Skier Recounts "Traumatic" Experience in Ski Jail

Going too fast? You might have to deal with a Mountain Safety officer. Ducked a rope? Ski Patrol will have a word with you. Most resorts will simply pull your pass or issue a stern warning, but some utilize what's colloquially referred to as 'ski jail' to really drive the point home.

Now, let's be clear, there isn't a holding cell beneath Keystone Resort, Colorado with metal bars and a singular toilet for mountain delinquents to share (at least that we know of), but the resort did make headlines for enforcing its slow riding policy on popular YouTuber, and self-proclaimed professional snowboarder, Jonathan Buckhouse a few seasons ago.

Buckhouse and friends were stopped by a Mountain Safety officer for allegedly riding fast on 'Schoolmarm', a run designated for families and slow speeds. The group had their passes pulled, and were required to take a safety class to have their passes returned.

Despite Buckhouse's combative attitude with the Mountain Safety Officer, many skiers and riders jumped to his defense in the comments sections of the two videos he created about the incident. The videos have amassed over 2 million views combined, and the general consensus is that the individual Mountain Safety Officer overreacted. With that said, it's hard to defend Buckhouse hitting side jibs and riding fairly fast when there was clearly a ton of novice skiers and riders around.

Buckhouse returned to Keystone at a later date to attend the safety class. He said that he was required to take a ten question test and described the experience as, "what you would expect".

It feels wrong to say Buckhouse was "thrown into ski jail" considering he left the mountain and returned at a later date, but a skier on Reddit remembers his experience with a mountain safety course much differently.

u/318neb (referred to as 'Neb' for the remainder of this article) recounted his "traumatic" run-in with ski jail as a 10-year old on the r/skiing page. Unlike Buckhouse, Neb admits that he was skiing fast. "I was speeding down a mountain way too fast and flew right past the ski patrol. They chased me down, caught up, and confiscated my ticket," he says.

Neb was instructed by Ski Patrol to report to a "small shack" at the bottom of the mountain that was manned by a "grumpy old woman". The woman told him to sit in a closet and watch a safety video on a television screen. Neb remembers the door slamming shut and locking behind him.

He recalls, "Through the door, the woman said, 'watch the video on the screen, then take the written exam. If you get even one question wrong, you’ll be banned from the resort." Ned got two questions wrong, but the old grumpy woman was apparently in a good mood, and let him leave.

If you're thinking this sounds like a surreal experience, you're not alone. Ned concludes the story, "I was gone for over an hour, and I was only ten years old. I brought this story up recently at the dinner table, and realized how strange that situation was. Has anyone else ever been sent to “ski jail”? Or was I just kidnapped by a crazy resort employee? Looking back, it feels surreal and bizarre, and I can’t believe this actually happened. Anywho, thank you for reading."

Ned has not disclosed which ski resort this ski jail incident took place at, but many Redditors are remembering similar experiences from their youth. It turns out that rebellious park skiers with teenage angst have a knack for getting into trouble. Imagine that.

It sounds like Ned's experience with ski jail was a leftover practice from the good ol' days of skiing, but the point remains— speeding at some ski resorts in the United States of America can figuratively land you in jail. That's a foreign concept for our friends in Europe and South America, but their countries aren't riddled with a propensity for civil legal action like we are in the states.

Ski resorts enforce slow skiing zones for the individual safety of every skier on the mountain, and to protect their own interests. The ludicrous insurance rates for ski resorts drives the cost of lift tickets and services. Preventing that rate from rising due to unmitigated incidents is something every ski resort in the country has a vested interest in. It's unfortunate, but an understandable consequence.

Remember, if you're skiing or riding fast, make sure you're in control first and foremost. Second, avoid beginner ski runs like the plague if you're at a major ski resort. Yes, I know you want to fly the 3+ miles down Schoolmarm as fast as you can, but unless you want to get thrown into ski jail, consider taking an alternative route.

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