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Colorado ski deaths set a record this year
Greetings from Vail. In case you haven't heard yet, the skiing here is pretty awesome. The season has been the best "anyone can remember", I keep hearing from people.
Sadly, it has also been one with the most recorded deaths. On Friday, a man in Aspen jumped off a cliff and died. Yesterday, a 32-year-old Denver-area man in Vail became the 17th skier or snowboarder to die on the Colorado slopes this season, Denver Post reports. The man died after a skiing incident on an intermediate run called The Wuides in Blue Sky Basin at Vail. I am not sure what happened, all I know from the news that the skier was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. Helmets can only do so much, I guess.
The prior record was tied last weekend when a Kansas man became the 16th death on the slopes. The previous record for deaths was 16, set in the 2001-2002 season. And there's still great snow and skiing here until at least April 13th...let's hope that's it for fatal accidents this year.
Be safe out there. The bottom areas get icy. More on that later. I'm kinda busy conducting "apres ski" research right now.
Photo: Sweet and Bitter
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
sideways johnny Apr 8th 2008 6:15AM
WOW Wyatt! Why so angry? on the big scope of things skiing hasn't been around all that long maybe 150 years? longer in europe. The mountains have been here for millions of years so it really sounds silly to lay claim to something that you really have no right to anyways. Snowboarding is here to stay and it has revolutioned the sport of skiing! i.e. shaped skies! they look like long skinny snowboards. ha ha. And maybe you should do some actual research on skiing/snowboarding accidents before you guys lay blame to anyone. I bet you'll be unpleasently suprised. and have some patience, after all it is a young sport done mostly by younger people who are'nt as refined and sophisticated as our noble, elder skiers. Sounds to me like you ran hard back in the day and it's catchin up to ya and that's no fun but try to be a little happier and more grateful. Besides are'nt skiing clothes so much more comfortable now??? WOOHOO!!
Katerina Apr 8th 2008 3:57AM
I am glad I never took up skiing. It is dangerous and unaffordable for the average person. I'd much rather sit by the fireplace at a ski resort and drink hot chocolate.
sherry Apr 8th 2008 5:26AM
my sister was working for a real estate agency, for about 6 yrs .any how we became friends as my son had leiukemia and her grandson was in need of a liver transplant .We live in colorado.we also have a big family.my cousin who lives in oklahoma, had a son who was going skiing with some friends to Brecking Ridge.he ended having a bad accident,and his parents ,had to make the awful decision of letting him be taken off of life support. his son just a few weeks earlier made the decision to donate his organs. while we were in colorado getting the bad news about our loss. my sisters boss was on their way to denver to get a liver transplant.we found this out later in the evening. we were in shock,thinking"could it be"? it was confirmed 4 months later ,because of legalities. that "yes" our cousins son helped spare not only this 3 yr olds life,but several others.my aunt ,who was raised in this small town in colorado, was able to come down with her son and meet the family,and the little boy her grandson helped to live. he is now 61/2 yrs old. these accidents are happening. But some times we have to look at them like GODS LITTLE KISSES.
mel Apr 8th 2008 6:02AM
I just got back from a ski trip to Keystone. I am an expert skier and have been skiing for 35 years. After MANY near misses involving snowboarders, one of them finally got me. He was skiing too fast and out of control and could not turn or stop himself to avoid hitting me as he rammed into me from uphill. By the time I heard/saw him coming, it was to late for me to avoid the high speed collision. People nearby who witnessed it yelled for me to take his lift pass, but, after he apologized, he said no way was he giving up his pass and I just better watch out for him and his friends on that run. I am now battered and bruised and am hoping that I can recover fully. I am thinking of giving up on Colorado and skiing Alta, where they don't allow snowboards.
sgentilejr Apr 8th 2008 7:10AM
There needs to be a 200% tax on all ski equipment, just as there is on cigarettes to offest the costs of medical treatment. The people who go skiing and injure themselves are adding to the health care costs and compensation costs the rest of us are being forced to pay because or their quest for risky recreation.
or as an alternative...all sport injuries should not be covered by health plans and the medical cost should be born entirely by the participants, instead of passing those costs on to all of us in health plans who do not have any risky behaviors that increase health care costs for othr people.
