Skier-boarder safety

1/08 tahoe mt. news:

By Kathryn Reed

Ten years ago this month, Sonny Bono was skiing through the trees next to Orion’s run at Heavenly Mountain Resort. The 62-year-old congressman and former singer died from injuries related to striking a tree with his head.
“Every accident has its unique set of circumstances. Believe it or not, no two accidents are the same from the causes, even though they may have the same results, particularly where a single skier is involved,” said John Wagnon, vice president of marketing and sales for Heavenly.
Wagnon was working at the resort when the fatality occurred. Bono, a Republican from Palm Springs, frequented Heavenly several times a season.
“It has always been our approach to treat celebrities as any other customer. All our customers are celebrities in our mind,” Wagnon said. “Very rarely do they ask for special treatment.”
Some get preferential consideration, like when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shows up or Chelsea Clinton and her Secret Service entourage are in tow.
But the truth is famous people can die just as easily skiing as the average person. In fact, days before Bono’s Jan. 5, 1998, death, Michael Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died New Year’s Eve on the slopes of Aspen.
What about helmets?
Officials say a helmet would not have saved Bono’s life. Nonetheless, the trend in the ensuing decade has been to cover ones head with protective gear other than a beanie.
“Helmet use is going up. Unfortunately, there is no indication that it is reducing fatalities,” Wagnon said.
According to the National Ski Areas Association, about 40 percent of riders donned a helmet in the 2006-07 season, up from 38 percent from the previous year.
“There has been no significant reduction in fatalities over the past nine seasons even as the use of helmets overall has increased to more than 33 percent, and to as much as 40 percent within the population at greatest risk – experienced young adult male skiers and snowboarders,” the NSAA website says. “Most fatalities are due to multiple causes or injures. In incidents leading to death, it appears that the severity of the incident simply overwhelms the ability of the helmet to prevent death.”
Ski resorts don’t anticipate helmets becoming mandatory – even for kids. Enforcing it would be a nightmare. It’s not like the California bicycle helmet law where police officers can cite a person for violating the rules. Officers don’t patrol the slopes.
On average, about 37 people die each year on the slopes. Last year 22 deaths were reported, two of them at Heavenly. This equates to 0.40 deaths for every million skier-boarder visits.
Serious injuries, including paralysis, occur about 44 times a year or 0.73 times per million skier visits, according to the NSAA.
Father fights back
Dan Gregorie doesn’t want other parents to go through what his family has experienced. He said his 24-year-old snowboarding daughter, Jessica, died Super Bowl Sunday 2006 at Alpine Meadows as she carried her board across a traverse, slipped on icy conditions and fell over a cliff.
In November, he started the California Ski and Snowboard Safety Organization (www.calskisafety.org). He’s assembled an impressive board of directors. South Lake Tahoe orthopedic surgeon Terry Orr (who was unavailable for comment) is on it. He is joined by San Francisco Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who hasn’t walked since a skiing accident at Heavenly in 1981 when she was 13. Rep. Mary Bono, Sonny Bono’s widow who just remarried last month, is an advisor to the board.
“My real focus is No. 1 to help the public better understand the realities of ski resorts,” Gregorie told the Tahoe Mountain News. “There are no standards of safety, no oversight really in California, no ski safety statutes. There is no way to know which resort is safer than another. We are committed to work collaboratively with the ski industry.”
In the nearly two years he has had to gather information on the industry, Gregorie said he is surprised signage about dangerous conditions, obstacles and other issues is not universal among resorts. He questions the coding of runs. Most resorts use a green circle, blue square and black diamond meaning beginner, intermediate or advanced. But what one resort says is blue another may say is black.
“There is tremendous need for traffic management procedures,” Gregorie said. “We will never prevent all ski deaths and injuries. That is impossible. We can substantially reduce the number of serious accidents and deaths if we don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.”
South Shore policies
Heavenly requires those under age 13 in ski school to wear a helmet.
“If a parent refuses a helmet, they have to sign a waiver that they are refusing a helmet,” said Russ Pecoraro, resort spokesman.
Neither Kirkwood nor Sierra-at-Tahoe has such a rule. All three resorts will rent or sell a helmet to anyone who wants one.
“Overall, the biggest change in the industry is how much education the resorts put in front of skiers,” said Kirstin Cattell, spokeswoman at Sierra.
Each year during National Safety Awareness Week (Jan. 19-25), each South Shore resort focuses on the issue. But they also all say safety is an integral component each ski day. And all tout the Skier Responsibility Code that is printed on the back of most lift tickets and staggered on some poles that riders can read while on a lift.
Kirkwood embraces the various NSAA programs like lids on kids and sun safety.
“All the programs are really making a difference in educating people to be smart,” resort spokesman Allon Cohne said.
When Vail Resorts took over Heavenly six years ago, restraining bars were put on all the lifts. It’s optional to use them. The resort has a mountain safety division that is separate from ski patrol.
“They are out there every day making sure people are following the code, skiing appropriately for their surroundings and their ability and having fun and staying safe,” Pecoraro said.
Sierra has increased safety signage – like reminding people to lower the restraining bar. The mellow yellows program started at sister resort Northstar and has been implemented at Sierra this season. They are slow zones so people feel comfortable.
“Say a 12-year-old skier goes bombing by. Mountain safety will catch up with them. We are actually going to clock them with a radar gun,” Cattell said.