 Poster: A snowHead
|
An 'amusing' article from anyone who has had a run in with a ski yob... I like this quote Others claim that the greater affordability of skiing means that the slopes, which were once the preserve of the middle classes, are now being "ruined" by a torrent of reckless "yobs", whether boarders or skiers. .
could have come straight out of the ski club's manifesto 
There is something for everyone,
The British are described as clueless and bumbling
The Dutch are maniacs.
Parisians ski like they drive.
French and Spanish are careless
Helga Maier (must be a near relation!) claimed that even amongst those who grew up skiing a third don't even know the basic rules of behaviour on the slopes.
See the Ski Cops poll/thread elswhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Like the comments. Always fancied being bumbling. Sounds like some old guy out of a black and white movie, that old guy who used to play Dr Watson in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Homes'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
My French colleagues are convinced that Brits cannot ski - I've had the dubious compliment of 'You ski well for an Englishman'. However they seem to reserve there biggest disdain for the Parisians!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
From the article :
However, a spokeswoman for the Ski Club of Great Britain said: "Being shouted at by someone in another language might actually make you stop in a hurry and then fall."
You do have to wonder which planet this spokeswoman calls home. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I regularly here "typical English" in terms of skiing style and ability from the Courmayeur locals.
I always point out that that's a bit harsh on those English who can ski (as oppose dto me, that is).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I used to ski, amongst others, with an Englishman/Irishman and a Scot.
Nothing wrong in their skiing. They've since moved to the "dark side"...
we don't ski toghether anymore, but not because they've become boarders, simply because life priorities have taken us onto different roads.
For therecord, the group was composed of
Germans, Italians, Brits, boarders, skiers, old ones and young ones, the fast and the slow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matteo,
Has anything happened about this idea of segregating the slopes in Italian resorts between boarders and skiiers? Personally I prefer the light side of the force (having dabbled with the dark side and come away black & blue), however I often ski with baggy boarding dude friends, and long may this continue.
Yes that quote from the SCGB spokeswoman is bizarre in the extreme!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, it is now law. but it is not so absolute as it may have been put by the media.
here a part of it
2. Al fine di garantire la sicurezza degli utenti, sono individuate aree a specifica destinazione per la pratica delle attività con attrezzi quali la slitta e lo slittino, ed eventualmente di altri sport della neve, nonché le aree interdette, anche temporaneamente, alla pratica dello snowboard.
What does it say? that people wil be forbidden to come down a skiing run using a bobsled or a sled or a tube, conversely askier is forbidden to ski down a bobsled run. There are some areas that will be forbidden, even temporarily, to boarders.
3. Le aree di cui ai commi 1 e 2 sono individuate dalle regioni. L'individuazione da parte delle regioni equivale alla dichiarazione di pubblica utilità, indifferibilità e urgenza e rappresenta il presupposto per la costituzione coattiva di servitù connesse alla gestione di tali aree, previo pagamento della relativa indennità, secondo quanto stabilito dalle regioni.
4. All'interno delle aree di cui al comma 1, aventi più di tre piste, servite da almeno tre impianti di risalita, i comuni interessati individuano, nelle giornate in cui non si svolgono manifestazioni agonistiche, i tratti di pista da riservare, a richiesta, agli allenamenti di sci e snowboard agonistico. Le aree di cui al presente comma devono essere separate con adeguate protezioni dalle altre piste e tutti coloro che le frequentano devono essere muniti di casco protettivo omologato, ad eccezione di chi svolge il ruolo di allenatore.
5. All'interno delle aree di cui al comma 1, aventi più di venti piste, servite da almeno dieci impianti di risalita, i comuni interessati individuano le aree da riservare alla pratica di evoluzioni acrobatiche con lo sci e lo snowboard (snowpark). Le aree di cui al presente comma devono essere separate con adeguate protezioni dalle altre piste, devono essere dotate di strutture per la pratica delle evoluzioni acrobatiche, devono essere regolarmente mantenute, e tutti coloro che le frequentano devono essere dotati di casco protettivo omologato.
Who will decide which will be these areas?
Regional authorities will decide. My guess is that the Regional authorities will consult with the resort management about what to do.
The Regions/skiing areas have six months to put the law in practice (except the part about the helmets which will become effective as of Jan 1st, 2005)
Notice that commas 4 and 5 discuss training sessions and snowparks, not shall we call that GP runs.
My take is that the ski areas will do not much to separate skiers and boarders, that's plain useless, and impratical, IMHO.
So, for this season all will stay the same.
See, the law is not specific enough, so it will leave ample maneuvrability room to everyone.
Here the link to the ful text
http://serforma.it.omnint11.omnibit.it/lexfor2002/2003-11/2003-11-ZZZ-Leg-2490.asp
In short, if anyone skis in mixed groups, I wouldn't worry too much. There may be places where the group will have to split, but so far, this season, I haven't seen it (and amongst my group in January there was a boarder. The only limitation he was subject to was on flats...we had to pull him. ehe)
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 3-03-04 15:49; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Foreign people actually speak foreign languages in their own country even when British people are there? Shirely, this can't be true can it ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In North America, speed control is something that resort management takes pretty seriously (after all, they don't want their resort to get a reputation as an accident black spot), but generally this is exercised with a light hand.
Yes, the ski patrol can and does pull lift tickets in cases of recless skiing or riding, but itb generally slows people down as they approach crowded trails designated as "slow skiing" zones (invariably well signposted and marked on trail maps). In most cases, traffic calming is achieved through strategic use of netting barriers (chicane effect) and by patrollers who will signal (not shout) by making calming gestures with their arms - a pretty univerally understood gesture I'd have thought.
