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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Encounters with Yellow Jackets

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albinoboy
Posts: 377 - Karma: 2,151
We all will go through that shaming moment of getting lectured by the ski authorities. Share Em!
7 years ago
9 1
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cg.99
Posts: 318 - Karma: 720
Once almost got my pass pulled for throwing a snowball at my friend
7 years ago
16 1
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I_Liek_Eggs
Posts: 52 - Karma: 478
one tried to take my eggs once
7 years ago
58 6
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,985
I got bitched out for trash talking the park staff's inability to install a 5ft battleship box that nobody has hit for the past 5 years
7 years ago
13 7
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Criloh
Posts: 348 - Karma: 2,091
One time I was skiing with my dad at Beaver Creek and we were ripping down a blue and their was a natural roller with a sign that said no jumping with a yellow jacket standing right there. Naturally, my Dad take this as an invitation to send a huge spread eagle prompting him to get pulled over and have the dude yell at him for not setting a good example.
7 years ago
60 0
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R_Cordz
Posts: 6 - Karma: 176
Last Spring my friend and I got our passes pulled at Alta for hitting the rope gap off Sugarloaf into Gloryhole. Mountain safety clipped our passes and took us to get lectured by ski patrol. When the mountain safety guy left the patroller asked if I got the shot of my buddy hitting the rope gap. I showed the patroller the clip and since according to the patroller my buddy "took it deep" we got our passes back.
7 years ago
83 1
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R_Cordz
Posts: 6 - Karma: 176
Last Spring my friend and I got our passes pulled at Alta for hitting the rope gap off Sugarloaf into Gloryhole. Mountain safety clipped our passes and took us to get lectured by ski patrol. When the mountain safety guy left the patroller asked if I got the shot of my buddy hitting the rope gap. I showed the patroller the clip and since according to the patroller my buddy "took it deep" we got our passes back.
7 years ago
9 0
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BaconSteezburger
Posts: 114 - Karma: 713
R_CordzLast Spring my friend and I got our passes pulled at Alta for hitting the rope gap off Sugarloaf into Gloryhole. Mountain safety clipped our passes and took us to get lectured by ski patrol. When the mountain safety guy left the patroller asked if I got the shot of my buddy hitting the rope gap. I showed the patroller the clip and since according to the patroller my buddy "took it deep" we got our passes back.


We're gonna need to see the clip
7 years ago
51 0
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T.L.
Posts: 4731 - Karma: 3,017
This one time I skied like a reasonable person on a green trail.. didn't get talked to once.
7 years ago
30 2
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theabortionator
Posts: 52562 - Karma: 173,842
icedI got bitched out for trash talking the park staff's inability to install a 5ft battleship box that nobody has hit for the past 5 years


When you're working trying to keep the park nice, while people are crashing into you, bitching that they're favorite feature is in, you should have set the flat rail as a down, people poaching to side jump when you're trying to rake, and then people having nothing but negative things to say, and not structuring it in a manner that's even remotely constructive.

Fuck, fuck the park, fuck that feature, fuck this feature, gets old after a while.
7 years ago
18 13
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Holte
Posts: 10751 - Karma: 7,996
I think we can all agree that a lot of yellow jackets are on a habitual power trip - and I get it; it must suck to stand around all day yelling at gapers going through slow zones and constantly be wishing to be a patroller. Nobody has less respect on the mountain than those poor bastards. But there was one time where a buddy and I breezed past a safety patroller switch on a casual blue run, and he called in the cavalry. You'd thought we assassinated a head of state by the number of yellow jackets that met us at the bottom.

They made us aware that we were being put on a violation list, and any further infraction, large or small, would result in a season ban. So I complied, told them that I was Henrik Harlaut, and would not ski switch through slow zones any more. My buddy, Bobby Brown, also agreed to the terms and conditions.

Now, this was like 2007, when nobody except serious freeskiers had any idea who Henrik or Bobby were. I mispronounced Henrik's last name since I'd never even heard it pronounced at that point. But some friends on park crew got a laugh hearing their names being called over the radio.

