 Poster: A snowHead
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Sort of..
Due to 'feedback' from visitors terrified about the safety of themselves and their children, the PdS bigwigs are going to employ local OAPs to patrol the pistes and give any speeding young scallywags a thorough talking to.
It is made clear that this isn't a result of an increase in accidents, merely the 'sense of insecurity' felt by many.
No mention of sanctions or fines for speeders yet nor what constitutes speeding.
French language article:
http://www.tdg.ch/suisse/Les-PortesduSoleil-embauche-des-vieux-pour-freiner-les-jeunes/story/26971666
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think this is a great idea. Although for me skiing quickly isn't always an issue, it really depends where its being done. I get very irritated by people skiing fast (and often appearing not in full control) through busy areas. If you want to ski fast, do it somewhere quiet and safe.
Tailoring your skiing to the conditions, surroundings and ability is one of the biggest issues on the mountain in my opinion.
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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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Great, a roaming pack of old geezers with bull horns acting as Judge of Fact for everyone... Top Plan PdS! Award yourself the Legion Croque-Monsieur d'honor at once!
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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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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
Sort of..
Due to 'feedback' from visitors terrified about the safety of themselves and their children, the PdS bigwigs are going to employ local OAPs to patrol the pistes and give any speeding young scallywags a thorough talking to.
It is made clear that this isn't a result of an increase in accidents, merely the 'sense of insecurity' felt by many.
No mention of sanctions or fines for speeders yet nor what constitutes speeding.
French language article:
http://www.tdg.ch/suisse/Les-PortesduSoleil-embauche-des-vieux-pour-freiner-les-jeunes/story/26971666 |
have image of some old dear with her handbag and walking stick instead of poles chasing down the mountain on straight skis after aforementioned young scallywag 
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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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I like skiing fast too, but was astonished by some inconsiderate youngsters 'flying' through masses of people. It is not unusual a young kid being killed by a 'racer' who hit a kid ... some people needs telling off, some need even kicking ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's not a bad idea - a good talking-to can be helpful. I recall a little group of fast youngsters whizzing along a narrow piste below a very steep mountainside in Praz sur Arly. As we went round a bend one of them shot past, too fast to stop where a pisteur was flagging everybody down, because a group of his colleagues were doing avalanche control work on the hill above - jumping up and down on the cornices, basically. He ended up a good 20 - 25 metres past him. First he made the lad shuffle all the way back to where the rest of us were waiting, then really tore into him, reminding him that the pisteurs were running risks to keep the piste safe for us and that skiers must always be able to stop safely in the distance they can see - and that there could have been a small child lying injured on the path round the bend. The lad did look very chastened and apologised - and perhaps he did ski a bit more carefully for a while! Too many of us are unwilling to challenge bad behaviour - for example dropping fast food wrappers in the street. If the old fogeys are (as seems likely) fast and expert skiers they might command a bit of respect.
What constitutes speeding is a matter of judgement - which expert skiers should be able to deal with.
I think it's a step in the right direction that resort authorities have realised that there is a problem.
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It'll be fine - a few volunteers in yellow jackets flagging people to slow down at obvious intersections. I doubt they'll be pulling someine up for an eatly morning loosener on an empty Mont Chery.
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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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Will they have hi-vis vests and hairdryers..... 
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Sure it will! It absolutely won't attract the petty, vindictive, trying to recapture the faded glory of their youth types at all. It absolutely won't be a honey pot to those who've been aching to give a proper piece of their mind to those who don't share their opinions, views or fondness for cabbage scented ageing fartbags. What could possibly go wrong with a mismatch of languages with an elderly Frenchman bellowing at you? Surely no sudden punches to the face, that's for sure!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The focus on speed bothers me, I think that alone will lead to conflict when one person is required to judge unsafe the actions of another who disagrees... If it was presented as a team who also give directions and advice etc I think it will be better accepted. A lot will depend on the character of the observers (absolute disaster if it attracts the retired parking warden brigade).
If they're going to do this though, then I'd quite like to see them tackle all anti-social skiing (as that's what this is) such as sitting in big groups on blind corners, pushing and arguing in lift queues, blocking the entry to said lift queues, or wearing jester hats.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 21-10-14 14:24; edited 1 time in total
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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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Haven't the ESF just won a court case saying that they don't need to employ older ski instructors... guess this will create a 'job' for those now to old to teach?
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Not uncommon in North American resorts, especially on the homeruns towards the end of the day.
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You know it makes sense.
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| martinm wrote: |
| Will they have hi-vis vests and hairdryers..... |
More likely string vests and hairnets
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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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feef, I've ever seen proper piste patrol doing speed checks or stopping individuals for a chat and escort to the car park in the US or CA.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You see bad piste etiquette every day at the indoor/outdoor slopes here in the UK. I have even seen really poor piste etiquette from a well respected instructor group who do training courses around the world. if they cannot or don't teach people proper piste etiquette then it is a very sorry state of affairs.
Any instructor not teaching this should be ashamed they should view it no differently than a driving instructor making sure their pupils know the road signs and highway code.
I think a good start here in the UK would be signs as you go up the lift stating piste etiquette. this could be done on nursery slopes abroad and even on pylons for chair lifts.
