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CHAPTER 3

About Ski Areas

Choosing where to go usually means going to the most convenient area, but be sure they permit snowboard skiing. (Snowboard skiing is the term preferred by the National Ski Areas Association, a member of the United Ski Industries Association—USIA.) Ninety percent of all ski areas accept snowboard skiers. If your options are open, use the considerations listed below to help you choose your location. Look for these features if you want to minimize your time waiting in lift lines and maximize your time on the slopes. It is always educational—and great fun—to check out new ski areas.

Select a ski area that:

♦ is not near a town built solely as a resort

♦ is not near a big city

♦ is not famous (for anything)

♦ has no interstate highway nearby

♦ has no railroads or sizeable airports nearby

♦ has other big resorts nearby

♦ has recently increased its lift capacity

The more you know about a ski area, the greater your enjoyment. The following information quoted from the USIA Skier Education Action Kit will help you better understand what to expect and how to behave on the slopes.

The four symbols illustrated here (see p. 24) comprise the standard international trail marking system. It is extremely important to keep in mind that these symbols describe the relative degree of challenge of that slope or trail compared with all other trails at that particular ski area. Therefore, it is always a good idea to start off on the “Easiest” trail when you visit a new ski area, then progress to the “More Difficult” as you get a feel for the area’s general degree of difficulty. Never head straight for the trails marked “Most Difficult.”

Figure 4. Trail marking symbols

The ability to do one black diamond trail does not guarantee that you can do all black diamond trails.

Know Your Mountain

When going to a ski area for the first time, get a trail map and keep it in your pocket for quick reference. A trail map will show you where the various runs and lifts are located and will give you an indication of the degree of challenge on each slope or trail. The map and international trail marking symbols will help you make responsible choices of which portions of the mountain are right for your ability. Keep in mind the day’s weather and snow conditions when selecting your runs, as these can have an impact on how much you enjoy a particular run on a given day. Match your desire for challenge with the prevailing conditions.

Skier’s Responsibility Code

If you see a snowboarder (or anyone else) flagrantly ignoring this code, common sense, or any other rules of etiquette, tactfully stop them or report them before it is too late.

Read and figure out the reasons for each of the rules listed in the code.

The Snow Factor

Snowmaking and snowgrooming are essential for providing snow surface dependability, a longer ski season for you to enjoy, and generally improving the quality of the snowboarding. You may find yourself scraping off icy glasses or goggles or with a spectacular frosted beard if you go under a snow gun. Therefore, extra caution and control are especially important around snowmaking equipment. Remain as far away from equipment as possible; or otherwise move through the wet spray area with extreme caution. Avoid, for example, snowguns, hoses, hydrants, pipes and valving stations. Visibility may be impaired when snow is being made. Slow down considerably. The machine-made snow surface can vary greatly. Sometimes the snow is wet, sometimes dry.

Also, be on the alert for snow vehicles used for slope maintenance. They may approach from any direction. When you see one coming, stop, wait for it to pass, and only then continue down the trail.

Snowmaking and snowgrooming do not make snowboarding safer. They simply make the snow last longer and provide a more dependable surface.

Figure 5

Snowboarding at Ski Areas

Points to Remember

♦ You will get off to a better start if you do some stretching and take a few warm-up runs on easier terrain first.

♦ Avoid crowded packs of skiers. This is especially important when negotiating tracks or cat-walks, and doubly so if they are icy. No matter how expert you become, you will not have poles. A board will tend to keep going on a nightmare-like path, or at least an embarrassing one, if you do not have room to maneuver. Furthermore, skiers are unpredictable. Always look ahead so you can avoid putting yourself in a tight situation.

♦ Don’t go snowboarding through a ski school or so close to beginning skiers that you scare them. That is a good way to lose your lift ticket. The same goes for official race courses unless you are a participant.

♦ If your actions cause snowboarding to be banned at a ski resort, you may lose more than your privileges when other snowboarders find out who was responsible.

Some Final Safety Items

Trying to stop a runaway ski or board is dangerous. Shout a warning to those below.

If you should come upon, or be involved in, an accident on the slopes, you should do several things. First, alert other skiers by sticking crossed skis or the board uphill above the site. Next, note the exact location and the color of the parka the victim is wearing. Send another person or a passerby with this information to the nearest lift operator so the ski patrol can be notified. Finally, do not move a seriously injured victim. Simply try to keep him or her warm.

Ski Lifts and Snowboards

All lifts, except enclosed ones like gondolas or trams, require that you have the board strapped to your front foot and have your rear foot free for pushing around. You must be able to move while loading and unloading from lifts. Some areas and lift operators will let you take the time to clip your rear foot in before taking a surface drag tow, particularly T-bars.

It is important to realize that having one leg free leaves the leg still attached to the board in extreme peril. When you are moving slowly, as in a lift line, there is no danger. When you are moving rapidly, as when riding a T-Bar or a platter (poma/pony) lift or sliding down the off-loading ramp of a chair lift, you must be extra careful. You must keep your free leg firmly on the board just in front of the rear binding. Having a non-skid pad between the bindings is best. Never take your foot off the board while riding, especially in an attempt to prevent a fall. Doing so has been known to cause broken wrists, ankles, and legs. You can easily sprain your knee when your attached leg is badly wrenched.