 Poster: A snowHead
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New research commissioned by the UK Foreign Office reveals that young skiers are as likely to break the law as summer 'lager louts'.
The survey found that one-third of young skiers drink so much that they end up being injured, fined or even thrown out of their resort. Some 36% of 18-year-olds on ski holidays get into serious trouble. This comprises 12% who injure themselves and 24% who are fined for causing damage. "More than half were asked to leave their resorts", according to this article quoting the research from The Scotsman.
Any comments?
It would be interesting to source the original research and look into this more closely ... and maybe double-check that data and its sampling. I've done a quick search, without success.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Those numbers seem awfully high to me...
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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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I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being thrown out of a resort before. Appart from Verbier that is, and that was only if they caught you without the approriate lift pass up on Mont Fort. Do they still work things that way in Verbier?
I can believe that a large proportion of the skiers are drunk while skiing, and that a large proportion of the accidents on piste are attributable to alcohol. I can also believe that for some people the apres is as important as the skiing, but I have never seen any violence or seriously loutish behaviour while skiing in France, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Unless you count dancing on the table with ski boots on as loutish behaviour!
I wonder where they get their facts from?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mike, very interesting you should say that because I, too, can't recall an account of anyone ever being thrown out of a ski resort - and I've been skiing since 1959. It is the case that skiers are arrested and locally held by police, but ski resorts are generally cautious not to be over-zealous in applying the law. The tourist office is an all-powerful 'authority' within the resort.
Once, in Saas Fee, I did witness some extraordinary behaviour - and this was back in 1970. Young visitors - day visitors, I think - were coming up to the resort from the valley and the local hoteliers weren't happy about their behaviour.
I was told one day that tear gas had been exploded on the streets. I can't remember if it was day (when I was up on the slopes) or night (when I was in bed, a knackered 'billy no mates') ... but that was definitely the buzz going around the resort the next day.
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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 really don't get alcohol and actual skiing but I can imagine drunken behaviour leading to issues with the police. I agree that the figures do seem a bit high tho'. The worst thing I saw was in Chamonix on New Years Eve when everybody - mostly French -was in the square drinking champagne and the people on the balconies just threw their bottles down into the square... I've seen the same in Megeve as well....!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Let's indeed hope that that Foreign Office data on drunken skiers is accurate, because it's certainly doing us no favours abroad.
This is how a South African website - Independent Online - is reporting the story.
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David Goldsmith, After hearing of my daughter's holiday with her friend's Uni Ski Club, this doesn't surprise me in the least. However, the drunken hi-jinks although probably quite rowdy, were always in good spirit, non violent and the drinking was always Apres ski. All the same, I would not have enjoyed staying in the appartments where they were. 
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IncogSkiSno,  I can recall (fuzzily) some university trips. Yes, quite.
But I haven't seen that sort of mass trouble anywhere, even in France on New Year's eve. The numbers seem unfeasibly high. But then the research has been done by the UK Foreign Office...
Breaking down the stats, they're saying that 24% of 18 years olds who do skiing get fined for causing damage?
Sorry, I don't believe that. Or, thankfully, I'm not going to those resorts where it does happen!
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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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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| ... or even thrown out of their resort. |
Mmm, makes it sounds like the Wild West: "the sheriff is going git his horse and run you outta town...".
As far as I'm aware, no resort in Europe is private property, so you can't be "thrown out". Barred from certain venues perhaps, or arrested and locked up. But not thrown out.
It's strange, but in all the resorts I've been to I've missed those special carparks where the riot police are based until they need to wheel into action to deal with the thousands of 18 year olds who are rioting in the streets...
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I too, find the figures to look ridiculously high, but I have heard of people being thrown out of resort. Not Brits though - a group of young Marseillese arabs who were causing havoc here one year. That is, though, discharging firearms attacking people and causing the town to effectively close. They brought in the riot police and escorted them from the village. Good thing too.
