# Piste etiquette



## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

I've been snowboarding for a while now done 2 seasons and I ask this question alot to boarders and skiers alike. I always get a different opinion from nearly everyone.

True story:

A good boarder was boarding down a run not that busy and see's a lip he can jump off. He hasn't seen anyone go down the run for a while on that side and decides to jump the lip. He jumps and see's a Ski instructor hidden at the bottom of the lip in the shade with a ski school. The boarder does a chicken dance in mid-air and slams into the side of the piste just missing the instructor.
The boarder starts yelling at the instructor saying why have you stopped at the bottom of the lip with a ski school in the shade where no one can see you! 

The instrutor demands the pass off the boarder and snaps it in half! 

Who is wrong in this situation?

Before anyone asks.........No the boarder was not me and this happened in France!


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

The boarder carries the Ultimate liability there, at least in the US the downhill person always has right of way....

The instructor should not.be teaching these bad habits either. I always stop and tell the instructors around here that they should not be teaching bad habits of hanging under blind rollers, cutting all the way across piste immediately and blindly, lining up across the run blocking with 6-8 people side to side....


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Technically, the boarder. Skiers and riders downhill always have the right of way. However, the instructor absolutely should've known better than to stop with a class in an obvious blind spot.


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

You've kinda taken the on the fence view alot of people go either way! I sympathies with the boarder as I saw him in the Bar afterwards! The instructor especially ESF seem to have a "godlike" status in France so you would probably be banned for life if you told one of them to not teach bad habits!!

The instructor should not.be teaching these bad habits either. I always stop and tell the instructors around here that they should not be teaching bad habits of hanging under blind rollers, cutting all the way across piste immediately and blindly, lining up across the run blocking with 6-8 people side to side....[/QUOTE]


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Technically they're both in the wrong, or at least they would be if they were in the states. 

Person down hill has the right of way, but it also clearly says that one should stop in areas where they can be seen both uphill and downhill and not hidden by natural terrain. 

That said fuck the instructor. They are in no position to ask for or take your pass and telling them to eat a bag of dicks comes to mind.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

No joke, I would have yelled back at him and rode off. Duck him.


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

Argo said:


> No joke, I would have yelled back at him and rode off. Duck him.


How do you know a Ski instructor has walked into a bar?

He tells you.

What's the difference between good and a ski instructor?

God doesn't think he can ski.


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## djmisio85 (Jan 22, 2013)

BurtonAvenger said:


> That said fuck the instructor. They are in no position to ask for or take your pass and telling them to eat a bag of dicks comes to mind.


Am I the only other one wondering this too? Do the ESF have the same authority as the actual resort staff/lift operators? I wouldn't have shown him my pass. However, if he had physically somehow got it off me, and then snapped it, I would have slapped the silly sally :thumbsup: then took him and snapped HIM


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## RagJuice Crew (Apr 8, 2012)

First problem is, it's ESF. A bigger bunch of self righteous entitled dicks you will never meet. So he's on a to a loser from the get go and can't win.

Secondly, instructor at fault, IMO - the boarder is responsible for those below him, and was as he didn't hit them. 


Just a point worth making as well - everyone always remembers that the person downhill has the right of way. What they forget is that anyone starting up again on a piste must check up hill and give way. And that you are responsible for where you stop and not being in a blind spot. Ski patrol in Whistler have actually made a point of raising some of these issues of Alpine Responsibility lately:



> Be aware of where you stop on piste, make sure others can see you if they come fast. If you lead a group plan ahead and stop where you feel everyone including other skiers/boarders will not collide. Make sure you don't create a bottleneck, be aware how much room your group takes up on the slope or lift areas. Plan ahead.
> 
> Don't cut across a run from one side to the other without a good look that no one is coming, avoid abrupt change of direction without a shoulder check. If you exit out of the trees into a ski run, check you are not cutting anyone off.


