Drunken skiers targeted
Lawmaker wants to crack down on those who drink on slopes
Utah Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, is looking at drafting a bill for January's 2007 session of the Legislature that would clearly give ski operators the authority to stop drinking on the hills and keep imbibers from having open containers on their lifts.
"This is a shot across the bow" to warn ski resorts to get a handle on the problem before more serious action is taken, Morley said.
Dangerous and reckless skiers or snowboarders can already have their ski passes confiscated by ski-patrol members or operators, thus kicking them off the slopes.
And Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, the local industry association, said all Utah resorts operate under the American National Standard for Safety guidelines, which allow operators to deny anyone access to a lift if they feel "they are a danger to their guests."
But drunk skiers don't necessarily ski too fast or recklessly. And they may not appear overtly drunk while standing in a ski line, waiting to get on a lift.
Like car drivers or boat operators, they may just be under the influence while participating in a legal activity. And that in itself can be dangerous, Morley believes.
Morley himself was injured at a local resort a decade ago. "I was taken out by a snowboarder, and I had to have knee surgery."
But Morley's concern now is not about revenge. A constituent last winter was riding on a ski lift next to a man who was "obviously drunk" and drinking from an open container. Upon getting off the lift, the constituent complained to the hill operator, and ultimately talked to the manager of the resort.
"He told him that he couldn't do anything about an open container on the lift, that he didn't have any authority to handle that," said Morley. "We believe he does. But if resort operators won't act responsibly, if he won't do it, then the state will."
Rafferty said Utah ski operators care greatly about the safety of their guests. "They have very definitive rules about safety, and they train their employees well concerning it."
Morley doesn't envision skiers having to take Breathalyzer tests on the slopes. They won't be asked to walk a straight line in their heavy, clumsy ski boots.
Ski operators can just pull a skier's daily pass if the operator believes the person is intoxicated and a danger to himself and others.
Molly Cuffe, communications director for the Colorado Ski Country USA statewide industry group, said that under current Colorado law, ski operators have the authority "to remove (from the hill) anyone who is intoxicated. And the fine (for skiing drunk) is $1,000."
Morley believes alcohol consumption is a special concern on ski slopes because the person is imbibing — and most resorts sell alcohol in one form or another — and then participating in an inherently difficult physical activity that takes considerable skill.
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com
You can be the first to comment on this story.