The Wisconsin Skier

 
 
 
What do you do to promote skiing or snowboarding? Do you ask friends if they want to go? Do you sponsor that first lift ticket?

Just what do you do to promote snow sports?

I talk to my friends about skiing and I get some asking about it. Last weekend I took it a step further and assisted some friends to get setup at the rental center and skied along with my buddy’s daughter on the bunny hill.

I need to give a shout out to Ski Brule and the staff in the rental center. They were without exception, friendly, helpful, and eager to server! This counts for the guy tuning and waxing skis to the people circulating helping people gear up. Their’s was definitely a zeal born of skivanagalism!
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You know, I have written about the code before, but it is well worth repeating!

• Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

Never ski on runs that are way above your ability level. Not being able to avoid objects or stop is not just dangerous to yourself, but to others.

• People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

Downhill skiers do not have eyes on the back of their heads, they can not see and avoid you. The very best you (as the uphill skier) can hope for is they are traversing the trail and pick you up in their peripheral vision.

• You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above.

If you are in such a spot, clear out as soon as you can. Again it comes down to being where people can see and hence avoid you. Last season, a young girl and young man were killed in such an incident. The young girl and her mother were stopped in a blindspot when the young man entered into that blind spot at high speed. The girl & man were killed. The young girl and her mother were recombobulating after a crash.

• Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

Again, visibility of and of others decrease at trail junctures, slow down and give yourself and others the coming and room needed to avoid collisions. Whenever starting off we always look for others first, why not when skiing?

• Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

Your ski flying down the hill is every bit out of control and presents a hazard to others, let alone, the nuisance of losing it.

• Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

Trails may be closed for a number of reasons and not all are related to ski safety, some may be a matter of law.

• Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Eye up the lift before you get to it and determine what you need to do to quickly load.