AB495: Bill Text

AB495,6,4 (f) The risk of collision with other participants in snow sports. employees of a ski area operator, ski area infrastructure, or ski area vehicles.

AB495,6,6 (g) Variation in the location, construction, configuration, or steepness of trails or terrains.

AB495,6,8 (h) The greater risk of collision, injury, or death in treed areas, in areas where competitions are held, and in areas where freestyling is allowed.

AB495,6,11 (3) Duties of ski area operators; signage; notice. (a) Notice on tickets required. Each ski area operator shall print on each ticket or season pass that it issues to participants in snow sports the following warning:

AB495,6,18 "WARNING: Under Wisconsin law, each participant in a snow sport assumes the risk of injury or death to person or injury to property resulting from the conditions and risks that are considered to be inherent in a snow sport, has a number of duties that must be met while engaging in a snow sport, and is subject to limitations on the ability to recover damages from a ski area operator for injuries or death to a person or to property. A complete copy of this law is available for review at the main site where tickets to this ski area are sold."

AB495,6,23 (b) Signs required; generally. Each ski area operator shall post and maintain a sign that is at least 10 square feet in size at or near each of the sites where tickets to the ski area are sold, at or near each of the entrances or lift loading areas for areas that are open to snow sports, and at or near each area open to sledding or tubing which is not served by a lift. The sign shall contain the following warning:

AB495,7,6 "WARNING — ASSUMPTION OF RISKS: Under Wisconsin law, each participant in a snow sport is considered to have accepted and to have knowledge of the risk of injury or death to person or injury to property that may result. Under Wisconsin law, each participant in a snow sport has the duty to take the precautions that are necessary to avoid injury or death to person or injury to property. Wisconsin law sets forth certain other limitations on the liability of ski area operators for injuries or death to person or injury to property. A complete copy of this law is available for review at the main site where tickets to this ski area are sold."

AB495,7,9 (c) Copies of law. Each ski area operator shall post and maintain a current copy of all of the provisions of this section at the main site where tickets to the ski area are sold and shall make a copy of it for any individual upon request.

AB495,7,13 (d) Signs required; skiing or sledding areas. In addition to the sign required under par. (b), each ski area operator shall post and maintain a sign that is at least 10 square feet in size at or near each entrance to a loading area of a lift that serves areas open to skiing or sledding. The sign shall contain the following warning:

AB495,7,16 "WARNING — DUTIES OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN SKIING OR SLEDDING: Under Wisconsin law, each individual engaged in skiing or sledding has a duty to do all of the following:

AB495,7,17 1. Obey all posted warnings and signs.

AB495,7,18 2. Keep off of closed trails and out of closed areas.

AB495,7,20 3. Know the range of his or her ability and engage in skiing or sledding within that ability.

AB495,7,22 4. Assess the difficulty of the trails and terrains that are open to skiing or sledding.

AB495,7,23 5. Maintain control of his or her speed and direction.

AB495,7,24 6. Be able to stop or avoid other individuals or objects.

AB495,8,2 7. Yield to other individuals engaged in skiing or sledding who are ahead or who are down the slope.

AB495,8,4 8. Not stop at a point that will result in the individual obstructing a trail or not being visible from above.

AB495,8,6 9. Yield to other individuals engaged in skiing or sledding who are uphill when starting downhill or when merging onto a trail.

AB495,8,8 10. Be able to safely board, ride, and deboard any lift serving an area open to skiing or sledding.

AB495,8,9 11. Board and deboard a lift only at designated sites."

AB495,8,14 (e) Signs required; tubing areas. In addition to the sign required under par. (b), each ski area operator shall post and maintain a sign that is at least 10 square feet in size at or near each entrance to a loading area of a lift that serves areas open to tubing or at or near an entrance of an area open to tubing that is not served by a lift. The sign shall contain the following warning:

AB495,8,17 "WARNING — DUTIES OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN TUBING: Under Wisconsin law, each individual engaged in sledding has a duty to do all of the following:

AB495,8,18 1. Obey all posted warnings and signs.

AB495,8,19 2. Keep out of closed areas.

AB495,8,20 3. Know the range of his or her ability and engage in tubing within that ability.

AB495,8,21 4. Assess the difficulty of the terrain that is open to tubing.

AB495,8,23 5. Maintain control of the speed and direction of the tube or other device that is being used.

AB495,8,25 6. Comply with any posted limits imposed on the number of passengers or on the amount of weight of the tube or other device while it is being ridden.

AB495,9,2 7. Be able to safely board, ride, and deboard any lift serving an area open to tubing.

AB495,9,3 8. Board and deboard a lift only at designated sites.

AB495,9,5 9. Yield to other individuals engaged in tubing who are ahead or who are down the the slope.

