Having so many reckless skiers on the hills can be dangerous and needs a call for change. Skiing is supposed to be a fun activity that anyone can participate in and enjoy. Still, many people seem tense or stressed while going down black diamonds not necessarily because they are worried about their safety, but because they are concerned with other skiers. So, why should other people have to suffer just because people and children can not follow their safety restrictions?

Everybody knows ski resorts will pull passes for being too reckless on the slopes, but what about the little kids that will fully send themselves down a black diamond being reckless and unpredictable?  

What exactly is a black diamond?

If you do not know much about skiing and the different types of skiing there are green, blue, red, black, and double-black runs. These colors represent the difficulty level of the trail. Black diamonds are ski runs that will introduce steep terrains that will include all different types of terrain. This could be anything from freshly packed snow to deep powdery snow. It could also include rocks, tree skiing, jumps, and more. Black diamond slopes are for well-coordinated skiers with quick reflexes and the ability to well handle and maintain different types of terrain

A sophomore at Ponaganset High School, Ben Morse, said, “When I went snowboarding two weeks ago at Mt. Sunapee, I came across some pretty reckless kids that were cutting me off and yelling at me because I almost hit them when THEY were the ones who were cutting in front of me. So I believe ski resorts should only allow certain people on black diamonds.”

Sophomore Morgan Dewy of Pentucket High School, said, “When I went skiing last night at Ski Bradford, I came across a couple of reckless kids that were going straight down the hill, and not making any kind of turns, also while looking around, I saw one kid completely run into another kid. But, when I went skiing on Sunday at Saddleback, I didn’t recall anyone being reckless. With this being said, I believe that smaller ski resorts should do something in an attempt to stop it because it would be easier to control rather  than the larger mountains.”

What is the thrill of skiing on black diamonds?

If skiing does not interest you, you might be wondering exactly what the hype is about skiing on a black diamond. Skiing on a black diamond will most likely be a personal goal or achievement that everyone wants to conquer. For many, this is a reward knowing that they can achieve a challenging run such as the black diamond. But, it is recommended to wait until you have the proper skills for the path to avoid injuries for yourself and for others around you.

Why are kids going down black diamonds in the first place?

Many parents end up dragging their kids along with them down a black diamond. More often, they will end up bringing their young (and not very experienced) down a black diamond run with them, and with the kids being new to skiing, they are likely going to pizza (or wedge) down the entire slope. The other option for them is to make completely unpredictable turns to slow themselves down if they feel as if they are going too fast. Which can cause many others to get hurt trying to avoid hurting the other person. One last thing these unpredictable kids will do is send it straight down the hill with no sign of slowing down or making any turns. In this event, it is almost impossible to have any control over yourself, and it becomes effortless to lose control leading to getting severely hurt or even up to death. 

The ending result 

If ski resorts could do a check, maybe even having a certain ticket that would allow this, then it would be seen as an overall great success to many. Even if they didn’t check everyone but made it so that they knew the skier’s comfort level to give them a correct ticket (or guided area) to their level. Even though these tickets wouldn’t fully stop people from going down a black diamond, it would greatly impact people’s level as well as parents having a little more control over where and how their child skis, even if they aren’t skiing with them.