Colo. man arrested for punching 16-year-old on ski slope

BostonHerald ^ | Wednesday, February 1, 2006 | AP

[Angus MacGregor]

Colo. man arrested for punching 16-year-old on ski slope

By Associated Press

Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - Updated: 07:22 AM EST

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. - Police said a man accused of attacking a teenager after she collided with his daughter at a ski resort told authorities that he lost control.

Randell Berg, 52, of Littleton, punched the 16-year-old girl in the head and neck and yelled profanities after Sunday’s collision at Steamboat Ski Area, said police Capt. Joel Rae.

The teen was not seriously injured in the alleged attack, but told police she was sore afterward.

She was snowboarding near the base of the mountain when she ran over the girl’s skis, knocking both of them to the ground, Rae said.

Berg told police that after he made sure his daughter was OK, “he just lost control when his daughter got hit,” Rae said.

Berg was taken to Routt County Jail, where he was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. He was released Monday on $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 14.

[When_Penguins_Attack]

I was on the slopes about 15 years ago when this kid came HAULING over a rise (not a boarder) and slammed into me. I was not overweight (about 170) and the kid was small, but we both went down.

The really funny thing was that a kid was riding the lift up and leaned out of the car yelling "I saw that! It was his (the kid's) fault!" He lost his grip and fell out of the lift about 30 feet into the snow (fortunately there was a deep pile and he wasn't hurt). I broke up laughing and forgot all about being angry at the kid.

[twoputt]

All I can say is, I have a beautiful 16-year old daughter, and if some guy started to beat on her, he better have good medical coverage. Not for what I would do to him, but for the amount of whoop-ass my daughter would level on him. I'm serious.

[Malsua]

Round about March 1985, I was at the base of Steamboat about ready to get on the main lift. I saw this guy go flat out down the main headwall right there at bottom, musta been going 50/60mph and he plowed into a family of four(Two adults, two 6-10yo) making their way to the lift.

He blew out of his skis and flew another 100 feet or so. I was headed up the lift just as it happened so I have no idea what the injuries were, but I can't imagine anything less than some broken bones on the part of the family. He knocked them ALL down and out of their equipment. If the father was able, he should have put the ahole in the hospital if he wasn't headed there already.

Far as I'm concerned, too few people give a crap about anyone else, and I frankly have no sympathy for this girl. I always did my damndest to not injury anyone or run over their skis even if I had to take a header into a drift or such.

[Kirkwood]

"I'm sorry, but this is a complete BS, false stereotype. I snowboard, as do many of my friends, and none of us fit the bill. I know many snowboarders who you probably would label as a 'punk' and they have far more skill on the slopes than 90% of the skiers on the slopes.. many of who we feel are as annoying as a 90 year old driving 30 on the interstate."

What a joke... this about says it all folks about the metality of a snowboarder who don't think the rules apply to them.

[Capriole]

Has anyone on this thread ever been skiing? This stuff happens all the time. With skiers and snowboarders alike. The slopes are packed with people of varying skill levels.

Agreed. I'm fairly familiar with Steamboat since my ex and I owned (and he still owns) a house there, and we would spend our winters there. It's a great, family-oriented place to ski, but because there are some truly tough back-bowl areas it also attracts the serious skiers who like to ski the steep and the deep. At certain times of day, notably lunchtime and at about 3:30, there is a lot of danger to everyone because people of widely varying ages and ability levels are all being fed into the same beginner slopes at the bottom of the mountain. The worst skiing accidents I've ever had--the ones that kept me in the physical therapist's office all summer--happened when some beginner crashed into me.

[azhenfud]

"If it was an accident, which I'm sure it was, then why are you advocating a grown 52 year old man beating up on a 16 year old girl???"

I didn't take alisasny's comment "Sorry, no defense for this guy.." as advocating the man's attack, but quite to the contrary.

[WV Mountain Mama]

It depends. If the girl that got hit was in front (downslope), the snowboarder is at fault. People on the slopes are usually stupid and don't remember the simple rule that you ALWAYS yield to the person in front (down slope) of you.

As a snowboarder, I have seen just as many idiots on skis take out someone when the downslope skier turned and the skier behind them wasn't in enough control to miss them. Of course common sense would tell ya that when coming up on someone, you:

1. slow down
2. yell at them that you are passing on either the right or left.

[b4its2late]

Yeah, that does sound better. I haven't skied in years, so I'm not up on this stuff. I think they were just starting to use snowboards when I stopped skiing. I didn't like them then, and it's probably many times worse now, unless they have their own areas to board on.

[When_Penguins_Attack]

It had been touched on by a few, but congratulations, you've now successfully (and ridiculously) turned this into a political thing. Snowboarders = leftist scum. Skiers = considerate conservative and capable.

Damn hippie snowboarders.

