Ski Bowl Halts Biking Operations

[altasnob]

Guess now we will have to tear all of them out.

The Ski Bowl case only applies if you are charging people to ride the trails (like lift tickets; things like NW Forest Pass or State Parks pass doesn't count).

Also, you can't get going fast enough to hurt yourself on Central Oregon trails because it's so flat.

[LeeLau]

From Singletracks

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-tra...park-to-close/

From Scott Connors witness for the bike park operator posted to the Singletracks.com - Mountain Bike Trails & Reviews social feed as counterpoint

"In my opinion, this article is not even close to the truth. While I appreciate the attempt at truth, it is not even close.

I offer several examples:

1) Owens never hit the sign.

2) The vast majority of treatments in the medical tent, and on average there is less than three a day, are for minor injuries from the alpine slide from my experience.

3) As I testified in my deposition, there was no drainage ditch. It was a result of natural runoff. Just look at the camber of the trail. Your picture is from the “attempted rebuild illustration” best I can tell.

4) Owens rode this trail over 50 times prior to the accident, including multiple times the day of the accident.

Any experienced bike park rider knows their lines after pre -riding trails and knows Owens claim is without merit. Unfortunately, there were no experienced bike park riders on the jury.

5) Witnesses, including one off duty patroller, testified that she observed Owens riding at excessive / unsafe speeds.

6) Owens was riding with other riders who were better than him and he was trying to show off as was in line with his character of lack of regard for personal safety. My testimony regarding my experience here was not allowed in court based on “legal technicality”.

7) Owens bike was Ill-equipped for the terrain including a single crown fork.

All this verdict did was increase liability costs for every single rider, at every bike park in the U.S, who will pay increased lift ticket prices, left a young man with the guilt of not accepting responsibility for his actions, and shuttered one of our nations iconic riding venues."