Is it just me or has the skiing accident and death rate gone up?

[Anonymous]

Darwinism at work.

[Anonymous]

As expensive as the sport has become, it’s clear by the expansion of slope side homes and rental properties way more people are skiing. Many of them have never had proper training and are skiing well above their ability. Too many on the slopes equate speed with skill and do not learn control. It’s analogy for society overall at this point. As the sport has gotten more expensive but expanded, you also have a lot more entitled rich people (who have little experience) doing entitled stupid things on top of not skiing within their ability. Then you have large publicly traded companies cutting corners to deliver growth in profit to shareholders, which means you may have more inexperienced mountain staff in key roles (ski patrol, grooming, maintenance, all are keys to safety).

I’d do anything to stay far away from Vail, Breck, Winter Park, Park City on a holiday weekend. The 3pm mass exodus to the base has always been harrowing but it’s become downright dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As expensive as the sport has become, it’s clear by the expansion of slope side homes and rental properties way more people are skiing. Many of them have never had proper training and are skiing well above their ability. Too many on the slopes equate speed with skill and do not learn control. It’s analogy for society overall at this point. As the sport has gotten more expensive but expanded, you also have a lot more entitled rich people (who have little experience) doing entitled stupid things on top of not skiing within their ability. Then you have large publicly traded companies cutting corners to deliver growth in profit to shareholders, which means you may have more inexperienced mountain staff in key roles (ski patrol, grooming, maintenance, all are keys to safety).

I’d do anything to stay far away from Vail, Breck, Winter Park, Park City on a holiday weekend. The 3pm mass exodus to the base has always been harrowing but it’s become downright dangerous.

What is the reason for the timing of this? Is that when the lifts close?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I am. Seeing this. Perhaps it’s more the novices as well but also lack of training or sign posts. The poor woman was checked after her accident and cleared and then did right thing after more severe s/s and then surgery so perhaps it was surgery related? So sad! Still remember Natasha Richardson and a bunny slope but head to ice

The ones I remember are Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono because I was skiing that week.

And Michael Schumacher the F1 driver who was severely injured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an avid skier as are my husband and son. I am an experienced skier and was knocked down hard by a snowboarder two weekends ago. I was sore for a few days. I have been hit before and it has always been a teenaged snowboarder.

I don't know if the number of accidents/deaths have gone up. With everyone wearing helmets these days I would guess the number is actually down but we are just seeing it more because of social media.

Always, same here. I like Alta for this reason- no snowboarders!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an avid skier as are my husband and son. I am an experienced skier and was knocked down hard by a snowboarder two weekends ago. I was sore for a few days. I have been hit before and it has always been a teenaged snowboarder.

I don't know if the number of accidents/deaths have gone up. With everyone wearing helmets these days I would guess the number is actually down but we are just seeing it more because of social media.

snowboarding should be banned!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I am. Seeing this. Perhaps it’s more the novices as well but also lack of training or sign posts. The poor woman was checked after her accident and cleared and then did right thing after more severe s/s and then surgery so perhaps it was surgery related? So sad! Still remember Natasha Richardson and a bunny slope but head to ice

The ones I remember are Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono because I was skiing that week.

And Michael Schumacher the F1 driver who was severely injured.

We are up to three. Sounds like skiing should be cancelled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I am. Seeing this. Perhaps it’s more the novices as well but also lack of training or sign posts. The poor woman was checked after her accident and cleared and then did right thing after more severe s/s and then surgery so perhaps it was surgery related? So sad! Still remember Natasha Richardson and a bunny slope but head to ice

The ones I remember are Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono because I was skiing that week.

Kennedy was drunk and misbehaving.

Then again: “drunk misbehaving Kennedy” is rather redundant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As expensive as the sport has become, it’s clear by the expansion of slope side homes and rental properties way more people are skiing. Many of them have never had proper training and are skiing well above their ability. Too many on the slopes equate speed with skill and do not learn control. It’s analogy for society overall at this point. As the sport has gotten more expensive but expanded, you also have a lot more entitled rich people (who have little experience) doing entitled stupid things on top of not skiing within their ability. Then you have large publicly traded companies cutting corners to deliver growth in profit to shareholders, which means you may have more inexperienced mountain staff in key roles (ski patrol, grooming, maintenance, all are keys to safety).

