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Beware of straightlining skiers


slapos

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37 minutes ago, Aracan said:

So much this. There is a huge demographic out there that can watch you carve across the fall line six times, and the seventh will take them completely by surprise.

Agreed. I was hit from behind this year by a skier while I was doing very narrow turns, no big carves across the fall-line. I was okay and he stopped to apologize. Of course now my paranoia, which was high to begin, with is through the roof.

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The uphill skier was clearly at fault.

However I'd be "shoulder checking" most of my turns though, and as pointed out the video shows not a single such check. It's a choice, but I like to know what's behind me at all times on my bike and on my board. I also laughably shoulder check even when I know I'm the last person on a back country run. It's automatic.

I know bad skiers (and borders) should all follow the rules. I'm not personally going to try to get them to do that by letting them run into me. Like motorists when I'm on my bike, I assume they're all trying to kill me... and don't let them do that.

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This won’t be a popular take, but that’s a decent example of “shared responsibility”.

 If you don’t know that after 2 turns someone pinning it in the fall line will catch up to you, you need to increase your alert level. 

 I can see why he might have thought that was your fault… he was on edge, watching you and trying to steer away. If you had eyes in the back of your head, you would have seen him. My answer is to grow eyes there, rather than have him act for both of you. 
 

 If you don’t know what’s behind you every time you go to the heel edge, you’re asking for it. 

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I pretty much never get close calls anymore. But I shut it down the second I imagine someone behind me.

I also go across the fall line a lot less than most, so I really can't ever get a good look behind me heelside. I just see patterns and shapes. I can barely tell if someone I know behind me is them, or someone else that managed to get between us.

And I have looked toeside, saw nothing, went heelside, and been surprised before. You will miss stuff on your first, second, or third look.

So basically I wait for the widest opening ever. Go, and if I see something I shut down. Weekends/holidays are almost impossible for me.

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39 minutes ago, skhil said:

There are helmet mount rear view mirrors (for cyclists). I wonder if someone tried to ride on snowboard with one.

As a cyclist I'm unimpressed with the concept, which I think is a crutch for folk who don't have the balance skills to look around.

It's not really just a "rear view mirror" that you need, you need to know what's all around, because it all plays into the threat. Something on your right may pull out, causing that guy behind you about to overtake to swerve... you need to anticipate, so you need the whole thing.

59 minutes ago, Neil Gendzwill said:

..  I don’t understand the mentality of “carve and only carve”. 

It may be that some people believe that the FIS rules somehow support that mentality. The FIS call their stuff "guidelines", and relying on novices to follow them at all times seems... optimistic. I'm not accusing anyone here of that, just trying to understand why people might think that way.

Edited by philw
fix quote again
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36 minutes ago, philw said:

As a cyclist I'm unimpressed with the concept, which I think is a crutch for folk who don't have the balance skills to look around.

I agree, but one doesn't get born with the balance skill. People who are trying to learn are most vulnerable and may find this crutch helpful. Going to the slope with no passing rule is probably the safest option to learn carving. It's a pity it's not widely available.

30 minutes ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Just imagine what happens the first time you wipe out….

That's worrying me to. Almost every mirror design I've seen was too flimsy to survive wiping out. I think only exception I've seen is TriEye sport glasses, however I didn't find any winter goggles featuring a mirror like this.

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I got hit from behind by volunteer ski patrol. His butt buddies tried to blame it on me, except it’s on video; he tried to go for a pass for several turns before falling into me attempting to pass on a pitch.

He broke his leg over me. His skis almost sliced my eyes; got stitches around it.

Don’t trust anyone. And volunteer ski patrol is basically participation trophies looking for a free pass.

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37 minutes ago, Odd Job said:

I got hit from behind by volunteer ski patrol. His butt buddies tried to blame it on me, except it’s on video; he tried to go for a pass for several turns before falling into me attempting to pass on a pitch.

He broke his leg over me. His skis almost sliced my eyes; got stitches around it.

Don’t trust anyone. And volunteer ski patrol is basically participation trophies looking for a free pass.

