The etiquette of passing (on skis)

[abc]

There’re many ways to pass, for example:

1. Just look for space, pass and gone like the wind. Beginners may got startled a but. But they’ll get over it.
2. Scream “get out of my way” as I’m borderline out of control. Can’t be helped as I’m where I shouldn’t be.
3. Pass close by and immediately turn in front of them. Better yet, pull a hockey stop right in front of the person you just passed.

All the #1’s, we typically don’t remember.
The #2’s, I do my best to get out of their way (or better yet, go to other trails or some place those kind don’t ski)
What do you say to all the #3s? Had that happened to me TWICE yesterday! All in the lower mountain approaching the base.

 

[ss20]

Doing my first skiing on a weekend since December (at Killington nonetheless) made me think about this topic a lot. I pass people and leave them their lane open for a reasonable amount of time before I take advantage of "downhill skier has the right of way" clause and start doing my own thing.

How about lift riding etiquette? I almost got taken out twice getting off the lift this weekend.

 

[abc]

I confess, on one of the instance, the “passer” who cut in front of my “lane” somehow found his ribs connected with my elbow (as I, and my elbow, had no place to go except “into” his side/rib)

 

[trackbiker]

Does anyone say, "On your left" or "On your right" anymore when passing? Do beginners even know what that means anymore? I found that when I say that when passing someone they are more likely to turn to the side I called instead of the opposite way that I called. :roll:

 

[skiur]

Does anyone say, "On your left" or "On your right" anymore when passing? Do beginners even know what that means anymore? I found that when I say that when passing someone they are more likely to turn to the side I called instead of the opposite way that I called. :roll:

I like to smack my poles together to alert people that I am coming by, Yelling on your right or left seems to confuse people as it seems not everyone can tell their right from left anymore so sometimes you say on your right and the person you are passing turns to their right or vive versa. SMacking my poles together alerts them that someone is coming but most of the time they just stick to their line and I can pass them on whichever side seems to be safer.

 

[drjeff]

Does anyone say, "On your left" or "On your right" anymore when passing? Do beginners even know what that means anymore? I found that when I say that when passing someone they are more likely to turn to the side I called instead of the opposite way that I called. :roll:

I generally do, and then proceed to pass with as wide a berth as feasible and not at warp speed. I tend to also try and gauge how the person I'm wanting to pass is using the trail, and sometimes if they're not going full width, I can safely pass, without having to say anything as I am far enough away while passing.

I pretty much look at it like if I was the person being passed, would I feel comfortable being passed the way I'm thinking about passing the person currently in front of me, and if so, I will do so, If not, I'll probably just slow down a bit and wait for a better, safer chance/location to pass.

The bigger issue I find though in crowds, especially on steeps, is people (often lower skilled people) following too closely! Stems from an incident about 8 years ago when I had someone who didn't have nearly the skill set to be on the steep trail we were both on, basically tailgating me, and then he lost an edge and slid into me and took me out, where my head went from the uphill side "over the top" to the downhill side and smacked the downhill mogul pretty hard. That was also the moment where I decided that I would never ski with headphones in, as I want to be able to hear, if the wind conditions allow, if I have someone behind me

 

[ss20]

Does anyone say, "On your left" or "On your right" anymore when passing? Do beginners even know what that means anymore? I found that when I say that when passing someone they are more likely to turn to the side I called instead of the opposite way that I called. :roll:

I call out on your left/right all the time on a cat-track. I find if you do it on a trail when people are actually skiing it just spooks them.

I too have started clanging my poles together if I'm exiting from the woods, or traversing across a trail.

 

[abc]

It's one thing to pass with wide margin, it's something else to immediately cut right in front of the person you just passed!!!

(both cases were on relatively flat and slow section of trail, no compelling reason to change direction immediately after passing)

 

[Domeskier]

If I'm ever close enough to someone to point out my relative position to them, I'll just slow down and wait for a better opportunity to pass. I don't expect other skiers to have implicit faith in the navigational abilities of someone they can't see who is screaming at them from behind about where they think they are headed on a twisting mountain trail.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I like to smack my poles together to alert people that I am coming by

 

[BenedictGomez]

If I'm ever close enough to someone to point out my relative position to them, I'll just slow down and wait for a better opportunity to pass.

This is what I do too. I also access the abilities of the person downhill as that's important in the calculus.

 

[skiur]

Care to elaborate?

 

[Glenn]

I had some guy clip my skis this weekend as I was skating across some flat terrain near a lift. A little notice that he was approaching would have been nice.

 

[Domeskier]

This is what I do too. I also access the abilities of the person downhill as that's important in the calculus.

Yep, that too. Maybe it's living in Manhattan, but hearing someone yell "on your left/right" usually sounds more like a threat than a courtesy to me. Like someone yelling "excuse me" on a crowded subway platform, where it's basically seen as a license to shove you on the tracks if you don't make way quickly enough.

 

[Ol Dirty Noodle]

Yep, that too. Maybe it's living in Manhattan, but hearing someone yell "on your left/right" usually sounds more like a threat than a courtesy to me. Like someone yelling "excuse me" on a crowded subway platform, where it's basically seen as a license to shove you on the tracks if you don't make way quickly enough.

Fuck you didn’t fall on the tracks did you??? I just wanted you to skim off the incoming train[emoji2373] lol

 

[Domeskier]

Fuck you didn’t fall on the tracks did you??? I just wanted you to skim off the incoming train[emoji2373] lol

Got jumped by some rats down there too!

 

[John9]

I ski weekdays most of the time, so this is not much of an issue. When I do see someone downhill, I pass far and wide, mostly in the opposite direction they are turning. I am gone far downhill before they knew I was there.

I am usually doing about 50 MPH, or more, I don't take any chance passing close.

 

[ss20]

I ski weekdays most of the time, so this is not much of an issue. When I do see someone downhill, I pass far and wide, mostly in the opposite direction they are turning. I am gone far downhill before they knew I was there.

I am usually doing about 50 MPH, or more, I don't take any chance passing close.

I'm not sure that's even possible at most hills in the East without straightlining.

 

[John9]

That's what the ski tracks says. I don't straight line, I make turns, changing direction, but not reducing speed. I am the only one on the trail. I always do a reckon run to check conditions. I don't ski or pass anyone close.

The one time I got passed, cut off this season was close call. Got sprayed with snow, he had to have been under 1 foot away, cutting in front of me. Pretty sure it would have wiped out less experienced skier/rider.

 

[abc]

The one time I got passed, cut off this season was close call. Got sprayed with snow, he had to have been under 1 foot away, cutting in front of me. Pretty sure it would have wiped out less experienced skier/rider.

That's my main beef!

I don't ski that fast. So sometimes others pass me. No problem there as long as they give sufficient space. Or even if not all that much space, just NOT cutting in front of my path right after passing!!!