SRT Safe Skiing Code (v2.0) 

Released October 21, 2024

About

The SRT Safe Skiing Code is designed to help parents and guardians educate their racers on safe skiing practices during training, racing, and free skiing. It is also a valuable resource for parents and guardians to follow for their own skiing.

Why?

Skiing, by nature, involves a higher level of risk comparable to motocross, road bike racing, or even Formula One Car Racing. Sports involving speed, contain significantly more risk than other sports or activities.

We encourage you to review this safe skiing code with your children before the ski season begins and periodically throughout the season.

1.0 SRT Terrain Park Rules

• Use of the terrain park during practice is prohibited! However, SRT racers will encounter the terrain parks either while free skiing, taking a free run, or at away racers.  Therefore, when you sign the Liability Waiver to join the team, you are implicitly giving your racer(s) permission to use the terrain park.  That said, racers caught skipping practice to take multiple runs in the terrain park or free ski away from practice will be warned once, then their parents will be informed. If it continues they may be suspended from practice or races. In addition, older racers may be required to hike up the hill, and repeated violations will result in suspension.

• Limited Terrain Park Use: Terrain park features may be used under the supervision of a coach as part of skiing drills, such as during Saturday morning sessions. Outside of these drills, the terrain park is off-limits during practice hours.

2.0 SRT Safety Code for Terrain Park Use

Given the proximity of the Sundown Terrain Park to the SRT training lanes and the frequency with which SRT racers use the terrain park, we’ve developed the following safety code for racers and their families:

• Know the Rules: Ensure your children understand and follow both the general responsibility codes and specific terrain park rules provided by the ski areas.

• Inspect First: Always inspect the terrain park with your children before allowing them to use it. Teach them to check snow conditions, warning signs, and features.

• Blind Landing Zones: Many jumps have blind landings. Teach your children to use a spotter when hitting jumps where the landing is not visible. Racers should learn to execute a defensive turn at the top of blind zones to check the downhill side for obstacles, before committing to their next turn. A good rule of thumb, no hitting jumps without inspection or without a spotter present.

• Control Speed: Overshooting landings by going too fast can result in serious injuries, particularly to the knees and spine. Encourage your children to start slow and work their way up.

• No Inverts: Practicing inverts on hard-packed snow is highly dangerous and can result in severe head and neck injuries.

• Safe Space: Ensure your children understand that hitting jumps together, holding hands, or skiing too close to others drastically increases the risk of collision. Only one skier should hit a jump at a time, and only after the landing is clear.

3.0 General Safe Skiing, Training, and Racing Code

• Gear Check: Ensure that all skiing equipment, especially boots, bindings, helmets, and goggles, are properly fitted and adjusted before the season begins. Helmet chin straps must be correctly used.

• Goggles for Night Skiing: SRT practices under the lights. Night skiing decreases visibility. At night, it’s safest to use yellow or clear lenses for visibility under the lights. Please do not allow your kids to use tinted lenses to ski at night.

• Protection Gear: When racers begin hitting gates, they should wear appropriate gear, including helmets with chin guards, shin guards, and arm guards.

• Cold Weather Prep: Racers should have adequate clothing for subzero conditions. Frostbite is a real risk; face coverings are highly recommended on very cold days.

• Safe Distance: Maintain a safe distance from others to prevent collisions.

• Passing in Races: In Wijara races, if a racer catches up to another or encounters a course worker, they should exit the course and request a rerun from the nearest gatekeeper.

• Respect Ski Area Rules: Follow any written or verbal instructions from ski area operators or representatives.

• Chairlift Safety: Ensure children know how to properly use all lifts. Do not remove ski gear while on the lift. Dropping items like poles or gloves repeatedly may lead to warnings or suspension.

• Know Your Limits: Ski within your ability, stay on trails appropriate to your ability, pay attention to trail markings, snow conditions, and visibility.

• Stay Focused: Avoid distractions while skiing, and remain aware of trail conditions and other skiers.

• Concussions: If your racer has suffered a suspected concussion, they should not participate in skiing, training, or racing until cleared by a medical professional.

• No Drugs or Alcohol: Skiing under the influence is strictly prohibited and will result in automatic suspension from team activities.

• Lift Use: Always use safety bars on chairlifts and pay attention around surface lifts. Skiers should not cross surface lift tracks except at designated points.

• Skiing in Groups: Racers should ski with friends or in small groups, especially on larger mountains, where someone may need to get help if an accident occurs.

4.0 Avoiding Collisions

Parents and racers must adhere to the following safe skiing practices to ensure the safety of themselves, their teammates, coaches, and other skiers:

• Trail Inspection: Racers should familiarize themselves with the trail, snow conditions, and ski patrol information before skiing at speed.

• Blind Zones: Avoid stopping in areas where you can’t be seen by uphill skiers.

• Avoid Trail Edges: Stick to the center of the trail, especially when skiing at speed or practicing drills.

• Group Skiing: Maintain a safe distance between yourself and the skier in front. Slow down when approaching the group and stop below them.

• Passing Safely: Skiers should overtake others in a manner that avoids contact, with the uphill skier yielding to the downhill skier.

• Crossing Trails: Look uphill before entering a trail or starting downhill, and always yield to other skiers.