I wanted the opportunity to convey three very distinct messages with this letter to your readers...
The first of course is to thank editor Braden Dupuis and Pique Newsmagazine for their continued excellent coverage on mountain safety. I’ve skied pretty much my whole life, 50-plus years. I have a love and passion for downhill skiing. My children were on skis at the age of three, we skied as a family every weekend and it’s why my husband and I retired to British Columbia five years ago—for the love of skiing B.C.’s beautiful mountains. We typically ski 50-plus days a year, and I would have accumulated more than three million vertical feet in 2023, just at Whistler Blackcomb in the last four to five years.
I grew up understanding that skiing responsibly is a “given”—you would NEVER endanger the safety of another person on the hill. You ski to your abilities, you ensure downhill skiers are clearly avoided, especially beginners and children as they can be unpredictable, and if conditions are sketchy and/or the hills are crowded, you ski to the conditions! Specifically meaning, of course, you reduce your speed, you go over knolls and blind spots with care, you are constantly aware of those around you and especially in front of you. The slopes are not just for your personal enjoyment, but for the enjoyment of everyone on the hill.
The Alpine Code of Responsibility is a very simple and clear, 10-rule document that if followed, minimizes accidents on the hill.
Unfortunately, the man (35 to 45 years) who hit me was ignorant of his skiing responsibilities—in following the Alpine Responsibility Code. He clearly felt he was entitled to ski as fast as he possibly could, on a busy hill, out of control and skiing way beyond his abilities. My guess… he was racing his buddy and I had just started my ski-run line, third turn and there was absolutely no one around me. For whatever bizarre reason, he decided to not safely avoid/pass me, and actually stated “he had only brushed me” at 65km/hr if you can believe this, as if this was perfectly acceptable. My injuries are significant, looking at 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation with a fractured tibial plateau and badly fractured right clavicle. He also left the scene without identifying himself, denied any accountability or offering any kind of help. Definitely not the Code, and frankly, not even ethically human as family/friends have shockingly stated, “who would actually do this?”
Which leads me to my second message—the bigger issue now of accountability and consequences. Reckless skiing literally appears to be out of control on the mountains—it became shockingly clear, after my Facebook post on Whistler Blackcomb Skiers and Snowboarders with more than 200 responses, that mine was sadly one of many collisions happening on the slopes. And after reading more on this topic, it appears to be an epidemic—North America, Europe—where accidents are tracked and recorded, up 30 per cent, with collisions, and reckless skiing being a major factor (U.K. Telegraph). Fatalities and serious injuries are happening to the point where hospitals/clinics are becoming overwhelmed, not to mention the cost. I do believe the government/industry needs to start re-assessing and putting audits and controls in place.
Resorts need to take more action, put more controls in place and become more accountable and responsible for this escalating and serious safety issue on their hills. So again, government/industry needs to start re-assessing.
Resorts are ultimately accountable for safety on their mountains. If safety is not No. 1 on their list, if there are no controls or accountability for reckless skiers/boarders in place, no efforts to ensure these skiers/boarders are removed from their hills as soon as possible, then we as consumers need to start making better decisions. If I’m going to take my family skiing in B.C., I will want to see Sun Peaks, Big White, Whistler Blackcomb, Fernie, etc. safety stats, number of safety marshalls and patrollers on their slopes first… let’s see if industry changes can be made here.
