The ski mountain should be a place of calm and enjoyment, not a place of yelling and fighting. Unfortunately we all know that that’s not always the case, and simple slip-ups can lead to heated shouting matches if the wrong people are involved. The snowboarder filming this video at New Zealand’s Coronet Peak was absolutely in the wrong at first, but the “who’s at fault” question becomes a bit more ambiguous as the clip goes on.
Heated New Zealand Ski Encounter
Everyone on the slopes at this point should know that the downhill skier has the right of way. If you are passing someone at a high speed, you give them plenty of space, and if you’re involved in a crash you stay put and wait for ski patrol. Yes, that’s true in New Zealand too. This snowboarder very nearly collided with a skier below him while trying to pass. In fact it looks like his snowboard may have hit the guy’s skis. Then he doesn’t even stop to apologize, instead passing slowly as he says “sorry mate” and continuing down the trail as the skier tries to get him to stop. Up to that point, there’s no doubt that it’s nobody’s fault but the snowboarders.
Things get a little more intense after that. The skier manages to get in front of the snowboarder and charges at him on the flats, pushing and colliding with him while trying to get him to stop. Pushing, getting in his face, pulling at his equipment, even seeming to punch the guy, none of it is a great way to handle the situation. That said, the snowboarder still acts quite smug and refuses to discuss the situation further, simply telling the guy to get out of his face.
The skier definitely needed to calm down, but this snowboarder is also absolutely in the wrong from the beginning to the end. Don’t be a tool, pass with plenty of space, and don’t attack people on the mountain. The skier should have just approached ski patrol and explained what happened rather than trying to deal with it himself, and the snowboarder should have slowed down and passed with more caution. So what do you think, who’s really in the wrong in this situation?