For the rest of the season, I felt mildly concerned that if for some reason Henrik or Bobby showed up to Crystal, they'd experience ski patrol discrimination.
7 years ago
44 0
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R_Cordz
Posts: 6 - Karma: 176
BaconSteezburgerWe're gonna need to see the clip


Here's the Clip. The yellow jack was disguised by wearing a blue lift jacket. He's standing across from me in the clip.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/887697/Jumping-an-Avy-Rope-in-LCC
7 years ago
48 0
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Auzy
Posts: 569 - Karma: 1,827
R_CordzHere's the Clip. The yellow jack was disguised by wearing a blue lift jacket. He's standing across from me in the clip.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/887697/Jumping-an-Avy-Rope-in-LCC

Damn he actually came through with the clip
7 years ago
63 0
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gucciman7
Posts: 235 - Karma: 2,169
One time I was saucing the terrain park and got my pass pulled for having to saucy of a lip two front out of this down bar. He said “my guy, ur just to saucy to be at this place in time, take your heat sumwhere Else”
7 years ago
42 2
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Jackson_D
Posts: 42 - Karma: 408
I was skiing at a basin and according to Colorado fine rule of law, if a trail, is closed at the top and any adjacent trees lining the trails act as a natural barrier, therefore, deterring skiers from entering. Being from the east coast, I was not aware of this at all. So on my last day and last run, my homies and I were hitting this little gap and I got stopped right before I dropped. The man came through a pulled all of our passes and blacklisted us for two weeks. I got an email a few days later saying that we were blacklisted from all the mountains on the epic pass except a basin, keystone, and breck.

**This post was edited on Jan 9th 2018 at 8:47:58pm
7 years ago
0 0
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Park_Ranger
Posts: 3825 - Karma: 8,635
Who the fuck are the people that take this job? Who in their right mind wants to stand in the middle of a ski run, dressed like a buffoon, probably freezing their ass off while having to be the fun police that everyone hates? It would be the most negative job and such shitty working conditions... just standing there in the cold yelling at people.
7 years ago
36 0
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profa_212
Posts: 9189 - Karma: 40,074
Park_RangerWho the fuck are the people that take this job? Who in their right mind wants to stand in the middle of a ski run, dressed like a buffoon, probably freezing their ass off while having to be the fun police that everyone hates? It would be the most negative job and such shitty working conditions... just standing there in the cold yelling at people.


I would do it....its an on snow position with literally no responsabilities. Better than being a lift jockey. Only negativity comes from the person being a dick it's not like they are told to be one.

Only met one that was actually a dick at North star when I skied there....other than that they usually were able to differentiate between kooks....shredders....and idiots who thought they were shredders but can't actually ski.

Only place they every posted up were at dangerous slow zones anyways where you should be slowing down anyways. Other resorts could be different though.
7 years ago
7 7
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,985
theabortionatorWhen you're working trying to keep the park nice, while people are crashing into you, bitching that they're favorite feature is in, you should have set the flat rail as a down, people poaching to side jump when you're trying to rake, and then people having nothing but negative things to say, and not structuring it in a manner that's even remotely constructive.

Fuck, fuck the park, fuck that feature, fuck this feature, gets old after a while.

I don't bitch or bother park staff. The patroller pulled up beside me in the lift line to fill the chair when I was talking to my buddy. I get where you are coming from and all with managing a decently sized park;

Context for my previous post: there are literally 10 features in my park, with is a sorry excuse compared to the past seasons. People buy passes expecting a certain range of features. This year they only installed 2 rails for fucks sake. It couldn't be plainer that they don't want to take the time to groom and maintain features. The staff are lapping me. As for the battleship box it use to be to flat ground to blow out everyone's arches, but then they fixed it up but fucked up and made it on an angle. Every time I go up the lift I see kids slide sideways off the top of the cursed thing

