Out-of-bounds snowboarder faces criminal charges
A snowboarder skiing in a closed area of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort faces trespassing charges.
Resort officials say Christian Michael Mares triggered an avalanche at approximately 12:45pm Jan. 15 after knowingly traversing into an area of the East Palisades called Perco’s. This area has not been open to the public since the 2010-11 ski season. The area is marked as closed from the Mt. Disney and Mt. Lincoln directions, and it is a very active avalanche area.
The Friday avalanche is not connected in any way with the search for missing Sugar Bowl ski instructor Carson May, according to the resort.
“Normally, when skiers or riders choose to enter into a closed area, resort management will pull the skier’s pass for a duration of time, ban the skier for the remainder of the season or, if serious enough, for multiple seasons. However, since Mares is not a Sugar Bowl season passholder and given the magnitude and severity of this situation, and the fact that patrol, staff and public were put at serious risk from Mares’ decisions and actions, Sugar Bowl has now turned this incident over to the Placer County Sheriff’s Department for prosecution under California Penal Code 602(r), which refers to trespassing into a closed area of a ski resort,” the resort said in a statement.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Good!
These pant dragging amoebas need to start paying for their disrespect of laws and boundaries. It’s lucky it survived…for now. Mother Nature has a way of culling the stupid. Bill them for everything. Good luck collecting as most are couch surfers with no income. Reminds me of a joke. What is a snowboarder who’s girlfriend breaks up with him? The answer is “homeless’.
Lol the first sentence, “A snowboarder skiing..” Wouldn’t he be snowboarding?
While I agree with the prosecution and almost would rather have seen Mr Mares suffer the natural consequences of his decision (like is done in Europe), to equate his actions and all snowboarders as “pant dragging amoebas” is a bit much. Aren’t we over the whole boarder / skier conflict by now? I’ve certainly seen stupid, out of control idiots on both sides of the fence.
The Sacramento news showed GoPro or cell phone video of the avalanche last night. The kid is lucky to be alive. Sugar Bowl should have plenty of evidence to file charges.