Whistler Blackcomb - Alpine Responsibility

It's one of my pet peeves on the mountain, people who know only the one rule and forget the rest. That and ski schools actually doing those two things (stopping in a blind spot and starting up from a stop without checking up hill first) - teaching bad habits from the start.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Both are kind of in the wrong...though I would not have yelled nor stop...and just given a glare/shook my head and road off...saying to myself...dumb bastard is lucky I didn't wipe him out. A miss is a no fowl, no fault, no worries at the little hill.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

I would lay the blame fully at the door of the instructor...!!!

We have 10 rules here in Norway and stopping in a blind spot over a crest is up withe the worst of them, as is coming in to a groomed sloop from off piste...!!!

Only this saturday just gone, on the green run at my local there are a lot of chutes in to the narrow part of the run, which comes in off a nice 10-12 foot drop, when quite it is a lot of fun, but on a saturday when there are loads of very inexperienced skiers, it is not a good idea, and my step daughter, who is 12 was coming down behind me, she is not very experienced and panics very easily, and i saw such a guy about 18 years old coming into the slope and he most definitely would of cut her off, and knowing her, panic would of set in, so i slowed to a stop at the shoot he was looking to come in at, at the edge, and he had no choice but to change direction, crashing into a tree...!!!

He was not happy, but by the same token, not a lot he could do about it...!!! I explained very tactfully that he should understand the etiquette of the slope and what the rules are, and that if i had not done this and he had cut my stepdaughter off, he would of got a beating...!!!

Anyway, he laughed, told me he would get my pass pulled, so i asked if i could come with him to do so. He went straight to the lift operator, who simply told him, that he knows me personally, and he would review the video from my helmet cam, and if he had in any way infringed the rules it would be HIS pass that was revoked, and mine was in no danger...

He stormed off, and was not seen again...!!! It turned out, he was a season pass holder and had been warned twice already this season, so they have suspended his card until he goes to speak to them, can't ride otherwise, they have the video, and they will act accordingly...!!!

I don't blame him for wanting to have fun, but there is a time and a place, and that was most definitely not it...!!!

One of my biggest gripes is people not considering others...!!! And watching accidents happens when stupid people are involved winds me up...!!! The following day, coming down through the park, which is graded black, purely because of the features in the park, a father with his 3 year old on reigns while skiing, came through, she hit the flat box, went off the side, he went off the other side... And the result was a reign across the box, which was not easily seen...!!! Could of resulted in a very serious accident, as it was, the people behind DID see what had happened, but never the less... When i spoke to the father, he was sure he did nothing wrong... His answer, we paid out money, we can do what we like...!!!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Kevin137 said:


> Only this saturday just gone, on the green run at my local there are a lot of chutes in to the narrow part of the run, which comes in off a nice 10-12 foot drop, when quite it is a lot of fun, but on a saturday when there are loads of very inexperienced skiers, it is not a good idea, and my step daughter, who is 12 was coming down behind me, she is not very experienced and panics very easily, and i saw such a guy about 18 years old coming into the slope and he most definitely would of cut her off, and knowing her, panic would of set in, so i slowed to a stop at the shoot he was looking to come in at, at the edge, and he had no choice but to change direction, crashing into a tree...!!!
> 
> haha,...good for you...protecting the little ones
> 
> ...


It gripes me that some tourist...by their mere attitude that they spent money thus entitled to be dickish. On the chair, when such a tourist complains...I try to politely note that they are enjoying a hill that is generally considered technically challenging and that it is a hill known not to pamper folks...and further note that its mostly tourist that get hurt here ...so you better know where ur going and what ur doing.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

The biggest gripe by far for me, is the fact that most slopes that i have been too do not advertise the rules...!!! Printed A1 size, laminated and taped to the pylons for the chair lift, and you have no choice but to see them, then there is no excuse, and certainly no way to say you did not know...!!!

Very simple, very cheap and very effective...!!!

I am pushing for my local to do just this...!!! And it looks like they are finally understanding that people need to know what the rules are to simply save on accidents...

The downside to Norway, is that you cannot sue, so there is effectively no consequences, well they can take your pass, but that is not a big deal...


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## West Baden Iron (Jan 31, 2013)

Kevin137 said:


> The downside to Norway, is that you cannot sue, so there is effectively no consequences, well they can take your pass, but that is not a big deal...


