Ground breaking Swiss research

Ian Wickham wrote:
I do not believe that you can be totally aware of your surroundings, hence you are a danger to your self and other people, last year a skier skied over the tails of my daughter's skis just think how dangerous that could have been if the skier had a distraction like an ipod.
You ise may be a very talented person and skier who can cope with the loss of one his senses, but there are some idiots out there who might think it's very cool to ski with an ipod without a care to the damage that can be done to them selves and other people.
Next time your out and about in the street just check out the people with ipods walking the streets are they totally aware of what is happening around them, answer no.

I don't want to get at you personally, you're just reflecting a widely held opinion but I read that you not being able to identify any reason it's dangerous.

What I actually I think is the most dangerous people on the slopes are those who have not correctly identified risks or have unrealistic strategies to deal with it. I don't want to flog a dead horse but if anyone thinks they can hear a skier behind them, identify their location, speed and intention they're mistaken, it's ski equivalent of tailgating someone, you really can't brake fast enough to defeat braking distances. The strategy also isn't going to work if the snows a bit softer and/or the skier is carving nicely without scraping and rattling around.

If you want to be safe the best two pieces of advice are

1) move in a predictable manner, don't make it hard for anyone behind you to avoid you, I know that might be awkward in some terrain if you're struggling but it'll make you a better skier as well.
2) look around, be like the police advanced driver have a picture in your mind of all the hazards around you, the skier at the side of the slope in front who might set off into your path, the beginner in front who might fall or miss a turn, who's behind and how quick they're going. The advanced driver is supposed to be able to give a running commentary of that sort of thing, try it skiing in your head of course )

ise wrote:

If you want to be safe the best two pieces of advice are

1) move in a predictable manner, don't make it hard for anyone behind you to avoid you, I know that might be awkward in some terrain if you're struggling but it'll make you a better skier as well.
2) look around, be like the police advanced driver have a picture in your mind of all the hazards around you, the skier at the side of the slope in front who might set off into your path, the beginner in front who might fall or miss a turn, who's behind and how quick they're going. The advanced driver is supposed to be able to give a running commentary of that sort of thing, try it skiing in your head of course )

Which is all fine and theoretical. However out in the real world, "other people" can be pretty reckless. If I had applied your theory to my stay in the toilet that goes by the name of Val Thorens, I would have most likely stayed in my poxy little apt. As it turned out I was hit very hard by someone who must have been skiing with their eyes shut. Oh, and I was looking around, since I'd lost the OH, however, since around 30% of the slope users were moving in all directions, 30% stationary and the rest simply trying to stand on their skis, he was as hard to spot as the loony woman that hit me.
These days, if I find anyone too close behind me, I pull up and let them go by, especially if they have fallen into the same turn pattern as me. I also avoid large French resorts that attract groups of low skill, high speed skiers.

bandit wrote:
Which is all fine and theoretical. However out in the real world, "other people" can be pretty reckless.

I know you've been hit by someone but you know I'm going to quote accident statistics that show your chances of being of hit by someone skiing are really remote.

Good advice to help people get past if they're too close though.

ise wrote:
I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Mystic Rhythms - Rush (Mystic rhythms -- capture my thoughts and carry them away)
Sinnerman (Stereo) - Nina Simone (runner-up)
The Unforgiven II - Metallica
Broken - Unkle
The Beginning of the Twist - The Futureheads (winner in the "dropping in" category)
Look To Your Orb For The Warning - Monster Magnet (the mountain screamed three times today)
Everything Is Borrowed - The Streets (winner of the chilling on the chair category)
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica (it really doesn't)
The Escapist - The Streets

Is that Broken-Unkle ? Don't want to listening to that while skiing. Sounds more like a tune for the blood wagon.

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:
Which is all fine and theoretical. However out in the real world, "other people" can be pretty reckless.

I know you've been hit by someone but you know I'm going to quote accident statistics that show your chances of being of hit by someone skiing are really remote.

Good advice to help people get past if they're too close though.

Well, I have also been hit from behind big time in L2A, on the black run to the "Village" complex. Proper yard sale, and gouges across the back of my K2's right behind the rear bindings.
My OH thinks that I'm a prat magnet, and I suppose that screws up your statistics :mrgreen:

Still, statistically, if you ski with me, you will be less likely to get the eejits heading for you :roll:

hymac580 wrote:
Is that Broken-Unkle ? Don't want to listening to that while skiing. Sounds more like a tune for the blood wagon.

that's the one.

We're miles adrift we're inches apart......

UNKLE-Reign is an awesome tune.

ise wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:
I do not believe that you can be totally aware of your surroundings, hence you are a danger to your self and other people, last year a skier skied over the tails of my daughter's skis just think how dangerous that could have been if the skier had a distraction like an ipod.
You ise may be a very talented person and skier who can cope with the loss of one his senses, but there are some idiots out there who might think it's very cool to ski with an ipod without a care to the damage that can be done to them selves and other people.
Next time your out and about in the street just check out the people with ipods walking the streets are they totally aware of what is happening around them, answer no.

I don't want to get at you personally, you're just reflecting a widely held opinion but I read that you not being able to identify any reason it's dangerous.

What I actually I think is the most dangerous people on the slopes are those who have not correctly identified risks or have unrealistic strategies to deal with it. I don't want to flog a dead horse but if anyone thinks they can hear a skier behind them, identify their location, speed and intention they're mistaken, it's ski equivalent of tailgating someone, you really can't brake fast enough to defeat braking distances. The strategy also isn't going to work if the snows a bit softer and/or the skier is carving nicely without scraping and rattling around.

If you want to be safe the best two pieces of advice are

1) move in a predictable manner, don't make it hard for anyone behind you to avoid you, I know that might be awkward in some terrain if you're struggling but it'll make you a better skier as well.
2) look around, be like the police advanced driver have a picture in your mind of all the hazards around you, the skier at the side of the slope in front who might set off into your path, the beginner in front who might fall or miss a turn, who's behind and how quick they're going. The advanced driver is supposed to be able to give a running commentary of that sort of thing, try it skiing in your head of course )

In my argument ise I have not once mentioned about hearing, it has been about distraction, look at it this way if your in the back country with ipod playing , you possibly are not coming contact with anybody, but if you are skiing the piste then you are coming in direct contact with a lot more people, my fear is that the piste will become a more dangerous place as more people ski with ipods, sorry Ross or mp3 players.