{"id":33633,"date":"2019-01-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-13T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.visitliptov.sk\/2019\/01\/14\/ski-patrola\/"},"modified":"2019-01-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-13T23:00:00","slug":"ski-patrola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plannervisit.krasno.dev\/en\/2019\/01\/14\/ski-patrola\/","title":{"rendered":"SKI-PATROL"},"content":{"rendered":"

Little green men or guardian angels?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Groomed pistes, spacious slopes, no waiting in queues and considerate skiers all around. A perfect outdoor experience for every skier. Sometimes, however, a little effort is needed to make the white experience great and safe. The Jasn\u00e1 ski resort got closer to this goal thanks to its Ski Patrol.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

They call us ski maniacs. One season is hardly over and my son and I are already planning for the next one. We know winter resorts in Slovakia inside out, so we like to compare them with the foreign ones. Every resort is specific, but we were surprised by strange green men during our recent visit to Jasn\u00e1. They looked too real to be aliens and their skied pretty well. Perhaps they did come from the sky as they are like guardian angels for others.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Help and educate<\/strong><\/h3>\n

They don\u2019t have wings, but reflective green \u201cSki Patrol\u201d jackets. We first noticed them before getting on a chairlift. The ski patrollers warned unruly youngsters who jostled and jumped the queue that they could seize their ski passes. I started to talk to one of the ski patrollers. \u201cOur task is to inform the visitors of the resort and to ensure their safety on the ski slopes. We are trying to educate them and to improve the quality of skiing in Jasn\u00e1,\u201d said the chief ski patroller, Andrej Ky\u0161ka. Wow, we didn\u2019t expect that.\u00a0We nodded in appreciation and got on the 4-seat chairlift to Lukov\u00e1.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Following the Ski Patrol<\/strong><\/p>\n

This service is not yet obligatory in Slovakia; it is provided on a voluntary basis in Jasn\u00e1
\nand Tatransk\u00e1 Lomnica, our largest and best resorts. Educating, providing up-todate information about the resort, supervising and enforcing order is essential but also increasingly demanded service in top resorts around the world. We were curious how it works in real life so we decided to follow the patrollers. We did not wait long for the first action. An older skier fell down and hit her head. \u201cIt happened fast: I turned to look at my friend and suddenly I felt a strong hit. If I had not worn a helmet, it could have ended badly,\u201d the active pensioner Maria praised her head protection. That\u2019s why Ski Patrol focuses on people without helmets.<\/p>\n

No skiing without a helmet<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Ski Patrol called medics and helped the skier get down to the valley. And we got some extra information. For example, the amendment to the Mountain Service Act has been in force since
\nNovember 2015, but only children up to fifteen are required to wear helmets. However, head protection has also helped adults many times: according to statistics, it can prevent up to 80% of head injuries. \u201cIn our experience, if skiers used helmets more, there would be less concussions and neck injuries on the slopes\u201d, stresses the chief ski patroller. There are over 1 500 mountain rescue events
\nduring the skiing season in Slovakia every year. \u201cThere is more technical snow on the slopes, which is harder and faster than the natural snow. Even a good skier can get injured,\u201d added Zuzana Dobr\u00e1nszka, spokeswoman of Tatry Mountain Resorts, which runs the largest ski resorts in Slovakia. The men in green obviously cannot complain about the lack of work. This is one of the reasons why this work is not for everyone.<\/p>\n

On skis, but always in service<\/h3>\n

The Ski Patrol team is selected by the Infrastructure Manager of Jasn\u00e1 and the chief ski patroller. Stable seasonal employees are usually supplemented by volunteers using a selection procedure. \u201cOn business days, there are usually four patrollers on the north side of Chopok and two patrollers on the south side. During the weekends, when the resort gets crowded, their number may double,\u201d said Andrej Ky\u0161ka. The ski\u00a0patrollers ski a lot during the winter, but it was clear to us that it was no easy job. They start work at seven in the morning and leave the slopes no earlier than half an hour after they close officially. However, this is the ideal case when the skiers are disciplined, which is an exception, unfortunately. The \u201cski police\u201d service was introduced in Jasn\u00e1 three years ago and it has improved safety and discipline in the resort significantly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Prevention first
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The best remedy for most problems is prevention. Bright green jackets on white snow keep skiers alert although some problems are repeated on a daily basis, especially alcohol, dangerous skiing or ignoring signs and instructions. \u201cOnce I was standing on the top of a closed and clearly marked ski slope and still got hit by a skier,\u201d Andrej Ky\u0161ka recalls an unpleasant experience. That\u2019s why they focus on directing rather than reprimanding the visitors of the resort. They do not have police powers, but it is often enough to block the ski pass. Skiers who don\u2019t behave should not be on the slopes. They are a danger to themselves but especially to those who still hope that there is a perfect skiing resort in Slovakia. They are a bit closer to this goal in Jasn\u00e1 thanks to Ski Patrol.<\/p>\n

<\/span>These and other interesting topics can be found in the latest issue Tatry Magaz\u00ednu, ZIMA 2018\/2019.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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