AB495,9,7 10. Look uphill and yield to oncoming tubes before leaving the bottom of the hill at the end of a run.

AB495,9,14 (f) Signs required; trails and terrains. Each ski area operator shall designate the trails that are open for skiing in its ski area and shall determine the difficulty level of each trail. The ski area operator shall post and maintain a sign at or near the beginning of each trail. The sign shall contain the name of the trail and all of the applicable wording and emblems specified in this paragraph to describe the difficulty level of the trail or terrain. The sign shall be at least 4 square feet in size. Each sign shall contain one or more of the following designations that are applicable:

AB495,9,15 1. The word "easier" with an emblem consisting of a green circle.

AB495,9,17 2. The words "difficult" or "more difficult" with an emblem consisting of a blue square.

AB495,9,18 3. The words "most difficult" with an emblem consisting of a black diamond.

AB495,9,20 4. The word "expert" or "extreme" with an emblem consisting of 2 black diamonds.

AB495,9,22 5. The words "freestyling area ahead" with an emblem consisting of an orange oval.

AB495,9,24 6. The words "tree skiing — caution." The sign shall have an orange background or orange lettering with a black or white background and shall contain the additional statement: "This back country trail is not groomed or patrolled — Never ski here alone."

AB495,10,11 (g) Areas open to freestyling; signs and barricades required. A ski area operator shall designate an area as an area for freestyling if it contains one or more freestyle features. A ski area operator shall construct and maintain a barricade with fencing, roping, or similar means at the entrance to such an area. The opening in the barricade may not be wider than 30 feet. The ski area operator shall post and maintain a sign at or near the entrance of the area that is at least 3 square feet in size and that shows the boundaries of the area open to freestyling. The sign shall contain emblems consisting of a stop sign and orange oval. The sign shall contain all of the following:

AB495,10,12 1. The words "freestyling skills required."

AB495,10,13 2. The words "helmets are recommended" or "consider wearing a helmet."

AB495,10,18 (h) Lifts; signs required. For each lift that is used by individuals engaged in skiing and that does not serve any trail that is described under par. (f) as "easier," the ski operator shall post and maintain, at or near the loading area for the lift a sign that is at least 10 square feet in size near or at the entrance of the loading area. The sign shall contain the following warning:

AB495,10,23 "WARNING: This lift does not serve any trails that are "easier" (marked with a green circle emblem). All of the trails served by this lift are "difficult" or "more difficult" (marked with a blue square emblem), "most difficult" (marked with a black diamond emblem), "expert" or "extreme terrain" (marked with an emblem consisting of 2 black diamonds), or "freestyling terrain ahead" (marked with an orange oval)."

AB495,11,2 (i) Variation of signs. 1. In lieu of posting and maintaining each of the separate signs required under par. (b) and par. (d) or (e), a ski area operator may post and maintain a single sign that is at least 12 square feet in size and that contains all of the required warnings.

AB495,11,6 2. A ski area operator may vary from the specific wording, size, and location requirements for signs specified under this subsection, but any variation may not preclude a reasonably prudent participant in a snow sport from finding or understanding the contents of the sign.

AB495,11,13 (4) Duties of ski area owners; other duties. (a) Maps. Each ski area operator shall post and maintain a map of the trails and terrains in the ski area that are designated for any snow sport at all of the sites where tickets to the ski area are sold if the ski area has more than 3 trails. The map shall contain the names of each trail or terrain and a description of the level of difficulty for each trail as determined by the ski area operator under sub. (3) (f). The sign shall be at least 32 square feet in size.

AB495,11,16 (b) Ski area vehicles. Each ski area operator shall ensure that each ski area vehicle that is present on a trail during the hours in which a lift is being operated shall display all of the following:

AB495,11,18 1. A flashing light on or near the top of the ski area vehicle whenever the ski area vehicle's engine is on.

AB495,11,22 2. If the ski area vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle, a snowmobile, or a similarly sized motorized vehicle, in addition to the flashing light as specified in subd. 1., a red or orange flag that is at least 40 square inches in size and that is mounted at least 5 feet from the bottom of the tracks or tires.

AB495,12,2 (c) Lift inspections. Annually, a ski area operator shall have all of the lifts located in its ski area inspected by a qualified lift inspector to determine whether the lift is in compliance with the rules promulgated by the department of safety and professional services.

AB495,12,4 (d) Lift inspectors. In order to be a qualified lift inspector for purposes of par. (c), an individual shall be either or both of the following:

AB495,12,6 1. An individual authorized by the department of safety and professional services to make inspections of lifts pursuant to ch. 101.

AB495,12,8 2. An individual who has knowledge of the requirements of the rules specified in par. (c) and of the design and operation of lifts and who has one of the following:

AB495,12,9 a. A degree of engineering from a recognized university.

