Whistler, British Columbia — One of the most popular gripes against Vail Resorts is that they are too strict on their speed enforcement. So it may surprise people that some guests of North America’s biggest ski resort are calling for more enforcement.
Pique NewsMagazine reports that a Whistler skier has started a Change.com petition to call on Vail Resorts to improve skier safety, among other properties in the portfolio. As of Wednesday, the petition has gained over 1,300 signatures.
The petition calls for more employees to enforce safe speeds down the mountain, better enforcement of the Alpine Responsibility Code, instructing younger instructors to step their students from sending it, setting up speed traps, and having Vail Resorts consider releasing accident data. If someone goes too fast, they want Vail Resorts to revoke their pass privileges.
The organizer of the petition is Dr. Christina Williams. The Vancouverite is a frequent skier at Whistler Blackcomb. However, her views on this past season were negative because she was run on three separate instances. Her third and final collision resulted in her breaking her leg and ankle. Despite sending messages to Whistler’s team, they sent back prompted responses.
“I can understand if I fell on a difficult run but this [accident] was totally avoidable,” said Williams to NewsMagazine. “I was skiing in my little line and to be sent flying from behind has massive consequences. It’s like a highway that doesn’t have police monitoring.”
Another supporter of the cause is Daniel Friedmann, who has seen an uptick of skiers straighlining it down the slopes. He accuses Vail of promoting Epic Passes and alcohol upsales over safety practices.
“The whole culture of the company used to be very safety-oriented,” said Friedmann. “They don’t have the right safety culture in that company. It just stopped.”
Vail has faced criticism of its safety standards, including a few lawsuits over injuries at Colorado ski resorts (particularly Breckenridge and Crested Butte) and a reported rise in thefts at Stevens Pass. However, they’ve also faced criticism from the general skiing community directed at the Mountain Safety employees, who monitor people’s speeds in slow zones. One of the most notable cases of this was when snowboarding YouTuber Johnathan Buckhouse got his pass pulled for allegedly going too fast at Keystone. While there definitely appears to be an argument for more enforcement, you know that there’s a group of people who will complain about the new workers.
“Our mountains welcome skiers and riders of all ages and abilities, and we are deeply committed to ensuring that every visit is enjoyable, comfortable, and safe,” said Belinda Trembath, COO of Whistler Blackcomb. “We ask all guests to adhere to the Alpine Responsibility Code, and safety personnel reinforce this on our slopes.”
You can view the petition here.
Image/Video Credits: Benjamin Hayward, Rise & Alpine, Whistler Blackcomb
