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Superheroes
on the slopes
Look—up in the sky...it’s a bird...it’s a plane...it’s
Superman!
Not exactly, but close.
If you are downhill skiing or snowboarding, it’s probably a member
of the National Ski Patrol riding the chairlift and heading to the rescue.
You won’t recognize the ski patroller on the street corner, in
the line at the grocery store or in the office just down the hall. Most
of the time they are regular people doing routine things with no flapping
capes. However, once they get to the ski hill and into uniform, these
regular Joes and Janes are transformed to superheroes on the snow.
They are most recognizable by the traditional rust parka with gold cross,
or the more contemporary red jacket with white cross. Unlike traditional
superheroes, their unique and varied abilities aren’t transformed
by the uniform. The jacket must be earned through extensive training
in Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) which includes first aid services in
an outdoor setting, ski proficiency and toboggan handling.
Setting the standard of care and proficiency is the National Ski Patrol
(NSP) system. The role of NSP according to its Web site is: “Since
1938, the nonprofit National Ski Patrol has dedicated itself to—and
has become the preeminent authority on—serving the public and outdoor
recreation industry by providing education and credentialing to emergency
care and safety services providers.”
The Web site further describes the origin of the organization: “NSP
was organized and directed by Charles Minot ‘Minnie’ Dole
as a committee of the National Ski Association (now the United States
Ski Association). Through his efforts as the first national director
of the NSP, the organization spread its effects and esprit de corps
across the nation. Upon his retirement in 1950, Dole had built the NSP
into an organization of 4,000 members serving 300 ski patrols.
“During World War II, Dole was responsible for the establishment
of the famed 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. Applicants for
this remarkable military unit, which saw much of its fighting activity
in Italy, were screened by the NSP. Many individuals who were responsible
for the establishment of many ski areas in the United States served
in the 10th Mountain Division and have contributed significantly to
the sport.”
Marquette Mountain is honored to have 10th Mountain Division member
and local resident, Walter Cook skiing in our area today.
“Thanks to this distinguished legacy of altruistic service, the
National Ski Patrol was recognized with a federal charter by the United
States Congress in 1980,” according to the site. “This is
a coveted endorsement that only a few other American institutions have
earned, including the American Red Cross, the YMCA and the Boy Scouts.
The federal charter stipulates that the NSP continue to promote safety
and health in skiing and other outdoor winter recreational activities.
Accordingly, the NSP annually reports directly to Congress.”
For the past seventy years, the NSP has followed its creed of “Service
and Safety.” Today the organization is composed of more than 26,000
members serving more than 600 patrols.
NSP members work on behalf of local ski and snowboard areas to improve
the overall snow sports experience for outdoor recreationists. For example,
local ski patrollers are members of the NSP and affiliated with Marquette
Mountain Ski Area. The NSP is a nonprofit organization. Its primary
financial support is generated from membership dues, donations, user
fees and corporate sponsorships. The national office is located in Lakewood
(Colorado).
“Cliff’s Ridge was the first official downhill skiing area
in Marquette and opened in 1958,” said Vern Barber, manager of
Marquette Mountain Ski Area. “After a change in ownership in 1981,
the property became known as the Marquette Mountain Ski Area.”
Members of the National Ski Patrol have been on duty for all of those
nearly fifty years.
Today Marquette Mountain has grown to twenty-five runs over 169 acres
of skiable terrain. This includes specially contoured runs known as
the “terrain park” designed for the growing sport of snowboarding.
The skier and snowboarder moving capacity is 4,600 people per hour,
with two double chairlifts, one triple chair and a paddle tow. The ski
season varies with the weather and snow making ability, but usually
you can count on an average of 135 days; for most skiers and snowboarders,
that means from Thanksgiving to Easter. Night skiing begins in mid-
to late December five nights per week and extends well into March.
Anyone seeking NSP membership is required to participate in comprehensive
educational lessons with skill and scenario application, complete various
workbook exercises, take a final written exam and demonstrate skills
and knowledge in final scenarios in the winter skiing and snowboarding
environment.