Hey, we agree on something!

[Kirkwood]

"Snowboarding is to skiing as Etch-A-Sketch is to art."

That is so perfectly stated! Thanks.

[PAR35]

Yes, it takes a real man to beat up teenage girls. Have you considered converting to Islam? You'd fit right in.

[pgyanke]

Dang... with I'd thought of that screenname!

[Labyrinthos]

Those snowboarders are a menace.

Actually, its the parents who are a menace. Collisions happen all the time at crowded resorts for lots of reasons. If left alone, the two kids probably would have dealt with the situation appropriately. Just another example of adults interfering in their kid's good time.

[Leisler]

" ...annoying as a 90 year old driving 30 on the interstate."

Oh the horror, the horror. How you manage is beyond me. Be strong!

[Kenton]

After she sues, that little snowboarder may put a crimp in any of this jerk's future ski trip plans... happy college fund, kid.

[tjg]

In five years, I've been knocked down by snowboarders three times. They always say the same thing; Dude you were in my way, or my favorite, "I was going straight".

I don't know how many times I've heard boarders behind me announcing that they are going straight. They seem to think that if they board the fall line, everyone has to get out of their way. Maybe it's becasue they are able to look behind themselves, they don't understand that skiiers cannot do this, and the term 'I'm going straght' is meaningless to someone behind a skiier.

Collision management was a formidable problem before snowboarding. Snowboarders have made the problem even worse, mostly due to lack of education regarding the rules.

Furthermore, novice boarders are able to negotiate terrain that takes years of skill developemnt for skiiers, which makes getting away from them problematic.

You can't run and you can't hide. The only thing left is to ski in the spring when the crowds are gone and everyone can give each other wide berth.

[Joe 6-pack]

"You would be happy to know that this idiot Berg was restrained by others present."

I have no children of my own so I may not be able to completely identify with the situation, but I do have a niece and two nephews I love dearly, and know I would be enraged if I had any thought that someone had intentionally injured them...having said that, I've also seen my oldest nephew take some lumps playing football, and it was generally understood that that's just life.

When I lived in the north, I was a cross country skier and thought that downhill folks were morons. I really don't know enough about the technicalities of, or rivalry between downhill skiers and snowboarders to know if someone broke the rules or not...to me, they're all idiots who find some guy who owns a mountain, pays him an inordinate amount of money to cart their butts to the top, all for the purpose of seeing how fast they can get back to the bottom.

I suppose some people are easily amused, and if they enjoy this, more power to 'em. It's just a shame so many had to have their leisure time interrupted by an adult male who hadn't mastered kindergarten playground anger management skills.

Me personally? If I'm going to ski it's going to be with the intent of getting from point A to point B, and maybe do a little hunting along the way.

[azhenfud]

"The real problem isn't snowboarders, its anyone who is on slopes outside their level."

That could work both ways, you know. You, obviously as the more experienced, bear an obligation to control your position relative to the skier downslope. If you overtake another to pass them, normally the responsibility of safely passing would fall upon you.

[grayforkbeard]

My self I don't think it's the snowboard but the habit of many of those so over chairing mothers out there that dump the kid off at the slope and head for the shopping in town. In short it’s a gross example of bad parenting. At some Colorado ski hills it’s a plague. Loveland and keystone are the worst as they have quick access to the outlet malls in Frisco. Breckinridge and Steamboat are also bad as the town is at the base of the hill.

This problem will go on as long as parents use the ski resort as a baby sitter. And before all your mothers get your nose out of joint, yes you are the guilty ones. I see you in action every weekend. Open the door, kick the kids out with a $100 bill in hand, and head for the nearest shopping. Dad always kills the day on the slopes with the kids. Just an observation of mine.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

This father would have really gone off the deep end if someone with a little whiskey on his/her breath had collided with his daughter.

The best bet to avoid accidents is to become the best possible skier one can be...one is least likely to be smacked by someone else if a truly black-diamond skier.

The other trick is to eat lunch early, eat lunch late, and continue to ski during high noon when all the kids want to head back to the lodge. Pack food in a Camelbak so you have plenty of food and drink onboard.

If you really want to get a dangerous skier's attention, carry a pair of wire snippers and clip their ticket if you fear they're going to bolt from an accident. I've never done this myself, but I've witnessed it done. It caught the reckless jerks by surprise and I guess both parties ended-up waiting around for the ski patrol to arrive.

Lastly, only amateurs ski on weekends or at night. Get to the slopes early for first runs before everything gets tracked over by the hordes. Places like Alta, Utah actually limit the number of folks who can be on the slopes and they'll halt lift ticket sales if it starts to reach capacity. Interestingly, they thankfully don't even allow snowboarders with the attendant problems of callow youth and damage to the snow surface ...

~ Blue Jays ~