We must admit they are tempting, the snowparks in the ski resorts. They are identical to those used by the tenors of freestyle. This is probably the problem lies... Yesterday the Chamonix PGHM had to intervene three times on two of these snowparks. At 11.30h in Grands Montets to rescue a 17 year old victim of a bad landing with an open fracture of the tibia. And at 15.00h at the same place to rescue another young freestyler victim this time a "fracture" of the kidney, and finally at 16.00h at snowpark of Les Houches, a boy aged 12, evacuated to the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva due to a severe head injury. When we look at all these accidents, the issue of the dangerousness of snowparks arises. All the big ski resorts have what are called "big air". Sometimes they are so big that they send the skier or snowboarder several meters in the air (often more than ten meters) before the landing. A bad reception or the lack of training is paid (too) heavily. If the speed and reception are controlled, no particular problem. If only the speed is controlled, the fall is usually harmless. The problem happens when the speed is not controlled. So what should the authorities do???? A difficult question, specially for the young freestylers that often know really well their snowpark, and these are the only means for them to practice and train freely. But what happens when a wave of tourists land on your snowpark without any professional training, any equipment and began, without really knowing these anowparks, jumping and doing some freestyle? These three serious accidents in one single day in the Mont Blanc are... a metter to think... Le Dauphiné