I see that as an upside. I see a lot of problems being solved over here if the ability to sue was taken away when it comes to participating in semi dangerous activities.

I get so tired of no one taking responsibility for their own actions in this country. It's always somebody elses fault.

We've had school canceled and delayed by 2 hours here because it is cold (0-5 degrees F). The school system is scared someone will sue if little Johnny gets sick from waiting 10 minutes for the bus because his stupid parents can't figure out to have him wear a hat and gloves.


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## Logan14 (Oct 18, 2013)

I really am not a fan of the ESF as a general rule tbh. Some of the instructors are good, but the majority seem to have no awareness when they're teaching! They don't check anything, stop where they like and do what they like.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

One of my biggest gripes are the locals... hear me out here. :laugh:

99% of the locals at a mountain are great, in fact I really enjoy having a chat to local guys/gals on the lift as often you'll find out where there are some nice little hidden stashes that haven't been destroyed by the masses. 

The other 1% are those cunts that think they own the mountain because the live nearby, they know one or two people (generally just some mountain host) who work at the resort and thus think it's their god given right to make a cunt of themselves. i.e. Speaking super loud to their visiting mates so everybody can hear them say some shit like "Oh yeah man, last year it was so much quieter. I wish people would just stop visiting and give us our mountain back." or "You don't want to go over there, that's where all the tourists go. I know some spots NOBODY else knows about."

Fuckwits, that's what they are.

Those oxygen thieves are generally the ones that think the rules don't apply to them too. And when you call them out for doing something fucking dumb and putting you at risk they pull the "Local Douchebag" card out and get yappy. That's normally when I tell them to pick their next few words very wisely or they'll end up looking very stupid trying to eat their steak through a straw. 

I'm all for the rules of etiquette, it's just a shame some people think they only apply to beginners.


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

West Baden Iron said:


> I see that as an upside. I see a lot of problems being solved over here if the ability to sue was taken away when it comes to participating in semi dangerous activities.
> 
> I get so tired of no one taking responsibility for their own actions in this country. It's always somebody elses fault.


Two sides to this. Definitely need protection because there are a lot of idiots out there in general that aren't responsible and careful so there are times (not necessarily talking snowboarding etc) where there are legitimate victims.

(caution off topic rant) On the other hand, totally agree with people not wanting to be accountable for their actions/inactions. Especially disgusting when you see it with parents. My wife is a middle school teacher and some 12-year-old told her to "fuck off bitch" when she told him to leave the class after repeatedly failing to turn his Ipad off, on which he was playing video games. So the parents ask for a meeting and my wife winds up coming home in tears afterward because the parents accused her of "targeting" their son and picking on him. Apparently, it was my wife's fault that he acted that way in class and he was just "sticking up for himself." She is an outstanding teacher who cares about each individual student equally, in fact goes out of her way to include troubled kids with bad parents. Made me sick.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

Those types of parents should be spayed. 

My wife's a teacher too so I understand where you're coming from. Parenting is certainly a different kettle of fish nowadays compared to when I grew up. I remember getting belted across the knuckles with a metre ruler by one teacher, when I got home here's how it went down:

Mum and Dad: "Well, did you deserve it?"
Me: "Yeah I guess I did."
Mum and Dad: "Good then, I hope you learnt a lesson from it"

Then they rang the school, spoke to my teacher and thanked him for teaching me that doing the wrong thing has consequences. 

Bit different now eh!


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

I have to say I'm actually surprised to hear that Instructors in the larger resorts seem to be so cavalier or clueless about the rules or safety.

Here at our piss ant little local, I have witnessed the Sat. morning ski school, (_...and it's ALWAYS the skiers btw, never a snowboard lesson doing this_.) Line up 8-10-12 or more students on the side of the hill, even on a busy shitshow sat. and then start that line of little duckling grade school kids cutting across the entire fall line of the slope. They line up enough kids and the line is so long it is actually going in _two_ directions at the once across the fall line and you CANNOT safely get past them. 