Edit: they literally crossed off the L and XL on the park sign

**This post was edited on Jan 2nd 2018 at 12:30:32pm
7 years ago
7 0
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Park_Ranger
Posts: 3825 - Karma: 8,635
You guys ever had an encounter with someone who takes it upon themselves to be a yellow jacket? I was at Killington in 2011 and got chased down an entire run by some 50 year old dude. He cussed me out at the bottom because apparently I cut him off at the top? He was absolutely irate, literally chased me down the entire run. Dude was such a Jerry too
7 years ago
25 0
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HypeBeast
Posts: 10044 - Karma: 76,000
R_CordzHere's the Clip. The yellow jack was disguised by wearing a blue lift jacket. He's standing across from me in the clip.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/887697/Jumping-an-Avy-Rope-in-LCC


What did you do wrong here? Was the rope down in front of the yellow jacket? And your friend just jumped the one to the side? Or was this dick seriously waiting for someone to go down a closed trail?
7 years ago
6 0
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Park_Ranger
Posts: 3825 - Karma: 8,635
IsitWinterYet17What did you do wrong here? Was the rope down in front of the yellow jacket? And your friend just jumped the one to the side? Or was this dick seriously waiting for someone to go down a closed trail?


- skis left the ground
- charging in way to fast
- cutting through a groomed trail
- going out of bounds

That is how a yellow jacket would see this.

And yeah, I bet that dude was standing there on purpose because he knows that is a prime send spot and wants to ruin as much fun as he possibly can.
7 years ago
30 0
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Casey
Posts: 8017 - Karma: 26,893
I'd love to become a mountain ambassador and just steadily undermine the entire system from the inside, until I have infiltrated so deep that I am like the national head guy about to receive my award for clipping my 5000th pass...

**This post was edited on Jan 2nd 2018 at 5:11:23pm
7 years ago
17 0
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SendyMcSendyface
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 28,612
Aight, what the fuck are yellow jackets? I've skied all over eastern Canada, and have never seen one, and we evidently don't have them at Targhee.
7 years ago
6 0
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profa_212
Posts: 9189 - Karma: 40,074
SendyMcSendyfaceAight, what the fuck are yellow jackets? I've skied all over eastern Canada, and have never seen one, and we evidently don't have them at Targhee.


Vail owned resorts only.....but some independent mountains also have them...basically safety police.

Targhee definitely doesn't thank god. Neither does squaw/alpine which is chill....but instead of having a dude in yellow slowing people down on the sketchy areas they have patrol.
7 years ago
4 0
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SendyMcSendyface
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 28,612
Profahoben_212Vail owned resorts only.....but some independent mountains also have them...basically safety police.

Targhee definitely doesn't thank god. Neither does squaw/alpine which is chill....but instead of having a dude in yellow slowing people down on the sketchy areas they have patrol.


Daamn, real glad I didnt go work for Vail
7 years ago
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VolcanoBurrito
Posts: 8 - Karma: 23
I’ve been working with Vail for a few seasons and have had many encounters with yellow jackets and patrol over the years. Every time I just let them lecture the shit out of me and act super sorry. They usually just see that I’m an employee and let me go.
7 years ago
3 0
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Cade2
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 2,706
VolcanoBurritoI’ve been working with Vail for a few seasons and have had many encounters with yellow jackets and patrol over the years. Every time I just let them lecture the shit out of me and act super sorry. They usually just see that I’m an employee and let me go.


