Most important safety feature

What's the NUMBER 1 cause of death at ski areas? A skier at moderate speed on a trail running into the trees at the edge of a blue trail. Every single year it happens. Multiple times and is totally avoidable. Ski areas should NET the edge of the trails like they do is ski racing. If ski racers didn't have that netting they'd be dead almost every time they fall. The netting saves their lives. I can't for the life of me understand why ski areas don't at least net their family trails. It's not expensive to do and will save countless lives as well as avoid TBI's/concussions. Fatality rate hasn't improved much since helmets started being used even though people seem to think they're a game changer like releasable bindings(so many legs have been saved)

 Putting up these nets would cause a drastic decrease in numbers of deaths.

He's baaaack

Thehof wrote

He's baaaack

Snowltergeist!

PowderAssassin wrote

What's the NUMBER 1 cause of death at ski areas?

Everyone knows its glade skiing

PowderAssassin wrote

What's the NUMBER 1 cause of death at ski areas?

Obesity?  

PowderAssassin wrote

 Ski areas should NET the edge of the trails

 Putting up these nets would cause a drastic decrease in numbers of deaths.

gore was being progressive with the netting on chatimac , who knew

just cut down all the trees

We could just work on pressing education in PowAss' philosophy that you should never attempt to progress.

Deaths of skiers by hitting trees off of intermediate trails are a result of people getting WAY over their head. If you can't stop or turn, you shouldn't be skiing anything off of the Gondola that isn't Ruby Run.

Are you certain it's not the drive to the ski area that's the no. 1 killer?

I'm so old, I remember arguing about this in 2006, where I employed an awesome "Slippery Slope" argument (bonus points because it was actually about slippery slopes) and one freeheelwilly jumped in on the conversation to say I was taking my personal responsibility argument too far:

http://forums.skiadk.com/showthread.php?206-Gore-Death/page2

Time is a flat circle.

MC... that was a very solid thread.  I never considered that bumps actually make expert trails safer by slowing people down and discouraging intermediates. May even slow down someone who has fallen and help them self arrest.

tBatt wrote

We could just work on pressing education in PowAss' philosophy that you should never attempt to progress.

Deaths of skiers by hitting trees off of intermediate trails are a result of people getting WAY over their head. If you can't stop or turn, you shouldn't be skiing anything off of the Gondola that isn't Ruby Run.

That's simply not true. Most of the time it's on a blue(intermediate) trail going at moderate speed with a seasoned skier who simply falls in the wrong spot at the edge of the trail and takes a header into a tree. It's a bad luck event, but totally preventable with netting.

 If people should attempt to progress than people fall when they do that obviously. So your statement makes no sense. Common sense dictates higher speed equals higher risk of injury assuming equal level of skier. If you have a super g event with no netting, what would happen? You know the answer to that. And you shouldn't simply cut down all the trees. You then have no trails obviously and ruin the beauty of the hill.

timbly wrote

Are you certain it's not the drive to the ski area that's the no. 1 killer?

You're more likely to be injured skiing than driving to the mountain. Deaths are relatively rare, but look at even wachusett mountain. Google "wachusett mountain death". It was shocking how many people died at a small family hill. You could prevent most of them.

Automobile statistics are irrelevant. It's the most dangerous thing you do and you do it all the time and everyone drives. Few ski. Maybe you should wear a helmet when you drive since it's more dangerous? Again, you're comparing silly things that have no relation. I'm sure more people die of heart attacks so why not just ski off a 75 foot cliff? LOL Silliness. Netting on trails would prevent deaths/serious injury just like putting pads on lift towers prevents injuries deaths. Period.

"You can't compare driving to skiing, but watch as I compare recreational skiing to Super G races"

- PowAss

"The Red Bull Rampage is responsible for lots of mountain biking injuries, so let's put nets next to every mountain bike trail in the world."

