I just heard a rumor that all the jumps in the country were closed!

Wayne I respect ya' but I don't think aging produces the same answer. We're about the same age. (I know.) One can be older and still reactionary and unable to take responsibility for one's life. That is the essence of the US of A at the present moment if you ask me, on a national-political level. Kyoto, anyone? Etc. Most of the West lives in a dreamworld. I mean here we are talking about skiing, and think of the planet. Just to put things into perspective.

Both of my parents were injured in the 90s, both times clipped by other skiiers. Neither time did they sue the mountain or anyone else. It's part of the dangers of the sport.

Now I think we're talking a case by case basis if we're being reasonable. When the chairs fell of Redline on Whistler about 10 years ago, people sued, and rightfully so. And let's say if you're sliding a rail and there is a big chunk taken out of it creating a knife edge, then these are clear cases were the resort was negligent, and didn't properly maintain their gear.

But the fact is is that this guy could have decided to straightline a run and fly out of control and run into a tree. Or fallen in a double-black chute and tumbled right off a cliff on to rocks. Should he be suing the resort for not telling him to slow down? For not testing his ski ability before hopping into a double black? For not stopping him with a magical hand? You might even say yes -- and that is why Whistler / Blackcomb is covered in people in yellow suits telling you to slow down at the end of the day, and why now the Weekend Chutes have been closed on Whistler since the mid 90s. And chances are we will now see "Park Police" doing exactly that for NS terrain, more closely monitoring the jumps, which means things will get a lot more costly for everybody. But the reason things are getting more costly is because this guy was being a jackass and instead of dealing with the hard lump of his own risk and decision, he's attempted to blame someone else entirely, in fact, the entire sport, for what he did, and he alone. We're not talking negligence on behalf of the mountain here. And I think it's fairly evident in this case.

I am mearly using hyperbole to point out some generalizations.

1. Many people would choose to pursue litigation, the general public does not hold skiing or similar open venue action sports in the same regard as we do.

2. Yes, many great and unkown skiers/action sports athletes have sustained HUGE injuries without pursuing litigation - but then again many people also have

3. I personally feel litigation and lack of personal responsibility HAS ruined skiing, but it happens and everyone here has been standing on a soapbox calling this guy out, e-mailing him, spamming his myspace etc...that is just plain wrong

4. I have sustained major injuries in terrain parks and open terrain, one time without proper insurance, but I delt with it and paid the bills - but not everyone does, to generalize this guys moral character after such an accident is assinine and insulting.

so fukin well put bro. its his fault. he aint got no skill he shudnt hit it

there are no words to describe how much of fuck this guy is

+ yes these are very good points. Park passes are de rigeur at most major mountains and I am surprised smaller mountains don't think about it.

+ As for traffic in the park, I have taken to informing people to politely get the hell out of the park if they are "skiing through" as simply it's not a ski run. Last time I was at Tremblant, there was a crowd of older family types standing at the park entrance, saying (en francais) "let's ski the park! we can ski over the slope of the jumps!" and I said "No way folks, that's incredibly dangerous, you only go in if you are jumping, it's not a run, you might get hurt or hurt someone" -- they were part incredulous, shocked and angry but they also realised, frankly as I am a little older, that I wasn't kidding around. They didn't do it, but if I wasn't there, 8 idiots would have swarmed the advanced kickers..! I think ski resorts should actually be a little more responsible in enforcing the Park boundaries in this fashion. This undoubtedly will be one consequence of this lawsuit and a good one. But the unfortunate consequences have been well spelled out above and we might indeed see a curtailing of many features for smaller mountains that don't have the resources to create a completely separate park.

word to that, you can jump into a pit of fire if you sighn a waiver first

then you can't sue the mountain if you get hurt...Stratton has that and so does Whistler for their huge park (i think) but not many other places do that

good points but easier said or written than done.  people don't care about ropes.  I've seen so many families duck ropes into parks then get on my case when i cruise down to them and tell them not to do it again.  for most resorts it's not entirely feasable to have someone stand at the top of the parks or somewhere in the parks and start the involuntary park pass.  I did that on weekends toward the end of the season and it turned into the biggest shit fest ever known to man.  the park city kids on here can laugh at that,  they saw it every weekend.  But yes,  in order to stop people coming into the parks, you have to b-net the entire length of the park so no one can duck a rope and then post an employee at the top in a shed checking peoples passes, which by instituting a park pass of varying price (depending on how much you pay your ticket checkers) will make the park a safer place.  It also gives you the ability to take the passes away from mom and daughter that bought one but still don't follow any rules and just meander aimlessly through the park, for the rest of the season.  They can't complain when they have been through the class and signed the piece of paper.  But now I'm rambling.  again.  goodnight all.

well put

+ yah it's a pain in the ass. I've put up said netting, not for terrain parks, but for race camps. the 90s saw similar restrictions on downhill racing-- Whistler blew up the Toilet Bowl, for example, on the Dave Murray Downhill, and had to put in all this netting, several layers deep. Serious pain in the ass and for the purists it ruined straightline downhill speed skiing forever and ever. Unfortunately it looks like we've hit that moment in newskool.

