Out Of Bounds Means: Stop Idiot, There's Danger!
It's avalanche season on the west coast; it happens every year, and, also every year, people go looking for fresh powder for the perfect ski, snowmobile or snowboard experience.
And every year people are drawn to out-of-bounds areas looking for that virgin snow.
This has been a particularly bad season, and it's only the beginning of January. Young men are dying in astounding numbers because they didn't think about the abject stupidity of risking it all for a few moments of heightened adrenaline. Others are getting lost and barely making it back from the brink.
Rarely does one hear or read about young women risking life and limb for that one perfect run. It seems to be a rite of passage for an irresponsible, indifferent few males who believe that mortality is no more a barrier to them than the ropes they go under or the fences they climb over to get to the big air.
It would be nothing more than suicide by ski or snowboard if these thoughtless people didn't involve others in their brainless pursuits. They do; however, engage many people when it all goes wrong and they require rescue.
Police Officers, Firefighters, Ambulance Attendants and especially Search and Rescue personnel are put in jeopardy every time they have to go out looking for out-of-bounds idiots. When the threat of avalanches is high, Emergency Response staff face the real possibility of death when looking for stranded, out-of-bounds people who knew the risk they took when they broke the rules and made the decision to go anyway.
There's a debate going on about whether skiers and snowboarders rescued out-of-bounds should be forced to pay for their rescues.
I say hell yes. They should have to pay for their rescues, they should be fined, and they should be banned from every ski hill in British Columbia for life. If they can't make good, intelligent decisions about their safety and the safety of others, the decisions should be made for them.
Too bad there's no cure for stupidity.
And every year people are drawn to out-of-bounds areas looking for that virgin snow.
This has been a particularly bad season, and it's only the beginning of January. Young men are dying in astounding numbers because they didn't think about the abject stupidity of risking it all for a few moments of heightened adrenaline. Others are getting lost and barely making it back from the brink.
Rarely does one hear or read about young women risking life and limb for that one perfect run. It seems to be a rite of passage for an irresponsible, indifferent few males who believe that mortality is no more a barrier to them than the ropes they go under or the fences they climb over to get to the big air.
It would be nothing more than suicide by ski or snowboard if these thoughtless people didn't involve others in their brainless pursuits. They do; however, engage many people when it all goes wrong and they require rescue.
Police Officers, Firefighters, Ambulance Attendants and especially Search and Rescue personnel are put in jeopardy every time they have to go out looking for out-of-bounds idiots. When the threat of avalanches is high, Emergency Response staff face the real possibility of death when looking for stranded, out-of-bounds people who knew the risk they took when they broke the rules and made the decision to go anyway.
There's a debate going on about whether skiers and snowboarders rescued out-of-bounds should be forced to pay for their rescues.
I say hell yes. They should have to pay for their rescues, they should be fined, and they should be banned from every ski hill in British Columbia for life. If they can't make good, intelligent decisions about their safety and the safety of others, the decisions should be made for them.
Too bad there's no cure for stupidity.
posted by Alphamutt at 6:12 PM
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