Ira Riklis discusses courtesy on the slopes

Ira Riklis discusses the seemingly lost art of courtesy on the ski slopes

When you consider the number of skiers and snowboarders on the slope at the same time, many traveling at high speed (myself included), it’s remarkable that people aren’t constantly crashing into one another. Especially if you consider the significant damage that can be inflicted on one skier by another, it becomes obvious that there needs to be both “rules of the road” and a high degree of courtesy and caution on the part of all involved. I have been crashed into several times by out of control skiers and each time I have suffered moderate injuries which necessitated taking days off from skiing. While this is a drag on my vacation time, it is much more so preferable to suffering serious injury.

One occurrence sticks out in my mind. I was in the back bowls of Vail on a beautiful sunny day coming into a funnel shaped section at the bottom of a large run. Funnels are particularly dangerous as skiers of all skill level and speed are forced into a small chute. Perhaps the most important rule of the road in skiing is that the downhill skier has the right of way. The reason for this should be obvious. While skiing, it is quite difficult to look behind you and therefore to see the uphill traffic coming your way. Conversely, the uphill skier easily surveys all the downhill traffic below and in front of them. Therefore it is the responsibility of the uphill skier to avoid the downhill skiers that he/she sees below. (To be continued…)