Oh, I've had my instances of skier-vs-skier situations (warning, this is a long one!).

First one that I can remember was at the very tiny ski area up in Treasure Lake in PA, where I pretty much learned how to ski. (all of two very small slopes and a T-bar lift - maybe 250 feet of vertical, if we were lucky - don't know if it still operates, though. If it does not, I'll have to see if I can get a write-up on it on the "lost" ski areas section, but I digress....).

Anyway, I was sking down into the T-bar lift when one of my friends cut me off. We ended up wiping-out into each other. I twisted a knee in the process...

Fast forward some 15 years (plus or minus a couple) and I was skiing down Paradice at Massanutten. Some kid darted out from the side of the trail right into my path. Oh $#!+! Jammed on those edges hard, but still clipped the back of the kid's skis. Caused my ski to release and I ended up in a full yard sale. Kid is now sitting in the middle of the trail bawling and I trying to get myself back together to see if he was alright. Kid's dad skis up (and I am thinking, "oh great, he is probably going to give me grief for running his kid over"), and starts to apologizing to me saying he should've checked up-slope before letting his kid go and so forth. I was just concerned the kid was alright, and fortunatly, he was.

I had a near-miss just two weeks ago at Brekenridge, CO. I was skiing down into the Independance chair at the base of Peak 7. I had a straight shot at the empty lift line, only to have some snowboarder cut me off right at the last minute. I jammed on the brakes, but still not enough room to avoid hitting the sign-post. Fortunatly, the sign/fence-post is one of those same types of poles used for setting up solalom gates on race coures. I basically bounced off the sign-post, launched over the dude's board and landed square on my skis on the other side of that dude. Kinda wish I had a video, to be honost! Of course, he started giving me $#!+ in saying "What part of "slow" don't you understand" type crap. I told him I was going slow, but you f'ing cut me off! My friend that I was sking with was like "Geezus! What the hell was that?" The liftie basically told the both of us to cool it and told me to be more careful next time.

I've had numerous near misses in making bump runs, mostly due to people cutting into my line and then wiping out right in my path (Happened to me on lower Shay's Revenge at Snowshoe a couple years back, for instance). It is not easy to pull-up hard while in bumps, especially steep ones.

And a real beauty just this past Sunday at Massanutten:

While riding up the lift, I watched some lady, who was completely out of control, do a spectacular full-on yard-sale on Rebel Yell right at Mid-station. She skidded a good 75 feet (and damn near took out three other people in the process). I got off at mid-station to go check on her (and there also happen to be a patrolman right there at the slow-sign immediatly above the mid-station ramp). No sooner did I get off the lift when I started hearing people yelling from the lift "SLOW DOWN!!!", only to look up hill and see some dude just torpedo the slow-sign! And guess where I was standed? Yup, immediatly below that slow-sign! I immediatly jammed my poles into the ground and just lauched myself forward and watched has this guy skidded just past the back of my skis, only to cut the skis out from under some poor kid that just got off the lift behind me. Both he and the kid then tumbled down into some woman that was standing just downhill from there. I also managed to catch that patrolman also bail at the last minute to avoid getting nailed himself.

Well, the patrolman skied down to check on the man, the kid and that woman, whom all of which, were thankfully, okay (when that guy hit the slow-sign, it was enough to slow him down to avoid any nasty injuries). Meanwhile, I skied down to that first women, who was just starting to walk up to get her equipment to find out if she was okay. The mountain host skied up to me and asked if I had my red marker on me, as I had every intention to mark her ticket with a warning for skiing out of control like that. However, I was not on duty (I was only free-skiing in my regular "civilian" jacket, until I came on duty later that afternoon). I know, though, that when that patrolman that was up there already was done with that guy, he was going to come down to that first lady that did the full yard sale.

However, this is where it gets better. The patrol director saw the whole thing form the lift and by the time he came down, ohhh maaaan, was he HOT!. Oh, I don't think I've ever seen him that fired-up before. To make a long story short - well, that was two tickets that got yanked right there! Turned out that lady that yard-saled and that guy that torpedoed mid-station were a married couple. The patrol director was so pissed tht he took away thier equipment (it was rental equipment) and made them walk the rest of the way down the hill! I don't blame him, as I've never witnessed such a blaten display of complete out-of-control skiing. And it was also revealed to me later that day that those two people have been warned at least two other times about thier out-of-control skiing.

Now as to the comments about more enforcement needed. Believe me, I know at least the patrol at Massanutten tries to do everything within thier power to curtail that kind of behaviour. It is not always easy to catch them, as often, by the time we can get a chance to react, they are already at the bottom and lost in the crowd. The patrol often tries to do "speed control" by posting somewhere along the side and watch for these clowns (kinda like a cop sitting at the side of the road looking for speeders).

