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Skier sues over wet snow

mriceyman

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Jeez..you hate to see lawsuits against ski areas but why would they be blowing snow when its too warm.. And why would a patroller ski under a wet gun?


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SkiFanE

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I was flying down a connecting trail at SR (Cyclone) one day, the snowgun was positioned, but not on and dripping water. A little river... I hit it and supermanned out of my skis and landed about 20 feet away. One of those "WTF just happened?" moments. Guess I'm lucky I was unscathed. Still within statute of limitations....hmmmmmmm....

I see the guys point...but you also choose to do a pretty dangerous unpredictable sport...every slight "problem" could be a legal issue - like huge chunks on side of trail from groomers, hoses from snowmaking...on and on...
 

Puck it

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Every skier at Cannon could sue them. They can blow snow in the teens and still be wet.
 

ironhippy

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I've experienced similar conditions on that very trail, but not because of snowmaking.

Last April, it was snowing at the summit, but raining about halfway down. On my unwaxed skis, I would hit the freeze line and pretty much come to a complete halt on the wet snow.

The trail is steep, depending on where you fall it could be a bad scene, but I don't agree with suing over it.
 

drjeff

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How many AZ'ers HAVEN'T had a similar tumble happen to them over the years? Maybe not with that specific injury, but the wet snow tumble?

I know I had a double binding "over the handlebars" courtesy of a wet gun a few weeks ago - You've just got to be careful when skiing around a snowgun as their certainly can be some variability in the snow, even from gun to gun
 

bdfreetuna

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This happened to me once at Killington. Unwaxed skis, came to almost sudden stop. I guess I forgot to buckle my helmet because it ejected right off my head, with goggles, probably a couple hundred feet and then rolled down into a ravine after that.

No injury.

Anyway this guy should know better, and even if he got a little whiplash that's too bad. Did he think he'd ski his entire life and not sustain any minor injuries?

I also wonder if he ever wants to go skiing again... because I would think he'd surely be unwelcome back at that resort and he should probably be blacklisted from all ski areas.
 

Puck it

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Apparently based on how hard Avalanche was!

I did it two years ago on the run out from Turnpike. Luckily I did not break my legs. I went right over the tips and ejected out of both skis. My shins were hurting. The temp was in the teens that day.
 

deadheadskier

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Is it lack of air pressure at Cannon??

Aside from that day earlier this season, I've never seen wet gun snow with temps that cold.
 

Puck it

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Is it lack of air pressure at Cannon??

Aside from that day earlier this season, I've never seen wet gun snow with temps that cold.

Come to Cannon then. They were dry last weekend but that sub zero temps. It is the old ground guns that are wet and I think it is air pressure that is lacking. They just don't have the velocity out of the guns. The newer tower guns were putting out some awesome on the Front Five-ish.
 

deadheadskier

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I'll be there Superbowl Sunday. Thinking of Burke this Saturday. I've got a Cannon voucher I'm holding onto for either good conditions on Mitty or in the April on a nice Spring day.
 

Kerovick

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I had pretty much the exact opposite happen to my at Whiteface. I was going up the summit lift and they had a gun blowing directly at the chair. It was 9 degrees. Got to the top of the mountain and went to get off the chair and both of my skiis stoped when they hit the snow. I however kept moving. The bottom of my skies were textured like a football.
 

mriceyman

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How many AZ'ers HAVEN'T had a similar tumble happen to them over the years? Maybe not with that specific injury, but the wet snow tumble?

I know I had a double binding "over the handlebars" courtesy of a wet gun a few weeks ago - You've just got to be careful when skiing around a snowgun as their certainly can be some variability in the snow, even from gun to gun

Happened to me in poconoes .. They had whales lined up and i was jumping off em until i landed on the back side of onee.. Skis stuck and the first body part to hit snow was my helmet over 10' away.. Was pretty wild to see just a helmet mark then the rest of my body after that. Thanks god for a helmet


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legalskier

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Same thing happened to me and a buddy 15-20 years ago. We were going down a steep which led to a long flat traverse, so we were going fast when we got down to the flat. Problem was, there was a surface "fire hose" type gun sitting right there spewing out nice white snow, which looked good as we approached. Unfortunately, there was a lot of moisture underneath so both of us double ejected at high speed. He was shaken up. My thumb bent back severely and I was seeing stars.
I went down to the ski patrol office where they gave me an ice pack. My thumb still blew up to the size of an orange. I sometimes still feel it to this day. Never gave any thought to suing anybody-- just chalked it up to earning my "skier's thumb."
Now I give great leeway to those guns, and if I fall it's with closed fists. Live and learn.

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bdfreetuna

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and if I fall it's with closed fists.

If you fall, do not stick your arms out, especially if falling down hill. Good way to bust a collar bone or dislocate a shoulder as well (I should know)

Let your helmet do it's job and cross your arms over your chest. If you think your head might still take a hard hit, cross your arms right over your head. Once you hit the ground you can stick em out to help slow your slide.
 

Hawkshot99

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I had pretty much the exact opposite happen to my at Whiteface. I was going up the summit lift and they had a gun blowing directly at the chair. It was 9 degrees. Got to the top of the mountain and went to get off the chair and both of my skiis stoped when they hit the snow. I however kept moving. The bottom of my skies were textured like a football.

There is a "backcountry" spot that I used to frequent. It is a abandoned old ski mtn. At a functioning resort when a stream crosses the trails, they push snow in with the cat filling the gap. Little things like this are not thought of, untill you come across a stream that has not been filled in....
So I decided to ski down, and jump up in the air, and hopefully be able to clear it with momentum(only 2-3 ft wide, but down 2 ft from trail height.) I jumped and cleared the stream, but just clipped the edge of the ditch and fell down into the bottom. My skis were entirely under water, and when I threw them up onto the snowy bank they froze solid to the ground. I had to scrape all the snow off of the bases, as I was not able to slide with them on.
 

dlague

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If you fall, do not stick your arms out, especially if falling down hill. Good way to bust a collar bone or dislocate a shoulder as well (I should know)

Let your helmet do it's job and cross your arms over your chest. If you think your head might still take a hard hit, cross your arms right over your head. Once you hit the ground you can stick em out to help slow your slide.

My wife has been there done that and got 7 fractures on her humerus when the humerus head got driven into it. Except she landed on her elbow!
 
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