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Contact:
Lisa Yates (916) 552-2650 or Cell: (916) 215-9550
lyates@acsquantum.com

11/12/2008

Ski Safety and Medical Experts, Victims of Snow Sport Tragedies and Consumers Urge California Legislature to Make Ski Resorts Safer

Assembly Judiciary Committee Hears Harrowing Accounts of
Preventable Deaths and Injuries on California Ski Slopes

(Sacramento, CA) – With a new ski season opening, the Assembly Judiciary Committee took up the issue of ski safety in the first step toward potential action to make California ski resorts safer.

“I represent a district filled with families and snow sport enthusiasts who head to the Sierra Nevada slopes each year,” said Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. “My first priority is their safety and that of the thousands of other visitors to California ski resorts. We gathered information at the hearing today to assess whether any further action is warranted based on what we learned from all sides.”

A diverse group of ski and snowboard safety advocates, medical experts, snow sport victims and family members testified before the committee led by the California Ski and Snowboard Safety Organization (CSSSO). CSSSO was founded one year ago this month by Dr. Dan Gregorie who lost his only daughter, 24-year-old Jessica Gregorie, in a horrific fall over a cliff at Alpine Meadows where no signs warned of the danger.

“Accidents happen, but when injuries and deaths occur that could potentially be avoided, that’s when the Legislature needs to investigate what can be done,” said Dr. Gregorie. “Skiers and snowboarders now travel as fast as cars. If highway safety is a priority, then why not ski and snowboard safety? One life lost to a preventable accident is one life too many. It’s time something is done to hold ski resorts more accountable and make uniform signage, adequate barriers and proper traffic and speed management part of everyday safety practices.”

Julia Kozberg said she came to the hearing to give her sister a voice and a voice to others who have lost their lives on the ski slopes.

“My sister, Olga, was an average skier, not reckless at all,” stated Kozberg. “Olga was skiing down a hill at Heavenly Ski Resort earlier this year when she picked up a little too much speed because the run proved to be a little slick and steep. She tried to steer off to the side, but where the run split, instead were heaps of snow, trees and boulders that were not visible at all from the run. There were no signs warning her and no netting or padding cordoning off the tree well with rocks. Olga was skiing with a firefighter friend when she fell. Once she arrived at Washoe Medical Center with major brain swelling, doctors saw she had no chance of surviving. With the Legislature’s help, we can save many lives and unnecessary tears in the future.”

The powerful California Medical Association supports CSSSO in its efforts to make safety a higher priority at ski resorts. Currently, injuries and deaths on ski slopes are viewed as just an “inherent risk of the sport” under the basic tenet of ski law. This “inherent risk doctrine” shields ski resorts from liability associated with ski and snowboard deaths and injuries regardless of fault. As a result, there is no accountability and no accurate or reliable data to objectively guide the public, as well as policymakers, on snow sport risks.

A “White Paper” presented to the Judiciary Committee by the SnowSport Safety Foundation, a research arm of CSSSO, revealed some disturbing trends:

• The use of warning signs and devices vary from resort to resort and often within the resort itself. There are no written industry standards that give guidance on when and where to use warning signs and devices.
• Ski and snowboard equipment manufacturers are continuing to design for higher speeds and more “extreme” jumps and tricks. Little is done at most resorts to control aggressive behavior, especially among youth.
• Higher skier and snowboarder speeds, along with better and faster lifts, create more congestion on the slopes, resulting in higher incidence of collisions. Proactive traffic management and patrolling often are overlooked.
• With respect to safety practices, resorts claim they develop individual safety plans and promote “safety as a priority;” however, resort guidelines for safety typically are touted as the Skier’s code of responsibility.” Actual safety and accident prevention plans are not posted and are very difficult for the public to obtain.

These inconsistent patterns of safety have raised red flags among many consumer and safety advocates, particularly groups protecting the most vulnerable patrons on the slopes.

“Children should be safeguarded no matter where they are, and we make it our mission to ensure they are protected and not at risk of injury or death in any number of circumstances,” said Cathy Barankin, California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health. “We advocated for bicycle helmet safety, child passenger seats and other causes that have saved lives. Skiing and snowboarding are no different. If there is something more that can be done, we want to work with ski resorts in a cooperative manner in making safety improvements now before another child or another family member is killed unnecessarily.”