Btw, you never looked up on that vid.. just saying

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2 hours ago, b.free said:

Btw, you never looked up on that vid.. just saying

Yeah. Because I wanted to keep a tight line over that and it was over my ability level to do that and look behind me. That's why these days I stop suddenly at any pitch changes if I'm carrying speed. I don't trust anyone. That incident was pretty much the deciding factor for me to be ultra conservative with crowds. I'm glad I can choose when I ride these days, otherwise I'd have to start taking chances.

My ideal line over that is to machine gun the turns apex to apex without going across for speed control, it's just really hard to do it, and I still can't do it now on that kind of pitch with multiple fall lines.

I assume some moron will catch up to me on the various runs at SuperBee as well. It's why I keep staring into the distance sometimes uphill before I start.

Edited by Odd Job
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On 1/11/2024 at 2:49 PM, Chris C said:

I was awakened by a "Keystone Cop" dabbing cotton balls on my face as it was cut up pretty badly in three spots. Someone had taken my board off my boots.....zero recollection of that. A lens blew out of my glasses, my goggles were broken, my newly-formed black eye was almost swollen shut the next morning, I got a severely bruised hip, and to top it off, a concussion with ringing ears for 2 days. No bueno. This was all while wearing a helmet.  Been on the injured reserve list for almost two weeks now. 

 

Sorry to read this @Chris C - hope your recovery is coming along well.

@slapos - glad your incident wasn't worse.  

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@Chris C non holiday weekdays at Loveland are almost empty. Runs are shorter and flatter though. I have all of the passes and actively choose to spend more of my days at Loveland/Copper this season.

I live in Breckenridge and maybe go there 7 days out of 150+ for the season. Breckenridge is highly overrated. It's like Vail for poor people without the terrain.

Edited by Odd Job
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The problem with looking up is that I have to lengthen my transitions to be able to do that, especially on steeps. That widens my path quite a bit and makes it less predictable for skiers coming behind,  so it is not just beneficial. 

A half circle turn is about 3 seconds,  4 turns between looking is 12 seconds.  A 90km/hr straightliner covers 300m in 12 seconds....

Edited by TimW
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I got strafed buy a boarder on a steep run last year; I spun around to look uphill, (I hadn't looked uphill for 3-4 turns🤨) another coming by on the other side so I pullup short and catch the heel edge on a clump of snow, backwards down the hill broke the collar bone in 4 pieces . I rode down and a friend talked the patrol into checking me out... 2 weeks after 11 screws and 2 plates put it back together, I go out on skis the 1st time to take it easy with less chance to fall over. Beginner run out 60yd from the deck, blind sided and yardsaled. lucky to have landed on the other shoulder.

I was on skis he was on a board what's on your feet don't matter!!! It's ignorance and lack of education, Signs don't cut it, just background noise. Courtesy no longer exists. I will never ski another weekend day at any resort except Turner that is only open on weekends,

 

 

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I actually almost got smoked today. I wasn't carving. A guy held his speed and took the alternate route to the ski lift (requires carving uphill-ish semi 360).

Dude almost lost his balance and stopped in time. ****ing retard in a Viking hat. Powder days bring the powtards.

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10 hours ago, b0ardski said:

.. "Mountain Etiquette" used to be a thing that was expected of people.

I don't think so.

That was just something old people used to say, especially when they were trying to outlaw snowboarding, which was and is always against all their rules and stuff.

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For the last two seasons, I've been teaching my 6yo daughter... to skiiiiiiiii

Every lift ride, every stop, every moment not moving, my focus has been to try to instill a sense of just how important it is to be 'Mountain Aware'. I have a Zombieland sort of list of golden rules. A lot of it centers on, as sad as it might be, 'judging' people, in the hopes of avoiding being in the wrong place, around the wrong person(s). And yes, Straightliners (be it board or twin sticks) are a constant lesson. The worst. Oh, and Ski Team 'liners are terrifying. You can't take all the danger out of snow sports. Use your ears as much as your eyes, and remember that you are always on Defense. That's my two cents I try to get through my kid's thick skull.

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