Ski Resort Risk Managment

As I read over Gustav's posts the first one to catch my eye concerned ski lift risk management/ This post definitely caught my eye due to my affection towards snowboarding. It is not uncommon to be at a Ski Resort witnessing someone flailing uncontrollably as they descend hastily down a mountain side with little to no regard to those around them, a lawsuit almost waiting to happen in my opinion.

So what do Ski Resort Managers due to prevent mountain side lawsuits? Well according to Gustav the biggest risk reducer is posting proper signage along their mountain side trails. I agree with what Gustav said regarding signage. According to IMBA, The International Mountain Bikers Association (mountain bikers typically hit the slopes of ski resorts during the non snow covered season), "plaintiffs' attorneys often assert negligence and premises liability theories against the activity providers, in this case the resort. Where releases are involved, resourceful plaintiffs' attorneys will also seek to include gross negligence claims, and even claims of willful and wanton conduct, seeking punitive damages typically not covered by insurance policies." Gustav also mentions the importance of Ski Lift attendent training in his blog about ski risk management. To further evaluate this topic according to the Midwest Ski Area Association,
the two most crucial elements of attendent training involve the ability to spot "unblanced"skiers sitting on the lift(which may lead to the chairs begining to swing because of improper weight distribution) and ability of ski lift attendents to be able to control the crowd of skiers who are waiting to get on the lift, since the majority of lift accidents occur when skiers try to load the lift.
I also agree with Gustav statements about the importance of keeping proper documentation. At most ski resorts their is a release waiver that you sign that is typically located right on many ski lift tickets that warns skiers of the inherent risk of plummeting at high speeds on mountain trails.

I feel that overall Gustavs report was well written since it covered the basis of what ski resort managers must due to prevent risk on their mountain sides, he wrote on very valid arguments. However he could of gone into a sentence or two more depth about how each risk preventative plan related to the risk management of the ski resort. But other than that I feel that we covered what needed to be conveyed to present the basic risks of a ski resort.