Colorado § 33-44-109 Duties of skiers - penalties

Colorado Statutes

§ 33-44-109 — Duties of skiers - penalties

Colorado § 33-44-109

Title 33Parks and

Art.Ski Safety and Liability

This text of Colorado § 33-44-109 (Duties of skiers - penalties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 33-44-109 (2026).

Text

(1)Each skier solely has the responsibility for knowing the range of his own ability to negotiate any ski slope or trail and to ski within the limits of such ability. Each skier expressly accepts and assumes the risk of and all legal responsibility for any injury to person or property resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing; except that a skier is not precluded under this article from suing another skier for any injury to person or property resulting from such other skier's acts or omissions. Notwithstanding any provision of law or statute to the contrary, the risk of a skier/skier collision is neither an inherent risk nor a risk assumed by a skier in an action by one skier against another.

(2)Each skier has the duty to maintain control of his speed and c

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

(1) Each skier solely has the
responsibility for knowing the range of his own ability to negotiate any ski slope or
trail and to ski within the limits of such ability. Each skier expressly accepts and
assumes the risk of and all legal responsibility for any injury to person or property
resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing; except that a skier is
not precluded under this article from suing another skier for any injury to person or
property resulting from such other skier's acts or omissions. Notwithstanding any
provision of law or statute to the contrary, the risk of a skier/skier collision is
neither an inherent risk nor a risk assumed by a skier in an action by one skier
against another.

(2) Each skier has the duty to maintain control of his speed and course at all
times when skiing and to maintain a proper lookout so as to be able to avoid other
skiers and objects. However, the primary duty shall be on the person skiing downhill
to avoid collision with any person or objects below him.

(3) No skier shall ski on a ski slope or trail that has been posted as Closed
pursuant to section 33-44-107 (2)(e) and (4).

(4) Each skier shall stay clear of snow-grooming equipment, all vehicles, lift
towers, signs, and any other equipment on the ski slopes and trails.

(5) Each skier has the duty to heed all posted information and other warnings
and to refrain from acting in a manner which may cause or contribute to the injury
of the skier or others. Each skier shall be presumed to have seen and understood all
information posted in accordance with this article near base area lifts, on the
passenger tramways, and on such ski slopes or trails as he is skiing. Under
conditions of decreased visibility, the duty is on the skier to locate and ascertain the
meaning of all signs posted in accordance with sections 33-44-106 and 33-44-107.

(6) Each ski or snowboard used by a skier while skiing shall be equipped with
a strap or other device capable of stopping the ski or snowboard should the ski or
snowboard become unattached from the skier. This requirement shall not apply to
cross country skis.

(7) No skier shall cross the uphill track of a J-bar, T-bar, platter pull, or rope
tow except at locations designated by the operator; nor shall a skier place any
object in such an uphill track.

(8) Before beginning to ski from a stationary position or before entering a ski
slope or trail from the side, the skier shall have the duty of avoiding moving skiers
already on the ski slope or trail.

(9) No person shall move uphill on any passenger tramway or use any ski
slope or trail while such person's ability to do so is impaired by the consumption of
alcohol or by the use of any controlled substance, as defined in section 18-18-102
(5), C.R.S., or other drug or while such person is under the influence of alcohol or
any controlled substance, as defined in section 18-18-102 (5), C.R.S., or other drug.

(10) No skier involved in a collision with another skier or person in which an
injury results shall leave the vicinity of the collision before giving his or her name
and current address to an employee of the ski area operator or a member of the ski
patrol, except for the purpose of securing aid for a person injured in the collision; in
which event the person so leaving the scene of the collision shall give his or her
name and current address as required by this subsection (10) after securing such
aid.

(11) No person shall knowingly enter upon public or private lands from an
adjoining ski area when such land has been closed by its owner and so posted by
the owner or by the ski area operator pursuant to section 33-44-107 (6).

(12) (a) Any person who violates subsection (3), (9), or (11) of this section
commits a civil infraction and shall be punished by a fine of not more than one
thousand dollars.

(b) Any person who violates subsection (10) of this section commits a petty
offense.

Legislative History

Source: L. 79: Entire article added, p. 1243, � 1, effective July 1. L. 82: (9) amended, p. 255, � 17, effective May 3. L. 90: (1) and (2) amended, p. 1542, � 5, effective July 1. L. 2004: (6) and (10) amended, p. 1384, � 4, effective May 28. L. 2006: (12) amended, p. 130, � 1, effective July 1. L. 2012: (9) amended, (HB 12-1311), ch. 281, p. 1631, � 85, effective July 1. L. 2021: (12) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3274, � 605, effective March 1, 2022.