Vail Resorts Makes Helmets Mandatory for Employees in 2009-2010 Winter Season
ADMIN
- April 13 2009
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- 5 comments
BROOMFIELD, Colo.—April 13, 2009—Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) today announced that, beginning with the 2009-2010 winter season, the Company will require all employees to wear helmets when skiing or riding on the job at each of its five mountain resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. Helmets will be provided to every employee next fall as part of their standard uniform for working on the mountain. This new initiative is part of Vail Resorts’ overall commitment to skier and snowboarder safety programs.
“At Vail Resorts, the safety of our employees and guests is a top priority and we believe the time has come for us to take our commitment to safety to the next level. Our employees will set the example next year for all who enjoy skiing and riding our slopes,” said John Garnsey, co-president of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division and chief operating officer of Beaver Creek Resort.
The Company also announced that it will require all children, ages 12 and under, who participate in a group lesson through one of its five resorts’ ski and ride schools to wear a helmet. Furthermore, a helmet will become a required part of any child’s (ages 12 and under) ski and snowboard rental package offered at all of Vail Resorts’ retail and rental outlets, unless a parent or legal guardian signs a waiver to decline use of the equipment.
“We firmly believe when children are participating in our ski and ride school programs that we must provide them with the proper equipment that promotes enjoyment of the sport while also reducing the possibility of injury. Even though we will now require children in our ski and ride schools to wear helmets and make them a mandatory part of every child’s rental package, we strongly recommend the use of helmets for all of our guests, regardless of their age or ability level,” said Blaise Carrig, co-president of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division and chief operating officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company’s subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company’s subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com .
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April 14th, 2009 at 7:43 am
This is so lame. The employees are NOT the ones getting hurt- it’s the gaper tourists. Moreover, no one is going to look at the lifties and think “they’re wearing a helmet I should too.” Wearing a helmet is smart, but requiring it is retarded. Vail sucks.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
no more steezin in my knit beanies while teaching i guess
April 14th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
i agree to a certain extent. making the kids instructors wear them is a good way to promote helmets on the young kids. But making everyone else wear them is a bit much. They arent going to make park crew wear it are they?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Vail Resorts Blows!
April 16th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I would like to say that first of all Keystone doesn’t have the best staff so I’m sorry for your poor experence there. Second of all who do you think you are calling everone names when you are just the kind of person who is dangerous on the slopes to beguin with. Third of all you weren’t supposed to be on the mountain on employee day if you aren’t an employee. I also have to add that Natasha Richardson DIED because she wasn’t wearing a helmet.. that should have been a wake up call for those who don’t care about all the other lesser known (but still much loved) people who have also died because they didn’t wear a helmet. I do think this i a bit much for Vail Resorts to ask but they should at least have the employees sign the same kind of waiver allowing them to sport their usual attire. Plus, ALL the little kids in Lionshead do wear helmets, so it won’t be much of a change. If you don’t like the new standard then mash it up with your pot and smoke it. deck out your helmet if you want to “Steeze”…. all the pros do.