J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Robin in Spain

Article from the Daily Mail On-line may interest you all.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/holidays/article-2531916/No-insurance-skiers-tipple-hit-slopes.html?ito=email-homenewsletter-20140101

Answer for Brucie - might take you up on that one morning Brucie. I usually stay in El Tartar but could get to the top of Soldeu gondola by 10am sometime. I'll make sure my hip flask is full! Happy new year to you too.

Sorry to hear of your bad and sad experience with your friend and his tandem accident Snapzzz. I can't defend that. What I will defend though is the amount of risk involved in both sports. Your kit/rig etc. is as important in skiing as in skydiving as well as your trust in your fellow participants and unfortunately the risk of collision with inexperienced skiers is greater simply because the progression system in skydiving is more rigid and controlled and therefore you are virtually free from being involved with inexperienced skydivers (you do have that choice). However, I know people who have started skiing with no experience or training whatsoever and there is nothing worse than seeing a novice hurtling down a slope full of confidence in his ability to ski in a straight line but unable to execute a solid turn or an emergency stop. And that, unfortunately, is where a great number of accidents occur on the slopes, so your own ability becomes secondary in those circumstances. I was taken out by a novice Italian who turned directly into my path at too short a notice to avoid a collision but ironically managed to save myself serious injury (I assume) by executing a perfect plf (parachute landing fall for the unintiated). I will concur with you that skydiving is potentially more lethal than skiing but it's generally only the last inch that is likely to prove fatal. LOL! Happy skiing friend.

Statistically more people 'go in' as you call it Snapzzz, when skiing than skydiving - which was the main point of my comment - so why hasn't that stopped you skiing? I have banged my head twice in over 30 years of skiing but never once in over 30 years of skydiving - that tells me something and if it tells you something different then so be it. I won't give up either until I have some physical (or mental) inability to do either. Enjoy your skiing whilst you can and I'll continue enjoying mine along with my skydiving. Oh, BTW, I have a reserve parachute fitted with an AAD (automatic activation device) in the event of being rendered incapable of activating the reserve myself. As for wrapping oneself around a tree in the extremely unlikely event of a bad spot (aircraft are fitted with GPS to avoid that nowadays), then I assume you ski where there are no trees and that you assume that I skydive into forests? I don't think so matey. On current highly maneuverable elliptical parachutes avoiding trees is easier than missing the first ski lift of the day!
-

Hope Michael recovers quickly and is back to normal soon. Our thoughts are with him and his family. Thank goodness he was wearing a helmet, probably because he's been used to wearing one and knows the sense of wearing a helmet in a high speed/variable conditions sport. Get well soon Michael.

Doubt my skiing ability is anywhere near as good as yours Brucie - however, we could always meet up for a drink somewhere. My wife has stopped skiing now so I go alone and would welcome the chance to chat to someone over a beer one evening. Where are you staying?

Thanks Pole Plant. Already booked my skiing for Andorra in January (arrive 10th for a week, then a week in Spain before returning to Andorra for another week - that's where my age has caught up with me, can't do 2 weeks skiing consecutively anymore!) I'll look at the resorts you have mentioned for the next time I go skiing though and thanks again for replying. Enjoy your skiing and stay safe!

Thanks for the wry comments Tony, Brucie and Swingbeep but my age has nothing to do with my enthusiasm for skiing and skydiving and my ability little to do with wearing a helmet (compulsory for skydiving but which, IMO, is less dangerous than skiing. In fact the only dangerous part of skydiving, IMO, is driving to the airfield!) Anyway, as I have noted on a later post, Michael Schumacher is a very experienced skier but would definitely not have survived his latest skiing accident without a helmet, so I'm pleased to see Tony wearing one now - and he'll find it better than a bobble hat too. Recover quickly Michael, our thoughts are with you. I'm off to Andorra on the 8th for a week, then a week in Spain before returning to Andorra for another weeks skiing - that's where my age has caught up with me, can't do 2 weeks consecutively any more!