Safety First Mantra Highlighted At Colorado Ski Resorts

Safety First Mantra Highlighted At Colorado Ski Resorts

Safety Week Features Knowing the Code Giveaways, Safety Events, and Artistic Showcases

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(L-R) Aspen Highlands by Michael Neumann, Telluride, Arapahoe Basin

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) and its 22 member resorts, in conjunction with the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), have teamed up to promote National Safety Awareness Week, which begins tomorrow, January 14, and runs through January 21.

With fresh snow on the mountains from the past week, CSCUSA member resorts across the state will host events, clinics and other activities designed to educate and remind skiers and riders of the importance of slope safety. These programs, promotions and prizes motivate safe skiing and riding behavior, and highlight the Skier Responsibility Code and various resort safety measures.

“This week reinforces the value of safety that our member resorts prioritize for our consumers,” said Melanie Mills, CSCUSA president and CEO. “Guest safety is number one at our resorts and this week is an excellent chance to refresh awareness about skiing and snowboarding responsibly, which is the best way for everyone to enjoy a day on the slopes.”

For CSCUSA member resorts, every week is safety week as resorts have safety measures in place permanently during the season. Examples of how resorts raise awareness about safety include providing information about snow safety and avalanches, educating guests about helmet use, posting reminders about proper hydration and sunscreen use, and designating slow skiing zones. 

Ultimately, it is the responsible behavior of skiers and riders that make the slopes safe. Knowing the nationally recognized Your Responsibility Code is crucial to skier and rider responsibility. Referred to simply as The Code, it is comprised of seven principles that collectively outline on-mountain skier etiquette and safe skiing practices.  

Responsibilities within The Code include:

• Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
• People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
• You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
• Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
• Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
• Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
• Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Below are details about resort-specific events happening for National Safety Awareness Week:

Arapahoe Basin

Arapahoe Basin is hosting a safety weekend on January 14-15 starting at 10 a.m. The base area will be filled with booths focusing on the terrain park, ski patrol, snowsports, and more. One of the sponsors will also be giving away 100 helmets each day, along with a raffle and cake. 

Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain will showcase its year-long safety efforts with Copper Safety Fest on January 14-16 in Copper’s Center Village. Along with kid-friendly signage and messaging throughout the West Village, Copper is showing off artwork created by Frisco Elementary School third-graders that focuses on the Responsibility Code and Terrain Park Safety. Copper has also teamed up with many community safety entities like the National Ski Patrol, Copper Mountain Ski Patrol and Avalanche Dogs, US Forest Service, and more to offer tips and information during its family-friendly Safety Fest.   

Safety Fest will also have a Flight-For-Life helicopter fly-over on January 15, as well as Avalanche Dog drills and an open house at Ski Patrol Headquarters. There will be daily prize drawings in Burning Stones Plaza. 

Copper Ski Patrol is also inviting guests to join in sweeping the mountain during Safety Fest. Each day at 4:15 p.m., Ski Patrol will sweep the trails to make sure that all guests are safely off the mountain before it closes. Guest can sign-up to follow a patroller as they clear the mountain. Spots are limited, so guests must sign up by 2 p.m. that day. For more information and to sign up, call 970.968.2318 x 66124. 

Echo Mountain

Echo Mountain celebrates National Safety Awareness Week with activities on January 14-21. Activities include a kids’ poster contest, an on mountain slope-safety scavenger hunt, a stretching session, Responsibility Code trivia and prizes, a Never Summer demo day, and more. Helmet discounts of up to 10 percent will also be offered to Echo Mountain pass holders at participating stores. For more information, visit http://www.echomt.com/. 

Loveland

Loveland is kicking off Safety Week on Saturday, January 14 with a visit from Neptune Mountaineering and Pieps, who will join with the Loveland Ski Patrol to give guests avalanche awareness information and beacon training. The ski area’s terrain park crew will also be giving information on the Smart Style Program. Loveland will also feature a manned booth to give information on the skier responsibility code, the importance of sun safety with help from Rocky Mountain Sun Screen, and hydration issues with support from Vitamin Water.

Steamboat

Safety Week at Steamboat will feature a variety of safety messages and activities listed below:

§   Park Rangers: The designers, testers and maintainers of Steamboat’s Terrain Parks will be in Gondola Square January 14-16 sharing the PARKWISE code.

§   Meet Patrol: The men and women who help keep the mountain safe will be onsite in Gondola Square January 14-16 to provide additional information and answer any questions guests may have about mountain safety.

§   Bear the Safety Dog: Steamboat’s Safety Mascot will be in Gondola Square January 14-16.

§   Snow Safety/Avalanche Awareness: On Saturday and Sunday, January 14 and 15, Steamboat Ski Patrol will host special seminars on snow safety and avalanche awareness. The seminars are free to the public and meet at Patrol Headquarters at the top of Sundown Express Chairlift at 1:00 p.m. both days.

§   Know the Code Contest: Skiers and Riders will randomly be stopped on the slopes by members of Steamboat’s Patrol. If they know at least three of the seven parts to the Responsibility Code they’ll receive a prize. The contest runs January 14-22.

§   Billy Kidd One O’Clock Run: This is a free clinic by Steamboat’s director of skiing, who will be joined by Patrol.

§   Free Mountain Tours: Guests c join Steamboat’s Ambassadors with SlopeWise & Safety Information from Patrol at 10:30 a.m. at the top of Vagabond Trail.

§   Free Racing: Any guests who can tell the attendant one of the seven topics of the Responsibility Code races free at the NASTAR training course.

Sunlight

The Sunlight Ski Patrol and Valley View Hospital are hosting Safety Awareness Day at Sunlight Mountain Resort on January 21. As a part of the event, $2,000 worth of helmets will be given to kids in the valley. Visit http://www.sunlightmtn.com/ for more information on the day’s events.

Winter Park

During Safety Week, employees of Winter Park will be out on the mountain, around the Winter Park Resort base and in The Village at Winter Park, sporadically wearing their “Know the Code” arm bands. Guests that talk about the Code with Winter Park employees will be entered into a drawing for a 2012-13 Winter Park Resort adult season pass. During the weekends, Winter Park Resort will have tents set up at the bases of Winter Park and Mary Jane with NSAA giveaways.