And finally, just yesterday (Monday/Pres. Day), a snowboarder who was going too fast through that area where Paradice and Diamond Jim merges and leads to the base of Lift 6, took out some kid right there at the base of the lift. That ticket was marked with a warning (although tempted to yank it).

I've been hit three times this season, two of consequence. First time, I was overtaken by a boarder, who nailed me pretty well. I was linking turns down the side of the slope (Devils Elbow at Wintergreen). I read the clown that hit me the riot act (probably a 15 year old or so) but was assured it was my fault as I interfered with his line. No damage was done, but luckily, I was turning into the slope when he hit me. Had I been turning into the trees, my mass would likely have forced him off he slope and into the trees at pretty high speed.

Second time was again at Wintergreen, in the middle of a slope, and an out-of-control 13 year old on skate skis nailed me from behind/the side. This one caused some bruising. It was only a blue square (top of Eagles Swoop, the Devils Gate side), but this kid was way out of his depth.

What bothers me with both of these hits is that I ski fairly fast. If anything, the Ski Patrol asks me to slow down. Last season, they closed a slope my son and I were skiing on for "safety". It was solidly frozen mashed potatoes, and was dangerous, but we were the only fools crazy enough to be skiing it (we were having a blast).

I've posted here previously of my youngest, who at 4, was hit by a boarder hard enough that he was knocked out of his poles and mittens. They were left 20 feet uphill of where he finally landed. As someone else mentioned, stick with the diamonds ... they're generally safer.

I guess that's why they call it the "Slow Sign." If you hit it, you'll be going slower.

Ahhh yes... I remember when I hit a Ski Patroller at Snowshoe. Was her fault...

School ski trip on a Sunday... last run of the day, heading to the bottom of Widowmaker to get back up to Top of the World. I'm screaming down into the downhill lift line... don't even bother stopping and unstrapping. The Patrolless (female patroller) was checking tickets and she stepped-out right infront of me... there was nothing I could do... I didn't have any room to stop. With my arms full extended and locked I hit her square in the shoulder and rocketed her across to the other side of the lift area. She quickly got up and smiled and apologized for not paying attention.

I thought my ticket was gone.

I have been very lucky, no real collisions. However, I have had someone run into me while teaching my daughter. It was on Fawn Lane at 7 Springs. I was behind her running interference while she was practicing her wedge turns. Over my shoulder I see some scrawny teenager straight-lining toward us not-too-fast but definitely out of control. I'm 230, and an ex-hockey player who was somewhat adept at checking (if nothing else) and I'm quite solid on my skis. I settle in behind my daughter, hoping he is going to miss us. As the point of no return approaches, I get my shoulder down and Bang, this kid hits me and bounces off me like I was a brick wall. I think he saw the look in my eyes and didn't stop apologizing until I skied away, with my daughter again in front.

A friend of my brother did not survive a collision with a tree. It happened in '85 or '86 somwhere in Virginia. The circumstances are somewhat murky as everyone was too upset at the time and stories conflicted (my brother was not there).

I have never hit anyone or been hit. I have been skiing for a little over 30 years. I have a question for all of you.....................

When you were hit (or doing the hitting) was it on a weekday or weekend?

Either being the missle or the target on the slopes is a preventable event. The majority of collisions are by out of control skiers/boarders who, for whatever reason, feel they can exceed their ability regardless of terrain. I have been fortunate in that I have not been injured by out of control skiers/boarders. Had equipment damaged, clothing ruined, but no blood or guts. Others have not been so fortunate. When in Europe, I was amazed that although they skied fast, collisions were non-existent. Perhaps it's the "laws" and the consequences of being in a colllision with another person on the slopes that acts as a deterent, I don't know. We need to do a better job controlling our own actions while enjoying the sport. If a skier/boarder has a collision, it is generally due to going too fast in a given area with the factors of conditions, crowds, and skill level as considerations. Just like driving a car, you slow down in traffic, poor conditions, or when there is an "impared operator" close by. Why should our sport be any different? Yes, everyone needs to learn how to control their turns while going fast, but common sence dictates that we do it where others are not at risk. Sorry about the sermon....but I feel that collisions are caused by inexperience, inability, or lack of using the gray matter that god gave us.

Don't get too excited about Europe just yet Kwillg. I recall a couple years ago they had a number of on-slope fatalities from collisions over there. Perhaps they've shaped their policies up since then but it sure seemed better to get hit here than there that winter.

