From: johnf@Auspex.COM (John Fereira)
Newsgroups: rec.skiing
Subject: Re: Danged Responsibility Code
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:48:09 GMT
Organization: Auspex Systems, Inc.

In article <25810@castle.ed.ac.uk> miked@uk.ac.ed writes:
>In <14599@auspex-gw.auspex.com> johnf@Auspex.COM (John Fereira) writes:
|
|>I think that was his point.  I don't know how many time I've skied over
|>a knoll and come across someone just beyond it.  An advance skier would
|>be able to avoid that person. Someone with lesser abilities, but one with
|>probably enough skills to ski repsponsibly on that slope might not.  
|
|I just don't agree that this is skiing responsibly.  As you say there
|can be people beyond knolls.  Sometimes those people are there because
|they have fallen and not because they are waiting for friends or
|resting.  This can mean you do alot of damage to them.
 
I agree.  The point is "if you have the choice" it is iresponsible to stop
on a place on the hill where you aren't visible from above.  It is just
as irresponsible to go flying over the top of a knoll without checking your
speed such that if there *is* someone beyond the knoll, whether they
have fallen or not, you could hit them.

|As far as limiting beginners and advanced skiers to certain areas goes. 
|All I can say is I hope this kind of garbage does not become common here
|in Europe.  Beginners have to be able to get better.  The way they do
|this is by going up slopes that are so hard they fall occasionally and
|go out of control for short periods.  Everyone does this.

When I was nine years old my father bought my brother and I a motorcycle.
It was set up as a dirt bike and we went riding almost every weekend in
the mud.  He said, "If you don't fall, you aren't learning".  This is also
true for skiing.  You have to challenge yourself, and fall as a result.  The
key, however, is to recognize your limits and push them such that you are
not endangering yourself or others.  Nobody benefits when you ski a run
the is *way* beyond your ability to ski.  

|The main
|thing that matters is that you never go out of control near anyone. 
|Achieve this by slowing down when near people.

The type of skier that I was objecting to is pretty much unable to slow
down on the type of terrain I'm talking about.  They're not skiing the
slope by my definition of the word.  When they get down to the lodge and
tell their buddies that they "skied" the expert slope they're really 
stretching the definition of skiing.

|Oh yes and I actually find that people waiting just before the start of
|the steep bit on a slope tends to mean they always leave in bunches and
|so helps improve conditions further down.  Just take advantage of
|conditions as they happen and you will have no problems with the
|beginners.

You pick an interesting situation of a run where a group of people are
waiting before a steep bit.  When I'm skiing a run like I watch closely
at what people are doing, check my speed such that when I reach where I
can see below, and they either stop, or yell coming through/on your 
left/right or whatever and continue down.  I find that by maintaining my
progress down the hill I can avoid other people on that steep section 
simply because I'm skiing it faster and will get by them quicker, than if
I stopped at the top of the hill and started down with the rest of them.
When it gets crowded, I take my time, pick my spots and pretty much avoid
and possibility of collisions.  As a better skier I have the advantage of
having the option of taking more routes down a slope.  A beginner skier
will usually attempt the easiest route.  Since I have a greater number
of choices in the routes I take I take a greater responsibility for 
avoiding a collision.

Finally, I am in now way suggesting that beginner or intermediates should
be restricted from skiing more advanced slopes.  I will not, however, 
condone irresponsible skiing, and I feel that in most cases skiing on
a hill beyond your ability is irresponsible.

-- 
+==========================================================================+
| John Fereira     | Auspex Systems | "Auspex does not share my opinions.  |
| johnf@auspex.com | Santa Clara CA |  So Why am I still working here?"    |
+==========================================================================+