July 26th, 2010 | 
Author: Reckless skiing is a real problem in some areas. Those disobeying the speed limit signs in Utah may face jail time and fines.
The speed limit was put in place in certain areas where less experienced skiers are trying to learn the sport. Reckless behaviors of others have caused 10 percent of all collisions in Park City and Deer Valley. A report in the Salt Lake City Tribune states that reckless skiing is now considered a Class B Misdemeanor.
Ski patrollers will be monitoring the slopes in search of people disobeying the speed limits or skiing recklessly. The ski patroller can now call the police, and the offenders may find themselves in court. If a reckless skier is called to court, the patroller will be called in as a witness to the incident. If skiers are found guilty of reckless skiing, they will be fined 1,000 USD and face a six-month jail sentence.
Some ski resorts in Europe are also adopting the ski speed limit, including Switzerland’s Grindelwald and Verbier. Pierre-Yves Deleze with the Verbier Tourist Office said, ‘The idea is to allow beginners to learn without people skiing by them too fast and frightening them.’
The problem isn’t simply fast skiers. Other reckless behaviour also endangers other skiers on the slopes.
‘We did it because that’s what people wanted’, said Susanne Daxelhoffer at the Grindelwald area tourist office. ‘The project is based on complaints of people skiing too fast and therefore fulfills a need’, Daxelhoffer added.
Swiss ski resort Grindelwald was the first European resort to introduce a speed limit on one of its slopes. A growing number of high-speed collisions on crowded slopes helped fuel the decision to implement the 30kmph speed limit. France reported several deaths in the 2006-2007 ski season due to high-speed collisions.
Resort owners hope to combat deaths and injuries by decreasing speeds on crowded and beginner slopes.
Richard Slater, a British skier and father of three told reporters, ‘It’s particularly good if you have young children and want them to be able to ski without being hit by out of control skiers going too fast.’
According to BBC News, a study of 24 resorts reveals that all are keeping an eye on the experimental speed limit enforcements.
Speed limits for skiers and snowboarders might soon become commonplace on slopes around the world. The resorts of Park City and Deer Valley, both in Utah, are the first to implement a fine and jail time. Grindelwald and other European resorts that are adopting the ski speed limit do not plan to fine offenders. There they are simply warned to slow down.
When the proper amount of care and respect are given, skiing in general is a relatively safe sport. Some members of staff and skiers at the affected resorts are torn. They can see the importance of safer skiing, but some feel the punishment far exceeds the crime.
Some skiers see the new law as a way for authorities to control what they do in their leisure time. These skiers feel the law imposes unfair restrictions on a fast-paced, thrilling sport.
Skiers on the other side of the fence believe the law will stop some skiers from recklessly skiing and putting others in harm’s way. This law gives less experienced skiers hope that they can safely enjoy their time on the slopes.
A Swiss insurance group is installing timers on certain slopes. These timers allow people to see their speeds and should encourage them to ski within set limits. Ski resorts world-wide hope the implementation of timers and patrollers will help make the slopes safer for more inexperienced skiers.
The Mayan civilization has been credited with having the first written language in the pre-Columbian American continent. Aside from that, Maya civilization developed sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems at par with European civilization. Remnants of its art and architecture remain until today, so people of today can view the magnificent Mayan buildings and paintings.
The Maya civilization was one of the greatest Mesoamerican civilizations, but at some point in time, they simply disappeared. What happened to them?
Theories of the Classic Maya Collapse
The Classic Maya Collapse, as the collapse of the Maya civilization is dubbed among experts, has not been fully explained; and so several theories are being put forth by experts to try and explain the reason why the great Maya civilization shattered from prominence.
Social Theories
Social theories being put forth by experts include foreign invasion, but this is widely disputed as the process was so complex that it is impossible for a single military defeat to cause the collapse of a civilization. This theory is fueled by the amount of Teotihuacan influences in the Maya region, but opponents of this theory argue that the two civilizations had been in contact since at the Early Classic Period.
Another social theory being put forth is a revolution among the lower classes. Proponents of this theory hypothesized that, at the peak of the civilization, the lower class may have been overloaded with work and revolted. Evidences of temple burning and throne destruction are used as support for this theory. However, people not subscribing to this line of thought point to several flaws, like no revolts were ever documented by the Maya. They also argue that throughout its existence, the Mayas had a stable government, and so, one political problem could not have brought the downfall of the civilization.
Environmental Theories
There are several environmental theories that relate to the collapse of the Maya civilization. These include catastrophic events such as natural disasters. Mayanists dispute this theory, as there have been no evidence of a past volcanic eruption being discovered in the archaeological records left behind by the Mayas. According to Dr. Richardson Gill, volcanic eruptions may have been a way of cooling the climate in the Mayan region after a drought since droughts have been accurately documented by the Spanish in the Mayan region. However, no archaeological evidence existed to support the volcanic eruption theory.
Some experts also point to epidemic diseases as a possible cause of the decline in the Maya civilization. According to proponents of this theory, the Maya civilization may have decreased during the collapse because of some epidemic that spread across the land. Although this theory is not well accepted, it is also plausible because disease may have arisen from drought and famine. It is generally thought that disease merely contributed to the decline, but it is not a major factor in the collapse.
