Colorado ski resorts: fines on the virgin snow

U.S. Colorado ski resorts are willing to increase penalties for skiers and snowboarders who ignore the barrage signs separating the zone of normal skiing from unsafe areas on the slopes of such resorts as Keystone, Aspen and others. Currently Colorado lawmakers are considering increasing the penalties for “cool skiers”, who do not pay attention to signs designed to protect their lives and prevent skiing in dangerous areas.

Colorado is considered as one of the main mountain states of the USA. There are situated such world-famous ski holiday centers as Aspen, Arpahoe, Buttermilk, Snowmass, Eldora, Vail, Telluride and others. To date, on the slopes of Colorado resorts exist penalties for offenders of riding rules amounted at $300. However, given the small size of the fine, many prefer to ignore the restraining signs and use unsuitable for conventional skiing slopes. Now in Colorado are going to deal with violators by the increase of fines up to $1000.

It is noted that the fines are collected from only those tourists who ski in the areas that are marked as banned for skiing. Virgin slopes of Colorado open to the public do not provide for "penalties for thoughtlessness".

In the early ski season 2010-2011 Rescue Services of the ski resorts in Colorado for at least seven times carried out rescue operations to search for the missing tourists. Use of one rescue helicopter without other search operations cost the state treasury 1000 dollars. Given this fact, Colorado authorities are also considering to set additional sanctions and disbursements for those tourists, who had to be sought in the forbidden zones. State authorities intend to provide an action practice, which will allow rescue services to recoup some expenses from at the expense of mountain-skiers.

Now almost all ski resorts in Colorado have at their disposal slopes for free ride and backcountry - the most popular types of off-piste skiing.