AB495,12,11 b. Experience as an inspector of lifts for an insurance company that has provided liability insurance coverage to any ski area.

AB495,12,14 (5) Duties of individuals engaged in snow sports. (a) Safety rules; skiing and sledding. Each individual engaged in skiing or sledding at a ski area has a duty to do all the following:

AB495,12,15 1. Obey all posted warnings and signs.

AB495,12,16 2. Keep off of closed trails and out of closed areas.

AB495,12,18 3. Know the range of his or her ability and engage in skiing or sledding within that ability.

AB495,12,20 4. Assess the difficulty of the trails and terrains that are open to skiing or sledding.

AB495,12,21 5. Maintain control of his or her speed and direction.

AB495,12,23 6. Comply with any posted limits that are imposed on the number of passengers or on the amount of weight of the sled or other sledding device while it is being ridden.

AB495,12,24 7. Be able to stop or avoid other individuals or objects.

AB495,13,2 8. Yield to other individuals engaged in skiing or sledding who are ahead or who are down the slope.

AB495,13,4 9. Not stop at a point that will result in the individual obstructing a trail or not being visible from above.

AB495,13,6 10. Yield to other individuals engaged in skiing or sledding who are uphill when starting downhill or merging onto a trail.

AB495,13,8 11. Be able to safely board, ride, and deboard any lift serving an area open to skiing or sledding.

AB495,13,9 12. Board and deboard a lift only at designated sites.

AB495,13,11 (b) Safety rules; tubing. Each individual engaged in tubing at a ski area has a duty to do all of the following:

AB495,13,12 1. Obey all posted signs and warnings.

AB495,13,13 2. Keep out of closed areas.

AB495,13,14 3. Know the range of his or her ability and engage in tubing within that ability.

AB495,13,15 4. Assess the difficulty of terrain that is open to tubing.

AB495,13,16 5. Maintain control of his or her speed and direction.

AB495,13,18 6. Comply with any posted limits that are imposed on the number of passengers or on the amount of weight of the tube or other tubing device while it is being ridden.

AB495,13,19 7. Be able to safely board, ride, and deboard a lift serving an area open to tubing.

AB495,13,20 8. Board and deboard a lift only at designated sites.

AB495,13,22 9. Yield to other individuals engaged in tubing who are ahead or who are down the slope.

AB495,13,24 10. Look uphill and yield to oncoming tubes before leaving the bottom of the hill at the end of a run.

AB495, s. 6 Section 6. 895.525 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB495,14,13 895.525 (2) Definition. In this section, "recreational activity" means any activity undertaken for the purpose of exercise, relaxation or pleasure, including practice or instruction in any such activity. "Recreational activity" does not include participating in a snow sport at a ski area, as those terms are defined in s. 167.33, but includes hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, bowling, billiards, picnicking, exploring caves, nature study, dancing, bicycling, horseback riding, horseshoe-pitching, bird-watching, motorcycling, operating an all-terrain vehicle, ballooning, curling, throwing darts, hang gliding, hiking, tobogganing, sledding, sleigh riding, snowmobiling, skiing, skating, participation in water sports, weight and fitness training, sight-seeing, rock-climbing, cutting or removing wood, climbing observation towers, animal training, harvesting the products of nature, sport shooting, and participating in a snow sport outside a ski area, as those terms are defined in s. 167.33, and any other sport, game or educational activity.

AB495, s. 7 Section 7. 895.526 of the statutes is created to read:

AB495,14,17 895.526 Participation in a snow sport; restrictions on civil liability, assumption of risk. (1) Definitions. All definitions in s. 167.33 apply to this section unless the context otherwise requires.

AB495,14,20 (2) Appreciation of conditions and risk of participation in a snow sport. (a) Every participant in a snow sport at a ski area accepts the conditions and risks of the snow sport as set forth in s. 167.33 (2).

AB495,14,22 (b) Every participant in a snow sport at a ski area is presumed to have seen and understood signage provided by the ski area operator pursuant to s. 167.33 (3).

AB495,15,2 (c) Every participant in a snow sport at a ski area accepts that failure to wear a helmet or wearing a helmet that is improperly sized, fitted, or secured increases the risk of injury or death or the risk of a more severe injury. Every participant in a snow sport at a ski area accepts that a helmet may not be available for purchase or for rent at a ski area.

AB495,15,7 (d) Every participant in a snow sport at a ski area accepts that natural or man-made items or obstacles within a ski area, including ski area infrastructure and ski area vehicles, may be unpadded or not heavily padded and accepts that there may be a higher risk of injury or death or of a more severe injury associated with a collision with an item or obstacle that is unpadded or not heavily padded.