_Everyone_ else on the slope has to come to a dead stop, and creep past either on the edge of the run, or slowly try and wind their way thru the moving slalom gates of pizzaing kids to get down slope of them! WTF????

I have even caught these twit instructors looking up hill as I (or some other rider) has just started down the run only to have them go and pull out right in front of me anyway!!! No doubt absolutely certain in their protection from the rule "Down hill has the right of way!"


To quote Ron White,.. "You can't fix Stupid!"


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

trapper said:


> Two sides to this. Definitely need protection because there are a lot of idiots out there in general that aren't responsible and careful so there are times (not necessarily talking snowboarding etc) where there are legitimate victims.
> 
> (caution off topic rant) On the other hand, totally agree with people not wanting to be accountable for their actions/inactions. Especially disgusting when you see it with parents. My wife is a middle school teacher and some 12-year-old told her to "fuck off bitch" when she told him to leave the class after repeatedly failing to turn his Ipad off, on which he was playing video games. So the parents ask for a meeting and my wife winds up coming home in tears afterward because the parents accused her of "targeting" their son and picking on him. Apparently, it was my wife's fault that he acted that way in class and he was just "sticking up for himself." She is an outstanding teacher who cares about each individual student equally, in fact goes out of her way to include troubled kids with bad parents. Made me sick.


Had a kid like that last year say similar shit in the lift line. Only difference was I ended with with the kid pissing his pants and crying for his daddy, while daddy started crying when I confronted him to control his child and discipline him. 

Parents these days suck.


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## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

Right of way or not, somebody could have been seriously injured/killed. They are both at fault. That instructor is a moron for stopping with a class in such a blind spot and should probably be fired for putting those people in danger and teaching them bad habits. He probably does crap like that all the time. I doubt I would have been launching over such a bad blind spot, but certainly would have been rolling over it at a high rate of speed. I most likely would have yelled at the instructor as well, and also would have wished him good luck trying to catch me if he wanted to clip my pass. 

I've had some close calls over the years because of people acting like morons and stopping in crazy spots. Or those idiot skiers who like to ski straight across slopes, back and forth. One of the worst was some kid at Breck who decided to get up and stop on one of the larger hits in the park, I had no way see him over the lip until I was airborne. Scared the crap out of me, that is one lucky kid that I was able to avoid clipping him. His father was standing right there allowing him to climb up there and play or whatever. Crazy. 

I've never had a major collision where I was at fault. But I have been hit by a skier pretty hard at the bottom of a slope past the orange net and slow down signs. His ski went through my legs and I had a serious bruise close to my junk. He didn't even say sorry. That guy is really lucky I'm a pretty nice guy, he deserved a beating.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Maybe all you "Tuff guys" should sack up and get off the bunny hill. Don't see many beginners on the blacks.:dunno:


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

mojo maestro said:


> Maybe all you "Tuff guys" should sack up and get off the bunny hill. Don't see many beginners on the blacks.:dunno:


You would be suprised. There are plenty of instructors taking groups on to higher level runs to learn how to advance to the next slope. The OP is not in the US, not sure where he is at, europe blacks are just steep ass groomers with plenty of slow ass scare tourist lesson sitting under a roller that hops onto a 45 degree groomed slope.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

mojo maestro said:


> Maybe all you "Tuff guys" should sack up and get off the bunny hill. Don't see many beginners on the blacks.:dunno:


But staying on the bunny hill makes me feel so good about my own abilities. 

I can do blacks too mate. Plenty of assholes there as well.


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## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

I wish we didn't have beginners on blacks out here. I don't see them on advanced slopes out west, just not going to happen. But out here we have tons of inexperienced people all the damn time on so called blacks.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

mojo maestro said:


> Maybe all you "Tuff guys" should sack up and get off the bunny hill. Don't see many beginners on the blacks.:dunno:


How else is anyone supposed to get to the base lodge other than by riding a green?


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

vajohn said:


> I wish we didn't have beginners on blacks out here. I don't see them on advanced slopes out west, just not going to happen. But out here we have tons of inexperienced people all the damn time on so called blacks.


sIR, that is because your blacks are our greens


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Had a kid like that last year say similar shit in the lift line. Only difference was I ended with with the kid pissing his pants and crying for his daddy, while daddy started crying when I confronted him to control his child and discipline him.
> 
> Parents these days suck.


