All Other Sports Are Ceasing, What Gives w/ Skiing?

[Beach Bum]

Does anyone here know of other sports that are still on-going apart from skiing? Everything in our area is closed, from elementary school activities up thru professional sports. Indoor, outdoor, it doesn't matter.

Gathering of groups are being banned in every state. Ski resorts rely on tourism which means 10's of thousands of people are traveling thru the regions every day in crowds.

Seems very backwards of Colorado and surrounding states. I guess money is that much more important while the rest of the country and sports and leisure industry is okay giving up some. Please explain, I can't figure it out. Maybe just pure ignorance?

 

[raytseng]

Pro skiing and organizsd skiing competition events are all cancelled too so your premise is a little off,

they haven't required closing your local gym or the recreational basketball courts or hiking and biking trails enforced martial law with house lockdowns yet, so skiing is not alone.
but you are right the ski resorts may close soon. I think more for employee safety or availability vs guest safety

can we just merge this thread with the other one?

 

[SSSdave]

There are still numbers of smaller resorts where destination skiers don't even know about much less ever visit whose visitors are almost all regional locals. If such regions to this point haven't cases yet, it would be premature to close when considering all interests, visitors, resort employees, and local businesses. Thus the broad brush approach as viewed by those in large urban areas where cases are occurring is an overreach.

 

[Beach Bum]

There are still numbers of smaller resorts where destination skiers don't even know about much less ever visit whose visitors are almost all regional locals. If such regions to this point haven't cases yet, it would be premature to close when considering all interests, visitors, resort employees, and local businesses. Thus the broad brush approach as viewed by those in large urban areas where cases are occurring is an overreach.

All schools are closed in Illinois and I believe only 2 of the thousands of schools had a positive ID. Both were private schools and involved international travel.

I get it, but at same time one doesn't need a mass infection to close doors.

 

[Coach13]

The pro golf tours have ceased play but the individual golf courses around are staying open according to what I’m seeing and hearing. I’ve got a golf trip planned to Hilton Head for next week and the resorts say they will be open as usual. Most are offering remote check in for those who want to avoid the clubhouse. While the organized sports take a break I expect to still see folks biking, hiking, fishing, surfing, playing golf, etc. I know I plan to. Sitting in the house doing nothing is much more dangerous to my health than going forward with many of my activities.

My big avoidance areas are anything that requires a plane, train, bus, subway, taxi, boats and anything that involves a crowd. In my case that’s no huge sacrifice because I hate all of those things on a normal day.

 

[mdf]

I went to the gym last night. It was a good place for social distancing -- there were about one-fifth of the usual numbers there. 2 employees and 8 people exercising in a big facility.

 

[Jim Kenney]

I am very appreciative that Snowbird just announced plans to stay open through the spring. I've arranged my winter to continue to ski it into May.
I still contend that getting outdoors is the best medicine for this situation. Also, with all the schools closing and many offices going into slow-down, where better for folks to spend some off time?

 

[Pdub]

All of ski racing has ended, from junior up to World Cup, so in the sense of skiing as a sport it has done what all other sports have done. My racing kids love to remind me that we adults are participating in recreation, not exactly sport. If social distancing can be practiced at a ski resort then I think it is reasonable to stay open. At most ski resorts I do think this is possible, with good planning and a reasonable skiing public.

 

[crgildart]

The few operations that are remaining open are taking pretty extreme measures. Some have stopped renting equipment except demo skis. Some have closed the larger common areas and base lodge caffeteria set ups have been changed or closed. Trams and gondolas are offline too. I think the highest level plan is to shut down the schools and big crowd events for a couple weeks then reasses to see if further, more draconian measures are ultimately required.

 

[tball]

My current thinking is I'm glad my home ski areas are staying open, hoping to get some more skiing in at Copper and A-basin. This could certainly change. It's so unprecedented and all happening so fast.

We are not going skiing this weekend, though. Betting it will be very empty fairly soon and will go on a weekday and stay away from everyone. I do think it can be done safely if they keep enough lifts open to spread people out. Not sure if the economics will support that. We'll see.

 

[luliski]

My community has one of the largest Masters swimming clubs in the country (over 600 members and nine coached workouts per day). We are still swimming. In fact, I just swam this morning, and there were at least 40 people in the water. It is an outdoor pool. I am a little leery of the locker room as it is small and cramped.

 

[Posaune]

Living at ground zero here in WA I've been skiing lately and plan to continue. I can drive to the ski area without a stop and pack my own lunch which I eat in the car. Crowds are low due to both the virus and the fact that it's March and the main part of the season is over. I ride solo or with only my wife since there are no lines. I sure try hard to keep more than 6' away from other skiers (a good idea at all times). The only time I use the lodge is for the restroom and if I pay attention I can completely cleanse my hands and stay that way until I get outside. In fact the ski area is the one public place that I feel comfortable with my chances. The only place that really concerns me and which I take extra caution at is when I fill up at the gas pump. I keep wipes in the car and use them.

 

[Uncle-A]

Blue Mountain PA is only open Saturday and Sunday and has cancelled the end of season activities.

 

[NZRob]

All these measures by ski areas are fine but tend to ignore the fact that surely having dozens/hundreds of people in a lift line is the biggest problem

 

[CascadeConcrete]

surely having dozens/hundreds of people in a lift line is the biggest problem

In a sense, wearing skis helps enforce keeping your distance. You can't really can't within a meter/yard of the people in front of you without standing on their tails. Side to side the lines do get a little close.

But at some point, you gotta do something outside the house and I think skiing is at least a moderately safe activity (so long as you avoid shuttle buses, crowded cafes, trams/gondolas and whatnot). I do have some concerns with mixing of people from all over the country/world at destination resorts, who can then all take whatever they catch back home with them. But local hills are less bad. Even still, I think we're going to see a lot of mountains closing in the next couple weeks.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Olympic Trails in Swimming have been canceled in Canada at this time, including all other swim events.

Slowing down the progression to ensure the healthcare system is is not overloaded is a smart move. Allows for better care for those that need it ensuring everyone gets heathy.

 

[Beach Bum]

Sounds like ski resorts are shutting down. Makes sense given the rest of sport and leisure actions. Sux.

 

[Slim]

One bartender in a restaurant in the Austrian resort of Ischl infected hundreds of people from all over the world, and onwards from there thousands were infected.
For many resorts and guest, food and drink is a big part of the experience.

So I do wonder, why restaurants, including the ones at ski resorts, didn’t close sooner.

 

[James]

I skied Saturday. It’s not the skiing part, it’s the dining/drinking, booting up, and liftlines. While the cafeteria kept people relatively spread out, downstairs in the bar restaurant people were packed in. Hopeless.

“This is why we can’t have nice things.”

 

[Idahosnow]

Sun Valley Shut down on Sunday for the season. Was supposed to be open a while longer still. I have read about other resorts shutting down as well. Our airport is crazy busy. Lots of people flying in from big cities.