PSA: Tech Tip, How to Use a Ski Rack in Two Easy Steps.

[dbostedo]

I just wear mine into the restaurant or bar.

Despite seeing that movie many times, it's never occurred to me that he isn't so dumb for wearing them in, SINCE THEY PUT A SKI RACK INSIDE! What non-skier on the staff decided that? That's almost worse than the Game Of Thrones Starbucks cup!

 

[BLiP]

At Aspen several years ago, we watched a woman ski up to the door of the restaurant, click out of her skis and just walk in, leaving her skis and poles RIGHT THERE!

Earlier this year at Okemo, I watched someone ski off the snow and on to the cement sidewalk leading to the base lodge. I stared dumbfounded for a second. He made it farther on the cement than I expected. But at least he took his skis off and put them on a rack!

 

[Swiss Toni]

Doesn’t look like @Philpug has ever skied in Europe. Leaving skis on the snow outside bars / restaurants etc. is pretty much standard practice here. If you are in Zermatt and ski past this après ski bar late in the day you have to slow right down and pick a route round the skis that have been left on the piste that runs past it.



In 2021 the Italian government passed a law says that you must not leave your skis on the “skiable surface” outside a restaurant etc., if you do so you could be fined 50 to 150 euros. Judging by the number of skis that are left on the pistes outside restaurants it doesn’t seem to be enforced.

 

[AltaSkier]

Doesn’t look like @Philpug has ever skied in Europe. Leaving skis on the snow outside bars / restaurants etc. is pretty much standard practice here. If you are in Zermatt and ski past this après ski bar late in the day you have to slow right down and pick a route round the skis that have been left on the piste that runs past it.

Hey, I've been there! I was shocked to see how big that place seemed inside! BTW, those skis are actually on the trail, not really even close to the Après Bar! Holy crap that was a good time!

 

[Zirbl]

Doesn’t look like @Philpug has ever skied in Europe. Leaving skis on the snow outside bars / restaurants etc. is pretty much standard practice here. If you are in Zermatt and ski past this après ski bar late in the day you have to slow right down and pick a route round the skis that have been left on the piste that runs past it.

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In 2021 the Italian government passed a law says that you must not leave your skis on the “skiable surface” outside a restaurant etc., if you do so you could be fined 50 to 150 euros. Judging by the number of skis that are left on the pistes outside restaurants it doesn’t seem to be enforced.

When the army, Polizia, and Carabinieri all do it, who'se going to enforce it, the pope?

 

[crgildart]

Stepping on a top sheet with ski boots, you’ll find yourself on the ground.

That's why I just SKI across them then pop my skis off at the rack. Well, not really but maybe sometimes..

 

[wooglin]

If I put my skis in the ski rack, how will I find my poles?

 

[James]

If kids in my group come in and ski over the forest of skis left out, I just make them put their own skis in the rack. (And then silently celebrate.) You leave them blatantly in the way, take the consequences of 7 yr olds let loose in a China shop. I’ve been known to ski through the forest to the rack to see if they can make the turns. Can’t say I’m distraught if they don’t make all the turns.

 

[dbostedo]

If I put my skis in the ski rack, how will I find my poles?

Aha! That brings up a more minor peeve of mine... people who use the rack, but just kind of toss their poles against the rack or their skis, which invariably end up falling down. They should be looping the straps over their skis (assuming you have straps, which most do).

At least those folks are using the racks though, so can't fault them too much.

We need a Phil PSA for people stopping in front of lift accesses or stopping in them to wait for friends

I support this suggestion! More funny PSAs!

 

[Seldomski]

Just part the sea to make a walkway to where you are trying to get. I've done that before... don't even need to reach down, just kick them to the sides.

I have also not used a ski rack before when I'm only stopping for a short time and the parking zone isn't obstructive.

 

[crgildart]

What about the people who put their skis on the rack.. but on top of your skis? Sometimes the racks don't have enough room. Legit beef some places when it's insanely busy.

 

[tball]

Aha! That brings up a more minor peeve of mine... people who use the rack, but just kind of toss their poles against the rack or their skis, which invariably end up falling down. They should be looping the straps over their skis (assuming you have straps, which most do).

Poles fallen on the snow near the racks bugs me, too. @Philpug, consider episode two, covering the proper placement of poles.

 

[slowrider]

 

[Tom K.]

Wait a minute, i thought gripwalk sorted that all out!!!

Beat me to the punch, darn it!

Why all this beating around the bush?! We all know this problem can be laid at the feet of.......snowboarders!!!!

 

[dbostedo]

We all know this problem can be laid at the feet of.......snowboarders!!!!

I bet all those skis in the pics in this thread WERE on the racks, and those darn snowboarders came along and arranged them all over the snow just to frame skiers!!

 

[Noodler]

I've skied Killington, Pico, Keystone, and Loveland so far this season. Only resort I saw people leaving skis in the snow and not using the racks was at Loveland. They did have signs indicating where to leave them and that seemed to work.

Skis laying on the snow is just part of the culture at Loveland. There aren't enough racks, so it's easy to have a hundred pairs strewn about on a busy day. It would probably give folks in this thread nightmares, but it's fun to weave through them skiing on one ski...

 

[pchewn]

This did not seem to be a problem until the use of ski brakes became standard. Nobody would leave their skis without brakes laying down on the snow.

 

[pete]

…and then she got up (miraculously) and proceeded to leave her skis on the snow.

This is after she came in too hot, was scrubbing speed to do a hockey stop but ran over a pair of skis on the snow.

Doesn't this belong in the Helmet thread?

 

[James]

This did not seem to be a problem until the use of ski brakes became standard. Nobody would leave their skis without brakes laying down on the snow.

Good point. Plus you didn’t lose a ski in powder.
“Runaway ski!” Used to be pretty common.

 

[AltaSkier]

This is where I go to demo FIS SL skis.