Responsibility Code # 1
ALWAYS STAY IN CONTROL
It is every skier's individual responsibility to maintain control at all times. This is the number one rule of safe skiing and riding.
Read all trail signs and choose trails within your ability. Pay attention to your surroundings. Choose trails with snow conditions in which you are comfortable. Be aware of changing snow conditions. A soft snow trail in the morning could become hard and fast by the end of the day. A trail that began the morning groomed may have several inches of snow on it by lunch. If you ever find yourself facing trail conditions that are beyond your ability, please do not proceed. Request Ski Patrol assistance.
As a skier or snowboarder, we all know when we lose control. As Mountain Safety Hosts monitoring slopes, it is more difficult to judge others as being in control or not. If you collide with a fixed object or another person, you are clearly not in control.
If a Host witnesses a collision, they will intervene. The purpose of this intervention is to educate those involved on the responsibility to maintain control. When guests are unaware of this responsibility and are not receptive to our on-snow education, they may have their skiing or riding privileges revoked. Also, if a guest demonstrates a history of collisions, they will have their pass pulled. When passes are pulled, those guests will be enrolled in a Safety Education Class that must be successfully completed before returning to the slopes.
If you are involved in a collision with another person, you have duties under County and State Law. "Stay and render assistance such as warding off other skiers while waiting for aid or contacting resort staff to request Patrol aid if necessary" (Hood River County Ordinance 140).
Even without any injury, we want to know about and document collisions between guests regardless of injury. Oregon law requires skiers (and riders) to report accidents to the ski area before leaving (ORS 30.985).
Please, ski in control at all times.