Last Updated on: 6th October 2016, 09:46 pm
James Hillier is a real piece of work. If you’re not familiar with the name, he’s one of 4 peoplebanned for life from the Grouse Mountain resort in British Columbia for skiing out-of-bounds in an area closed off due to an avalanche risk.He was warned not to, didn’t listen, and eventually had to be rescued on the resort’s dime when the risk became a reality. They plan to bill them for the full cost of plucking their dumb asses out of the snow making them my new heroes of the week, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here for the same reason we’re always here. Because somebody does something stupid and then tries to defend himself with yet more stupidity.
James Hillier said he will continue to ski in the backcountry and insists the resort treated him unfairly by slapping him with the lifetime ban.
“I’m not saying it’s OK to flaunt the rules,” Hillier said in an interview Tuesday.
“I’m saying it’s OK to take a due diligence approach, prepare yourself with the right equipment and training and if you believe that the conditions are appropriate, then you’re putting yourself on the line. … I do think it’s OK to go out and backcountry ski if you’ve taken the appropriate preparations.”
Agreed, as long as you’re willing to assume any burden that might result. If you do that, knock yourself out, literally if you want.
What’s that? You have more to say?
Hillier said out-of-bounds rules shouldn’t apply to experienced skiers and he believes it’s his right to be rescued if he gets lost or hurt, at no cost to himself.
What happened to putting yourself on the line? Does that only apply as long as you’re having fun? Why should you get all of the reward while taking none of the risk? That doesn’t seem fair. The fact that the resort took the time to rescue you at all is more than I would have done were I in charge. I would have waited to pluck you off my mountain until the spring thaw when it wasn’t so dangerous and then sued your estate for disposal costs. Dumpsters aren’t cheap, you know.
I could be wrong, but if you hadn’t come out of this in such good health, I bet it somehow would have been the resort’s fault and you would have filed the biggest suit possible against them, the guy who made the avalanche risk sign, Environment Canada for making it snow so much, and the other 3 guys you were with for not suffering as much as you. That’s pretty much always the way it works. People are willing to take responsibility for themselves right up until they absolutely should.
So yeah, go ahead and ski wherever you want. Just know that the next time old mamma Nature decides to let you know how she feels about people not paying attention to reasonable rules and regulations, there’ll be a lot of us dreaming of a whiteout Christmas, you dumb fuck.