something into my short term awareness.

If I see hi vis colors, for some reason, I'll remember and track those better than dark or neutral clothes.

 

Scary but true.

 

Cheers

[dredman]

Carving is like riding a bike in traffic.  Yes bright colors help, and yes there are rules that should be followed, but sadly your safety relies solely on your situational awareness.  
 

As a bright and often obnoxious onesie wearer, I will say it really does not significantly reduce straight lining jacks$$”s from doing their thing.  MCC is the only place I only look up hill once before starting down.  “No Passing Rule” on groomed runs for the.whole event. 
 

 

[Gossamer]

20 hours ago, David Kirk said:

I feel like there are two types of people that blow by you when carving across the fall line - the first is the person above who just doesn't see you until it's too late. Bright clothing or a vest like you suggest is a help to those people. The others are people that see you just fine and just want to show you how cool they are by blowing past you while in the back seat with zero edge engagement. This type of person isn't coming close to you because they couldn't see you but instead they are aiming to be close to teach you a lesson. Making yourself more visible will not change this guy's behavior at all.

 

 

 

This is always the scariest encounter for me, some skier that thinks he is way better than he is and (trying to prove a point?).  Some people don't seem to appreciate what it's like to put so much into one edge and sadly these idiots don't understand they may end a season or a life.

[dropthebody]

19 hours ago, pow4ever said:

thank you for the feedback!
i do try to wear bright color; love the price tag at discount rack plus safety bonus.
It's never "fool" proof but to minimized risk.  logic(flawed?) is people will pay more attention when they see someone with safety vest on.

Past experience:  on avoiding un-planning high speed hug.
(for my mental notes) writing it down help this doo-doo brain of my

1. Pull to the side and waiting for clearing.  Patience is a super power; but sometime it feel like people purposely messing with you by taking the maximum time for it to be "not clear to send".  or pull over to wait.
see above patience is virtue.  Go out early and quit when it get busy doesn't work for those of us who don't get many days in.  

2.  A dilemma - i want to tackle steeper terrain but i need more room and often there are lots of skier/rider not familiar with our movement. 
if i keep a consistent carving pattern;  same radius; predictable then it help signaling that i am taking this part of the trail and i am not hugging it all. 
But
a.  i sometime are not fully in control and blow out a carve and had to recover/take a larger than expected turn
b. i sometime like to mix it up and vary my turns size or changes edges as exercise, and/or trying something new

3.  Not too sure what to do about: 
Those curious onlooker that got too close but didn't hit me are annoy as heck...  sound/shadow in your peripheral/blind spot.  Try to remain civil and educated ie be an ambassador for alpine snowboard; often people's intent is to paid a compliment and we know where good intention lead.

Be safe! 

I have bright colors and darker colors, doesn't matter, they still come too close.

1. Definitely! Don't jump the gun either. I saw a group of skiers coming and thought I could stay a head of them. Nah, they decided to go downhill and crushed my groove.

2. Been there. Thought it was clear and two boarders came out of nowhere and decided to rage past me and I almost took one out. Watch out for little kids too. I was on very wide run at Solitude and a group of about six were below me to the far right all skiing in a line together. I have plenty of room to the left but about my 3rd or 4th Toeside I come around and they are coming right towards me. Guess they tried to do a GS turn too. LOL! That was one of the quickest transitions into heelside on a 178 I ever did.

3. Keep your head on a swivel. Never had any bad encounters but lots of questions sometimes. On one particular run at Sundance, I actually witnessed everybody stop around me and watched me. I don't think they had ever seen a carver before.

Hopefully our trenches will cross someday! 

[pow4ever]

 

23 hours ago, dropthebody said:

Hopefully our trenches will cross someday! 

thanks for reading and responding  hopefully the object doesn't cross at the exact same moment lol...

On 12/13/2022 at 12:46 PM, Jack M said:

Not if you want to ride with @trailertrash and me. 

Hahaha!  my ski club member actively avoiding me regardless what i am wearing.  now i make myself sad lol...

