The mountains have always been a haven for skiing enthusiasts. They offer them the thrill of speeding down the slopes, leaving a trail of fresh powder on their tail. However, thrill seekers must, at some point, realize that the mountains are open to all, including children and other novices. It is no different from racing on the street, where an innocent bystander can get hurt because of a simple mistake. Recently, a skier disregarded the safety of others on a popular mountain slope and faced the consequences of it.

In a viral video, a talented skier left everyone in awe of his agility and skills. However, his achievements were soon overshadowed by a reckless act. He had a near miss with a teenager learning to ski, which sparked a heated debate.

Skiing near-miss raises concerns

The video appeared on the Snow Palace Instagram account with the caption, “A little too close for comfort right there!”. It showed a skier coming downhill at lightning speed. The words at the top of the video read, “This Is How You Get Kicked Off A Mountain”. Within the first two seconds of the video, the skier zapped past two other people skiing at their own pace. Suddenly, in the next frame of the video, the skier headed towards a child, learning how to balance himself on the skis. It was a tragedy waiting to happen, but fortunately, the unnamed skier averted it with a display of supreme skill and quick reflexes.

With a swift movement of his body, he went past the boy, who had no time to realize what had just happened. However, the boy lost his footing and almost stumbled into the snow. His father was right behind him and caught him before he got injured. In the meantime, Jadein, a TikToker who found fame on social media through his skiing videos, caught up to the man in the distance and “got him kicked off the mountain”. The video went viral on social media, leaving the internet divided on whom to blame.

Internet divided on the matter

The video caught the attention of skiing fans online, who expressed their frustration. While some levied the blame on the skier, others had someone else in mind to hold responsible. One fan stuck up for the skier, arguing, “That skier shouldn’t get kicked off for enjoying his type of pace, kid should stay on the side”.

Another viewer was happy with the ban, saying, “Apply the FIS rules. Nobody needs reckless people like this skier on the slopes. Good he was banned”.

The next viewer, who has some experience with skiing, expressed her anger at the skier, writing, “Anyone saying the speeding skier is in the right, is wrong (sadly). I like bombing down hills too, but right of way is given to the skiers/ riders downhill, not uphill. So it’s the bombing guy’s job to slow or move for the people below”.

The next viewer thanked both the boy and the skier’s lucky stars for the near-miss, stating, “that kid would have been a pile of bone soup if they collided. Probably be looking at manslaughter charges instead of just getting kicked off the mountain”.

Lastly, a viewer blamed both the skier, whom he humorously called ‘speed McQueen’ and the father, commenting, “It looks like a blue bird day FAST. ( Daddy should know better ) also looks like the bottom side of a drop off or blind spot, at that speed , no time to react . Daddy should know better. speed McQueen should also know all this. Possibly stay to the skiers left of the hill to avoid all those people . he looked skilled enough to kinda know what he was doing. In the end, it’s the speedsters fault. but, if injury happened. 100% Daddy’s fault. Never put your child in a situation to get hurt. ESPECIALLY at the ind spot of a fast run..”.

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There is no end to this debate, as both sides have valid arguments. The administrative body should take action to create separate zones for skiers of different levels. This way, everyone can enjoy the slopes without putting themselves or others at risk.

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