Skier's Left. Right?

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

Perhaps a silly question for someone who's been strapping on skis for over 28 years, but there's always confusion about this. Plus, I don't really care where I'm going as long as I'm heading down and quickly.

What is skier's left vs. skier's right? Is it from the vantage point of a person pointing down the fall-line or from someone looking up at the hill?

 

[Strat]

"Skier's" indicates the point of view of someone skiing down the slope, as opposed to someone hiking up.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

From the skier's perspective going down the fall line.

Skier's left is looker's right.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skier's Left/Right????

I really don't think people know their left from their right. I can't tell you how often I have LOUDLY YELLED OUT: "ON YOUR LEFT" and had someone pull to the left directly into my path!!!!

 

[Vano]

From the skier's perspective going down the fall line.

Skier's left is looker's right.

What if im skiing switch down the fall line? Is my skier's right now the same as hicker's right? Tricky Tricky!

 

[dmc]

Re: Skier's Left/Right????

I really don't think people know their left from their right. I can't tell you how often I have LOUDLY YELLED OUT: "ON YOUR LEFT" and had someone pull to the left directly into my path!!!!

Maybe they are dyslexic like me... I have to think about left and right sometimes..

 

[bvibert]

Re: Skier's Left/Right????

I really don't think people know their left from their right. I can't tell you how often I have LOUDLY YELLED OUT: "ON YOUR LEFT" and had someone pull to the left directly into my path!!!!

Maybe they are dyslexic like me... I have to think about left and right sometimes..

Or it could be that people simply mis-understand you and think you said "Move to your left" or something. Maybe they're just not paying attention to you. Most people are having a hard enough time getting down the hill and navigate the things in front of them, let alone trying to pay attention to what someone behind them may be saying...

 

[ctenidae]

Which way is left when you're yardsaled all over the slope? I'm going to guess it's uphill, where you left your skis, hat, goggles and poles.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Re: Skier's Left/Right????

I really don't think people know their left from their right. I can't tell you how often I have LOUDLY YELLED OUT: "ON YOUR LEFT" and had someone pull to the left directly into my path!!!!

Maybe they are dyslexic like me... I have to think about left and right sometimes..

Or it could be that people simply mis-understand you and think you said "Move to your left" or something. Maybe they're just not paying attention to you. Most people are having a hard enough time getting down the hill and navigate the things in front of them, let alone trying to pay attention to what someone behind them may be saying...

You could be right about them thinking I said: "Move to your left." I have to say, I still have pretty loud "coaching voice" from many years of coaching soccer. I never had a forward tell me he (or she) didn't hear me from the bench. I just wish that they would simply not change direction at all when I pass them. I do observe their patterns as I overtake them and try to guess their next move. But, as you said, they are probably doing their best just to make it down the mountain and often just go where the mountain "tells" them due to lack of skill.

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

It also can be the natural tendency to turn in the direction you tell them you're coming from. When you yell "on your left" the skier naturally looks over their left shoulder which causes them to rotate their body to the left and veer into your path. The same thing happens on a road bike.

It is the passing skier's responsibility to avoid contact, therefore, I think you are better off making sure you have plenty of room to pass and do so quickly and quietly so as not to startle the other skier. If you do startle them, then there wasn't enough room to pass.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skier's Left/Right

It also can be the natural tendency to turn in the direction you tell them you're coming from. When you yell "on your left" the skier naturally looks over their left shoulder which causes them to rotate their body to the left and veer into your path. The same thing happens on a road bike.

It is the passing skier's responsibility to avoid contact, therefore, I think you are better off making sure you have plenty of room to pass and do so quickly and quietly so as not to startle the other skier. If you do startle them, then there wasn't enough room to pass.

And, it is especially easy to "startle them" when they are wearing a set of earphones cranked to 100db so that they are totally out of touch with the rest of the world!

 

[dmc]

Re: Skier's Left/Right

It also can be the natural tendency to turn in the direction you tell them you're coming from. When you yell "on your left" the skier naturally looks over their left shoulder which causes them to rotate their body to the left and veer into your path. The same thing happens on a road bike.

It is the passing skier's responsibility to avoid contact, therefore, I think you are better off making sure you have plenty of room to pass and do so quickly and quietly so as not to startle the other skier. If you do startle them, then there wasn't enough room to pass.

And, it is especially easy to "startle them" when they are wearing a set of earphones cranked to 100db so that they are totally out of touch with the rest of the world!

When my headphones are on and I'm blasting tunes... I just keep a straight line...

It's the uphill skiers responsibility to figure out a way around me.. And I usually only get passed when I'm on a "runout" where people should not be skiing too fast to being with...

 

[tirolerpeter]

Re: Skier's Left/Right

It also can be the natural tendency to turn in the direction you tell them you're coming from. When you yell "on your left" the skier naturally looks over their left shoulder which causes them to rotate their body to the left and veer into your path. The same thing happens on a road bike.

It is the passing skier's responsibility to avoid contact, therefore, I think you are better off making sure you have plenty of room to pass and do so quickly and quietly so as not to startle the other skier. If you do startle them, then there wasn't enough room to pass.

And, it is especially easy to "startle them" when they are wearing a set of earphones cranked to 100db so that they are totally out of touch with the rest of the world!

When my headphones are on and I'm blasting tunes... I just keep a straight line...

It's the uphill skiers responsibility to figure out a way around me.. And I usually only get passed when I'm on a "runout" where people should not be skiing too fast to being with...

I guess this response was inevitable.

 

[dmc]

Re: Skier's Left/Right

It also can be the natural tendency to turn in the direction you tell them you're coming from. When you yell "on your left" the skier naturally looks over their left shoulder which causes them to rotate their body to the left and veer into your path. The same thing happens on a road bike.

It is the passing skier's responsibility to avoid contact, therefore, I think you are better off making sure you have plenty of room to pass and do so quickly and quietly so as not to startle the other skier. If you do startle them, then there wasn't enough room to pass.

And, it is especially easy to "startle them" when they are wearing a set of earphones cranked to 100db so that they are totally out of touch with the rest of the world!

When my headphones are on and I'm blasting tunes... I just keep a straight line...

It's the uphill skiers responsibility to figure out a way around me.. And I usually only get passed when I'm on a "runout" where people should not be skiing too fast to being with...

I guess this response was inevitable.

As is yours...