Excellent job with this very impactful interview. May God Bless Chauncy and Kelli Johnson, and their family. This is certainly a subject that concerns me. We enjoy the modern lift capacities at many areas today, high speed, quads, six packs, and even 8s. I can remember being at mountains in the 60s and 70s all day, getting 8 to 12 runs in, maybe a couple more. The rest of the time in lift lines. That's how it was. So now, the convenience is great, but there are a lot more people on the hill than in those lift lines. Another subtle fact. It seems our entire lifestyle is based on speed now, and the need for it. Technology products, cars and trucks. And that has carried on to sporting goods. Speed and power. Golf, tennis, hockey skates and sticks. And then of course, skis and snowboards. Sure seems like that to me, I did all of those things in the 60s and 70s, now just skiing, but I Iook back on the equipment then and now.
Lastly, I think there is little doubt life is at an ever increasing pace. Perhaps we need to just channel back into savoring our free time activities.
Very happy to see you address this worsening situation.
And it's definitely getting more dangerous out there. I've been a 30-45 day-per-season ski instructor at Stratton since 2010, and have skied there since 1966. Have to admit, though, like you I LIVE for skiing at Snowbird, which I discovered in 1981 and have skied there every late March since, except for COVID-2020, when Utah closed all skiing day before we flew out.
Here's the worst thing I can tell you, it's true, and I've heard it more than once from responsible management people at Stratton, when I plead with them to do SOMETHING about the dangers of taking small group lessons on the most fun blue and black runs at Stratton.
I'll describe how I like to take my solidly improving students onto more challenging runs, so they can see for themselves how much better they've become. And then, the crazy teens, the wack 20-40s guys, come ripping down, almost using skiers as slalom poles. And it terrifies my guests.
Then, end of day, if I run into management types (top level folks), I describe the fear and anxiety of my ski school guests as these a-holes fly down the run. And I ask them: why don't you guys do SOMETHING to curb the out-of-control maniacs on Polar Bear & Black Bear.
And the most common, recurring answer, which is also very disturbing is a version of this:
"Well, if we take any steps to keep skiers safer, we may become liable for not doing enough!"
So, ski management's lawyers have actually warned them from doing ANYTHING at all in a proactive way, by bringing up the specter of lawsuits. Ski resorts have enjoyed near blanket immunity from liability for ski crashes/collisions/etc, since the early 1980s. Why? It was, ironically, an outgrowth resulting from a landmark lawsuit which Stratton lost, called "Sunday v Stratton", around 1978. And the "liability waiver" which all skiers/riders accept as a condition of skiing/riding, and which protects ski resorts, is at risk if resorts do anything "on the ski runs" to mitigate danger from fast, reckless skiers/riders.
Regards, John G
(STUART: please don't use my name in association with this...I'm back on the schedule at Stratton this season, and I wouldn't want them to see my name & kick me off the ski school staff. I just wish management could do something useful to curtail the out-of-control maniacs.
Stuart,
Excellent job with this very impactful interview. May God Bless Chauncy and Kelli Johnson, and their family. This is certainly a subject that concerns me. We enjoy the modern lift capacities at many areas today, high speed, quads, six packs, and even 8s. I can remember being at mountains in the 60s and 70s all day, getting 8 to 12 runs in, maybe a couple more. The rest of the time in lift lines. That's how it was. So now, the convenience is great, but there are a lot more people on the hill than in those lift lines. Another subtle fact. It seems our entire lifestyle is based on speed now, and the need for it. Technology products, cars and trucks. And that has carried on to sporting goods. Speed and power. Golf, tennis, hockey skates and sticks. And then of course, skis and snowboards. Sure seems like that to me, I did all of those things in the 60s and 70s, now just skiing, but I Iook back on the equipment then and now.
Lastly, I think there is little doubt life is at an ever increasing pace. Perhaps we need to just channel back into savoring our free time activities.
Rick Payer
Stuart,
Very happy to see you address this worsening situation.
And it's definitely getting more dangerous out there. I've been a 30-45 day-per-season ski instructor at Stratton since 2010, and have skied there since 1966. Have to admit, though, like you I LIVE for skiing at Snowbird, which I discovered in 1981 and have skied there every late March since, except for COVID-2020, when Utah closed all skiing day before we flew out.
Here's the worst thing I can tell you, it's true, and I've heard it more than once from responsible management people at Stratton, when I plead with them to do SOMETHING about the dangers of taking small group lessons on the most fun blue and black runs at Stratton.
I'll describe how I like to take my solidly improving students onto more challenging runs, so they can see for themselves how much better they've become. And then, the crazy teens, the wack 20-40s guys, come ripping down, almost using skiers as slalom poles. And it terrifies my guests.
Then, end of day, if I run into management types (top level folks), I describe the fear and anxiety of my ski school guests as these a-holes fly down the run. And I ask them: why don't you guys do SOMETHING to curb the out-of-control maniacs on Polar Bear & Black Bear.
And the most common, recurring answer, which is also very disturbing is a version of this:
"Well, if we take any steps to keep skiers safer, we may become liable for not doing enough!"
So, ski management's lawyers have actually warned them from doing ANYTHING at all in a proactive way, by bringing up the specter of lawsuits. Ski resorts have enjoyed near blanket immunity from liability for ski crashes/collisions/etc, since the early 1980s. Why? It was, ironically, an outgrowth resulting from a landmark lawsuit which Stratton lost, called "Sunday v Stratton", around 1978. And the "liability waiver" which all skiers/riders accept as a condition of skiing/riding, and which protects ski resorts, is at risk if resorts do anything "on the ski runs" to mitigate danger from fast, reckless skiers/riders.
Regards, John G
(STUART: please don't use my name in association with this...I'm back on the schedule at Stratton this season, and I wouldn't want them to see my name & kick me off the ski school staff. I just wish management could do something useful to curtail the out-of-control maniacs.