Go Native 70 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I've never really understood why so many people get so worried about a few people dying each season at resorts. Thousands of people die in traffic accidents every year but do we see anyone crying out for an end to driving? Or worldwide in excess of 100 thousand people die annually from the flu. Should we all stop breathing? Persoanlly I couldn't really care less if a few people take risks on the slopes and it ends up killing them. What's the big deal?? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I guess tho if their behaviour triggers a slide that kills other people then its a problem that should be addressed. I think someone posted earlier that ppl were ducking ropes that, had an avi occurred, wouldd've crashed through a beginners slope. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Resorts could all do with a few less beginners Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 haha Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Originally Posted By: Kumapix Originally Posted By: samurai (The point of this post is that I've never seen a poacher cut his line.) Just saying... I guess you've never poached or never cut your own line.... btw people there was no 'gaijin card' played. Because you weren't caught. You might have had to pull it out if you had been. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Originally Posted By: samurai I wasn't even talking about the gaijin card. I don't often see many people poach dangerous avi lines at zao. There just aren't that many. But when I do see them hop the ridge and drop into one specific area of gullies and steep walls, they never cut their entrance. They just duck the rope, and hurry up as not to get caught by patrol. They really have no idea how to safely enter lines like that. They think it's the same as going under the chair. Not looking to argue with anyone, just stating common behavior I witness in the avy-naive when they're poaching lines. and, that's what I meant by "text-book" (trees and lift lines not included.) re: gaijin card, it wasn't you that mentioned it. re: gaper poachers, then yeah I do agree with you. The smart poachers don't get seen & have the proper gear & knowhow. It's annoying to see gapers trying to poach. This weekend there were a bunch (Japanese & foreigners) Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 What would happen to your local rules if people broke them and died? Just think about how many ski patrol came out to stop what was going on. The ski patrol at that resort hate catching people really. They dont want the trees closed but this is their job. For the most part they just warn you once nicely if you stop for them. They tend to be pretty cool about it. The last thing they want is to chase people down the piste and tell them never to come back, in a sense banning them from the resort. Everyone here has poached a line for sure. That is not really the question. The question is do you want to get banned, do you want them to take other measures to stop poaching or.... let them accept that somethings get poached, just dont do it in front of me and if you do get caught respect that you got caught. As for the snowpack treeline seemed safe and since this area has seen many tracks I wouldnt be worried that much. The pack is waiting for a weather and human trigger and in some places it will go big. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I agree with FT, all the times I got caught, I found out that speaking politely to them works better then the 'gaijin card' Plus, all resorts don't have the same policy about poaching. You have to go by the rules each resort has. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 The gaijin card??? What are you gonna do? Pretend you don't understand a lick of Japanese? Just ignore the patrol, or whoever else? Say, "Oh in Canada, we do it like this..." ?? First of all, it doesn't even really work. Most people I've dealt with tend to be pretty reasonable, especially when they realize that they're talking to a foreigner who's not an arrogant ass and who is functional in Japanese. Second of all, it just make you and other foreigners (usually white foreigners, I mean) look like walking stereotypes. Barbarians. Third, it's just arrogant and rude. My mom taught me not to behave that way (even tough she was 'insane' ) Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Originally Posted By: Fattwins What would happen to your local rules if people broke them and died? Just think about how many ski patrol came out to stop what was going on. The ski patrol at that resort hate catching people really. They dont want the trees closed but this is their job. For the most part they just warn you once nicely if you stop for them. They tend to be pretty cool about it. The last thing they want is to chase people down the piste and tell them never to come back, in a sense banning them from the resort. Everyone here has poached a line for sure. That is not really the question. The question is do you want to get banned, do you want them to take other measures to stop poaching or.... let them accept that somethings get poached, just dont do it in front of me and if you do get caught respect that you got caught. that was my experience exactly. I chatted with the guy that stopped me, and he was very polite. actually, the ones that did cut& run (and got stopped and telled at afterwards) did feel a little guilty about it. We talked about buying them some beers for their trouble, but i didn't know how to contact the patrollers that stopped us and get it to them. Next time. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Did you get your pass taken, OK? Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 yup. I handed it over, and the patrol politely explained the small print that says something like "and violation of ski hill rules will result in getting you pass taken away" it was at 4:30, when we were heading down anyways. Link to post Share on other sites
