Ski Sundown Patrollers Keep Winter Athletes Safe

Skeptics may think it is hard find heroes. However, heroes can be more than comic book legends such as Superman, Batman, or Spiderman. Everyday heroes are not uncommon to find, and many are found skiing on a local snowy mountain.

“Being able to make an instant difference for someone, being able to extract an injured person off a snowy mountain, while at the same time participating in an outdoor sport, is why I enjoy my job of being a part of the Ski Patrol at Ski Sundown,” Ski Patroller Virginia Bruce says. In order to keep people safe, Bruce trained extensively before she could join the patrol team. According to the National Ski Association website, is dedication to serving the public in an outdoor recreation industry by providing education and emergency care and safety service providers.

Skiing and snowboarding are risky sports on any mountain, and the Ski Patrollers are trained extensively on how to help an injured person during an emergency situation. I recently sat down with Virginia Bruce who has been on the ski patrol team for over 10 years, and she says the main causes of accidents on the mountains are the usage of cheap gear and wearing inefficient clothing, poor control while coming down the mountain, and skiing on trails that are not in a person’s ability.

There have been both minor and tragic accidents at Ski Sundown in the past. In 2010, a high school sophomore at the time, lost control coming off a man-made jump in the terrain park, tragically landing on his head.

“This was my first year patrolling, and the rumor was that his friends dared him to go down the Stinger trail. The Stinger Trail was not in his ability range and he was skiing with people far above his experience level. I did not see it happen, but spectators told me that he was so high in the air he was over the lift. He ended up landing on his neck and is now a paraplegic. I remember, my adrenaline was pumping like none other,” Bruce says.

According to the NBC Connecticut website, another incident reported involved a 6-year-old boy falling off a ski lift after he lifted the bar up a bit too soon. “I don’t see a lot of accidents related to the chair lift. The biggest concern is intoxicated people bouncing in the chair. With enough force they could knock everyone currently on the lift off the cable. Some people would fall and others would go flying in the air,” Bruce says.

Skiers and snowboarders often injure themselves. “A common case scenario is when people ski the bunny hill, and then try to ski difficult trails such as Stinger and Gunbarrel. Soon after, they will not have edge control and do not yet know how to slow down.”

The Ski Patrollers are there to keep the mountain safe. If they find a trail or jump that is deemed unsafe to the general public, they will close it off.

“Another big safety issue I have seen is using snowboards as sleds. Snowboards are very sharp and if you lose control of it, it could hit someone. People do not realize it, but the edges of snowboards and skis are like knives. If you need assistance, wait where you are. We are always checking the trails and we will give a ‘courtesy ride’ down in a sled. No harm no foul.”

To become a part of the ski patrol team, one must go through extensive training and be highly advanced in either skiing or snowboarding skills. They must be an expert skier, and have certification in emergency protocols. The ski patrol makes continuous circuits of all trails so they can be prepared to respond to injured skiers or snowboarders quickly. The next time you are skiing or snowboarding, notice that the patrollers stationed on the top and bottom of the mountain, and can be spotted constantly skiing on the mountain itself. These men and women are “safety skiers” indeed, and are there to make all winter seasons enjoyable, but most importantly safe. With the looming potential of snow within the next few weeks, and Ski Sundown’s potential opening day of Friday December 5^th, Ski Sundown’s ski patrollers are ready once again to make a positive difference in the lives of patrons this season.