Why skiers should stay off the piste
Winter 2009
Sport – ‘an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition’ (and a drink at the end perhaps?)
Sunday League football, rugby, shooting and skiing are all sporting activities which often end with a drink, but skiing goes one step further with drinking increasingly being part of the sport.
Alcohol is key for a number of skiers during a day on the piste as they slope from bar to bar in search of the next glass of gluhwein. Skiing is probably more social than sport unless you’re one of those “I muddle down most things” chaps.
If you are one of the many whose skiing skills are enhanced by a lunchtime tipple you should beware because resorts are increasingly targeting drunken skiers and snowboarders. Whereas the European approach seems to be to educate by advice the Americans are taking a much harder line and none more so than the Park City resorts of Utah.
Teams of piste police patrol the slopes in many US and Canadian resorts looking for out of control skiers and snowboarders. Expect to be breathalysed by one of the ‘Yellow Jackets’ if you’re involved in an accident. Fines can be up to $1000.
Travel Insurance companies are also taking an increasingly hard line with many refusing to pay out if you are involved in an accident on skis or a snowboard whilst under the influence of alcohol. As in airplanes, alcohol hits harder at altitude and the advice from the insurers is to enjoy après ski, après ski.
Having good travel insurance when you’re skiing is crucial. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) only covers a very limited amount of medical care. It won’t cover mountain rescue, ambulance rides, flights home and a number of other medical fees. In the USA medical fees are huge.
Comparison websites are doing a good job in keeping travel insurance premiums down so it’s well worth shopping around. It’s also a good idea to buy multi-trip annual insurance as it represents much better value and it does mean you’re covered for your summer hols as well as any last minute weekend breaks.
(Photo: by kind permission of René Kieselmann via Wikimedia)
Sunday League football, rugby, shooting and skiing are all sporting activities which often end with a drink, but skiing goes one step further with drinking increasingly being part of the sport.
Alcohol is key for a number of skiers during a day on the piste as they slope from bar to bar in search of the next glass of gluhwein. Skiing is probably more social than sport unless you’re one of those “I muddle down most things” chaps.
If you are one of the many whose skiing skills are enhanced by a lunchtime tipple you should beware because resorts are increasingly targeting drunken skiers and snowboarders. Whereas the European approach seems to be to educate by advice the Americans are taking a much harder line and none more so than the Park City resorts of Utah.
Teams of piste police patrol the slopes in many US and Canadian resorts looking for out of control skiers and snowboarders. Expect to be breathalysed by one of the ‘Yellow Jackets’ if you’re involved in an accident. Fines can be up to $1000.
Travel Insurance companies are also taking an increasingly hard line with many refusing to pay out if you are involved in an accident on skis or a snowboard whilst under the influence of alcohol. As in airplanes, alcohol hits harder at altitude and the advice from the insurers is to enjoy après ski, après ski.
Having good travel insurance when you’re skiing is crucial. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) only covers a very limited amount of medical care. It won’t cover mountain rescue, ambulance rides, flights home and a number of other medical fees. In the USA medical fees are huge.
Comparison websites are doing a good job in keeping travel insurance premiums down so it’s well worth shopping around. It’s also a good idea to buy multi-trip annual insurance as it represents much better value and it does mean you’re covered for your summer hols as well as any last minute weekend breaks.
(Photo: by kind permission of René Kieselmann via Wikimedia)
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
