J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ise

bandit wrote:
Add into the mix, the over grooming of blue and red pistes (in Europe). To me it looks like an accident waiting to happen, except it is happening. Accidents with collisions are now common and average speeds are up. I don't need to read a report, just stand still and watch.
2/3 or more of the folks I ski with, have been hit (and knocked over) by another skier at some time in the past 2/3 winters.

Numbers of accidents per skier days though are lower and when you see someone being stretchered onto the place the odds are no one else was involved. What I think might be deceptive about the figures is I think it's not a even distribution across the season. There's been a ludicrous number of accidents reported in the press here over the last few weeks, avalanches, sledging, skiing, a really tragic number involving children as well. I've not been hit by another skier but when it's busy I go snow shoeing, ski touring, build igloos or chill out. Even then, this is pretty much unrelated to skiing or the sorts of skis people are on, they're just the same on the road, the proportion of people skiing stupidly is about the same as driving stupidly, or trying to get run over on the road. That being the case I'm not sure what can be about it.

Ian Wickham wrote:
Sorry Trencher, I have to agree with El bandido, I have seen skiers carving on straights and still do, the straights can't do what the carvers can but they can still carve. 8)

Ditto, I can't see what the problem is, it's simply a question of whether you can flex the ski. Without much flex the arc would be huge and slightly impractical but with enough pressure you could shorten that.

bandit wrote:

Does this help answer your query? :D

pass :lol: I'm not even sure at what levels you'd call BASI professional, presumably at the top where professional development and revalidation is required. A mountain professional might be one that has a year round remit all over the mountain though.

It's just after years working in IT I'm easily amused by the misuse of the term professional :lol:

Not sure about the forecast but it is cold right now :XD: walking down the road last night could feel the cold through my shoes.

Neiltoo wrote:
I agree, but I think they 'dumb down' the pistes because they think it makes them safer. If it does result in inexperienced skiers traveling faster
then any extra safeness is lost.

interesting, I'd not thought of it like that before, you must be right though. I don't think there's any one universal approach used, different places try different things and some do nothing.

In answer to your original point, some of the insurers here reckon people are going faster, I'm sure there's something on the SUVA website somewhere. I know they reckon that over 50kph can be fatal in a collision.

Brucie wrote:My point is, as a fully qualified mountain professional, sometimes we have to cut economic corners and sacrifice on branded gear.

out of interest, what professional qualifications do you hold?

edit, sorry, being mischievous, but professional is a bit of a misused term :lol:

Neiltoo wrote:At one time WL Gore vetted the manufacturing processes of any company that used their materials. They may still do this but in my opinion not so carefully.

I'm told they still do this.

RossF wrote:Ooh I never knew, just second hand information :lol:

could be some stores dropped it though if it wasn't selling well.