Portes du Soleil the massive Swiss-French ski domain has announced that it is to recruit ski monitors in an effort to reduce ski speeds. A spokesman claimed that many skiers, especially those with children, felt uneasy on the slopes. Skiers caught speeding or skiing dangerously would forfeit their ski passes. The news will be welcomed by families and individual skiers alike who are tiring of inexperienced skiers – normally tourists, who charge down slopes virtually out of control.
Competent and more experienced skiers, however, have expressed their disatisfaction with the solution which they believe is unwieldly and “punishes” them by denying them the thrill of speed. It is a two-way street, and expert skiers can be frustrated by increasing numbers of incompetent skiers clogging up black pistes so endangering themselves and other skiers.
Some ski resorts such as Zermatt have introduced slow pistes which are monitored while leaving other pistes un-regulated. Clearly the issue to be addressed is to remedy the current archaic system of grading of slopes in a different manner which allows novices to ski in safety and calm while speed freaks can do as they wish on harder, more challenging pistes.
