Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-09-01223/USCOURTS-ca10-09-01223-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Aspen Skiing Company
Appellee
Chris Robinette
Appellant

Document Text:

*

This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the doctrines of

law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its

persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.

**The Honorable Arthur L. Alarcón, Senior Circuit Judge, United States Court of

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting by designation.

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

January 25, 2010

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

TENTH CIRCUIT

CHRIS ROBINETTE,

Plaintiff - Appellant,

v.

ASPEN SKIING COMPANY, L.L.C., a

Colorado limited liability company.

Defendant - Appellee.

No. 09-1223

(D. Ct. No. 1:08-CV-00052-MSK-MJW)

(D. Colo.)

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Before TACHA, ALARCÓN,

** and TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judges.

Plaintiff-appellant Chris Robinette brought this action against Aspen Skiing

Company, L.L.C. (“Aspen”) seeking damages for injuries he sustained in a snowboarding

accident involving a snowmobile that was operated by an Aspen employee. The district

court granted Aspen’s motion for summary judgment because Mr. Robinette had entered

into an exculpatory agreement with Aspen and had assumed “all risks of skiing/riding.” 

Mr. Robinette now appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment, contending

Appellate Case: 09-1223 Document: 01018354703 Date Filed: 01/25/2010 Page: 1 
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that the exculpatory agreement is unenforceable because: (1) it purports to cover reckless

conduct; (2) it violates public policy; and (3) its terms are unclear and ambiguous.

Mr. Robinette did not raise a claim of recklessness in the district court; therefore,

he cannot do so on appeal absent extraordinary circumstances not present here. 

McDonald v. Kinder-Morgan, Inc., 287 F.3d 992, 999 (10th Cir. 2002). Furthermore, our

review of the record, the parties’ appellate materials, and the relevant legal authority

compels us to agree with the decision reached by the district court on Mr. Robinette’s

remaining claims. Accordingly, for the reasons articulated by the district court in its

order dated April 23, 2009, we AFFIRM.

ENTERED FOR THE COURT,

Deanell Reece Tacha

Circuit Judge

Appellate Case: 09-1223 Document: 01018354703 Date Filed: 01/25/2010 Page: 2