Chuck Murphy writing in The Denver Post says:
Reminders of “Your Responsibility Code” — stay in control, give people below you the right of way, etc. — are posted at every resort. That would be enough, if everyone read, understood and cared about the code.
But people do not hop off the lift at the top with the idea that they will lose control of themselves on the way down. Surely Joshua Allen didn’t.
Please read the entire column it does give one things to think about.
I contend most people understand and practice the code. Still, none of us is control of our skiing 100% of the time. Do not get me wrong, the vast majority of skiers and boarders do not flagrantly ride out of control, but ½ second in the backseat at the edge of trail while you are trying to turn away from trees it is all it takes. Most of the time that half-second occurs in a time and spot where we are able to regain control or crash harmlessly (more or less). I have read a number of reports on fatalities this year, most seem to happen to competent skiers on intermediate trails and involve going into the woods, this fits the (wrong) momentary loss of control I talk about above.
“You could reduce the fatality rate by about 85 percent with the stroke of a pen,” Shealy said. “Just by saying men can no longer ski or snowboard.”
That applies to most any human activity, the men will be the ones pushing the boundaries and more often than women, end up getting killed. I do not think men will sit idly in a rubber room while there is snow on the slopes!
Skiing is an adventure sport and yes, none of us intend to die engaging in it, but we do know it is possible. The snowsports industry has a responsibility to educate their customers on safe riding and to ensure their resort is up to snuff, but they can not and should not attempt to take all of the danger and risk out of the pursuit.
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