Ski Safety Blog

Ski equipment manufacturer Salomon has issued a recall on Quest Pro ski boots following an accident that has left a man with a severe leg injury. A serious fall suffered by a man in the USA after his ski boot released has brought to light a potential technical issue with Salomon Quest Pro ski boots when used for touring purposes. It is believed the boot may not be compatible with some touring bindings.

"Salomon has been informed of a potential incompatibility when using Salomon Quest Pro Boots and low tech touring bindings (ex: Dynafit, G3 Onyx model, Plume, ATK Race)" revealed a statement from the company.

"The same applies to the touring pads which were designed to allow other Quest boots to be compatible with low tech touring bindings" the statement continued. "Salomon Quest Pro Boots are compatible with the other touring bindings compliant with ISO9523 standard."

An investigation into the matter by Salomon is ongoing and "as a precautionary safety measure" the equipment specialist has issued a recall stating that "Salomon Quest Boots having a metal tech-fit for low tech touring bindings (Quest Pro boots) should not be used until further notice, and should be immediately returned to Salomon".

The company is also issuing a recall for "the touring pads which were designed to allow other Quest boots to be compatible with low tech touring bindings" although it believes that "very limited quantities of the boots and pads" are on the market.

Any enquiries should be directed to Salomon customer service at the number above, or Mike Aicher, Senior Product Category Manager on 801-624-7568 or at Salomon USA, 2030 Lincoln Ave, Ogden, UT 84401.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 1:46 PM | Permalink

A man paralyzed in a snow-tubing accident is suing the Virginia parent companies of Massanutten Resort for more than $25 million. If granted, that would be the largest award ever against a ski resort.

John Carwile of Hampton was at the Rockingham County resort in January 2009 when he made the fateful tube run. He zipped headfirst down the course, across the "run-out" area, layered with rubber mats intended to slow the tubes, and into a wall at the back of the area. His head hit the wall, and his spinal cord gave resulting in paralysis from the chest down.

The National Ski Areas Association in Colorado reports that 39 skiers and snowboards suffered fatal injuries during the 2008-09 season, the most recent season for which data is available. According to the group, 10 million people skied or snowboarded in 2008.

Carwile's suit, filed last month in Charlottesville Circuit Court, argues that the resort was negligent in setting up and operating the snow tube runs. In the suit, Carwile accuses the resort of "failure to design the barrier wall with sufficient safety protection." The existing barrier had some padding but lacked but the suit argues it was not reasonably sufficient.

Carwile's lawsuit asks for $25 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, the maximum allowed under Virginia law. This is not the first lawsuit Massanutten has faced, see Hoar v. Great Eastern Resort for a case report which resulted in a $6.2 Million verdict.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 2:02 PM | Permalink

Western ski resorts enjoyed a modest 1.3% gain in guest occupancy this season, although it came at the cost of inducing visitors with cheaper room rates, according to a report released Tuesday. With expectations of an improving national economy, it appears that ski resorts have weathered the worst of the recession.

The Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association released its report this week, finding that Colorado ski-resort hotel occupancy in the first quarter of 2010 was 63.2%, compared with 62% in the same period of 2009.

To boost occupancy, ski resorts and hotel operators discounted room rates. The average nightly rate during the November-through-March winter season dropped from $305 a year ago to $288 this year. The report is based on a survey of 260 lodging properties in 15 mountain resorts in the western U.S. The survey includes all of Colorado's major resorts.

Hotel and condo occupancies were weak early in the ski season but showed improvement in January, February and March compared with the same months last year. Colorado Ski Country USA reported last month that skier visits through February at 22 member resorts were down 2% compared with the prior year.

Vail Resorts reported Tuesday that skier visits rose 2.3% and lift-ticket revenue was up 4.6% for the 2009-10 winter season compared with the prior year. Vail Resorts operates Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado and Heavenly at Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border. Ski-school revenue at the five resorts increased 8.3%, rental and retail sales were up 8.1 percent and dining rose 2.5%.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 9:48 AM | Permalink

The ski industry is planning to adapt to the graying of the slopes - and not from lack of snow but from the aging of the ski enthusiast population. Resorts have planned for at least a decade for a dramatic decline of visits from baby boomers who helped build the industry but who will likely cut back as aching knees, hips and backs set in.

Older baby boomers, now 55 to 64, started dropping out more rapidly at 54, research firm RRC Associates shows , and now younger boomers, ages 45-54, are approaching that point. Despite a 12-year-old campaign to get snow sport newcomers to take lessons and become avid resort visitors, the conversion rate from beginner to active participant has only risen from about 15 percent since 1999 to about 16.7 percent today, according to RRC's research.

Women are dropping out faster than men around age 40, which can strongly affect vacation plans for the whole family. And, in the midst of those shifts is a slumping economy that helped dampen skier visits to 57.3 million last season, down from a record 60.5 million or so in the 2007-2008 season, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

For now, the industry is still in the sweet spot of attracting baby boomers and their children, said Vail Resorts Inc. Chief Operating Officer Chris Jarnot. In fact, skier visits nationwide have been relatively consistent around 57 million for the last decade.

But changes are apparent - destination resorts like Aspen or Vail have watched boomers fall in love with a mountain, make a tradition of bringing their families there every year, and maybe even buy property nearby. But given forecasts that the next generation's earning potential will be less than their parents, this may not be a long-lived trend.

