Bill Would Punish Skiers Who Ignore Safety Signs

Skiing out of bounds and on closed trails is usually seen as an ultimate thrill. It is also extremely dangerous. 

Ignoring posted safety signs in ski areas can put your life at risk, and endangers those who might have to rescue you.

In the article below, Dean Kahn of The Bellingham Herald outlines how Washington State has given ski areas a way to try and increase safety of their visitors by maximizing the risk of skiing or snowboarding in dangerous areas. In affect as of May 2011, Senate Bill 5186 will punish those who are caught out of bounds or on closed trails, including a fine of up to $1000 and 90 days in jail.

Is it just a matter of time before other states follow suit?

Stonehouse offers a full line of ANSI B77.1 Compliant Ski Lift Signs, Boundary and Trail Markers, Smart Style Terrain Park signs, and much more!  Count on Stonehouse for a high quality, durable outdoor sign with lightning-fast turnaround!

Visit our Ski Page Now!

Bill would punish skiers who ignore the safety signs

By Dean Kahn, The Bellingham Herald

Monday, April 11, 2011

Skiing and snowboarding are already pricey sports, and they could become even more expensive for snowhounds who ignore signs warning them to stay off of closed runs and trails.

Under a bill winding through the Legislature, people who disregard such signs at ski areas could pay up to a $1,000 fine and spend up to 90 days in the freezer, also known as jail.

Current law doesn’t set a penalty for violators, and it’s hazy whether trespass law applies. Making it a misdemeanor would remove the confusion, according to advocates.

“We need more teeth; we need to be able to close the doors,” said Duncan Howat, general manager at Mt. Baker Ski Area. “I think that would wake people up.”

At Mt. Baker, people who disregard safety rules can have their lift ticket or season’s pass taken away. Yet people still ignore rules and “closed” signs in their quest for adventure and virgin snow.

Adding the risk of a fine and jail time should reinforce the message that such behavior can put the skier or snowboarder in peril, as well as the people who have to find them, Howat said.

“They put themselves in serious exposure,” he said, “and potential serious harm.”

The measure, Senate Bill 5186, was introduced by Sen. Jim Kastama, a Puyallup Democrat who is a self-described “insatiable skier” and a volunteer ski patroller at Crystal Mountain.

One cause for concern is skiers and boarders who enter closed areas where avalanche-control measures are taking place, usually in the morning at Mt. Baker. Other risky situations include trails and runs covered with ice or rubble, fallen trees, and streams that open up in warm weather.