A common theme in these threads when people take you out is that you were "in their line." Trying not to be cynical, is there anything in the rulebooks about your line giving you the right of way in a slope? I don't think there is- which reminds me that the closest I ever came to nailing someone was a beginner in a mogul field who suddenly cut into my line. I was able to turn and avoid her but if I had hit her, it would have been my fault. As Canaanman could probably attest, even when you're not on a crowded slope, sometimes things (like trees) come into your "line," and that doesn't give you the magical ability to just ski through them.

"You were 'in their line.'" This is usally jsut code for get out of my way. I don't brake for nobody.

However you are supposed to yeild to skiers already on the trail when you merge on or start from a hault. So they may have a point. I am not realyl sure if that rule means any time you are changing traisl as marked on the map or anytime you ar changing between distinctive lines on the trail. For example if a piste has groomed on the right side and bumps on the left in the same run is that considered two different trails. Whatabout northface slope at 7S, there are trees and snow guns seperating the sectiosn of the trail is that 3 different traisl? Just food for thought...

Crush,

PCMR isn't that bad. I'll grant the the stuff off of several of the lifts (Payday, KingCon) is pretty lame but I really enjoyed the skiing off of Thayer and Motherload as well as Blue Slip and McConkey's. The next time I come out though I really want to try Solitude and Snowbasin.

Monk,
If you go over to Solitude, you gotta make it over to Honeycomb Canyon! There's a line for everyone's taste
-Warren-

I'll ditto that- Honeycomb rocks!

Good point about lines, too. Guess it comes down to how far away a skier or rider is and what that person considers to be his/her line: the whole slope, or the immediate 25-75 feet below them? There's a point when you've got to acknowledge that your line is subject to sudden shifts, just like there's a point where other people have to acknowledge your line. Tough to call where the break is on that.

I got hit for the first time pretty hard and it was partial my fault, i normal ski with high edge angle carves and coming down to the quad at Hidden Valley i was turning to the right and boarder was turn to the left into his backside, we were going the same speed. we hit pretty hard but i stayed on my feet(175lb of pure muscle i guess) the guy got was pissed off, said i was horriable skier and i tried to apolize for carrying accros the hill so much he iddnt want ot here any of it.

RogerZ, you make a point, one that I didn't. All we hear about are the fatalities, not the severe injuries that occur at a much greater rate than the few and far between collision deaths. The point I was trying to make, however, is that we can control the circumstances under which we ski and therefore should be able to avoid situations where we would be involved in a collision. When the hill becomes too crowded, I hang the boards up and get a beverage of my choice rather than becomming a target for out of control scuds. Or, I go where the crowds are less likely to ski such as bump runs, etc... As I read what is written in this thread, I realize that most of us are good enough skiers/boarders to avoid collision and therefor injury. It's the 2-3 time a year skiers who head to the top for a bomb run before the end of the day who are the problem for us and themselves. Remember misery is optional!

Got nailed pretty hard at Snowshoe last year. I was just keeping to the far left edge on some blue groomer, just cruising along. My course probably wasn't more than 15 feet wide as I was working on short quick turns. Out of the corner of my eye I see a mass of blue colored human come barreling off the far right side of the run at a high rate of speed. I have just enough time to hunker down a bit and put my arms up in front of my face.

I'm not svelt...6 foot, 230 pounds, but I got knocked a good ten feet from where I was at. After a quick systems check to make sure I wasn't broken, I crawled over to the other person to check on them. Busted nose, snapped poles, shattered goggles, maybe a cracked rib (they couldn't breath) and a knee that's gonna bother them for awhile. I felt bad as it was a woman into her 50's.

Witnessed placed her as out of control and moving fast. They said that when collision was about to happen she just sorta opened up her body out of shock I guess.

Ski patrol took notes, I sat in the office for a few minutes while they took personal details. She got a ride to the hospital. Nothing came of it towards me, but I still feel bad because it really messed her up. On the other hand, she failed to maintain control.

Steve

I got hit 14 years ago by the center of the local High School football team. He was doing 50+MPH and I was doing about 20 MPH. Both of us were expert skiers. We were both pretty much going straight down the fall line with no big turns. He and I were the only skiers on this medium width trail. He decided to ski rather close to me when he passed me and just lost it a tad right before he was going to pass. I went unconscious and still do not remember what happened. I spent a week in the hospital with 3 skull fractures and 4 broken ribs. I also had a lot of road rash (snow rash) where the skin on my face was rubbed off sliding across the snow unconscious. I woke up on the slope with no clue how I got there and why I hurt real bad. I was not allowed to drive for 5 weeks. He tore a number of ligaments in shoulder. I was extremely nervous about skiing the following year.