Tough Day On The Slopes

I've never been much of a skier. Many years ago when I was in Public School, I went on a Grade 8 Ski Trip with my class and it was a fun time. I think the most memorable part of the trip was either sitting in the chalet playing Foreigner's song Urgent on the jukebox or seeing a kid I didn't really like taken way in an ambulance with a broken leg. Ya I know...I'm so mean, but I was just 13 years old at the time.

To be honest, I actually didn't mind the skiing and had some fun swooshing down the slopes and by the end of the day I had totally abandoned the "snow plow" method and graduated to something a little more progressed.

I also had cross-country skies as a youth but that was just too much work. I didn't want exercise, I wanted to glide across the snow. Eventually I didn't accomplish either as I broke both my ski poles and ended up walking in the snow. That was fun! (sarcasm)

As much as I didn't enjoy my skiing experiences, I don't think my troubles could even come close to comparing to this recent incident that will no doubt result in a lawsuit. At the very least the guy can claim emotional damage and embarrassment.

A skier at Colorado's ritzy Vail resort was left dangling upside down and pantsless from a chairlift on New Year's Day. The January 1st mishap apparently occurred after the 48-year-old male skier and a child boarded a high-speed lift in Vail's Blue Sky Basin. It would seem that the chairlift's fold-down seat was somehow not in the lowered position, which caused the man to partially fall through the resulting gap. His right ski got jammed in the ascending chairlift, and that kept him upended since his boot never dislodged from its binding.

The exposed skier was stuck for about seven minutes with his pants down, or up as the case may be, before he was rescued. The young boy also on the lift was fine but he said it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen....and he wasn't talking about the hanging guy.

OK...I made that last part up about the kid.

Now in case you think I'm making this up, here is the photo"graphic" evidence. You can click on the photos to see them larger.

Clip of the Week - March 4/08

Different sports give thrills and chills to different fans.

I love watching hockey while others can't stand it. On the other side, I'd rather have shock therapy than be forced to watch a soccer game.

There are many different reasons why people watch sports. For some, like me, it's a chance to cheer for their favourite team or player or a sheer love of the game. Others will watch certain sports with the hope that something terrible will happen. Don't get me wrong, I love a good hockey fight but rarely is anyone seriously hurt.

Recently those questionable fans have had plenty to keep their sick and twisted minds satisfied. We've seen soccer players break legs, a hockey player nearly die from a skate accidentally slashing the carotid artery in his neck and with the return of Nascar, plenty of accidents.

Racing a car on a track is dangerous but safety precautions in the equipment and built into the cars today will allow many drivers to walk away from serious crashes when they wouldn't in the past. The same can't be said for athletes who have nothing to protect them other than a helmet and some pads. Some sports have even less than that.

Of course any athletes who involve themselves in sports at all levels realize there is a greater risk of injury or death depending on the sport in which they participate.

One sport that I know is very risky but is often forgotten about is downhill skiing. Sadly this past weekend we were reminded of the risks involved and one skier paid the price. To make matters even worse, the outcome might have been better had race officials provided the means in which to improve an injured skiers chances of recovery or to receive quicker treatment.

Austrian skier Matthias Lanzinger's lower left leg was amputated Tuesday because of complications from two broken bones in a crash at a World Cup race. Lanzinger broke his shin and fibula Sunday during a super-G. The double fracture severely damaged blood vessels, hampering circulation in the 27-year-old skier's leg.The Austrian ski federation said the surgery Monday night was only partly successful and left doctors no other option in an effort to avoid further risks.

Organizers of the race in Kvitfjell, Norway, were criticized because no medical helicopter was available. Lanzinger was flown to a hospital in Lillehammer in a tourist helicopter, and later was brought to Oslo.

Lanzinger, who started 30th, crashed near the finish after hitting a gate. The race, won by teammate Georg Streitberger, was interrupted for more than 30 minutes.

Below is video of the accident. Viewer Discretion Advised.