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2016 sons.
Safety
earlier version of the bill stating that if a ski area committed an administrative officer; and Jim Lubing, an ASDA defense
act or omission that somehow “unreasonably increased the risks attorney for ski areas in the state, were especially instrumen- 400 ParkPro
of skiing,” it would not constitute an “inherent risk” for protec- tal in promoting this legislation. This statewide effort by all
tions under the statute. This was obviously a “poison pill” pro- ski area owners and managers in Wyoming is yet another
vision that would have entirely undermined the legislation, and critical reminder to businesses of the importance of outreach
through concerted efforts of the Wyoming ski areas, the legisla- efforts to local representatives, senators, and governors. Time
ture eventually struck this provision. and time again, legislators tell NSAA and state association
The success of this legislation was the result of concerted directors the importance of hearing directly from business
efforts of management of all 10 of the Wyoming ski areas, owners to inform the legislators of the importance of various
including Aaron Maddox, the owner and general manager laws or regulations. One passion. One vision.
of Snowy Range near Laramie, who serves as the president Lastly, the passage of the bill would not have happened
of the Wyoming Ski Areas Association and who repeatedly without the tremendous efforts by lobbyists Robert Jensen
testified at hearings on the bill. Jerry Blann, Jackson Hole’s and Matt Micheli from Holland & Hart in Cheyenne, who The best terrain parks are made when the best
chief executive officer; Scott Horn, Jackson Hole’s chief steered the legislation and individually educated state repre- get together. Take creativity to new levels.
sentatives and senators about complicated aspects of the pro-
posed law and ski area operations, and artfully defanged
attack after attack from the trial lawyers in their effort state
THIS STATEWIDE EFFORT IS YET ANOTHER to undermine the legislation. The constant outreach efforts
CRITICAL REMINDER TO BUSINESSES OF by the Wyoming ski areas for this legislation was nothing

THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTREACH EFFORTS short of impressive, and this joint effort paid off with leg-
islation that will improve skier safety in Wyoming, while
TO THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES
providing vastly improved protections for ski areas from friv-
olous lawsuits.

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8 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2017