“Persons wishing to join the patrol go through a ‘candidate
season,’ which begins in October and ends in March,” said
Marquette Mountain ski patrol director Jim Grundstrom. “Of that
time approximately four months is spent on Outdoor Emergency Care and
three months on ski proficiency and toboggan handling.”
To master the objectives and NSP standards, a candidate typically needs
to devote eighty to 100 hours of class and study time to the course.
Each fall all patrollers in good standing must attend an annual OEC
“refresher” consisting of a third of the total curriculum.
The refresher is taught locally in each ski area by members who have
attained instructor status. Early in the actual ski season, each patroller
participates in an on-the-hill refresher of skiing and tobogganing skills.
There are numerous opportunities for a ski patroller to expand their
knowledge through continuing education such as an advanced patroller
certification called “senior patroller” or by becoming instructors,
trainers or testers in OEC, ski proficiency and toboggan handling.
A final skill for every patroller to acquire is expertise in chairlift
evacuation. In the event that the chairlift ceases to function during
operating hours, ski patrollers are called to assist ski hill management
for the safe and efficient evacuation of riders from the lift. This
is done through a system of ropes, pulleys and an evacuation seat. Chairlift
evacuation is a part of a candidate’s training, as well as the
annual patrol refresher.
The Marquette Mountain Ski Patrol (MMSP) is about as close as one can
get to superhero status when you consider:
• More than seventy percent of its members have obtained advanced
levels of qualification and certification
• Fifty percent have received National Ski Patrol recognition
• Several have received purple or yellow merit stars for outstanding
assistance in lifesaving or life-threatening situations
• The MMSP director has been recognized as one of the top
in the country
• The MMSP has been recognized as Outstanding Patrol in the
North Central Region
• The MMSP has been recognized as Outstanding Patrol in the
Central Division
• The MMSP has been recognized as being in the top ten of
all patrols within the National Ski Patrol system
Once on patrol, a person is required to serve one regular four to five
hour patrol shift per week; an average of six patrollers make up a single
shift. A paid, pro-patroller covers the weekday hours of 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; approximately sixty-five volunteer
patrollers cover an approximate thirty to thirty-five hours each week.
To maintain NSP membership a patroller must log a minimum of eighty
skiing hours. Marquette Mountain requires the NSP minimum with a 100-hour
minimum to obtain skiing privileges (non-patrol skiing) for the following
season and a 125-hour minimum to obtain privileges for family members.
Once a person is on shift, the jacket goes on and the transformation
takes place. There is now a small core of superheroes ready to respond
to any call. Patroller are equipped with radios for communication between
themselves and area management. One patroller is designated as leader
of the shift.
Preparation is the key to preventing injuries and the ability to respond
quickly. The patrollers will determine which runs are open for the duration
of their shift, ski those runs to identify and mark any environmental
risks and check the toboggan stations throughout the hill to ensure
they are free from snow and ice and fully packed with aid supplies.
Some runs are unlit and must be closed for the evening. This closing
consists of the patrol marking off the start of the run as closed and
skiing the run to assure no skiers remain in that area.
Patrollers on shift also will become informed about the makeup of the
skiing population during their shifts, such as numbers of ski school
participants, race teams or leagues, group buses from outside the area
or special events.
There are times when Spiderman can prevail on his own, but more often
than not, he can accomplish even greater feats with the assistance of
Superman, Superwoman or the Incredible Hulk. Such is the case with the
Marquette Mountain Ski Patrol.
Following the NSP creed of “Service and Safety,” the MMSP
partners and collaborates most extensively with Marquette Mountain hill
management staff. The success of this partnership has at least one statistical
measure of success.
“Marquette Mountain has approximately 70,000 visitors per season,”
Barber said. “Our injury incidence is between 180 and 230 cases
per season which is below the national average.”
The MMSP extends its safety and prevention messages to the Marquette
Mountain Race Team, Wendy’s and the Mining Journal Ski/Snowboard
Schools, and the Kohl’s/Marquette General Hospital helmet use and
safety program.