Stuntcok 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Kuma and I got clipped and we were cool about it. Patrol even complimented us on our line. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Fair enough, eh.. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Those guys are actually really cool. BP and I hit the lift under them after they closed it and were riding up to do a mountain check (i guess or whatever they do) and they didnt stop us. It all depends I think. We were getting watched towards the end of the day but they never stopped us and couldve very easily. The last time I got caught there I just had a long and friendly chat with them and was allowed to keep my pass. At 47 when we all got caught, we were all very polite but they were a bunch of F'ing ****s. I wont give them one cent of my money so usually ride other resorts in Hakuba. Link to post Share on other sites
AK 77 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I wish I knew that they were 'really cool'. On the last run of the day at 4.30 with patrol seemingly gone for the day, I ripped down most of the lift line fast, and flew out onto the piste at full throttle (you can see up the piste - I wasn't going to take anyone out!) and, against my gut instinct, and rushing from a day in the powder, didn't stop for the waving patrol just after the exit. Unsuprisingly, they were not at all pleased by this, and although I waited for them at the bottom, being polite and apologetic with them had lost all of it's value compared with stopping and being polite with them where they waved me down (or as soon after that as possible, after throwing on the brakes). They were clearly pissed off from a long day of stopping people on the obvious lines, and the fact that we had stayed well clear of them all day until then meant nothing due to not stopping = by acting guilty and fying by on the last run, you incriminate yourself in their mind with all the other idiots they have been busting, no matter how nice you are to them! Looking back, I think it is the first time I have been 'busted' by a patrol in Japan, or anywhere, and it could have been not so negative had I listened to by head instead of the rushing chemicals in my brain and the hype about 'evil patrol'! I try to avoid the inbounds trees at 47 mostly though! Link to post Share on other sites
OkemoLoon 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Im sure we will all go back there and do the same lines. I know I will. I do plan on being more stealthy about it though. Link to post Share on other sites
samurai 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 if you ride better than them, they may be too intimidated to say anything at all. Not that I would know anything about that, though. Just guessing. It sure as hell doesn't stop the patrol in the states. Then again, they all rip and are avy-savvy. [tgr finger/]gremlin[tgr finger.] Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Ive seen people caught there and been caught. Never once had my pass taken away either. I have never untill this weekend heard of such an idiot show that went on. OL you are a good guy but doing what you did mid day in front of the patrol set wheels in motion that maybe you dont care about. With many JAN people connected to the place now you will see many of Cortina patrol in the BC around Tsugaike. AK you are going to have to go back with different gear and put a face mask on cause you are marked if not in someways banned. Same with your group and the guys that rip the Norikura Avie gates. Dont buy them a beer just let them forget the day. Blanket statement Powder hungry or not, if you dont ride with a level head then you will miss things you should be seeing. Link to post Share on other sites
Domokun_72dpi 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I agree with you FT, it's the roll-on effect that kills things. We have the same with mountain biking here, where a few people flaunt the regulations, everything gets tightened up, and fines become larger, and the fun gets killed. Japans pow is safe from this snowboarding n00b. Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Originally Posted By: AK 77 They were clearly pissed off from a long day of stopping people on the obvious lines, and the fact that we had stayed well clear of them all day until then meant nothing due to not stopping = by acting guilty and fying by on the last run, you incriminate yourself in their mind with all the other idiots they have been busting, no matter how nice you are to them! In your words, you "incriminate yourself in their mind". No disrespect but I don't think that's a smart move. You're just asking for trouble. Even though you have you own sense of logic about what's safe and/or acceptable, it means jack to them. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 there are a bunch of rocks there and a cliff band but there are better naturals in other places. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 As expected the Patrol were out in full force yesterday and even asked guests not to ski the trees. Also they now have reasons why people shouldnt be doing the true BC there, Sweet! Link to post Share on other sites
samurai 0 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 as stated by a famed aussie running a hostel in hakuba (not fattwins, though I'd bet they know each other. Nor do I think this aussie is on this board, maybe I'm clueless.) "Poaching, getting caught, losing your pass, buying another, and repeating that process ten times a day is still cheaper than heliskiing." It seems the banning thing is new this year. Maybe patrol did that in the past as well. but, my take on it two years ago was that many tourists were/are given the above advice. Sorry your BC access is getting threatened FT. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Quote: "Poaching, getting caught, losing your pass, buying another, and repeating that process ten times a day is still cheaper than heliskiing." Is he name Selfish Dickhead? Link to post Share on other sites
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