(Although maybe someone might be startled by being gestured at in a foreign body language?)
I certainly agree that all snow users should adhere to the responsibility code, especially as I've been the victim of an accident caused by a boarder who clearly wasn't following its guidelines (he wasn't exercising caution at the merging of two trails). I don't think it's bias on my part, but my perception is that boarders are more likely to collide with other skiers/riders, simply because they don't see them on their blind side.
- Maybe this is the "dark side" that Matteo refers to 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Acacia, I used that term lightly as a joke, no real offence to boarders was meant.
As you say, all people must use their brain while sliding down a run, regardless of what means they are using.
Yesterday I was watching an interview to MEssner, hewas of course referring to his extreme situations but I find it true everywhere on a mountain :"up there, every single mistake, even the tiniest, can cost your life in a fraction of a second"
(not exact qote)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
You know talking of people who don't have too much piste sense.
I was standing at the side of a speed gun piste. (Permanently marked up on part of the Lauberhornrennen above Wengen), so that people could see how fast they could get.
Anyway there were these people, and they decided for some reason that they wanted to have a closer look at the sign which read out the speed, so they skied into the middle of the piste and stopped. Great idea when there are people hurtling down the piste towards them.
After a moment I started shouting across in English (I heard them speaking english) to get them to move over to the side of the piste. They took absolutely no notice of me whatsoever.
After trying to attract their attention in English for a short while and shouted over to them in the little German that I know, and would you believe it they took notice, apologised and skiied off. Now get that!!!! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well at least they took notice eventually Anne, when I was on that blasted piste I went through the gate at 92.8 kph I would have been faster but 2 twits had decided to do almost exactly the same thing with me heading towards them ! As Anne will I'm sure agree I'm not a small person and wearing a red gortex jacket I must have looked like a tent coming towards them ..... Some people need reality checks when they go skiing !
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Not really a speed issue or yobbish, but just plain daft behaviour...this year they had some netting barriers at the bottom of the run (in Courmayeur) to produce the chicane effect to slow people down and to control the exit off the piste. Anyway, I was going through and unknown to me a young female (Italian - sorry Matteo!) skier came from behind at obviously a greater speed and tried to beat me through. Needless to say, I'm heavier and more solid and she ended up against one of the stanchions holding the netting, severely winded and took 5 minutes to get back on her feet. As she wasn't wearing a helmet it all could have been a lot worse. Again it begs the question, what is the point? Now I'm not saying that a speed controller or more authority on the piste might have stopped that incident, but their presence might at least make people at least THINK a little more about what they are actually doing.
I'm sure that up to now a lot of the attraction for both skiers and boarders is the relative freedom that they enjoy. Maybe it is just a qestion of people realising that they have to be accountable for their own actions?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Tony Ellwood wrote: |
| Not really a speed issue or yobbish, but just plain daft behaviour...this year they had some netting barriers at the bottom of the run (in Courmayeur) to produce the chicane effect to slow people down and to control the exit off the piste. Anyway, I was going through and unknown to me a young female (Italian - sorry Matteo!) skier came from behind at obviously a greater speed and tried to beat me through. ...SNIP...I'm sure that up to now a lot of the attraction for both skiers and boarders is the relative freedom that they enjoy. Maybe it is just a qestion of people realising that they have to be accountable for their own actions? |
I that's at Chercroit (spelling's wrong there I think), then they've had some netting there for years (though the layout may have changed) and I've seen lots of comic and not so comic incidents with people trying to get through too quickly and the like. That place is a real hot spot. So much so that I pretty much always come in on the other side of the Gondola (between it and the chairs) which is *normally* a lot emptier. Having said that, my Dad fell over there this year (at walking pace, he had slowed to a reasonable speed) because he hit a hole he didn't see (from sunlight to shade with sunglasses on) and broke his arm.
I agree with your last point. There's a certain earning of freedom through responsibility required - though the two are concurrent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Freedom is double-edged: freedom in the ability to do what you want, and freedom in not being adversely impacted by others' "freedom".
That's almost recursive!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I had the first week long hol (as opposed to weekends) in Europe for 10 years last month, in Tignes. I've skied in Canada and US recently, where behaviour on piste is more closely controlled and, in Canada at least, naturally better.
I was struck at how much more civilised behaviour is in Eurpoe than it was 10 years ago. There were more 'slow skiing' and other warnings, which most people heeded, and nets across in places to slow traffic down. There were very few of the French teenagers I remeber with such affection who ski over your skis and generally delight in frightening beginners and annoying everyone
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| masopa wrote: |
Freedom is double-edged: freedom in the ability to do what you want, and freedom in not being adversely impacted by others' "freedom".
That's almost recursive! |
Do you mean "freedom must be limited to be possessed"?
DG and others know I harp on about this one a lot on epic. Basically, freedom is intrinsically linked to repsonsibility. For yourself, and more importantly, for others.
If you can't handle the reposnibility, you don't deserve the freedom, nor are you safe with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
So, only the responsible can be truly free? Sounds a bit like its come straight from the political philosophy of Rousseau!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
kevin mcclean, Sadly, not a lot of point in challenging the antique views of the legendary Foxy. He doesn't post here any more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
A shame. Hope he is well and happy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kevin mcclean, Jeez are you restarting every thread from 2004...
WTFH still posts on various other places including Natives and I am sure Nells makes sure he remains happy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