I've seen some awful behaviour from youngsters (and people old enough to know better), and have been extrememly embarassed many times by rowdy brits. Having said that, the Dutch, when drunk become very loud and sing, but the Brits do have a tendency to agression and often provoke fights with the French. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| easiski wrote: |
I too, find the figures to look ridiculously high, but I have heard of people being thrown out of resort. Not Brits though - a group of young Marseillese arabs who were causing havoc here one year. That is, though, discharging firearms attacking people and causing the town to effectively close. They brought in the riot police and escorted them from the village. Good thing too.
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That sounds like a typical Mondial du Snowboard - were you tucked up in bed when the trouble happened this year?
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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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| easiski wrote: |
I too, find the figures to look ridiculously high, but I have heard of people being thrown out of resort. Not Brits though - a group of young Marseillese arabs who were causing havoc here one year. That is, though, discharging firearms attacking people and causing the town to effectively close. They brought in the riot police and escorted them from the village. Good thing too.
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I agree that was a good thing. However, I think a better thing would have been to arrest them for assault and firearms offences. 
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Not sure where all you folk ski ?
In the last few years i,ve seen increasing amounts of drunkeness amougst young Brits in St Anton. However, I will not say it exclusive to Brits. In my experience the Scandinavians are the worse when it come to Winter Sports & Drink especially out of there homelands.
I have heard that it pretty rowdy with the Brits & drink in Andorra,Livigno.
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You know it makes sense.
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Not sure where all you folk ski ?
In the last few years i,ve seen increasing amounts of drunkeness amougst young Brits in St Anton. However, I will not say it exclusive to Brits. In my experience the Scandinavians are the worse when it come to Winter Sports & Drink especially out of there homelands.
I have heard that it pretty rowdy with the Brits & drink in Andorra,Livigno.
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, I agree, but it seemed the police were afraid of these guys - with good reason. It's no good the police having guns and still being afraid of malfeasants is it?
davidof, I didn't return until AFTER the Mondial du snowboard, and warned all other snowheads to stay away. All my friends hate it that weekend.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Having stayed at a place where a bunch of young Norwegians were staying for the season I can vouch that its not only the Brits that feel an obligation to get drunk every night.
I read the article more as a nanny type warning that your insurance may not be valid when you're drunk and that ski resorts are essentially "dangerous" environments - all that snow & ice, decreased motor skills. I thought at least one person a year dies in St Anton skiing back from the KK. Personally I try and steer clear of anyone who's been boozing heavily at lunchtime.
And the Mondial du Snowboard is it actually the snowboarders or the hangers on that cause the problems? I know Whistler used to deploy huge numbers of Police with riot gear at New Year because half the kids in Vancouver with access to a car would try to go up with nowhere to stay, often not even of drinking age and no way of getting into bars which were full anyway.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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24% of 18 year olds are finded. But how many 18 year olds are there ski ing compared to 18 year olds on summer holidays? 24% of not very many is not very many, hence everyone's views on the numbers
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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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| easiski wrote: |
| rob@rar.org.uk, I agree, but it seemed the police were afraid of these guys - with good reason. It's no good the police having guns and still being afraid of malfeasants is it? |
You're right, sometimes the better part of valour is discretion!
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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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Ive done a fair bit of skiing with the uni (both on trips where there are just us and a couple of other unis in the resort, and BUSC where the resort is more or less taken over by British students.) Yes, there are a lot of students who are very drunk, but apart from police telling people to be a bit quieter walking home ive never heard of anything serious. I have allways been amazed at the french's attutude to selling us drink, which does just seem to be a constant supply of it being sold all through the day (not to mention the evening mountain meals which tend to include a fair amount of 'free' wine before skiing back down to the resort. So if there really is a problem, wouldnt they (the resorts) have done something about it? (like say tighter controls on licencing?)
Ive tended to find the majority of us drunken students in the resort to be a bit loud, with a fair amount of inter uni banter. but no louder than other people (particually the Scandinavians) who are walking back from the bars and clubs in the early hours.
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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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FAQ