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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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speed098, the French pylons are littered with ageing 'manage your speed' and 'look up before you turn' posters. Clearly they have never had any effect whatsoever.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Apologies, should've corrected my post.
| Quote: |
| I have ONLY ever seen piste patrollers doing yadda yadda yadda. |
They didn't have Safety patrol when I was at Whistler, only piste patrol, and you knew that if they pulled you, your day was going to be over and possibly your pass confiscated so you towed the line. The article you refer to though clearly shows what happens when people without proper authority intervene though. A uniformed staff member running off with somebodys kit is no way to deal with this situation, as was clearly stated by W.BC management. If you want somebody to be in charge of an area make sure they have clear guidelines, a mandate and the authority to backup what they're doing - doing it on the cheap with free passes or OAPpatrol just isn't going to cut the mustard.
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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: |
Clearly they have never had any effect whatsoever.
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Well, perhaps they have - there are remarkably few serious collisions considering how crowded some of the slopes are. But in any case, an actual person talking to an individual would be a whole different thing.
North American resorts seem to find a reasonable balance - I don't see any need for mass panic. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sounds good in priciple, though I take issue with the focus on young people.
The only young skiers who cause me issues are those in ski school trains who I always meet on narrow tracks - and the only thing I can picture in my head is me binning it and taking out the whole line like domminos. 
Never done that but have been taken out by adult skiers with inappropreate speed on the slopes. Like the one who squeezed at speed down the 50cm between me and the left edge of the blue track that runs in to the Les Lindarets bowl, below the Chaux Fleune chair in PdS. Squeezed down the left of me and the cafe entrance (the one with the bright green chairs) I'd kept well left to be clear to turn in to...
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| Great, a roaming pack of old geezers with bull horns acting as Judge of Fact for everyone... Top Plan PdS! Award yourself the Legion Croque-Monsieur d'honor at once! |
Have you ever skied in the good ol' USA? Some will pull your pass and escort you off the mountain. I was told at Copper they can get your pass cancelled from the hill.
TBH though they were reasonably lenient and only stepped in when people were out of control or just being dicks.
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>...speed checks or stopping individuals for a chat and escort to the car park in the US or CA.
As stated, try Whistler. They've been there as long as I can remember (1989), although they are more obvious now. Dealing with them (some of them are my mates) is something of an art form. Or Colorado - a mate was nailed there the other year. Big White & Silver Star for example both have speed control too.
To my knowledge all these guys can pull your pass, unless your name is Scurfield and it's Sunshine. And quite right too.
I've never seen anyone nailed at a UK snowdome, although I avoid the places when they're busy as they're full of people who appear out of control. Dry slopes are better - I think you can incompetently slide down a fridge easier than you can on plastic.
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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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Good idea as long as it's executed sensibly.
I never ski out of control (really) and would like to believe that never faster than conditions and traffic allow. (E.g., no matter what anyone else does around I can stop or otherwise avoid them.
I'd like to think I've always skied considerately, but there was (at least) that incident in 1989, that I'm not proud of.
However, the exercise requires that the "patrollers" can appropriately judge ability and situation.
I like the slow areas in North America, they're typically on the home run, it's typically pretty flat, there no need to go fast and better for all if it's all just slowed down.
I would be most unimpressed to be pulled over by some officious "patroller" with, "You were skiing too fast". With no real criteria for that to be judged, and no context.
Thinking about Mjit's comment, I know that piste well. It is a bit of a pain. Doubt it's much pleasure for anyone. It is, in places, truly narrow. I generally ski it off piste to the left, but have been known to overtake at high level off piste to the right.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've seen this done badly and very well.
In Heavenly USA it was done by volenteer patorolers with a chip on their shoulder. The one who tried to detain the guys I was skiing with probably wondered why he woke up in the patrol shack.
In Cormayeur the Caribineri stop and deal appropriatley with out of control skiers - they don't bother the race kids on their way round for another lap of the GS course.
If you are just being a bit of a liability you will given a warning to behave with more respect to your fellow skiers.
However if you are a heavy, drunk, very out of controll idiot who only stops by crahing into things at enough speed to kill people you will either end up in jaol or be removed from the country and not invited to return or both, oh and trying to buy your way our of it is treated as fraud
(no I can't spell)
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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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As I said at the start of the next scentence in my original post, I've never done it. It's just one of those silly paranoid fears that gets in your head, like checking your passport's in your bag when you get in the taxi to the airport - even though you checked it was there before closing the front door, before opening the front door, and about 20 other times between waking up and the taxi ringing the door bell.
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I've always thought that having some sort of 'speed control' system on home runs is a good idea and have said so in other threads, but as others have pointed out, judging what is appropriate can be difficult so I wonder if any of these OAP volunteers are going to have to have some sort of ESF qualification 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
they don't bother the race kids on their way round for another lap of the GS course.
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It's very rare that I'd offer my 2p to one of these threads, and even rarer that I'd be preaching on the safety side of it, but I've seen several nasty accidents, been involved in one and seen dozens of near-misses from racers "going back round for another lap" or heading back to the bottom at the end of their session. A busy piste is not the Hahnenkamm. Some of them need to take a minute to chill and get out of the race-zone before they head down.
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FAQ
