Ski and Snowboard in Control. It’s the Law.

Let’s talk about something that’s been popping up on the hill lately — straight-lining at high speed.

You know the look.

Sometimes it’s tucked like a downhill racer.

Sometimes it’s leaning way back, riding the tails of their skis.

Sometimes it’s arms out wide, flailing like they’re trying to regain balance mid-run.

Different styles. Same result.

It’s always out of control.

Somewhere in that moment, the skier clearly thinks, Wow, I look pretty cool right now.

Auntie Maple is here to gently — but firmly — say: No. No, you do not.

Straight-lining isn’t a flex. It’s not advanced technique. It’s just gravity doing the work while judgment takes the day off.

Here’s the thing: real skill shows up in control. In awareness. In the ability to adjust, slow down, and react when conditions change — and they always change. Kids fall. Beginners stop suddenly. Someone drops a pole. Terrain funnels. Visibility shifts. That’s skiing on a shared mountain, especially one like Maple Ski Ridge, where learning is happening everywhere.

New York State agrees. The Safety in Skiing Code isn’t a suggestion or a vibe — it’s the law. Skiers and riders are required to ski in control, maintain the ability to stop or avoid others, and yield to people downhill. Straight-lining through mixed-ability terrain checks exactly zero of those boxes.

And this isn’t just Auntie Maple being dramatic.

The Snow Angel Foundation exists because a skier traveling around 50 miles per hour struck and killed a five-year-old girl who was learning to ski. She was exactly where she should have been. The adult was not skiing in control. One moment of speed, one terrible outcome, and multiple lives forever changed.

That is the reality we are talking about.

At Maple Ski Ridge, we are a learning mountain. We have first-timers, kids, school groups, nervous adults, and families skiing together. That environment only works when skiers and riders understand that speed does not equal ability. Control does.

This is shared responsibility:

• Skiers and riders must follow the code and ski and ride in control.

• Parents must talk to their kids about speed and decision-making.

• Instructors and staff must reinforce expectations clearly and consistently.

• Management must intervene when behavior puts others at risk — even when it’s uncomfortable.

  
  

We will slow people down. We will pull passes (season passes included) if necessary. Not because we want to ruin someone’s day — but because we refuse to ignore warning signs that history has already written in tragedy.

You are not skiing alone. Ever. Every run is shared. Every decision matters. Stay in control.

Read the New York State Safety in Skiing Code. Know and Follow the Your Responsibility Code. Respect each other and keep each other safe.

Winter is supposed to be joyful. Safety is how we protect that joy.

— Auntie Maple