Crazy Ski Safety Organization - have some fun going after this group

**srface_hoar** · 02-05-2013, 01:35 PM

I was driving home from Mammoth after skiing yesterday and heard a radio advertisement for NBC news. Apparently NBC news hooked up with the California Ski and Snowboard Safety Organization for a review of the California ski resorts to determine how safe our ski resorts are in CA. The news report was to air at 11:00 pm. I watched the report and was in shock over how ridiculous the report was (article can be found here) http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...189716701.html

It would be great for the collective genius found here on TGR to fuck with this organization. On the surface they sound great; however, after you look into this group you realize they would like all ski resorts to be like Disneyland and are trying to get legislation passed to ensure this happens. They want every tree, rock, building, bush, stump, root, cornice, and bare spot marked as a hazard. Keep in mind this group was founded after Dan Gregorie lost his daughter in a tragic ski accident at Alpine Meadows. Dan's daughter took her snowboard off above a steep chute and lost her footing. Dan attempted to sue Alpine Meadows; however, the suite was tossed out. Ever since he has been on a mission to turn ski resorts into safe little theme parks. Below is the link for the CA ski resort safety ratings according to Dan's little nanny group known as CSSSO.

http://media.nbclosangeles.com/docum...tcrd_FINAL.pdf

The individual results for each resort can be found here http://www.calskisafety.org/reports.html

I am sure this group can come up with some creative ways to fuck with this organization and NBC. Let the comedy begin.

**stoepstyle** · 02-05-2013, 01:46 PM

Bahahahah of course Granilbakken got the highest score. Holy shit keep these people away from my ski areas.

edit: or maybe this will scare everyone away from skiing

**yaadood** · 02-05-2013, 03:12 PM

great, i guess i'll have to put tower pads on every tree next year.... idiots.

**Harry** · 02-05-2013, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by srface_hoar

Dan Gregorie

Who dis ?

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 02-05-2013, 05:06 PM

While that's totally over the top and ludicrous, there have been times when i wished patrol would at least put up a couple of crossed bamboo poles before a hidden hazard in an unexpected place on a popular run.

So, what's the happy medium, or is there one?

**srface_hoar** · 02-05-2013, 06:03 PM

There really is not a happy medium. Once you start marking one hazard you better mark them all. Thanks to lawyers and frivolous lawsuits, patrollers often are forced to do things based upon litigation concerns and not on common sense.

**srface_hoar** · 02-05-2013, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by Harry

Who dis ?

Rich guy who lost his daughter while she was skiing Alpine Meadows and now want the nanny state of CA to pass legislation to make ski resorts safer. Almost every ski resort in the state received an F grade for their Outbuilding Protection (they didn't pad all the corners and rope off the perimeters). In my 27 years of patrolling, I have yet to work on a guest who hit an Outbuilding. All of the ski resorts in CA received an F grade because they do not post their "Regularly updated safety plan" on their website. I can tell you first hand that our resorts management and the resorts insurance company would never allow the safety plan to be posted on a website.

**Slaag Master** · 02-05-2013, 06:19 PM

like golf skiing needs hazards!!!!

**jrbd** · 02-05-2013, 06:33 PM

The crash videos were fun. Thanks for that.

The ski areas will probably read the report card comments and maybe make some changes, but I can understand why they don't want to publicly acknowledge that they're taking advice from an anti-ski-area zealot.

Their statement that California ski areas have no safety regulations is just wrong. The lifts are regulated by a state agency:
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/aroffices.htm

**IVplay** · 02-05-2013, 06:49 PM

Wrap everyone up in bubble wrapping.

**Shred Baron** · 02-05-2013, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by jrbd

The crash videos were fun. Thanks for that.

Their statement that California ski areas have no safety regulations is just wrong. The lifts are regulated by a state agency:
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/aroffices.htm

Four counties in California (PLacer, Nevada, Alpine, and one that I can't think of) have skier responsibility codes, but there is nothing that enforces what ski areas are required to do for safety or other reasons. Other states do, and they normally modeled after the Colorado skier safety act. http://www.nsprmd.org/index.php?opti...270&Itemid=355

**MTT** · 02-05-2013, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

While that's totally over the top and ludicrous, there have been times when i wished patrol would at least put up a couple of crossed bamboo poles before a hidden hazard in an unexpected place on a popular run.

So, what's the happy medium, or is there one?

YES! I belive this is a direct result of litigation.
If you mark all the obvious stuff, but miss that 1 rock, and someone hits it? You get sued/

If you mark NOTHING and put out the warning ski at riown risk hidden obsticals? your covered.

