4 replies to this topic

[CH3skier]

Don't know about this one.

http://www.ksl.com/?...148&sid=2461698


Park City considering reckless skier law
January 9th, 2008 @ 6:30pm
Alex Cabrero reporting

Next month, some new laws in Park City might bring more trouble to reckless skiers. City attorneys are considering making reckless skiing at Park City Mountain Resort and at Deer Valley a misdemeanor.

For Lindsay Tingey and Jessica Baucom, there's nothing like a day of skiing at Deer Valley. "We got free passes, so that helped," said Baucom.

Skiing for free is always good, but soon, if a new law is passed in Park City, reckless skiing could cost someone a lot.

City attorneys are considering making reckless skiing at the city's two ski resorts a misdemeanor. Deer Valley is one of those resorts. "I personally don't like that idea, just because I think it'll change the vibe on the mountain," said Baucom.



Park City Mountain Resort is the other resort looking at the idea. John Brown, a Park City skier, said, "I think that's stupid. I mean, you pay to come out here to have fun, and by its nature, skiing and snowboarding is a dangerous sport."

But not everyone thinks a reckless skiing law is stupid. "It's a good idea," said Bill Rausch, another Park City skier. "Absolutely. There's so many people on the mountain right now, you have to be cautious and considerate of the other people skiing."

Phyllis Robinson, the spokesperson for the city of Park City, said she wasn't comfortable talking on camera about this issue because nothing has been decided just yet. However, off camera she says if a new law is passed, it's for two reasons. Number one: safety. Number two: the image of the ski resorts here in Park City. But again, chatting with skiers and snowboarders, the reaction to this is mixed.



Tingey said, "It's going to make it less fun. I think it's going to make people nervous that they can't ski how they want to ski."

Rausch said, "I think it would be good to have some teeth other than just pulling their ticket."

Right now, it's up to city attorneys to decide if it's a good idea and then the city council. Paula Fable, spokeswoman for Park City Mountain Resort, said, "If the city does decide to enact some new ordinances, we'll sure enforce them."

Summit County already has its own reckless skiing laws in place at The Canyons Ski Resort. If Park City decides to go forward with its own laws, the city council will most likely get its first look at a draft of the laws in late February

[Callao]

I don't think this is anything new or incredible. There are laws like this all over the place, for all kinds of things. This doesn't mean that you have to change your way of skiing. This is just a tool for resorts to use to enforce good behavior. And again, this just means that a resort can choose to use this as a tool in prosecuting reckless skiers, for cases where it's actually worth their time. Plus, this is more of a legal butt-cover: in the case that someone gets hurt, responsibility can, to a degree, be passed from a resort to a reckless skier.

[sphrrt]

Since PCMR and DV are in Summit County, they also fall under Summit County ordinance 110. Kind of odd that this article seems to infer otherwise, see http://www.parkcitymountain.com/winter/con...mountain_safety (about 1/2 way down the page) for the details on PCMR's website no less.

[chasl]

Callao, on Jan 9 2008, 11:38 PM, said:

I don't think this is anything new or incredible. There are laws like this all over the place, for all kinds of things. This doesn't mean that you have to change your way of skiing. This is just a tool for resorts to use to enforce good behavior. And again, this just means that a resort can choose to use this as a tool in prosecuting reckless skiers, for cases where it's actually worth their time. Plus, this is more of a legal butt-cover: in the case that someone gets hurt, responsibility can, to a degree, be passed from a resort to a reckless skier.

Now define reckless, remember in court you are tried by a jury of your peers, which usually means little old ladies that have never skied.

I can see it all now, I am cruising down the mountain making nice smooth tele turns, and a beginner in front of me cuts me off, I have to make a hard turn to the right, I did not see the skier there and run into him.
The skier that cut me off did not notice what happened and kept on going.
The skier I hit, has a broken leg is a lawyer, and on top of that he has 3 friends skiing with him. The ski patrol comes to take care of the situation, I explain what happened and then the lawyer states that I was skiing recklessly, hit him and he has 3 friends to back him up.

Can anyone see a problem with this scenario? And yes, it could happen, probably has happened I am sure.

Why don’t we all start skiing in air filled clear plastic balls, Oh I know, one of them may have an air loss and then we will have a different type of lawsuit after someone hit a tree.
Or do I sound a little cynical today.

This post has been edited by chasl: 11 January 2008 - 01:18 AM

[skier691]

Lawyers and global warming = 2 things that will ruin skiing

If the American people and the court system knew a little more about the risks involved when you choose to put on your skis, maybe we wouldn't be such a easy target for these stains. But being that ice, reckless skiers, and the 'unmarked' tree all exist, I suppose that we'll always be a target.

Maybe we should close the down the ski hill bar.... Skier drinks a beer or 2 or 10.. skier goes big.. too big... skier wrecks self... skier sues hill for serving the ONE beer that causes his/her accident.

yep, the right lawyer could make you rich

You could wish them away, but, they are the customer that drops the money every weekend.