Ski & Ride School Policies & Waivers

Essential Eligibility Criteria for Ski and Ride School Programs

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria for skiers and riders taking lessons at our Ski and Ride School may help you determine whether the student’s needs can be met best through a group lesson, a private lesson, or an adaptive lesson. All guests are welcome and important at our ski area, and our goal is to provide a professional level of care and service for the best possible experience for all.

The Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC) below outlines the essential eligibility standards that are required for ALL guests to participate in ski and snowboard lessons, group or private, at our ski area. Adaptive lessons are limited and may be subject to different EECs. The purpose of the EEC is to give our Team Members, our students, and their families the information they need to make an accurate, objective assessment when deciding if an individual’s abilities are appropriate for a lesson format. Specifically, the EEC assists in the determination of whether or not a student:

• has a willingness, desire and motivation to participate in the sport of skiing or snowboarding in a lesson environment.
• will or will not present a safety risk to themselves or others.
• will or will not distract from the experience of other lesson participants.

In order to participate in a ski or snowboard lesson, a student must meet a basic level of physical and cognitive abilities. For some individuals, the basic level of function can be achieved with additional assistance or other reasonable accommodation.

The EECs listed below specify the most basic functions necessary to allow for the safe participation in a ski or snowboard lesson. Although this list is intended to be comprehensive, there may be situations and variables that do not appear below and there are many different situations (such as weather, crowds, group dynamics, etc.) that make it impossible to list every form in which inclusion may take place. Therefore, this list is not inclusive, and we reserve the right to determine additional criteria at any time.

Physical Abilities

The student is able to do the following, independently:

• Visit restrooms by themselves, stop with the lesson on a trail, or maneuver in a lift line.
• Participate in the lesson without being under the influence of any controlled substance, intoxicant, drug, or hallucinatory agent.
• Perform all functions of the lesson within a reasonable time frame, without holding up the movement of the entire lesson.
• Continue with the lesson throughout the lesson timeframe without causing detours in terrain selection, additional breaks or other changes in the normal course of the lesson plan as designed for the entire lesson.
• Negotiate level-appropriate terrain without hindering the experience of other guests or causing risk to personal safety.
• Travel at an appropriate level of speed for their ability.
• Follow the National Ski Areas Association’s “Your Responsibility Code,” which requires that all skiers and riders:
  • Always stay in control.
  • People ahead of you have the right-of-way.
  • Stop in a safe place for you and others.
  • Whenever starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield.
  • Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
  • Observe signs and warnings to keep off closed trails.
  • Understand how, and have the physical dexterity, to ride the lifts safely.

Behavior/ Reasoning Abilities

The student is able to do the following, independently:

• Communicate personal needs to the instructor.
• Follow directions as communicated by the instructor.
• Maintain a reasonable level of willingness, desire and motivation to participate in the sport of skiing or snowboarding in a lesson environment.
• Refrain from discourteous behavior or profane language while engaged in the lesson.
• Socialize with a group of similar age and ability level students, without requiring extra attention from the instructor that distracts from the instructor’s reasonable care of the entire group.
• Understand the cause and effect relationships in which an action or behavior may place the physical safety of himself or others at risk.
• Maintain the amount of attention and focus necessary to participate for the full duration of the lesson and ride the lifts safely.
• Make arrangements for an authorized caretaker to dispense medications, as the instructor and other ski area Team Members are not permitted to do so.
• Disclose any allergies or medications that could affect their participation in the program to the program Team Member and/or their instructor prior to the lesson.
• Avoid leaving the lesson without permission.

The instructor has the authority to cease the student’s participation in the lesson if:

• The student exhibits any behavior that makes the lesson unsafe to the student, instructor, and/or others on the mountain.
• The student makes it apparent that they no longer want to continue the lesson.
• The prevailing conditions and circumstances warrant.

If you, or your child do not meet one or more of the specific requirements above, please discuss availability of adaptive programming with the Ski and Ride School Director in advance of signing up for a lesson of any type. To contact the Ski and Ride School Director, please email mark@ski-bigbear.com.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

PLEASE READ! Acceptance of this agreement constitutes a contract. The conditions of the contract are set forth below and will prevent or restrict your ability to sue Recreation Management Corporation dba Ski Big Bear, its owners, operators, directors, officers, employees, volunteers and agents (collectively referred to as “Ski Big Bear”).