The Remnants of the Maya Civilization
The Maya people never truly disappeared. Most of them have survived until today, and are designated post-colonial Mayas to differentiate them from the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization.
Maya influence remains to this day. Mayan cuisine is still available in an island called Isla Mujeres in Mexico. Some companies have even taken to naming themselves after the Mayas, most notably the Grupo Mayan firm.
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Tags: American Continent, Environmental Theories, Social Theories | 
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Skiing holidays to France are very popular especially to resorts in the French Alps with popular places like Courchevel and Meribel, but France has absolutely hundreds of kilometres of ski slopes, which are situated in some of the most spectacular mountainous regions in the world.
So when you go on your family skiing holidays or snowboarding, you need to find the right place with the right ski slopes or the nursery slopes for the beginners, so you can be sure of getting the ideal holiday, and whether this is through a travel agency for a luxury package ski holiday, or you are organising everything yourself by choosing your own chalet or staying in a hotel and being pampered whilst off the ski slopes, the choice is endless but you will not be disappointed.
Also, France has some of the biggest ski resorts such as Les Trois Vallees, which is made up of three valleys and includes resorts like Courchevel and Meribel, with this area having around 600km of pistes for skiers of all abilities and experience so there is enough choice for everyone.
Meribel can offer skiing to people with all abilities, as there are some fantastic beginners slopes but The Three Valleys area offers a good challenge for more experienced skiers, and has an incredible choice of ski schools, which cater from groups to individual tuition.
And although it is generally a purpose built resort, you will find it like a fairytale atmosphere with the ski chalets that blend into the scenery, however, it does have quite a lively nightlife and can get very busy in the peak season as it is such a popular destination.
Courchevel is an outstanding place to ski or snowboard, but can be a little on the expensive side, although the extensive slopes of the resort will offer extensive and varied skiing. It is made up of four villages known by their altitudes and they vary immensely from their access through to facilities, but some places you can get to ski right out of the door of the hotel!
Font Romeu is one of the oldest ski resorts in Europe and also has the biggest snow making operation in the Pyrenees and with well over 2500 hours of sunshine each year, this makes it another very popular resort for weekend breaks and longer holidays alike.
Chamonix is a town in a valley and there are five very good resorts, but these are not near to the slopes and you would need transport to get to them, but this place has everything from great shops to a wonderful atmosphere, yet because of how well known it is, the whole area can seen very crowded compared to some other skiing towns, especially around the ski lifts.
Alpe d’Huez is one of Europe’s largest and highest ski resorts and is currently one of only around twenty in the world that offers a lift-served vertical of over 2000 metres, plus it has the largest slope in the world where you can ski for well over an hour without taking any ski lift, although these are definitely not for the beginner or intermediate skier.
Yet even though many think of skiing as a winter sport, there are a few places in France where you can still get to ski on the glaciers in the summer months, such as Tignes or Val d’Isere. And there are very few great skiing areas in the world that can excite the imagination more than the Val d’Isère and L’Espace Killy is considered to be one of the best ski areas in the world, plus an amazing variety of different skiing can be achieved through ski lifts and ski buses that link the area of Val d’Isère to the neighbouring Tignes,
But if you have never been skiing then it is advisable to book you holiday through a tour operator, as they will know exactly what resorts are going to be suitable, and it is also an idea to have some lessons on dry slopes prior to going, so that you can make the best of your holiday, rather that spending the first few days just learning to stop falling over on the snow!
Of course, booking your skiing holiday independently can save you quite a lot of money, but there can be downsides as well, especially if you have never been to the resort before, for instance, you may not realise how far it is to get from your accommodation to the slopes, or even how far it would be to get to the ski hire places.
And lets face it, you do not want to be spending a whole day just getting set up rather than on the slopes doing what you went there to do, please do bear in mind that even if you do not have your own skis or skiing boots, you will still need to purchase other items of equipment before you go such as proper skiing gloves and sallopettes to keep you warm and the snow out.
There is a wide range of ski accommodation in France and you can choose from purpose built private ski chalets, chalet apartments or hotels. French skiing accommodation meets the needs of all skiers, with self-catering cabins to fully serviced luxury apartments and hotels, ideal for the skier on every budget.
But the choice of accommodation can be quite mind-boggling and you have to consider all the people in your party, especially if you have young children where childcare facilities or entertainment may be an important issue, or if you are a more experienced skier, you may wish to look at chalets nearer to the more difficult runs rather than the nursery slopes or perhaps opt for a little more luxury in a hotel with gourmet meals by evening in peace and tranquillity.
Speaking to people that have already been to a resort, or even going on to forums can help a great deal, especially if you wish to know what places are the best for good value restaurants when you are on a self-catering holiday, or maybe even avoiding a resort with a lively night life if you have little ones that need their sleep!
Of course, you will also need to look into what other activities that are available in your chosen resort, as there are always things for all of the family to enjoy, such as shows, archery, concerts, squash, tennis, ice skating, golf, swimming, dancing, saunas and spas, plus much, much more.