Its very frustrating and get many people hurt

**Shadam** · 02-05-2013, 08:15 PM

and this is why we bought sledz ...

we dont take well to authority ...

or stupidity ...

no wait, I'm all for the stupid option !!!

**mtngirl79** · 02-05-2013, 09:18 PM

So why does marking an obstacle make a sign that says there are unmarked obstacles not a valid warning?

Why does we marked the obstacles we found, but since a mountain is a natural environment and snow melts and slides and gets scraped off and settles and its impossible to go over the whole mountain and find every little potential hazard, we might have missed some, so ski at your own risk?

**TBS** · 02-05-2013, 10:31 PM

^^^There ya go, being logical...

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 02-05-2013, 10:33 PM

But, they do mark some obstacles. Sometimes they close runs, sometimes they just put up a rope, sometimes it's a sign that says "cliff". I've seen poles marking holes, rocks, and bare patches before.

Roping off outbuildings is patently ridiculous, and I certainly don't expect every single obstacle to be called out but, like mtngirl - I wonder how marking any obstacle invalidates the "unmarked obstacles exist - ski at your own risk" warning?

**TomCrac** · 02-05-2013, 10:34 PM

I was thinking, could Dan Gregorie be sued for endangering the welfare of a child, bad parenting, negligence etc.?

I was thinking, maybe someone could sue cssso after getting injured at a resort that cssso gave a favorable rating to. After reading the first and last paragraph of csso's report card, it's laughable they way they try protect themselves from any potential lawsuit by stating that their information has no credibility.

The patroller, penis-less, sounds like a real fun guy to hang around with.

Lastly, the joint "investigator" Joel G, kind of sets of the creep meter and seems a little sad.

**sklar** · 02-05-2013, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by IVplay

Wrap everyone up in bubble wrapping.

put everyone in one of these

... oh wait, that didn't work out too well for the russians ...

**tavis** · 02-06-2013, 11:39 AM

I love that it was Baldy that got the F. Their attitude is the reason I will go there before anywhere in big bear.

**srface_hoar** · 02-06-2013, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by tavis

I love that it was Baldy that got the F. Their attitude is the reason I will go there before anywhere in big bear.

If Baldy was smart, they would run with this. "Come ski the most unsafe mountain in CA. We are Mt. Baldy, can you handle our mountain". This just adds to the Baldy culture.

**bones get broke** · 02-06-2013, 01:09 PM

Skiing is inherently unsafe....If skiing were inherently safe it wouldn't be fun. My local Mtn (unfortunately) is DMR and they have such a "safety first" attitude that it becomes annoying. Between the La Plata County Sheriffs, the Forestry Rangers, the 'Trollers and finally the speed checkers with their faggoty yellow jackets, it's hard to ski rowdy enough to even have a good time. I will admit that the incesant roping off of and bambooing of hazards does add an amount of sport to skiing.... it's an added degree of difficulty and street cred when you can clear that shit under the lifts.

**butterscotch** · 02-06-2013, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by bones get broke

finally the speed checkers with their faggoty yellow jackets

Wait, what? I've never heard of something like this before, please elaborate. Do they actually have people who hang out and yell at people for going too fast? Do they have radar guns or something?

**srface_hoar** · 02-06-2013, 01:29 PM

Here is Dick Penniman's (the "Consultant") email. I am sure he will explain his criteria for his survey.

Dpenniman@snowbridge.com

**jahroy** · 02-06-2013, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by butterscotch

Do they actually have people who hang out and yell at people for going too fast?

they've done this for years at squaw on the main groomer on weekends.

we have one major groomer, mountain run, that serves as the exodus route for all gapers.

at about 2:00 on weekends they set up patrollers every few hundred feet to remind folks to keep their speed under control.

as lame as it sounds, it's not a big deal at all. that run gets ridiculously crowded on the weekends and there is no point trying to mach it.

also... if you know how to use the mountain you would never be on that run at that time.

that being said, every aspect of this silly ski safety company is obnoxious, absurd, and scary. i hope they're sued into oblivion by somebody some day.

**gramboh** · 02-06-2013, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by butterscotch

Wait, what? I've never heard of something like this before, please elaborate. Do they actually have people who hang out and yell at people for going too fast? Do they have radar guns or something?

This is also done on the bottom third of Whistler/Blackcomb on busy days/weekends, as the resorts funnel everyone down to a couple main runs. Annoying, but you can avoid them on side runs most of the way, and they have to do it because of the huge number of terrible destination guests that suck at skiing/snowboarding but go fast anyway.