A winter's lullaby on the slopes

Some people like to ski or ride to the howling wind in their ears, or the whoosh of their feet carving soft snow, or the quiet emptiness of a high-alpine bowl.

Frankie Montesano snowboards to techno, hip-hop and the band Slightly Stoopid.

"When you're up on the mountain listening to music, it's almost like you don't hear nothing. It's real peaceful, almost like a type of meditation," said Montesano, 22, while working at a Colorado Springs ski shop.

He paused.

"I guess it could be dangerous, too," he said with a laugh.

Digital technology has revolutionized how people listen to music, and how they ski and ride. Gone are bulky cassette players that can bruise a rib if you fall on them and CD players that skip with every mogul. Gear manufacturers make jackets with iPod pockets, gloves to operate the devices and helmets with headphones.

Racing down the mountain with music blasting in your ears is convenient and lightweight, and many find it exhilarating.

But it might also be, well, slightly stupid.

With so many people skiing and riding to their own tunes, unable to hear what's going on around them, some ski resorts are concerned. While none have banned headphones, a growing number are discouraging it.

"We want our skiers and riders to be completely alert, and we think that having your headphones in could possibly contribute to an unsafe experience on the mountain," said Kate Coble, spokeswoman for Keystone Ski Resort in Summit County.

Keystone's trail map "discourages the use of electronic devices - cell phones, music players or earphones - while skiing and snowboarding, or loading and unloading lifts."

Many of Colorado's larger ski resorts, including Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Winter Park, all have similar warnings. In New Mexico, Taos Ski Valley bans using electronic devices while getting on and off the lifts.

The concern is not so much for skiers high on a mountain, but in crowded base areas, where several trails merge and people with music might not hear the siren of a snowmobile or someone holler, "On your right!"

"We do realize there are obvious issues with iPods, that detract from your senses, and we feel guests need to be aware of all their senses while skiing and riding," said David Roth, spokesman for Copper Mountain Ski Resort. "The bottom line is skiing and snowboarding, they're inherently dangerous already, and iPod use only increases it."

Copper prohibits employees from listening to music while working, skiing or riding on the mountain to or from work, but does not restrict guests.

Troy Hawks, spokesman for the National Ski Areas Association, was not aware of any ski resort in the country that has banned personal music players.

Rather, resorts rely on the Skier Responsibility Code to guide dealing with skiers.

"You have to be in control and you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times," Hawks said.

And, he noted, music on the slopes is not new.

"Before there were iPods there were Sony Walkmans," Hawks said.

At Breckenridge Ski Resort, Ric Thompson, manager of mountain safety, said music can be a distraction for skiers - but so are talking to friends, looking at the scenery and even talking on a cell phone while skiing, all of which he has seen lead to crashes.

"There are 100 factors that cause collisions. All of them are from inattention," Thompson said. "Is it a greater distraction than others? I don't have enough evidence to say yes."

Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson said none of the 32 deaths on the slopes that her office has investigated since 2003 involved skiers or riders listening to music.

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CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-1605 or srappold@gazette.com  

WHAT'S YOUR SKI SOUNDTRACK?

We asked readers what they listen to while they ski or ride, and here are a few responses.

Cindy O'Neill:

• "Jam for the Ladies," by Moby
• "July," by Honey Claws
• "One," by Hotel Costes
• "I Lay Down," by Zucchero & John Lee Hooker
• "Crazy (acoustic version)," by Seal

Joe Mullally:

• "Jessica," by The Allman Brothers
• "Pump It Up," by Elvis Costello
• "Jump Into the Fire," by Harry Nilsson
• "Float On," by Modest Mouse
• "New Sensations," by Lou Reed

Kate, submitted on the Out There blog on gazette.com:

• "Trashcan," by Delta Spirit
• "March Into the Sea," by Modest Mouse
• "Take a Bow," by Muse
• "Fighting in a Sack," by The Shins
• "Coconut Skins," by Damien Rice

Other responses at gazette.com:

• "All Zeppelin all the time."
• "I only ski to Cher, Barbra Streisand or to the Soundtrack of ‘Cats!'"
• "Celine Dion - any album, I just shuffle them all."