Don't get me started on insurance companies and lawyers..

all you bitches saying why would he sue are idiots, put your self in his shoes, paralized and needs to have enough money for the rest of his life to live, its not like hes out buying cars and houses that money needs to go towards bills and future expenses, i guarentee if it happened to you you would sue or at least try to, are you really gonna go home and say o well its my fault guess i shouldnt sue? no you wouldnt.

insureance is a scam anyway, they make so much and pay out so little. my mom works for an insureance company and the shit that goes on is redic, bunch of jews they are

ha ha ha.  yep.  fun times those people create....

Fuck the Park go build shit in the BC, then when you die in an avalanche or break your neck hitting a booter your parents can sue god and mother nature for you dying or breaking your back hitting a rock under a landing of a cliff you stupidly didnt probe... heres a quote for you


"people Sueing Ski Areas should be SHOT" Scott Schmidt Blizzard of AHH's 1989 on the train from Verbier to Chamonix

if you think this guy gives 2 shits if you call and harrass him your in fukin denial he proably made over a million bucks of that law suite he dont give 2 shits about 14 to 30 years olds talking shit on a ski site or about what they have to say or what they think...

good point and we all feel sorry for the kid but he still fucked up and he is responsable for his own actions ,insureance companies are jews and they fuck over millions of hard working people every day but this kid was still doing what is considered ( an "extreme sport") and he fucked up big time and while I feel extremley bad for him sueing the ski area is Fukin GAY!!! did lars Veen sue mammoth when he fucked up a cork 9 over a hip and couldnt walk again? no he didnt he sacked up and accepted his fate and people respected this and started a foundation to help him the stand strong or what ever its called. We as human beings are responsable for our own actions just like if you drive a car too fast and crash do you sue the car ompany? no you dont... this is going to start a new fad in skiing it happened in the late 80's early 90s with extreme skiing and its going to happen again now with park skiing, whistlers got the right idea the black park with the waiver is the shit... even in mammoth you ride through main park and there are people with there kids snowplowing down jumps that shits sooo dangerous...so enforcing the rules of having helmets and signing waivers and having fenced of park areas this I totally agreee with its good for the sport. But people suing ski areas like Scott Schmidt said should be SHOT.

Wow, what a great set of values you have.

So let's get this straight: You're saying if something really bad happens to you (even if it is completely your own fault), then that makes it perfectly ok to fuck over other people?

You know, homeless people could really use "money for bills and future expenses" too. Many of them will not survive without it. Maybe they should find someone to sue for that cash. Hey, maybe they can sue you, since you seem to be fine with the concept of an unfortunate individual's right to take advantage of the legal system.

I hope you teach this type of stuff to your children one day, they will certainly grow up to be quality individuals with great strength of character.

yeah, pussy aint shit but hoes and tricks. People are a greedy bunch, todays youth are being raised by a bunch of pussys, who don't know what hard work is, what responsibility is, or respect is. You fall down, sucks to be you. Maybe you should'nt be in the park. The more signs you put up, the less people read. More ropes?, more reason to duck them. Parks closing, no way, but they will become more regulated FOR SURE. out

Omg the thread magicly came back AWesome... there are some very valid points in this..

His blog is public, and referenced in most of the news articles I've read about his case, so here it is for everyone:

http://smalls149.spaces.msn.com

I plan on writing him/posting on his blog to tell him exactly what I think of his lawsuit and the verdict. Feel free to do the same. Maybe if more people commented on his blog voicing their opinions, the little pity party he has going on over there will stop.

What's really funny is that he used to have 2 blog entries - 1 talking about the accident and how he was an "expert" skiier and another talking about how he would absolutely do it all over again and ski that jump if he were able. Since the lawsuit, they've both been removed. Summit and their lawywers should subpoena MSN and get a copy of those removed blogs... I bet their appeal would go a lot better if they had proof of him bragging about his expertise and skill in his own words.

exactly. somebody died at a hill near me earlier this year because he hit a snow blower pole that wasnt covered with padding headfirst and his family couldnt sue because of the waivers and such. no way this can ever happen

wow, that blog makes him sound like a chode.

yeah and he's got all those pictures of him wakeboarding. i wonder if he'd have missed a grab or lost it trying a blindside and broken his neck - would he have sued the lake?

if u broke ur neck at a skatepark n tried to sue them it wouldnt work, its the sign that says helmets are recommended skate within your own ability sign that takes care of it all

hes lucky to be alive if he staerted 200 feet higher on a steep inrun a fricken 20 foot table.thats like at least twice the speed you need.

if anything resorts should start making bigger shit so people just die if they overshoot and then they wont sue.


(i was joking on the second paragrah)

Hey, some dude got hurt, I heard all skiing and snowboarding are cancelled everywhere forever.

YEH THAT KID WAS JUST A FUCKING RETARD!

squaw is open till this sunday.......

your so very wrong with that statement

thats one of my favorite quotes