Back in August, we wrote about the mess of Oregon legislature threatening to shut down some of our favorite resorts. Long story short, some watershed lawsuits set precedent that forced resorts to shoulder insane bumps in insurance premiums—eventually passing on that rising cost to consumers. If that sounds distant, go check out the article here.
Welcome back. Well, those two important bills mentioned in the last article may have been the last hope for some of these resorts. One was HB 3140 which would have allowed recreational business operators to require customers to release them from “ordinary negligence” claims. The second: SB 1196 which proposed Oregon’s Legislative Revenue Office to assess some ways to raise money dedicated to supporting recreational activities. Sadly, neither bill received the support it needed. So here we are, regrettably relaying a grim announcement from Timberline.
In a lengthy social media post, Timberline Lodge referred to the state’ recreational liability system as “broken," adding “Timberline, along with other tourism and outdoor operators, have warned for more than a decade that this day would come.”
So let's get into the actual impact on riders.
After a 166% jump in their insurance premium, Timberline said “Guests will see increases in peak time lift ticket pricing, tier 2 season pass pricing, and summer ski products… [and] without long-term solutions from the State Legislature, the impacts will be unavoidable; higher costs, reduced offerings, and diminished opportunities for recreation in Oregon. This threatens not only skiers and riders, but also rural communities, jobs, and families who depend on tourism.”
Essentially, in order to stay in business Timberline and similar businesses have to raise their costs for the consumer. The fear is that this will become either entirely unattainable for most people, or, worse, flat out impossible for the operator to sustain financially. Keep in mind, much of this was set off by riders who sued mountains after getting hurt in the park, arguing that their accidents existed beyond the typical scope of "ordinary negligence.”
This got us thinking… It's hard not to think of the irony—that freestyle snowboarding might now be getting strangled by the judicial system, this being the same sport that has us trespassing and ignoring every evolutionary voice in our head to not hit a 10 stair.
The sport is basically founded on rebellion, so to think that someone suing a mountain when that goes left could cause the demise of a legendary mountain like Timberline is funny—and not in a “ha-ha” way.
There's also the layer of rising costs and what it means for the future of snowboarding—an industry that already has some serious price barriers. What this might do to a class disparity in recreation sports is also a bleak thought. Who knows, maybe the street parts out of Oregon will start to go super hard...
This isn’t just Timberline, or Oregon’s problem—it’s what happens when snowboarding’s risk and community collide with the real world’s insurance math. It's an important reminder of all the behind the scenes lever that keeps this thing of ours alive, and our involvement as riders.
We’re not ones to preach at you, but no one likes complacency. So get involved, go register to vote, maybe open a newspaper from time to time, eat your veggies and stay in school. All that.
So at the risk of sounding cliché, the takeaway here: care a little more, sue a little less, back the things you love, and speak up when it counts.
