Vail Daily letter: Better ways to educate
Dear Vail Resorts,
I, like many readers, am growing tired of the barrage of letters to the editor concerning rope cutting. The volume of letters makes me question the education that the general public is receiving from Vail Resorts. I understand that it is protocol for a person to write a letter to the editor in order to get his or her season pass returned. However, shouldn’t Vail Resorts be spearheading an educational pre-season program? Proactive instead of reactive? There’s a fine line between marketing your early season snow and keeping people safe. Is it enough to have the guilty few write the same letter over and over? We get it!
I believe VRI has some great vehicles already in place to educate the public on mountain safety, so I offer a few ideas. First, TV8 is now broadcast to nearly 1 million new viewers in Colorado and offers a way to speak to the masses. How about social media? Can we get a few early season videos of what areas may be considered open and closed? Can we get a few of the Ski Patrol/Yellow Jacket/Security to do a short video of the terrain that is generally closed for early season? Better yet, how about a video of the hazards that lurk during early season riding and the work that goes into a rescue of someone who gets injured? A PowerPoint educating skiers about the difference between a rope-line and a tree-line? I see plenty of “ski porn” being uploaded by the marketing team. Can we get a little safety with that please?
What about a weekly column in this paper updating what’s happening on the mountain, from the viewpoint of the Ski Patrol foremen? I think we would all rather read an article from the people who are on site, working to make things safe. I know I would appreciate this information. We all know how hard these men and women work, the many miles of rope spliced, the cold fingers, frostbite, all in an effort to keep us safe.
VRI already has the vehicles in place to deliver some engaging and educational mountain safety information. We owe it to ourselves, our kids, and our guests to be as prepared as we can for the start of the season.
Support Local Journalism
Reid Griebling
Edwards