- PowAss (probably)

You're a complete idiot. Go away again and don't come back.

mattchuck2 wrote

"You can't compare driving to skiing, but watch as I compare recreational skiing to Super G races"

- PowAss

The Redbull Rampage is responsible for lots of mountain biking injuries, so let's put nets next to every mountain bike trail in the world.

You're a complete idiot. Go away again and don't come back.

Just trolling with nonsense.

 Dumb ass, look at the deaths that have occurred. The majority are preventable with netting alongside trails.  That's reality, but you don't like me because you're a dick, so you're going to shit all over what ever I say. Either that or you're just really stupid.

I like the idea of letting trails bump up to keep intermediates like powderdick off them.  

Again I have to question the industry plants or simply stupid people in arguing that this wouldn't save lives.


People lose control all the time. The whole sport encourages "pushing limits" and being "core" so that's expected. Netting a trail would save lives. That's a fact. No tree to run into on the trail. It's common sense. The netting stops you from hitting the trees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/sports/on-slopes-rise-in-helmet-use-but-no-decline-in-brain-injuries.html

http://archive.coloradoan.com/article/20140117/SPORTS11/301170079/How-safe-Colorado-s-ski-slopes-

"Q: That begs the question of do helmets reduce injuries or fatalities?

A: Helmets do reduce injuries, but not fatalities. Recent research has shown the use of a helmet reduces incidence of any head injury by 30 to 50 percent. Helmets are most effective providing protection from less severe head injuries such as scalp lacerations, but are less effective with severe injuries. Most on-mountain fatal trauma is caused by head impact with stationary objects at speeds of 27 mph. Shealy suggests helmet wearers are more likely to take risks, traveling 5 percent faster than those without."

It's questionable how effective helmets really are since they don't even prevent concussion/rotational force of an impact.(yolk inside an egg theory) I'd advise people to wear one, but it is by no means makes a huge difference in safety. The research is conflicting. It probably makes a bit of difference assuming you ski like you don't have a helmet on. Netting trails would save countless lives/injuries. Way more than wearing helmets could ever do.

From the link I posted:

.... as for deaths in skiing, take a look at some of the sporting goods studies on fatailities in sports. Skiing ranks far below activities like Bicycling, Swimming, etc. There are statistically only about .75 deaths per million skier visits, compared to 19 per million for bicycling and 44 per million for Swimming. These are sporting good industry estimates, not the ski industries.

Are you advocating for nets on bike paths? How about floaties for all swimmers?

As I said, you're a total idiot. Log off. Go read a book or something.

mattchuck2 wrote

How about floaties for all swimmers?

LOL...if you know how to swim, no. I've been in way overhead long period swell surf in numerous occasions. If you have a wetsuit on over 4/3mm you'll float anyway. Life jacket/floaties are actually a danger while surfing since you can't duck dive a wave. Again, you're talking about something you know nothing about. For people who don't know how to swim in a pool/lake in calm water a pfd is a good idea(a better idea would be to learn to swim) and parents should always watch their children.

PowderAssassin wrote

mattchuck2 wrote

How about floaties for all swimmers?

LOL...if you know how to swim, no. Dickswinging. For people who don't know how to swim in a pool/lake in calm water a pfd is a good idea(a better idea would be to learn to swim) and parents should always watch their children.

But what happens when people who don't know how to swim hop in the ocean, even with a strong riptide and warning signs? People have drowned that way, yaknow.

PowderAssassin wrote

tBatt wrote

We could just work on pressing education in PowAss' philosophy that you should never attempt to progress.

Deaths of skiers by hitting trees off of intermediate trails are a result of people getting WAY over their head. If you can't stop or turn, you shouldn't be skiing anything off of the Gondola that isn't Ruby Run.

That's simply not true. Most of the time it's on a blue(intermediate) trail going at moderate speed with a seasoned skier who simply falls in the wrong spot at the edge of the trail and takes a header into a tree. It's a bad luck event, but totally preventable with netting.