I’d do anything to stay far away from Vail, Breck, Winter Park, Park City on a holiday weekend. The 3pm mass exodus to the base has always been harrowing but it’s become downright dangerous.

What is the reason for the timing of this? Is that when the lifts close?

Generally. Lifts close between 3:30 and 5. But it starts getting cold and people are trying to get to apres. But it usually depends on resort. Whenever the main greens start getting filled with everyone flowing off the mountain is the most dangerous part of the day. Particularly if there’s a strong apres scene uphill that starts at lunch…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As expensive as the sport has become, it’s clear by the expansion of slope side homes and rental properties way more people are skiing. Many of them have never had proper training and are skiing well above their ability. Too many on the slopes equate speed with skill and do not learn control. It’s analogy for society overall at this point. As the sport has gotten more expensive but expanded, you also have a lot more entitled rich people (who have little experience) doing entitled stupid things on top of not skiing within their ability. Then you have large publicly traded companies cutting corners to deliver growth in profit to shareholders, which means you may have more inexperienced mountain staff in key roles (ski patrol, grooming, maintenance, all are keys to safety).

I’d do anything to stay far away from Vail, Breck, Winter Park, Park City on a holiday weekend. The 3pm mass exodus to the base has always been harrowing but it’s become downright dangerous.

What is the reason for the timing of this? Is that when the lifts close?

Generally. Lifts close between 3:30 and 5. But it starts getting cold and people are trying to get to apres. But it usually depends on resort. Whenever the main greens start getting filled with everyone flowing off the mountain is the most dangerous part of the day. Particularly if there’s a strong apres scene uphill that starts at lunch…

Yep. I was taught to get off the slopes at 2:30 pm. Long shadows late in the day was the reason given to me, but avoiding a mass exodus is another good reason to ski early, leave early. At Beaver Creek I watched staff yelling at people to jump off the lifts faster at the base. They're getting paranoid about the end-of-day crush.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I am. Seeing this. Perhaps it’s more the novices as well but also lack of training or sign posts. The poor woman was checked after her accident and cleared and then did right thing after more severe s/s and then surgery so perhaps it was surgery related? So sad! Still remember Natasha Richardson and a bunny slope but head to ice

The ones I remember are Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono because I was skiing that week.

Kennedy has no one to blame but himself: (from wiki ).

“He was playing football while on skis with several other members of the Kennedy family when, at approximately 4:15 p.m., he hit a tree. Kennedy was not wearing a helmet or other safety equipment. The family had been admonished by the ski patrol to cease the activity.”

[Anonymous]

This year I decided that my downhill skiing days are over and I'm doing only low slopes and cross-country from now on. The boarders just make it feel too dangerous, regardless of the statistics. (I think some of them they enjoy terrorizing people).
Ironically, I signed up for a cross-country tour in CO, and the leaders decided to make it as "thrilling" as possible. Yeah no. There's an ethos that favors danger that's infected the skiing world, especially in high-end resorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year I decided that my downhill skiing days are over and I'm doing only low slopes and cross-country from now on. The boarders just make it feel too dangerous, regardless of the statistics. (I think some of them they enjoy terrorizing people).
Ironically, I signed up for a cross-country tour in CO, and the leaders decided to make it as "thrilling" as possible. Yeah no. There's an ethos that favors danger that's infected the skiing world, especially in high-end resorts.

typo correction: "some of them enjoy" (god, my father was an English professor)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skiing used to be an elite sport/activity ( still is to some extent). But, certainly more accessible and people are essentially dumb.

Skiing is dangerous when you don't know what you're doing. People eager to pick up skiing, but won't take classes to learn how to ski. That's like getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time, and heading to drive on the beltway. Insane and dangerous for everyone.

There ought to be some sort of required universal "license" to be allowed on the ski slopes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I am. Seeing this. Perhaps it’s more the novices as well but also lack of training or sign posts. The poor woman was checked after her accident and cleared and then did right thing after more severe s/s and then surgery so perhaps it was surgery related? So sad! Still remember Natasha Richardson and a bunny slope but head to ice

The ones I remember are Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono because I was skiing that week.

Kennedy has no one to blame but himself: (from wiki ).

“He was playing football while on skis with several other members of the Kennedy family when, at approximately 4:15 p.m., he hit a tree. Kennedy was not wearing a helmet or other safety equipment. The family had been admonished by the ski patrol to cease the activity.”

Should he have worn a football helmet or skiing helmet?