 Poster: A snowHead
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I'll report the full circs later in a trip report but has anybody ever had any luck with a ski lost in powder being found later by another skier coming across it by accident or it being found by resort staff later in the season?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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there's been reports of folk going back to dig and finding their lost ski
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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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Likely to be late in the season I would have thought. Depends on how deep it has gone. Were you insured?
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We were insured though I doubt they'll cough up enough to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately it was a small ski and late in the afternoon on our final day! It was only a small pitch just cutting the corner of a bend in the piste. Though it was quite deep snow. I am sure if I'd the time I could have found it. I've had one or two lucky escapes of my own in the past. Haven't we all. I was partly curious has to whether ski's do get found again and if so what happens to them. I guess many people don't even bother following up to see if it comes in. I am not sure who would deal with it and how. That was partly what I was wondering if anyone knew.
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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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It has been known for people to clean up the rubbish/gloves/skipoles&cigarette ends from under chairlifts in the summer.
I would think they just fill skips.
How much would you pay for a neat bit of kit that you fit to your skis to help you find them?? I have a project in mind, done some tests and outline design...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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lampbus, it doesn't involve a long piece of ribbon does it?
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A siren/alarm that gradually got louder the longer you left it after the boot released could work. Would be pretty simple to make a system which detected when either of the toe flaps or the heel were moved in a way that would allow the boot to release. Could be reset by stepping back and a switch on the binding.
Would sound travel through snow?
Would it work?
Would you buy a binding with one built in?
It would probably be pretty difficult to manufacture as an after market product. It could probably be made to weigh an insignificant amount compared to losing a ski. An additional £40 on the price of a pair of bindings?
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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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spyderjon, yes, I do remember talking to you about it around 3 or 4 years ago...
Colin B, no. but it could. but that would be silly.
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Before snowbrakes we didn't have such a problem. Cost about 500 Lira a ski, I reckon.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I lost one in deep powder, just off piste but pretty much under a chairlift. Was going slowly when I fell but three of us searching for the best part of an hour failed to locate it! I presume it was cleared away in the summer or late season when the snow melted. Claimed on insurance but had to write off the £100 excess of course.
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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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Mrs Higs lost one on an unpisted black. We worked out where it came off, where she was headed at the time etc and both searched for nearly an hour without finding it. She walked down and I skied down to the top of a nearby chairlift. I explained (as best I could in O level French) what had happened and asked if she could go back down on the chair. There were a couple of piste chaps there too and they asked me where it happened. From where we were stood the best I could tell them was 'about 10m below that tree there'. They then hopped on the chair to get them up there, popped off the top, skied to where it happened. Then one of them put his hand in the snow and just pulled out the ski. I saw it happen. They swear it was just luck and that they didn't have any kind of 'detector'.
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lampbus, been done. No idea whether it works though.
http://www.patents.com/emergency-locator-beacon-skis-4279433.html
I think there was even an avalanche beacon style thing being sold a few years ago. It's probably not really what you want though, given that the resuers find your skis and not you!
Having spent more than an hour looking for my ski once I now use powder straps. They are definitely a PITA, but also definitey better than grubbing around in the snow looking for lost skis!
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Have you posted about where you lost it? after all I bet many people on here could look out for it for you
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Poster: A snowHead
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A work colleague of mine lost his ski in powder last winter, he called the lift pass office who obviously let the piste bashers know and the ski was found the next day. That was in St Johann in tirol.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rambotion wrote: |
A siren/alarm that gradually got louder the longer you left it after the boot released could work. Would be pretty simple to make a system which detected when either of the toe flaps or the heel were moved in a way that would allow the boot to release. Could be reset by stepping back and a switch on the binding.
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So every punter's skis start making a noise when they are released? So all over the place, on piste and off piste we have skis sounding off at us shortly after someone has fallen? And how many will forget to switch the alarm off (it would have to have an off switch) when they head inside for a hot choccie or a pee or whatever? It's going to get noisy in the mountains!
.............. Now what was this idea about a length of ribbon? It could catch on.
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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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| ccl wrote: |
| rambotion wrote: |
A siren/alarm that gradually got louder the longer you left it after the boot released could work. Would be pretty simple to make a system which detected when either of the toe flaps or the heel were moved in a way that would allow the boot to release. Could be reset by stepping back and a switch on the binding.
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So every punter's skis start making a noise when they are released? So all over the place, on piste and off piste we have skis sounding off at us shortly after someone has fallen? And how many will forget to switch the alarm off (it would have to have an off switch) when they head inside for a hot choccie or a pee or whatever? It's going to get noisy in the mountains!
.............. Now what was this idea about a length of ribbon? It could catch on. |
Yeah a length of lightweight ribbon could work.
