Thoughts from Stratton Safety

Play Safe, Play Smart, Enjoy the Mountain

Some thoughts from Mountain Safety & Compliance Manager, Kathy Buckley, and VP of Operations, Mike Quinn.

We take pride in creating an awesome mountain experience, but we know great snow, fast lifts and exhilarating terrain are just part of a great day on the slopes. That’s why we take great measures to promote a culture of safety for our  guests and employees alike.

We’re serious about fun, so we are serious about safety too because getting hurt is no fun.  Although we never like to, we WILL pull your pass, your ticket, your privilege to ski and ride Stratton Mountain if you fail to follow the Skier and Rider Responsibility Code.  

Here at Stratton, a team of 95 Ski and 48 Safety Patrollers is out in force, in their red or yellow jackets, from 7 am to 4:45 pm, from before first chair to that final slope sweep.   So far, Patrollers have answered 323 calls for help, but they devote even more energy to education and prevention as they do rescue.  As of January 25, they have logged 504 hours in the URSA slow zone alone,  288 hours encouraging that easy-does-it style of skiing and riding on EZ Street and 108 hours checking SES passes in the terrain parks..  A second team focuses on trail maintenance and marking hazards to prevent incidents.

We know that just one accident, one injury, is one too many.  Especially if that one is you or your daughter or brother or friend. Know that Patrol is enforcing the code and clipping  tickets to keep YOU safe, so please respect and obey their requests.  Reckless behavior has cost 48 people the right to ski or snowboard Stratton this season.

The list of every day safety initiatives is long. Throughout the resort, you will see safety messages on snow reports, screens and lifts. Safety tips are incorporated in lessons and mountain tours. Patrol recognizes safe skiers and riders with coupons, stickers and other goodies. Contests and games engage our young guests in the message of safety. Employees set an example by always wearing a helmet and bi-weekly discussion topics make safety a key priority on and around the mountain.

In fact, Stratton has earned the National Ski Areas Association Safety Award in 2010 and again last year; our renowned terrain park Safety Education Session has also been recognized with three national awards.

But even with 150 men and women on patrol, and heightened visibility at merging trails and slow zones,  they cannot be on all 600 acres of terrain at all times.  So we need your help, please take personal responsibility for safety.  Know the Code. Own your Zone.  Check your bindings, tune your boards, call it a day when you get tired.  For those of us old enough to remember Hill Street Blues, “Be careful out there.”  Please.