You have to watch this. It’s awesome.
Check the videos below where the owner and ski patrol director from Crystal Mountain testify in support of SB 5186. The Senate Natural Resources & Marine Waters Committee ask them some pretty basic questions on how a Ski Area thinks they’re going to be able to enforce closures, how they expect to be able to identify people who decide that they don’t want to give up their ID. At one point Senator Ranker asks Paul Baugher, Crystal Mountain’s ski patrol director if they close areas due to not having enough staff. Ha!
Video below with a rad quote from Senator Ranker.
Full hearing below.
Have to wait and see how this one pans out. In the meantime…
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Contact your legislator about this BS: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/default.aspx
Nice… really helpful link
Done! The following message was sent to Senator Rosemary McAuliffe (D), Representative Derek Stanford (D) and Representative Luis Moscoso (D) of the 1st district.
.. in most cases isn’t this national forest land? the fk you going to fine me for getting my rad on in my country’s shared resource space.. I dont get it..
well the ski areas are looking to create a law that would allow a sheriff or fish/wildlife guy to fine you. all the ski patrol or ski area operator would do is “collect evidence” for use in a report.
i read “collect evidence” as identification. which means they’d have to catch you and ID you.
like they said in the video…lots of other states do this already. i wouldn’t be surprised if this gets approved.
it becomes law 90 days after approved. so prob next year enforcement if enacted.
Screw Crystal Mountain… not proud to have given in an supported them this year, seasons pass wise. Who gets the funds–Patrollers are no law enforcement? Last thing we need is another dogdamn FS Ranger pud like IAN raising funds via lot/resort bottom feeding. Baugher and his soul-less goons can get bent. Woulda been great to have panel representation including all NW area operators, along side NWAC etc… “we’ll just speak to Crystal Mountain area…”. Time for a safety meeting… gather pitchforks, switchblades, machetes, slashers, bananas, whatever… “permanent closures for cliffs and areas we cannot mitigate”, awesome.
I’ve been going back and forth with the senator for my district about this and senator Ranker. It is supposed to only apply to area within the ski area, but the bill does not make that clear. Also, the proposed fine of $1000 for crossing a rope is insane. I have been told that the problems with enforcement might kill the bill. But, this thing has not made it to the floor for a vote, so tell them why this is a terrible idea. (Aside from the fact that the Crystal fun police should not have any say in ANYTHING beyond Crystal mountain.)
agreed. the bill amendment is not clear/explicit enough. here’s the whole amendment:
A person shall not ski on a ski slope, trail, or area that is designated by a ski area operator as closed to the public and that has signs posted indicating the closure. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a civil infraction and is subject to a monetary penalty of up to one thousand dollars.
(i) A member of the national ski patrol who witnesses a violator present in a closed area may conduct an investigation that includes preparation of an incident report form and collection of evidence or witness statements. Information pertaining to the violation may be remitted within seven days to the sheriff of the county in which the violation occurred or to the director of fish and wildlife.
(ii) The sheriff of the county in which the violation occurred or a fish and wildlife officer as defined in RCW 77.08.010 may issue a citation to a person who violates this subsection (7)(b).
apparently not Crystal clear, enough.
Fuck Crystal Mountain, obviously: always and forever. See how they mentioned Warren Miller movies again?–they’re still on that shit!
Fuck these fools with horse cocks in their asses!
Nice fucking tone of voice with the “we’re not anxious to do this” crocodile tears bit.
Helmets, people. Helmets, everyone with beepers, this is their next step. Fuck em.
ahmen a man, ahmen
Ranker was the statewide Surfrider organizer a ways back. Top bloke, very active with protecting marine areas. Anyways, if this bill passes it appears that ski patrol still won’t be able to legally compel anyone to produce their ID, much less detain anyone. Bottom line: ride away.
This SB 5186 with companion Bill HB 1484 are bullshit. Not necessarily in their overall aim to keep people out of closed areas WITHIN ski area boundaries, but in the way that the two bills are drafted with ambiguous language. E.g., HB 1484 “(8) Any person on foot or on any type of sliding device shall be
responsible for any collision whether the collision is with another
person or with an object. ”
Any person on foot or on a sliding device shall be responsible for ANY collision? Does not specify which person of the collision is responsible (uphill v downhill? nothing) hm. who do you think drafted this? A skier/snowboarder? It is obvious that this is not the case. No apparent knowledge exists. Does not even specify whether or not you even need to be a part of the collision for you to be held responsible. This is a stretch, but if we are to interpret the language, as it stands, that is what it says. And we must always be cautious of the worst case scenario.