Damn dude way to be stepped on..
7 years ago
6 5
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Deepskier
Posts: 3269 - Karma: 4,864
R_CordzHere's the Clip. The yellow jack was disguised by wearing a blue lift jacket. He's standing across from me in the clip.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/887697/Jumping-an-Avy-Rope-in-LCC


Was not deep enough, it's never deep enough.
7 years ago
9 0
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strayln_Skier
Posts: 451 - Karma: 1,182
A yellow Jacket pulled me over once for skiing switch to fast or someshit. He said that he only stopped me because his boss was watching. He asked for my pass and said he wouldn't scan and just made it look like he scanned it. Legend of a bloke.
7 years ago
39 0
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strayln_Skier
Posts: 451 - Karma: 1,182
A yellow Jacket pulled me over once for skiing switch to fast or someshit. He said that he only stopped me because his boss was watching. He asked for my pass and said he wouldn't scan and just made it look like he scanned it. Legend of a bloke.
7 years ago
1 0
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Jesse_
Posts: 1498 - Karma: 3,642
strayln_SkierA yellow Jacket pulled me over once for skiing switch to fast or someshit. He said that he only stopped me because his boss was watching. He asked for my pass and said he wouldn't scan and just made it look like he scanned it. Legend of a bloke.


Thats actually kinda cool, he "performs" his job when observed by his boss but actually does the exact opposite in favour of being nice toward you. I mean, I still think yellow jackets are meaningless and it's dumb that his job, only when observed by his boss required him to pull over people skiing switch to fast but it's still a cool how be fake scanned you nonetheless. He could've easily been a dick about it.
7 years ago
15 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52562 - Karma: 173,842
icedI don't bitch or bother park staff. The patroller pulled up beside me in the lift line to fill the chair when I was talking to my buddy. I get where you are coming from and all with managing a decently sized park;

Context for my previous post: there are literally 10 features in my park, with is a sorry excuse compared to the past seasons. People buy passes expecting a certain range of features. This year they only installed 2 rails for fucks sake. It couldn't be plainer that they don't want to take the time to groom and maintain features. The staff are lapping me. As for the battleship box it use to be to flat ground to blow out everyone's arches, but then they fixed it up but fucked up and made it on an angle. Every time I go up the lift I see kids slide sideways off the top of the cursed thing

Edit: they literally crossed off the L and XL on the park sign

**This post was edited on Jan 2nd 2018 at 12:30:32pm




That sucks if they're not maintaining features and just riding I hear ya. Was just saying that because even in the best park out there people will still bitch about something, actually probably several things. Can't please em ell.

Also some people just yell shit, or just constantly bitch. Those people get tunes out. The people that approach and say something rational regarding the features they want or things getting fixed have a way better shot. Being nice goes a long way to motivating people to get shit done. Some places if everyone is constantly negative and bitching they just say fuck it and give up, even the people who might not have been total lazy fucks to start with.

Hopefully the park gets better.
7 years ago
4 0
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BSmith99
Posts: 13 - Karma: 54
Me and my buddy were jumping over ropes into closed off trails/sections- super fun, and doesnt pose a risk to anyone but ourselves, so why not. We hit one to find an "undercover" ski patroller waiting who pulled my 2 DAY PASS! So I took the stub and went to customer service and reclaimed my pass
7 years ago
7 2
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T.L.
Posts: 4731 - Karma: 3,017
BSmith99Me and my buddy were jumping over ropes into closed off trails/sections- super fun, and doesnt pose a risk to anyone but ourselves, so why not. We hit one to find an "undercover" ski patroller waiting who pulled my 2 DAY PASS! So I took the stub and went to customer service and reclaimed my pass

Ok, so what happens when you break yourself off and have to get hauled outta there on a sled? If you're a good skier the chances are smaller but the risk is still there. You'd potentially be putting the people rescuing your ass in higher danger.

I'm not trying to assume what specifically was going on in your instance but you're dead wrong about no risk to anyone but yourself.
7 years ago
9 4
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HypeBeast
Posts: 10044 - Karma: 76,000
Profahoben_212Vail owned resorts only.....but some independent mountains also have them...basically safety police.

Targhee definitely doesn't thank god. Neither does squaw/alpine which is chill....but instead of having a dude in yellow slowing people down on the sketchy areas they have patrol.