My wife's a complete professional, so she wouldn't even tell me the names of the kid or the parents. I tried to get it out of her because I was dead set on making that dad piss his pants for being and raising such a piece of shit turd monkey. 

That's why I take a lot of pride in being a dad, because goddamn if these kids aren't walking, talking examples of my parenting and ultimately me. If one of my kids acted like that, you'd better believe there'd be some pissed-covered pants when I was through with him.


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## Logan14 (Oct 18, 2013)

hardasacatshead said:


> Those types of parents should be spayed.
> 
> My wife's a teacher too so I understand where you're coming from. Parenting is certainly a different kettle of fish nowadays compared to when I grew up. I remember getting belted across the knuckles with a metre ruler by one teacher, when I got home here's how it went down:
> 
> ...


I think this ruler treatment would be incredibly beneficial for some of the people I went to school with. There was always a huge lack of respect for our teachers and there really was nothing they could do. If you tell a child off, they turn around and unleash a retort solely containing expletives, what is there that words can do? You call home and more often than not, they got the same treatment from the teachers. There was one kid in year 7 who was on the football (soccer) team and was sports captain and captain of the football team. He lost his temper one game and smacked an opposition player round the head. He was duly stripped of his captaincy (both sports and soccer) and told he wasn't allowed to represent the school for an indefinite time. His dad turned up to school the next day, marched into the head's office and demanded he be allowed to play again - and for some reason, he was!



vajohn said:


> Right of way or not, somebody could have been seriously injured/killed. They are both at fault. That instructor is a moron for stopping with a class in such a blind spot and should probably be fired for putting those people in danger and teaching them bad habits. He probably does crap like that all the time. *I doubt I would have been launching over such a bad blind spot*, but certainly would have been rolling over it at a high rate of speed. I most likely would have yelled at the instructor as well, and also would have wished him good luck trying to catch me if he wanted to clip my pass.


Hang on, it's a blind spot, you can't see it, so surely if you'd be happy going over a lip, you're gonna go over it without realising it's a blind spot until you nearly wipe out a teacher after going over the lip? I know I've never seen blind spots signposted on the slopes.


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

hardasacatshead said:


> Those types of parents should be spayed.
> 
> My wife's a teacher too so I understand where you're coming from. Parenting is certainly a different kettle of fish nowadays compared to when I grew up. I remember getting belted across the knuckles with a metre ruler by one teacher, when I got home here's how it went down:
> 
> ...


Yea missed your reply here. The worst thing about this story I told is that it's not really that uncommon. She's had it happen more than once where if a kid misbehaves and continues to do so to the point of having to be sent to the principal's office, it's gotta be the school's or her fault and not the kids or the parents. I mean that is seriously the first reaction from a lot of these parents, even some of the ones who eventually come around when they hear her side of it and not just the kids.

What also annoyed me about this particular instance was how it's clear the little fuckstain had made up some lies about it all to manipulate the situation to his advantage. It was actually the first time she ever disciplined him in class yet she said the mother made it sound like she has been terrorizing him all year. Threatened to take him out of her class. That's another good lesson to teach your kids right? If you don't like something then just give up and quit. 

But yea, I'm a bit off topic here so whatever.


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## ItchEtrigR (Jan 1, 2012)

I'm pretty sure mobile phones and pads are barred from school... Your wife should have requested the parents for a meeting.


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## MeanJoe (Jul 20, 2011)

My local "mountain" here in Ohio is so bad about breaches of etiquette/rules of the trail. There is nearly zero effort put into awareness/education of the rules of the trail and safety. There is absolutely zero enforcement for any violation or inappropriate behavior - the concept of having your life ticket punched or pulled is completely foreign to the kids riding/skiing there. My wife had a problem with some kids last year and when she threatened to get ski patrol and have their tickets punched they freaked out because they thought she was physically threatened to punch them. Had no idea what getting your ticket punched meant. Naturally ski patrol refused to do anything at all.

