Vacations are supposed to be memory-makers. But for one dad, a family ski trip to Colorado turned into a nightmare when a speeding skier plowed into his 11-year-old son on a beginner trail. What should have been a day of snow, laughter, and falling-on-purpose practice suddenly became a test of parenting instincts, safety rules, and how far you’ll go to protect your child.
When the father called ski patrol on the reckless skier, things escalated quickly. Soon enough, the offender was being escorted off the mountain, cursing the dad for overreacting. But was this protective parenting, or did the dad take it too far? Want the frosty details? Let’s slide into the full story.
One dad took his son on a long-anticipated ski trip, hoping to share the sport he loved growing up
Skiing, like driving, comes with rules designed to keep everyone safe. According to the National Ski Areas Association’s Skier Responsibility Code, “People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.” That makes the uphill skier (the one coming from behind) legally responsible for avoiding collisions.
Dr. Michael Gervais, a high-performance psychologist, explains: “Risk sports require not just skill but mindfulness. Reckless behavior doesn’t just endanger the athlete, it undermines the entire culture of safety”. On a green run, where beginners and children are expected, blasting downhill at full speed is more than careless, it’s negligent.
There’s also the emotional layer. A child’s first ski trip is fragile. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that negative early sports experiences can reduce lifelong participation in physical activity. If a scary collision makes the child associate skiing with danger instead of joy, it could affect his willingness to ever return to the slopes.
From a social perspective, some might argue the dad overstepped by involving ski patrol rather than letting the matter slide. But experts recommend immediate reporting.
A 2020 study in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine found that skier collisions account for 10–20% of all ski injuries, with children being especially vulnerable. Escalating to ski patrol isn’t petty, it’s preventive.
Advice here? The dad did right by prioritizing his son’s safety. At the same time, ski resorts often offer beginner lessons with trained instructors, which can boost both skills and confidence. Combining accountability with proactive learning might keep family trips safer and more fun in the long run.
Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:
These Redditors tuned into trail tenets, trumpeting that green grooves scream “slow and steady” for shaky starters
Some commenters etched the uphill edict in stone, with schannoman, a patroller pal, pounding the legal lowdown on liability
This group leaned into the luck factor, lauding the lift-off as a lightning-rod for worse woes
One user nudged the “expert” tag might need a refresh if rust has set in
This wasn’t just about chili or wait, snow. When a child is knocked down on a slope, the rules aren’t blurry: safety comes first. Most readers agreed the dad did the right thing by calling ski patrol, even if it meant dealing with insults from the guilty party. The real win? His son learned that the mountain may be tough, but his dad’s got his back.
So what do you think? Was reporting the skier a necessary move, or could this dad have let the snow settle without ski patrol? And would this incident scare you away from skiing, or make you more determined to learn? Share your slope-side takes below!
