When ski fashion trumps safety

My wife and I often see interesting things during our morning walks. Yesterday, I was first to spot a skier waiting for the shuttle and ready to ski the new powder that had fallen overnight. 

Even in the distance, he was very easy to spot as he wore a pair day-glow orange pants and, eventually, as we got much, much closer, I could discern his ski partner clad in a “camouflage” ski outfit, mostly gray and earth-tones, that was much harder to see because he was near a clump of trees. 

For those of you who have been on the ski slopes this winter, you probably have also witnessed the popularity of these ski jackets and pants in “camo” as it’s popular to say. Yet, what do skiers, and particularly older ones, fear the most? Collisions with other skiers or snowboarders. 

Beside paying attention to the potential victims or perpetrators, the only best thing to do is being extremely visible on the mountain. It could be wearing an orange helmet, a bright green jacket or a red pair of pants, but a piece of clothing that can stand out might go a long way in signaling one’s presence on the hill. 

This is particularly true when skiers or snowboarders are stopped on the edge of a wooden or bushy run and are ready to resume their descent. They become very hard to spot if their outfit is dark, in earth-tones, or worst of all, in camouflage. 

"See and be seen."

I wonder what went in the head of the stylists who designed these pieces of clothing, and worst, in the mind of ski retailers who stocked the item? Safety sacrificed to fashion? Not a good idea!