Younger generations are looking for diverse, novel, extreme experiences, which might mean resorts reconnecting with visitors every four or five years, instead of every year, predicted Jarnot. Customers under 30 are also more culturally and ethnically diverse and may have other ideas for vacation besides ski resorts.

Some changes already reflect the shift in demographics. In the last decade, more resorts have embraced snowboarding, added terrain parks and boosted offerings beyond skiing, for instance with summer mountain biking. Breckenridge is considering getting into the water park business, and Vail Resorts has started offering guided skiing for groups, so customers can experience the mountains like a local without the price tag of individual private lessons.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 3:26 PM | Permalink

The snowpack level for the northwest corner of Colorado has increased in the last week -- good news for ski areas and water suppliers. As local ski areas begin to shutter the ski operations, with some closing up shop after Sunday, skiers and riders are enjoying some of this season's most outstanding conditions.

Closing date with mid-mountain base snow depth as of Friday
Arapahoe Basin: June 6--46 inches
Breckenridge: April 18--74 inches
Copper: April 18--63 inches
Keystone: April 11--46 inches
Vail: April 18--62 inches
Beaver Creek: April 11--66 inches
Loveland: May 2--60 inches

Posted by Linda Chalat at 2:56 PM | Permalink

The last full week that most Colorado ski areas will be open this season unfortunately has seen another skier death. A man died while snowboarding at the Breckenridge ski area on Wednesday. The 27 year old from Iowa was a recent transplant to Colorado. Ski patrol members found the victim in some trees Wednesday while doing a final check of the slopes. They tried to revive him, but determined he was dead. He had suffered a fractured neck, according to Summit County Coroner.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 2:49 PM | Permalink

A 30-year-old man died last weekend in Whistler when he was snowboarding out of bounds. In a twist on the tree well accidents, he fell headfirst into a hole created by wind-fallen timber and suffocated in the deep snow.

The tragic accident occurred in Khyber Pass, off the backside of Whistler Mountain. Witnesses spotted the man, dug him out of the snow, and attempted to revive him. After about an hour, Whistler Mountain Ski Patrol, Whistler Search and Rescue and a helicopter found the victim and the witnesses. All attempts to revive the victim proved unsuccessful.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 12:31 PM | Permalink

The North Face Apparel Co. has settled its trademark infringement suit against The South Butt, a clothing line with the tagline "never stop relaxing." The North Face website provides the history of the company, concluding with "The North Face will maintain an unwavering commitment to pushing the limits of design, so that you can push your limits outdoors. Never Stop Exploring."

Lawyers refused to reveal details of the settlement, but The South Butt website is still selling its wares. The St. Louis Riverfront Times was first to report the news. The lawyer for The South Butt has said that the matter has been resolved amicably, but he couldn't elaborate. "You don't know how much it pains me to only say that," he told the American Lawyer.

Jimmy Winkelmann is a college freshman at University of Missouri in Columbia. In an effort to assist his parents in paying for his college education during particularly trying financial times, he created The South Butt, LLC. Winkelmann has said the fleece jackets and other clothing sold by his company are intended to mock people who wear brand-name clothing sold by outfitters like The North Face. The homepage of the website brandishes the following disclaimer: "WARNING - The South Butt clothing and accessories have not been approved for exploration purposes. They have been approved for relaxation purposes only!"

Posted by Linda Chalat at 1:48 PM | Permalink

A mid-February skiing accident at Park City Mountain Resort could result in a man being charged under City Hall's reckless skiing law. Witnesses informed the Park City Police Department that the man was skiing unusually fast when he fell and crashed into a girl.

The man could be the first person charged using the City Hall prohibition of reckless skiing. People charged with reckless skiing face a class B misdemeanor, the same level charge as a standard drunken-driving count. The law dates to spring 2008.

The suspect is from Salt Lake City. A witness told the police the man was skiing in a manner that was "beyond reckless," a police official reported.

Kerry Gaines, the City Hall prosecutor screening the case, said she had not decided whether to file a formal charge. She said that decision could be made by the end of the week. If she pursues the case, she said, it would be the first time she files a reckless skiing charge.

According to the Police Department, it received the report at a little after 9 a.m. on March 15, but the accident occurred a month earlier. Ryan said an 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl was skiing with her father at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 on the Home Run trail, a popular route from the Park City Mountain Resort summit to the resort's base area that is rated green, indicating a beginner trail.

They were close to the bottom of the run when the other skier was "flying down the green trail," Ryan said, citing information culled from witness interviews. The other skier fell, slid approximately 30 feet and collided with the girl. The impact sent her into the air, she landed on a shoulder and broke an arm, according to police reports.

Several other skiers traded words with the skier and then detained the man until the resort's ski patrollers arrived. The ski patrollers obtained the man's name, address and phone number, Ryan said. Police officers did not respond to the scene.

The father of the girl contacted the Police Department on March 15 indicating he wanted to press charges against the skier. Witness statements and information about the Salt Lake City man have been forwarded to the prosecutor.

A class B misdemeanor is punishable by a six-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine upon convictionPrior to City Hall's adoption of a reckless skiing law, Summit County had one on the books. When the Park City law was adopted, Summit County changed the wording of its own to match the one inside the city. A City Hall attorney said at the time a 2006 collision at Deer Valley Resort prompted officials to consider a law against reckless skiing. The law also requires someone involved in a collision to stop and help the injured.

Posted by Linda Chalat at 1:38 PM | Permalink