It simply says you will be held responsible. It does not give any standard by which to determine who “you” is. THROW IT OUT.
They have a lot of work to do on this bill before it passes. And it seems like Ranker is asking is right questions and knows that whoever drafted this bill hasn’t drafted many before it.
Also, this is only within the ski area boundary. Then they have to catch you. Then they have to force you to give them your information, which they have no legal authority to do in the first place. Two huge words, legal authority.
Personally, I don’t duck ropes or even ollie over them any more. I’m too old for that shit.
The question here is not what they are aiming to do, but how on Earth are they going to be able to enforce something that they aren’t legally permitted to do in the first place? What gives them authority to conduct an investigation? They are trained in rescue, not how to be cops. Ranker made a good point. Deputize ski patrol at your mountain if you want them to act at police.
OTHERWISE do your job, get off your ego trip, help people that need it, and stop complaining that .33 people die every year. That is hardly compelling evidence that something as drastic as this needs to be done to fix your almost non-existent problem.
If you want to cut back on injuries, get rid your mountain’s contradicting message: SB 5186 says, “In addition to the specific requirements of this section, all skiers shall conduct themselves within the limits of their individual ability and shall not act in a manner that may contribute to the injury of themselves or any other person.”
Okay. GET RID OF YOUR RAIL PARK, JACKASSES. How do you think people get better? By pushing their limits. Goodbye pro snowboarding/skiing.
I think all of that altitude and old age are clogging some neuron firing stations. Yeah, I said it. Take a picture.
the sliding device part is already the law. the only new part is what drex quoted above.
i wouldn’t be surprised if this bill doesn’t pass, then these guys come back with endorsements by all NW ski areas, the PNSAA, and a better written, more feasible bill.
here’s an interesting read on boundary closures private land, enforcement, and failure. LINK
That’s always been the best thing about ski patrols, is that they’re just movie theater ushers on snow (at least when it comes to power). Growing up getting kicked out of skate spots, we learned early on that even the fake cops with badges had no powers. I remember being 14 and screaming at some rent-a-cop to give back a kid’s board that he swiped: “YOU HAVE NO POWER OF CONFISCATION!!!!!” Shit was rad.
I feel sorry for the ski patrols sometimes. They can’t do shit.
They’re certainly never going to be able to ID someone. TSA can’t even do it LOL!
LOL!
Just ended with LOL!
Well, as long as I’m right… that’s all I’m concerned with here. Additionally, I’ve never met a dickhead ski patroller at the Pass or hardly ever seen any patrollers at Baker (except for drinking hot cocoa in their patrol shacks), but I think I’m going to continue my lifelong boycott of Crystal Mt. I remember my grandmother, rest her soul, was just about to turn 69 (I think), and she was so excited that she was finally going to be able to ski for free at Crystal Mountain and then like a scene out of Happy Gilmore, they gave her landscape duty. They changed the rules right before her birthday. I’ve said fuck that place ever since.
I’ve always hated that SKI resort…Always will. Fuckin republican bush lovin retards.
ha! i’ve never seen the wookie in professional action!
and fuck, can you imagine having to listen to people drone and ramble on all fucking day, all week? noooo thanks.
Paul I am a crystal mountain founders club member. I agree they should be stopped.
However making this a criminal charge is overreaching. People ski out of the area and the tracks are never seen. People may miss your poorly maintained signs and ski off a cliff there. People may ski off from the chair and go the wrong way in the fog. Let me lodge my complaint to you here. I drive that far and ski at my ski area for free to wait till some absurd time of day for the back country to open. For the size of your patrol I feel your slowness of getting these areas open is unacceptable to expert skiers that are paying 55 bucks a ticket or more.
I have been skiing the South Backcountry for years and it has only gotten worse due to your decisions. Your methods do not follow precedents in Colorado or elsewhere.
You should not have this power. Tell me Paul when they die of hypothermia not wanting to be found by you is this a good law?
That would be pretty funny if Paul B read this site.