Say a 4m length gently stashed gently inside your jacket and passed down ur leg and fastened to your ski binding. Loosing a ski would whip out the ribbon and you just follow it home..
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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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| ccl wrote: |
| rambotion wrote: |
A siren/alarm that gradually got louder the longer you left it after the boot released could work. Would be pretty simple to make a system which detected when either of the toe flaps or the heel were moved in a way that would allow the boot to release. Could be reset by stepping back and a switch on the binding.
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So every punter's skis start making a noise when they are released? So all over the place, on piste and off piste we have skis sounding off at us shortly after someone has fallen? And how many will forget to switch the alarm off (it would have to have an off switch) when they head inside for a hot choccie or a pee or whatever? It's going to get noisy in the mountains!
.............. Now what was this idea about a length of ribbon? It could catch on. |
Yeah a length of lightweight ribbon could work.
Say a 4m length gently stashed gently inside your jacket and passed down ur leg and fastened to your ski binding. Loosing a ski would whip out the ribbon and you just follow it home..
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skis are usually nearly always further up the hill than you expected,generally if it is a forward face plant they can be found at the point of release.
Happened to me once about 200 yds from the nearest piste so not the end of the world,but it was going dark,on the last run on the last day of the holiday and I had visions of skiing down 3/4 of the mountain on one ski(warren smith stylee) to explain to the hire shop. This was a few years back. A lesson learnt though.
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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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I bought powder traces years ago. The first time I used them - with great success - was to lash up a set of snowchains which were the wrong size for my wheels, when we got 8 inches of snow unexpectedly in October.
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Steilhang, its been done, but not my way . . . yet.
Part of my delay was cos i couldnt be bothered with all the cost and time of patents - what a crazy system.
OTOH a patent may protect me - but I am only one man against massive legal departments - no chance even with a patent -
I should just get on and do it. Where did I leave my getupandgo....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes - powder traces - great, simple idea. Do you use them? (for skiing off piste - not fixing snowchains (but points for innivation there))
(I am thinking of getting some cos I have new skis, and I do fall over off piste)
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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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er, do snowboard leashes not offer any sort of help for skiers then?
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| sherlock235 wrote: |
| er, do snowboard leashes not offer any sort of help for skiers then? |
Only if we can use them to tie you up.
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You know it makes sense.
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ha bloody ha! i'm off to enjoy the rest of my xmas then!!! 
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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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I have used powder traces in the past but it probably wouldn't have saved us here because we were only dibbing and dobbing and for the most part it was shallow and not too deep. It was just a particular set of circs. A contact in the resort has been notified but whether anything comes of it I doubt. Thanks for all the comments though.
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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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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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| Quote: |
anybody ever had any luck with a ski lost in powder being found later by another skier coming across it by accident or it being found by resort staff later
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Several times. Report it to piste security and hope for the best.
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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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Steilhang, Isn't Google wonderful... If you search for "Don Stout stupid patent" this thread comes third...
wonder if he likes libel law too? 
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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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lampbus, my idea for finding a ski is to have an active RFID in each ski, and to incorporate an RFID detector into Avi Beacons. This should be way cheaper and less energy intensive than using custom-made transmitters on a different frequency to the search frequency.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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stoatsbrother, Shouldnt be too difficult to build these into skis during manufacture, a bit like having a dog/ cat chipped I guess, and a great idea - but more of an issue is getting the manufacturers to adopt a standard which is consistent throughout the world I suggest. How about if the RFID was glued onto the ski upper surface (presumably v small in size) immediately behind the binding? Maybe seeing you soon on Dragons Den!! 
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stoatsbrother, I never called him stupid
And I'm fairly sure he couldn't care less whether the patent was stupid or not. The only thing that matters is that he made a fortune out of it!
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There was some discussion on snowHeads about using the Loc8tor Lite for finding lost skis. Anyone try this? Main issue seemed to be waterproofing and attaching the tags to your skis.
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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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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| lampbus, my idea for finding a ski is to have an active RFID in each ski, and to incorporate an RFID detector into Avi Beacons. This should be way cheaper and less energy intensive than using custom-made transmitters on a different frequency to the search frequency. |
Any idea what the effective range of an RFID tag is? And how is the range impacted by snow? My understanding, from an even earlier life, is that the effective range is only a few centimeters through air. At least that applies to the tags that don't have a battery. Not sure about the powered ones.
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Steilhang, I did look into it elsewhere about a year ago. That is why it would need to be one of the stronger active RFIDs rather than the usual passive ones requiring close proximity. I did find active RFIDs that could be recognised in air at 50-100m plus - which is way more than the ones used in most settings, but I could not find attenuation data for snow. I suspect light powdery snow would attenuate less than water - having a water density of <10% and RFIDs, are used in some underwater applications. My experience of losing skis in powder is that they are usually <1m below the surface
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