Skiing Backwards : An Issue

OldAndy,

Many years ago I was a ski patrol director at a local ski center. The one sore point we had with the owners of the ski center was what to do with "reckless", dangerous skiers.

We had established among patrollers a two mark system. That is every time a patroller saw reckless, dangerous skiing a verbal warning was given and a mark was made on lift ticket. A report via radio was made to central office.

If a skier was given a second "warning" by another patroller, another mark was made on ticket and also noted in central office.

Third offense, ticket was taken away.

The system lasted one month. The ski resort was more concerned about making money than in incidental accidents and injuries.

In my opinion the ski industry is also interested in making money above caring for skier safety,,,very much like the car industry was in the 60's. To general public skiing accidents are few and minor. Not so. just visit local emergency wards.

Yes skiing deaths get the headlines but there are many more near misses, broken arms, noses, wrists due to skier errors. In my opinion is is not due to just "skier behavior" but to a systemic failure to educate new and old skiers to basic rules of behavior.
Posting the ten rules of skiing is not enough.

I constantly see ski instructors not respecting some basic safety rules, not because they are reckless but because they have not been trained with constant safety in mind. This issue starts at the very top.

I still see boarding classes all sitting down ACROSS slope listening to instructor as he/she explains technique.

I still see a tiny 6 year old skiers trying to go down an expert slope that a father thinks the son can do. The boys terrified body language says the opposite. Worst is,,,,there are three patrollers watching this doing nothing. Seems to me the father needs a talking. The child needs support. The patrollers need direction on what to do in such cases.

Not the father's fault only. The ski resort, the industry is failing to protect that child and in not being proactive the industry will be forced to make changes soon. Too much speed ( and I love to ski fast ), too crowded, too much "free skiing", that is,,,,,, do all you want in the name of freedom.

Just my opinion. You may differ.

pavelski wrote: In my opinion is is not due to just "skier behavior" but to a systemic failure to educate new and old skiers to basic rules of behavior.

Agree.
Not sure where my personal education came from - two fold I think.
I am by nature quite cautious, this helped keeping me and those around me safe.
I was also lucky enough to have some good role models to learn from.

A couple of Swiss brothers (instructors) - skied a week with each of them on consecutive years. They both talked safety and led by example.

And then when I was living in ski resorts I saw first hand so many people who had "accidents", became friends with the local Doctor (amazing horror stories) and some pisteurs.

So I both saw the result of reckless, careless, thoughtless skiers (no boarders in those days) and heard how some truly experienced people viewed their behaviour.

I think I also learned the time and place mentality. By this I mean there is always somewhere safe to push it where I won't endanger others.

And anyway I am a show off :mrgreen:
So when dropping back down on the easy runs I do like to ski with grace, poise, elegence and a nonchalent demeanour.
Much better than risking a prat fall.
:roll:

pavelski wrote:Bandit just posted the world record "switch skiing" speed.

:shock: OK now, I read that like it was Bandit who achieved the world record. Now Bandit is a very good skier, but this was very unexpected news. :-)

Stevem
Never say Bandit DID the speed run.

She posted the information in this chat site.

She passed along the information to all.

My error. I should have been more precise.

Pav

I guess that common sense plays a part. Skiing backwards at high speed on a busy slope is dangerous and I doubt many would disagree with that.

Similarly you wouldn't say skiing backwards to help talk a novice down when they were struggling was intrinsically dangerous providing you kept looking backwards.

Moderate speeds on a quiet slope is also fine provided you keep your eyes open.

The real problem is those that see any piste as fair game for tricks regardless of how busy it is.
There is a certain satisfaction is seeing them wipe out (assuming they don't affect anyone else)

Just curious, but what's the point of skiing backwards down a piste, are the parks not enough?

I have no problems with people practicing and skiing switch on 'normal' slopes as long as it's not busy and they can see where they are going. Many people learn 360s on snow and switch on wider and flatter areas of regular slopes because there is simply not enough room for it in terrain parks. Parks are mainly for jumps, you don't ski long enough distance without hitting a kicker or a box or whatever else is there. 'Tricks' in a way is not very different from on-slope drills. You have to be able to see where you are going and make sure you don't cause problems to others. I have never seen anyone skiing backwards on busy slopes, but I do see it in quiter areas. Of course it's possible to imagine a hypothetical accident even on a quite slope, but accidents typically happen when one or two skiers lose awareness or at least one skier skis recklessly, whether 'traditionally' or switch.