POLICIES: On behalf of myself and the minor children for whom I am booking this lesson, I acknowledge and agree to the following policies:

1. All participants must have a lift ticket appropriate for the day, time and area use during their lesson.
2. No credit or refund will be issued for time lost due to ticket and pass issues.
3. We recommend that all participants arrive at least 2 hours in advance of their lesson if they need to obtain equipment from the rental shop and an hour in advance if the participant has their own equipment.
4. No credit or refund will be issued for time lost due to delays in obtaining equipment from the rental shop.
5. All participants must meet Essential Eligibility Criteria.
6. Cancellation policy as published at ski-bigbear.com.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT

PLEASE READ! Acceptance of this agreement constitutes a contract. The conditions of the contract are set forth below and will prevent or restrict your ability to sue Recreation Management Corporation dba Ski Big Bear, its owners, operators, directors, officers, employees, volunteers and agents (collectively referred to as “Ski Big Bear”).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK: On behalf of myself and my minor children, I acknowledge and agree that Alpine, Nordic and Snowboard skiing and snowboarding, including the use of lifts, is a dangerous sport with inherent and other risks. These risks include but are not limited to loading, riding and unloading of chairlifts and surface lifts, variations in snow, steepness and terrain, trail side drop-offs, ice and icy conditions, moguls, rocks, trees and other forms of forest growth or debris (above or below the surface), bare spots, lift towers, utility lines, poles and guy wires, snowmaking equipment and component parts, snowmobiles, snowcats and other maintenance vehicles, trail fences and the absence of such fences and other forms of natural or man-made obstacles, and the actions of or collisions with other skiers. Trail conditions vary constantly because of weather changes and skier use. These are some of the risks of skiing and riding. All of the inherent and other risks of skiing present the risk of serious and/or fatal injury.

CHAIRLIFTS: Children may be required to ride chairlifts with other children in group lessons, or with ski patrollers or hosts, or with other persons in the lift line, and loading assistance may or may not be provided by lift attendants. Loading, riding and unloading chairlifts can be hazardous and I acknowledge and accept this risk on behalf of myself and/or my child. I may purchase a private lesson for my child if I want to ensure they will ride the lift with an instructor.

RELEASE: In consideration of participating in Ski Big Bear’s Ski and Ride School and using its facilities, on behalf of myself and my minor child, I voluntarily accept and assume the risk of injury while participating in the sport, agree to accept the risks of skiing and agree that I will not sue and will release from any and all liability Ski Big Bear if I or any member of my family is injured while using any of the Ski Big Bear facilities or while being present at the facilities, even if I contend that such injuries are the result of NEGLIGENCE, including gross negligence, or any other improper conduct for which a release is not contrary to public policy, on the part of Ski Big Bear. I further agree that I will defend, indemnify and hold harmless Ski Big Bear from any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense of any kind (including reasonable attorney fees) that may occur as the result of any injury to myself, to any member of my family or to any person for whom I am signing this Agreement, even if it is contested that any such injuries are the result of NEGLIGENCE, including gross negligence or any other improper conduct for which a release is not contrary to public policy, on the part of Ski Big Bear.

FORUM SELECTION: I agree that all disputes arising under this contract and/or from my use of the facilities at Ski Big Bear shall be litigated exclusively in the Court of Common Pleas of Pike County or in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. I further agree that if any part of this Agreement is determined to be unenforceable, all other parts shall be given full force and effect.

PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS: If I am signing this Agreement on behalf of a minor, I represent and warrant that I am the minor’s natural parent or legal guardian; that I have legal authority to sign on the minor’s behalf; that I am doing so with the consent and approval of the minor’s other parent; that I and the minor’s other parent will be bound by the terms of this agreement in its entirety; and that I and the minor’s other parent will release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Ski Big Bear from any and all injury, loss, liability, cost or expense as stated above.