Safe Skiing News Today

Colorado rejects effort to require ski areas to report injuries Durango, Colorado Currently Sun 26% chance of precipitation 2% chance of precipitation 8% chance of precipitation Senate Bill 184 would have forced resorts to be transparent Thursday, April 15, 2021 7:34 PM Ski patrollers tend to an injured skier in Vail’s Game Creek Bowl on Dec. 11. Jason Blevins/The Colorado Sun Colorado rejects effort to require ski areas to report injuries Ski pat...

KUNC A bill before lawmakers this week would require Colorado ski resorts to publicly report injury and fatality statistics, a measure that’s being met with strong resistance from the ski industry and its backers. Proponents say such a law would force resorts to be more accountable for safety problems. “The bill is a fairly straightforward approach to try and find out where there are problem areas that are causing significant safety concerns,” said Jessie Danielson, D-Jefferson County, on...

Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun More than 4,100 skiers and snowboarders were transported to emergency rooms in ambulances or helicopters across 2018, 2019 and the first part of 2020, which is about 10 patients every day of the season. Chris Arnis was with his crew, carving spring snow on his home hill. It was a good Sunday for the lifelong skier.   It was a little shy of 4 p.m., March 15, 2015, when it happened. Arnis, a ski coach in Steamboat Springs, hit some deep ruts where a speed-contro...

Up to 55 injured skiers and snowboarders arrive at Colorado ERs each day Durango, Colorado Currently Fri 2% chance of precipitation 1% chance of precipitation 1% chance of precipitation More than 4,100 transported across 2018, 2019 and the first part of 2020 Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020 5:14 PM Jason Blevins/The Colorado Sun Ski patrollers tend to an injured skier in Vail’s Game Creek Bowl on Dec. 11, 2020. Up to 55 injured skiers and snowboarders arrive at Colorado...

For years, Westword has reported on the dearth of information about ski accidents thats publicly available. Like winter resorts across the country, ski areas in Colorado tend to release as few details as possible about injuries and deaths on the slopes, in part because theres no legislation compelling them to do so — and the Colorado Snow Safety Act of 1979 largely absolves operators from liability should anyone get hurt or killed. Now, however, a recently formed organization called Safe Sl...