Like most superheroes, the prestigious MMSP is on call twenty-four hours
a day, every day. Its volunteer efforts extend far beyond the ski season
and include other outdoor recreation venues such as hosting the Superior
Bike Fest, assisting with Noquemanon Ski Race, Ore to Shore bike race,
Noquemanon Trail Network system, the U.S. National Ski & Snowboard
Hall of Fame, NMU Outdoor Recreation training and U.S. National Ski
Trails.
The MMSP is a family and a community. It offers a camaraderie that more
than makes up for any personal sacrifice one makes in volunteer service.
—Leslie Bek
Health
department kicks off Healthy Hearts Month, by George Sedlacek
As part of the Public Health Marketing Campaign, "Public
Health-For Michigan. For You," a different public health issue
is being promoted each month. February is designated as Healthy Hearts
Month-What You Can Do To Keep Your Heart Healthy and Lessen Your Risk
For Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).
"Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the
No. 1 killers in Michigan," said Randall M. Johnson, M.D., director
of the Marquette County Health Department. "In fact, CVD has been
the No. 1 cause of death nationally every year since 1900, except in
1918-the year of the devastating flu epidemic."
In 2004, heart disease and stroke killed 30,086 Michiganders. Four out
of every ten deaths in Michigan are due to CVD. In Marquette County,
the age adjusted death rate for heart disease is about six percent less
than the state average.
"Heart Disease has been on the decline in Marquette County for
a long time," Johnson said. "Part of it is due to a reduced
smoking population, people paying more attention to their diet as well
as getting more exercise."
Good medical care including the control of high blood pressure and cholesterol
also plays an important role, he said.
"Your actions today can help prevent, delay or minimize the effects
of heart disease," Johnson said. "The key strategy is controlling
your risk factors."
Here are steps people can take to lower their risk for heart disease
and heart attack:
o Prevent and control high blood cholesterol-High blood cholesterol
is a major risk factor for heart disease. Preventing and treating high
blood cholesterol includes eating a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol
and high in fiber, keeping a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise.
All adults should have their cholesterol levels checked once every five
years. If yours is high, your doctor may prescribe medicines to help
lower it.
o Prevent and control high blood pressure-Healthy lifestyle behaviors
such as regular physical activity, a healthy diet, not smoking and a
healthy weight will help you maintain normal blood pressure levels.
All adults should have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
If your blood pressure is high, you can work with your doctor to treat
it and bring it down to the normal range.
o Prevent and control diabetes-People with diabetes have an increased
risk of heart disease. People with heart disease can take steps to reduce
their risk for diabetes in the first place, through weight loss and
regular physical activity.
o No tobacco-Smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart
disease and stroke. Never smoking is one of the best things a person
can do to lower the risk. Quitting smoking also will help lower a person's
risk of heart disease. A person's risk of heart attack decreases soon
after quitting.
o Moderate alcohol use-Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of high
blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. People who drink alcohol should
do so in moderation and always responsibly.
o Maintain a healthy weight-Healthy weight status in adults usually
is assessed by using weight and height to compute a number called the
"body mass index" (BMI). BMI usually indicates the amount
of body fat. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
Overweight is a BMI between 25 and 29.9. Normal weight is a BMI of 18
to 24.9. Proper diet and regular physical activity can help to maintain
a healthy weight. The www.FitUP.org Web site has a great BMI calculator.
o Regular physical activity-Adults should engage in moderate physical
activity for at least thirty minutes on most days of the week.
o Diet and nutrition-Along with healthy weight and regular physical
activity, an overall healthy diet can help to lower blood pressure and
cholesterol levels and prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and
stroke. This includes eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lowering
or cutting out added salt or sodium, and eating less saturated fat and
cholesterol to lower these risks.
The Marquette County Health Department provides grant funding from
the Michigan Department of Community Health's Chronic Disease Prevention
Section to community programs such as the current FitUP project. Residents
can join this program that provides a daily log system to track exercise
and fruit/vegetable consumption. Currently, more than 100 organizations
and more than 1,200 participants are tracking their activity. The site
has prize incentives as well as local fitness and nutrition opportunities
for Upper Peninsula residents.
For more information about keeping your heart healthy, visit www.MQTHealth.org
-George Sedlacek
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