On 12/13/2022 at 9:36 AM, barryj said:

Keep your head on a swivel and wait for your skill and comfort level to tell you go or no go.

Yes agree; i see many people share the same sentiment.  I agree but that does take away from the flow state/experience.  Skill wise i can not walk and chew gum at the same time yet

maybe an early warning system.  camera mounted backward.  With some openCV we should be able to calculate speed/people detection.  Seems we have all the ingredients but to packaged it and make it consumer friendly will take time.  i am just an armchair engineer. 

[GeoffV]

On 12/13/2022 at 12:46 PM, Jack M said:

Not if you want to ride with @trailertrash and me. 

And anyway I doubt it would help.  People are lost in their own little worlds.  Just wear a colorful outfit.

Very True, I am lucky TT will even get on the lift with me with my orange helmet. 

[Odd Job]

On 12/12/2022 at 6:13 PM, David Kirk said:

I know of a few guys that do that at my area for the same reason. I know of no rules against such a thing.

I try to dress in bright clothing and I pick bright colors for my boards in the hope that I'm better seen and given more room. There was a time when I wore a dark green jacket and black pants and I had too many close calls. Now I have bright lime or orange pants and a bright blue jacket and I'm pretty hard to miss at this point.

I feel like there are two types of people that blow by you when carving across the fall line - the first is the person above who just doesn't see you until it's too late. Bright clothing or a vest like you suggest is a help to those people. The others are people that see you just fine and just want to show you how cool they are by blowing past you while in the back seat with zero edge engagement. This type of person isn't coming close to you because they couldn't see you but instead they are aiming to be close to teach you a lesson. Making yourself more visible will not change this guy's behavior at all.

But in the end helping the first type of guy see you will help a certain proportion of the time and has no downsides as far as I've ever seen.

Put on the vest while still keeping the eyes in the back of your head open is a good plan.

 

dave

Third type: They see you, think they can pass you. When they realize they can't they go "OH SHIT!". This happened to me with a ski patroller hitting me from behind. They were actually falling just before we collided. I took a look at this guy's career and livelihood; let's say his career is as bad and full of bullshit like his skiing skills.

I don't trust anyone.

[barryj]

7 minutes ago, Odd Job said:

ski patroller hitting me

 

8 minutes ago, Odd Job said:

full of bullshit like his skiing skills.

Wow!  A Patroller!   I'd like to hear his excuse for that!  ...but it sounds like he didn't own it and just BS'd the situation......correct?

I would have verbally assaulted him........and then reported him, probably to no avail!

12 minutes ago, Odd Job said:

I don't trust anyone.

You and me both Brother!!    These days I start getting nervous if I see the parking lots mostly full........cause you know there's an unknown quantity of drunk/stupid/arrogant  straight liners out there who's got my number!  

[st_lupo]

4 hours ago, barryj said:

 

Wow!  A Patroller!   I'd like to hear his excuse for that!  ...but it sounds like he didn't own it and just BS'd the situation......correct?

I would have verbally assaulted him........and then reported him, probably to no avail!

You and me both Brother!!    These days I start getting nervous if I see the parking lots mostly full........cause you know there's an unknown quantity of drunk/stupid/arrogant  straight liners out there who's got my number!  

The craziest thing is that our local ski hill has had a reputation of purposely refusing to stop reckless skiers/snowboards in all but the most heinous instances because they they think they are doing a public service:  "If the at-risk teenagers are at the hill screwing around, at least they aren't down in the town and getting into even bigger trouble."

[ShortcutToMoncton]

And get off my lawn!

[Odd Job]

To be fair. It was volunteer ski patrol. Something a lot of resorts don't do.

To make up numbers, it was like 10 of his butt buddy patrollers around him, and two on me. He broke his leg during the collision. His skis sliced up the skin right next to my eyelid. He owned up to it but his buddies really did shady shit in the ski patrol area. They were disarmed when they knew it was caught on video.

No legal action can be done against the resort, as there is a clause protecting them from their employees actions like this. The guy didn't seem to be a multi-millionaire and I just was glad he didn't get my actual eye.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Odd Job