It doesn't help that Vail keeps buying up mountains either. I like the idea someone posted before that we should have a massive group of people skiing in yellow jackets to fuck with their minds.
7 years ago
6 0
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ChangeCashMoney
Posts: 311 - Karma: 1,318
R_CordzHere's the Clip. The yellow jack was disguised by wearing a blue lift jacket. He's standing across from me in the clip.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/887697/Jumping-an-Avy-Rope-in-LCC


Wait wait wait.... Ski patrol at Alta in disguise. This smells a whole lot like an old gucciman post.
7 years ago
6 0
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R_Cordz
Posts: 6 - Karma: 176
IsitWinterYet17What did you do wrong here? Was the rope down in front of the yellow jacket? And your friend just jumped the one to the side? Or was this dick seriously waiting for someone to go down a closed trail?


Both sides of the rope were open that day. The Mountain Safety guy was just pissed we jumped the rope and didn't enter through the avy gate. Another group of skiers had hit the gap a few minutes earlier. That's why I think he was sitting there.
7 years ago
6 0
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albinoboy
Posts: 377 - Karma: 2,151
SendyMcSendyfaceAight, what the fuck are yellow jackets? I've skied all over eastern Canada, and have never seen one, and we evidently don't have them at Targhee.

They are basically just older people that want to be paid for skiing and take their job too seriously. Luckily they are old beacause when they bust you you can just act dumb as shit and they let you off with a warning.
7 years ago
9 0
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JoeC92
Posts: 516 - Karma: 1,303
Not really ski patrol but more like an instructor:

Today around 6:00 pm I came down to the lodge and just ucipped my bindings to run inside and grab another hoodie because it was fucking freezing. I didn’t bother putting them on the ski rack because I would be back In 10 seconds more or less. Before I can reach the door this ski instructor kid not much older than me (probably 18 at most) stops me and makes me put em on the rack even though it was barely busy and almost the end of the day. I decided not to argue with him because he seemed like the type of cunt to call ski patrol and have them take your skis or something. In the process of me leaning my skis up someone’s rental pole falls on the ground and he has this shit eating grin on and nods toward it. FUCK YOU IF YOURE READING THIS ALPHA SKI INSTRUCTOR DUDE.

Btw this guy was leaned up against the rack opposite me and there were tons of skis (mostly rentals) on the ground.
7 years ago
12 0
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HypeBeast
Posts: 10044 - Karma: 76,000
JoeC92Not really ski patrol but more like an instructor:

Today around 6:00 pm I came down to the lodge and just ucipped my bindings to run inside and grab another hoodie because it was fucking freezing. I didn’t bother putting them on the ski rack because I would be back In 10 seconds more or less. Before I can reach the door this ski instructor kid not much older than me (probably 18 at most) stops me and makes me put em on the rack even though it was barely busy and almost the end of the day. I decided not to argue with him because he seemed like the type of cunt to call ski patrol and have them take your skis or something. In the process of me leaning my skis up someone’s rental pole falls on the ground and he has this shit eating grin on and nods toward it. FUCK YOU IF YOURE READING THIS ALPHA SKI INSTRUCTOR DUDE.

Btw this guy was leaned up against the rack opposite me and there were tons of skis (mostly rentals) on the ground.