I hate to sound like an old man but when I was starting out, you DID worry about getting caught doing something stupid and getting your ticket punched. Sure, I still did stupid stuff but there was at least consequences to weigh. Not anymore.

The other thing that works against our local spot is the size. This is Ohio. We are talking 300 vertical feet here. Our blacks are easy blues anywhere else, and 1/100th the length. As such, there is no intimidation factor to keep absolute beginners who cannot link turns (or skiers who can only snowplow) off of any run they want. Including the terrain parks! So you have a constant shit-show of collisions/near-collisions on a small mountain with major overcrowding on the weekends. And there is never a ski patrol around to take someone aside and give a friendly warning that their riding ability is more suited to the green trails. Instead, all ski-patrol does is keep the dead sled busy hauling injured people and the ambulances on a constant rotation between the resort and the nearest hospital.

I've tried to professionally bring the situations up to the resort's general manager, offered positive suggestions on minor changes that could be done to improve the safety of everyone, etc., and it is completely ignored. They have a cash cow and they don't want to make any changes that might cause Johnny Douchebag's mommy to not re-up their season pass for next year.

I need to move out of Ohio...

MeanJoe


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

I've never boarded out of Europe but it's interesting was you Americans and Canadians think of this.

Yes this did happen in France in the Grand Massif area it was a RED run late evening cloudy cover. I was 20ft away from this and just saw the aftermath.

The boarder I knew he worked just up from me. I met him in the bar afterwards after he calmed down. The instructor I think snapped his pass in half more to the fact he challenged him that he (An ESF instructor) was doing something wrong. He had the reciept for the pass and said he lost it and got a replacement.

Also weird that the more mature gentlemen (I did not say old) in this forum back the boarder a little more than people I have talked to over the pond here! 

Yes I agree alot of rookies do injure and collide with you more. There is a certain week in Feb when it is the French Parisian half term. Me and my friend nickname this something I will not type here! where we are more than likely to get in a fight, colision or stick to the off piste due to the nature of skier/boarder/blader that week!

P.S Ohio i'm sure is lovely to go boarding but your not quite selling it to me dude!


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Cranners said:


> There is a certain week in Feb when it is the French Parisian half term. Me and my friend nickname this something I will not type here!


....LOL! Have you _read_ some of the things that get posted on this forum??? :blink: :laugh: no need to be bashful or coy! You gotta tell us that nickname now! :laugh:



Cranners said:


> P.S *Ohio i'm sure is lovely to go boarding* but your not quite selling it to me dude!


No, He's right. It's really not!  It's flatter there than it is in MI. :dizzy: _NOBODY_ comes to the States to ride Ohio!


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

LOL

The nickname is a word you don't really use in America that much.

Begins with "C" ends with "T" then just week.

We also have tight arse week, Orange week (dutch half term man can they drink!) and "Hell" (British Half term)


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## MeanJoe (Jul 20, 2011)

Cranners said:


> P.S Ohio i'm sure is lovely to go boarding but your not quite selling it to me dude!


Ohio is lovely but anyone who travels _to_ Ohio to board needs their head examined. :dizzy:

That said, you ride what you have as hard and as often as you can and you make the best of it. I've been boarding here for well over 20 years and in the heat of August I'm sweating it out and anticipating winter's arrival and getting back up on our "mountain".

MeanJoe


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

MeanJoe said:


> That said, you ride what you have as hard and as often as you can and you make the best of it.


Right on motherfucker. Well said.

Also, that's what she said?


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## koi (May 16, 2013)

It sucks for the boarder, yeah he technically was at fault, but even the instructors I know would be pissed at the instructor for parking his class there. 

I know I have yelled at people for parking on the side of a rest area or in the middle of a hill. It can be annoying, causes traffic, and can be dangerous.


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

MeanJoe said:


> Ohio is lovely but anyone who travels _to_ Ohio to board needs their head examined. :dizzy:
> 
> That said, you ride what you have as hard and as often as you can and you make the best of it. I've been boarding here for well over 20 years and in the heat of August I'm sweating it out and anticipating winter's arrival and getting back up on our "mountain".
> 
> MeanJoe


Fair Play!

