J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Snapzzz

Ian Wickham wrote:
it can be taught, and lets be honest it could save your life 8)

Agreed.

AllyG wrote:Snapzz,
Design me a decent breaking system then, please, and I will test it for you next time I'm ski-ing. It was a very strange sensation totally being unable to stop, and I don't think I'd have been able to use an ice axe - some sort of anchor might have been better ?

Ally

I couldn't possibly design one! I wouldn't know where to start.
An ice axe although ideal is simply not do-able either....imagine falling on one! ouch.
My guess is that cleverer minds than us have pondered this issue for years and cannot find an answer which is why we dont see them on the slopes.
I am not trying to pour negativity on a valuable crusade but a chute just cannot work, for may reasons.

I think you would have to look a the kit you carry such as your poles and try to use them to help.
Maybe you spring load pole tips with long spikes like a medieval mace that you could dig in the snow. I dont really know. Sorry.

AllyG wrote:I think a parachute could be very useful for when you fall on your back on a steep slope and you can't stop. This happened to me last week, and I have no idea about how it happened. Suddenly I was on my back with my skis and legs in the air and hurtling down a steep slope. I was afraid to try putting my legs down in case I twisted my leg and ditto for my arms. Eventually I came to a stop totally unharmed and still with my skis on.

I also saw someone else hurtling down an extremely steep off piste mogul slope on their back (from the chair lift) and they were clearly totally unable to stop and they went a very long way like that and were still in fact moving when they went out of sight.

Either of us could have hit someone else and caused a serious collison. A parachute breaking system of some sort would have been great.

Ally

Ally,

I kinda agree that a breaking system for such a senario would be great but a chute wouldn't inflate. It needs lots of clean fast air to do that, i think you would just end up dragging a pile of washing behind you . I guess you would need something like an ice axe and use it like climbers do, roll over and dig it in.
Also if you are hurtling down a slope on your back how would a chute deploy??

I have some decent experience of parachutes and although they are simple devices you do need certain criteria to be fulfilled for a successful deployment.

mark203 wrote:not to worry about people coming behind me, it is there problem I was told.

Which will become your problem when you are lying in a hospital bed after they have wiped you out.

I look at skiing a bit like driving....i check all my mirrors and blind spots 8)

Mark, Ian.

The original post did state "Any views you have on the project that you would like to share would also be very helpful and valuable"
I dont think anyone here would want to deliberately slate this guys hard work. I commend him for it.....but my view is that it cannot possibly be 'feasible' and he asked for our views.

Mark....Ejector seat?? Com'on mate, lets be serious. They are serious pieces of hardware with serious weight and serious explosive capability. Comparing them to a ski parachute is plain silly.
Even so, the ejector seats ejection time is for the seat to be clear of the aircraft and not the inflation of the chute. The inflation of the canopy still quite slow compared to that.

Ian, i agree....awareness is the thing. If you are 'aware' then you are probably going to have time to react and to avoid problems. If you are unaware then a chute is simply no use.

I kinda liked the commentry, especially when they called Errol Kerr Errol Flynn !!!!!! lol

Parachute? Are you kidding me?????

As an experienced skydiver i can tell you that the deployment time of a chute is always going to be too long to be useful. Couple that with reaction times of the skier in actually activating the chute and you have a non starter im afraid.

1 second deployment? That sounds way off....How are you deploying? pilot chute? springs? some kind of rocket charge????? I really can't see it as you still have to rely on forward speed to fill the canopy.

I think that you would be better looking towards the front of the skier....maybe an airbag type of thing.

Sorry to be so negative, i do applaud you in trying to improve safety.

Well, i think it may be that although the freezing level is at 1650m it is possible for it to be colder lower down. This is due to clouds/fog holding supercooled water droplets.

The 1650m is calculated over a large area, possibly an entire ski region where as the snow reports maybe at resort level.

It sounds strange but it can get warmer as you go higher. Im sure if you are in a fogged in valley you will be colder than in the sun on the slopes above.

Or i could be just talking crap! But i think that is correct.