That's stupid. I'd say fuck off and continue on my way
7 years ago
9 0
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green-man
Posts: 105 - Karma: 227
My local hill is really small (we only have 6 trails) a few days ago me and my friends built a jump over a little tree that divides the trail in two. One of the people who runs the team put a pole through it and stomped on it even though it was nowhere near the racing course.
7 years ago
9 1
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Static
Posts: 8588 - Karma: 4,099
Last run of the day, going through the park and there are 2 yellow jacket dick heads standing on the last 2 features with no downed tourist in sight. Really fucked up my mood.
7 years ago
12 0
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albinoboy
Posts: 377 - Karma: 2,151
Bump
7 years ago
1 0
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yungsteeze
Posts: 673 - Karma: 1,969
Jackson hole = coolest yellow jackets/employees. Was bombing 60mph in a slow zone according to ski tracks app and she met me at the bottom and gave me a warning and said “its not a control thing, just cant be going that fast here”. Also skied a couple lines in some pretty gnarly permanently closed terrain and both times dudes in jackson hole jackets were waiting at the bottom just making sure i made it down ok. Its almost cham style how they let you assume your own risk to a greater degree there.
7 years ago
13 0
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Rum_Ham
Posts: 1449 - Karma: 4,483
Lapping Peru on keystone today, super crowded with fuckin Texans. Yellow jacket tried to pull me over so I pointed it to the parking lot and changed from my jacket to my hoody and went back up.
7 years ago
9 0
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Young_patty
Posts: 3329 - Karma: 39,108
Haven't had much experience with yellow jackets since I usually pretend I don't notice them and ski past them. I did get stopped by a patroller in squaw for skiing "recklessly" in a crowded run, he threatened to pull my pass but looking back on it he was a chill dude and I was just being a little Midwest shit who thinks they are unstoppable out west and was copping a pretty hard aditude with him. Same dude pulled over my friend for the same reason and told him "your friend probably thinks I'm a dick but it's just too crowded on this run and you guys need to chill".

Another time at at mount rose we were bombing trying to get top speeds (top speeds among us were 67,69, and 73 according to sno cru so take it with a grain of salt) and when we got to the bottom some mountain employee came up to us and told us we were going to fast and that he wanted to see our passes. We all started shitting ourselves but then the dude laughed, said it was fine and that there was usually some old dude who liked to hang around and push 90+ so we laughed and enjoyed the rest of our day.
7 years ago
6 0
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
I turn around point out 10 people behind me that are infinitely worse skiers / out of control. Tell them if they touch me we're going to have a massive problem. Ski down to their boss in the village who runs all of that stuff and demand a run with them. Usually they back off when you threaten those jerks on their power trip taking them to their boss
7 years ago
6 0
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brett_fisher
Posts: 2419 - Karma: 10,518
R_CordzLast Spring my friend and I got our passes pulled at Alta for hitting the rope gap off Sugarloaf into Gloryhole. Mountain safety clipped our passes and took us to get lectured by ski patrol. When the mountain safety guy left the patroller asked if I got the shot of my buddy hitting the rope gap. I showed the patroller the clip and since according to the patroller my buddy "took it deep" we got our passes back.


lol same i got my pass pulled there too. I got this cool hippy older lady patroller to come talk to me she just gave it back to me and to watch out for mountain safety. she was sick looked like she piffed and shredded I wanted her to be my mom.
7 years ago
7 0
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J_Christoph
Posts: 2519 - Karma: 8,755
First couple weeks at PC we got pursued almost every run for "leaving the ground" as the entire run was a slow zone apparently.
7 years ago
2 0
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9605 - Karma: 71,443
Did have one bad encounter with a yellow jacket at snowbird, I was hitting the moguls cattrack on gad 2 under the lift and as I was ripping the moguls (as best I could) I hear a loud lifeguard whistle about 10 feet behind me and to my left. Naturally my head spins around and lo and behold I see some sixty year old fat guy yellow jacket. What I don't see is the topside of the last mogul before the cattrack which I end up hitting which sends me sprawling across the cattrack into the next slope. As I'm collecting myself, before I've even gotten up I see this guy's face over me yelling at me about how out of control I was and if there'd been a kid there I would have killed them. I then resist the urge to tell him, "Well that's why I waited till it was clear you dumbfuck, and if you hadn't blown your stupid rape whistle none of this would have happened. ". Continue to act magnanimous, and he says, just don't do it again. Then when I'm skiing down to the lift I realize I've sprained my thumb. All in all not a fun time. Every now and then they still tell me to slow down, so when they do I always just do a full slash to stop in my tracks on whatever trail I'm on.
7 years ago
7 0
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HypeBeast
Posts: 10044 - Karma: 76,000
Bump for a new season. Anyone got stopped yet?
7 years ago
2 0
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