I now live back in England doing a "proper job"  and If I had a inch of snow in my back yard I would try and board it!!! Be proud of that Mountain on your doorstep dude!!


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## MeanJoe (Jul 20, 2011)

Cranners said:


> Also weird that the more mature gentlemen (I did not say old) in this forum back the boarder a little more than people I have talked to over the pond here!


Oh and in my opinion as a more mature gentleman (I did not say old), the boarder was 100% in the wrong. You have a responsibility to avoid traffic downhill. You don't launch into a trail if you cannot see that your landing is clear. You don't bomb over a blind spot. You must always be thinking about what you can and what you cannot see in front of you.

That being said, the instructor was also 100% in the wrong. It goes hand-in-hand with above, you have an obligation to not stop where you cannot be seen by uphill riders. Yes, the person uphill has responsibility to avoid you but you need to also keep yourself in a position that will not make it impossible for the uphill rider to avoid you. And sitting with a group of kids in a blind spot is stupidity of the highest order and really not putting the safety of those in your charge first.

However, and again in my opinion, if an accident had actually occurred at the end of the day the uphill boarder STILL had the ultimate responsibility to avoid those downhill from them and if they did not have a clear view then he/she needs to adjust their speed, line, etc., "just in case" there is someone out of view.


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

MeanJoe said:


> . You have a responsibility to avoid traffic downhill. You don't launch into a trail if you cannot see that your landing is clear. You don't bomb over a blind spot.


At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether it is an instructor and their class, a tourist, an injured rider or just a plain old idiot sitting in the blind spot.

The fact that the instructor should know better doesn't change anything.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

i'd say it was the boarder's fault...and he could have easily avoided losing his pass by not being a dick and just riding away..even a lil hand wave 'sorry!' would have got him out of it

on another piste etiquette note...i feel i'm the only one who ever peeks back up the hill, i do it all the time if ever i'm crossing for a sidehit, merging, or getting set up to bomb...never, never do i see anyone looking back up at me in the same scenarios, or especially on the cattrack when swerving all over the fucking place, wake up!


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## Cranners (Jan 28, 2014)

I don't defend the boarder but I did feel sorry for him. He did admitt afterwards he should of made "Double sure" there was no one below that lip.
And he had a nasty bruise on his hip! 

I try and keep to the etiquette as much as poss! Also are there "piste police" in America or Canada I read a report they have speed guns now and breath tests? Is this true?


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## madmax (Sep 10, 2013)

CassMT said:


> on another piste etiquette note...i feel i'm the only one who ever peeks back up the hill, i do it all the time if ever i'm crossing for a sidehit, merging, or getting set up to bomb...never, never do i see anyone looking back up at me in the same scenarios, or especially on the cattrack when swerving all over the fucking place, wake up!


I do this frequently and you're right, not enough people do it. Especially where trails merge and they tell you trails are merging, nobody looks up the trail you're merging with.

Also when trails are splitting off. I've seen people on the right side want to go down a trail splitting off the left. Don't even look just cut across the entire trail to the drop off. I've seen quite a few near misses, thankfully, when a simple glance would have done the trick.

50% of the reason I where a helmet is because I don't trust the other people on the slopes, the other 50% is that I'm an idiot that gets myself in too deep sometimes, but that's life.


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## MeanJoe (Jul 20, 2011)

madmax said:


> 50% of the reason I where a helmet is because I don't trust the other people on the slopes, the other 50% is that I'm an idiot that gets myself in too deep sometimes, but that's life.


QFT! We had a lot of fresh snowfall over the weekend and I got a bit over-exuberant searching for any remaining pockets on the sides of the trails on Sunday. Took a fun high-speed tumble through pow and through the underbrush. Ended up with two small cuts on my face - one below my goggles between my nose and upper lip and one between my lower lip and my face mask. Got myself in too deep but it was awesome right up until that moment... (okay, and after cause it was all pow and didn't hurt)


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