 Poster: A snowHead
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PG, SimonN,
I concede that truly advanced skiers probably don't find the level of awareness required to ski quickly with lots of other skiers around mentally exhausting. But I suspect that most others here and indeed anywhere are not truly advanced skiers and would have to pay a little more than casual or reflexive attention. I have to.
A tennis ball still needs 0.53 seconds to cover the length of a tennis court at 100mph (sorry, didn't bother to look up exact length of a crease). Also, you can predict exactly when it's coming and which way it's likely to go by being able to observe the serve/delivery. You need no further neurophysiological explanation for why you can hit it than the reaction times I have already described. The simplest single choice visual stimulus with simple reaction time is 0.22 seconds. Any skiing event occurring in your path that might require evasive action would be classified as a recognition reaction time, with a quoted minimum of 0.384 seconds, for what would still only be for a simple reaction to the stimulus. These figures are in the best possible experimental circumstances of expectation, and while a change in direction on skis may feel instant, it isn't (just watch the slalom skiers through closed gates), and would be classified as a complex reaction to stimulus, and therefore take longer (add 0.5-1 second?). There just isn't such a thing as an "instant reaction".
Anyway, I feel we are all singing from the same hymn sheet. I ski faster than the average skier. I ski fast past people. But I think I'm safe for the speed I go at, and am acutely aware of potential fixed and mobile hazards ahead, for which I compensate appropriately. 
BTW PG, Ta, again
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 8-09-05 12:06; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Expert skiers may well be responsible for relatively few collisions. However, high speed in the wrong placve (beginner slopes or crowded home runs, for example) makes collisions more likely (even though the fault may lie elsewhere) and the consequences worse.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 1-03-05 11:23; edited 2 times in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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richmond,
Quite right.
Though I didn't realise that fact was known in Ancient Rome.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| slikedges wrote: |
richmond,
Quite right.
Though I didn't realise that fact was known in Ancient Rome.
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rubbish, quite, quite wrong.
If you're an expert skier you're not going to be traveling too fast to avoid obstacles or react to to the unexpected.
Expert skiers are not responsible for relatively few collisions, they're responsible for no collisions, that's the point of being an expert.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ise,
You're right. I suppose I saw that as "FAST skiers may well be RESPONSIBLE for very few ACCIDENTS." 
Of course any self-proclaimed experts must realise that they relinquish this title whenever they are involved in any accident (even if no contact is made) on the move in which they were the uphill skier.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ise, cobblers. A definition of 'expert' which requires that s/he never makes a mistake is useless, as no-one will be classified as an expert. Anyway, my statement that 'high speed in the wrong place (beginner slopes or crowded home runs, for example) makes collisions more likely (even though the fault may lie elsewhere) and the consequences worse' is true whether or not you believe that an expert would ski in such a manner.
The higher the average speed of skiers, the more and the worse accidents there will be, whoever those skiers are. It's not necessarily a big problem, but it is true.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 1-03-05 11:26; edited 1 time in total
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| slikedges wrote: |
richmond,
Quite right.
Though I didn't realise that fact was known in Ancient Rome.
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I see. You think that it would have been safe to ski through the streets of ancient Rome, do you? If you had bothered to do even the tiniest bit of research you would have found that more Romans were killed by people hurtling down hillls on bits of wood than by smoking.
Makes you think.
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richmond,
Chill, man. What are you on? It was just in jest. No research.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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slikedges, my reply was intended as a joke, too. Obviously not a very good one.
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Jonny Jones,
I had my shoulder dislocated by a skier in a resort with hardly any other skiers about and when I was standing by a fence with acres of empty piste around me. He was simply a b****y idiot out of control who should never have been on the slope he was on.
I agree with your point about irresponsible resort operators. They do need to take control of the numbers of people they encourage, but this won't stop gung ho no brains from wiping other people out.
In the days of empty pistes and weeks of learning in ski school this wasn't an issue. But now there are people out there who can be on black runs within a day of first putting on skis. Other people's safety (or their own) doesn't seem to enter their heads. In some ways that's not surprising. One doesn't appreciate the dangers until (a) they are pointed out and/or (b) you learn by experience.
People aren't allowed out on the roads without training and ski slopes are increasingly in need of the same treatment.
It would be difficult to organise at first, but that's only because it is a new concept. Ski schools could take the initiative by placing more emphasis on safety. Piste patrols could easily be organised and we pay enough for lift passes so perhaps some of that money could be used.
Rant over 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jane, hard luck. But cheer up; it might have been a self appointed 'expert' who hit you, and not a bloody idiot at all.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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What have I started! I think that everybody can agree that there are places where speed is inappropriate and that is when the main problems happen. However, even in those conditions an expert skier can travel faster than a non expert skier because of more control, anticipation and the ability to turn/stop faster and better.
However, there does seem to be a few on here that are following the same secret agenda as the anti-car lobby who attack speeding as the source of all know problems in the Western World. 
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You know it makes sense.
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I find the following rules help keep me safe:
1. assume everyone else is an incompetent out of control idiot.
2. it is not paranoia to assume that yes, they are all out to get you.
3. only stop behind large immovable objects like trees and lift pylons.
4. avoid bottlenecks at the end of the day. Either get down the mountain early or go down late. Sit in the restaurant until they chuck you out and then drift slowly and leisurely down the mountain enjoying the sun going down and the feeling of being one of the last on the mountain.
5. avoid what I have heard called the 'muppett runs'. These are normally a bunch of nice cruisy blues that will be packed with racing wannabees, kids on blades, poor soles trying to improve, and people with hangovers who can't be bothered to ski anything else. These are the most dangerous runs in resort (IMO). There are normally other blues elsewhere that take a little effort to get to and are not half as busy. Go there instead.
Anyone got any other 'survival tips' out there?
PS - I drive according to rules 1 and 2 as well!!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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richmond,
Sorry. 
You're going to think I'm very stupid, but did the Romans really ski?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
| poor soles trying to improve |
Keep fish off the piste
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dave J,
I drive according to rules 3 and 4. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Dave J, 100% correct. Nothing to be added to that, other than that rule 1 should be "out of control, incompetent, blind, drunk idiot".
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
it might have been a self appointed 'expert' who hit you,
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hhmmm......... now there's a thought. No, no - if that was so that would make me a supremely talented, never before encountered master of technique/sublime skier/sheer perfection etc. Sadly even I don't think that's true.
Dave J, I love your rules - especially the one about drifting down slowly after everyone has gone home.
There are lots of comparisons here with driving ......... it made me think. Women drivers have fewer accidents than male drivers .............. is that a thread worth pursuing?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
. Women drivers have fewer accidents than male drivers .............. is that a thread worth pursuing?
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Oh, yes! Bring it on, girl 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| slikedges wrote: |
| richmond, but did the Romans really ski? |
Probably. They strike me as the sort of clever b@stards who would loved to have shown off by sliding down a hill faster than someone else.
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| Quote: |
shown off by sliding down a hill faster than someone else.
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kind of like how they drive then .........
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