Rob Apr 8th 2008 7:24AM
I have been skiing for more than 50 years, I have never been hit or hit another skier. I have never hit a snowboarder, I have lost count of the number of times I have been hit by a boarder. It is time to give the skier their runs and the boarder their runs! Skiers and boarders do not mix, they never did and never will.
stevo Apr 8th 2008 9:22AM
hey im a ski patroler who snowboards and I have seen enough accidents caused by both skiers and boarders. most skiers take up the whole slope with their big turns. lots of boaders go really fast but I have seen plenty of skiers fly down the slopes and wipe people out. if you want to talk about whos fault it is its both. but remember its a dangerous sport and accidents happen. come on how many of you have ever went over the speed limit in a car
tx Apr 8th 2008 9:51AM
Please - I skied for 20 yrs before I took up snowboarding and have enjoyed both ever since. Recklessness is not isolated to snowboarders but to skiers as well. We typically go over spring break and we see countless skiers who have no business being on ski's let alone being on a mountain-side. They are out of control, ski well beyond their means and have no ability to steer or stop in any sense of the word. New snowboarders spend the majority of their time on the ground or going very slow, also with little ability to control their direction but unable to garner much speed before they collapse to the ground. There is the unfortunate group of riders who believe that, just like their skiing counterpart, the mountain belongs to them - and I curse them both. As for some of the other ridiculous claims on here, take a look at the number of bicycle injuries per year, including those with severe head trauma, and running, driving to work - accidents happen all the time. If you really don't enjoy the scene at your resort, don't go. Find a resort that you enjoy.
Carl Apr 8th 2008 2:56PM
With all of the self proclaimed experts here, it's hard to know where to begin. I'm easily a 100 day boarder and skier, I live up in Frisco.
Accidents are caused when people of varying skill meet on terrain designed for everyone. Boarders love to go fast and jib. More often than not they require a straight line for it. As a boarder, I wish for less 'traffic' on the slopes because newer skiers make very large cuts going down the mountain and are often unpredictable. I've found myself on one side of the slope riding down while a skier, clear on the other side, cuts into me causing their own accident even though I'm technically wrong for being uphill before it occurred.
Now for skiing. Good skiers are faster than good boarders. Fact. Case closed, no argument. Skiers gain speed with small carves. As a skier, I wish for less 'traffic' too. Less skilled skiers and boarders are a nuisance when they fall down, rest or casually cruise by a merge from a more difficult run. That in my experience is where almost every accident happens.
As a local though, I can tell you that you are casually into the sport if you don't make it out at least 30 days in consecutive seasons. The average Coloradan with a season pass will spend more time on the slopes in a single year than most casual people will in 10 years. So, keeping that in mind, do you complain about being driven into by casual riders or good riders? How do you make that distinction? Before you put a sport on trial and sentence it, all by yourselves, ask if maybe you're going too slow? 90 is too fast on the freeway but 40 is too slow. Are there more rush hour bumper to bumper wrecks on the freeway with novice drivers everywhere or on the speedways where the people who really know how to drive go? The boarding skiing war has been over for the people who know the sports well for more 10 years. Stay home if you're going to complain, more space for us
FamilyTravelGirl Apr 10th 2008 9:15AM
Our family just got back from skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchner, Germany a week ago. We hadn't skiied in a while, so we hired a guide for a few hours to get us going. Thanks Werner! It was beautiful! (I'm hoping to get a few pictures up this week on my blog: http://www.familytravelgirl.com) The Zugspitze is an awesome sight to behold. Anyway, I think that safe skiing starts with the parents. My husband and I had a conversation with our son about the possible dangers of skiing and the fact that it's his responsibility to steer clear of other skiiers. Parents -- talk to your kids so that they'll grow up to be the kind of respectful skiiers/snowboarders that you'll be proud of!