ITALY: Skiers and snowboarders heading to the Italian slopes might soon have to swoosh down separate pistes, under a law being drafted by the government which experts said would be a European first.
Days after a fatal collision between a skier and snowboarder at a chic north Italian resort, sports official Mr Mario Pescante said he was penning a new law for safer slopes.
"The number of accidents on our pistes soared 15 per cent in 2002 from 2001. It's very dangerous to have skiers and snowboarders hurtling down the same piste," said Mr Pescante, the under-secretary responsible for sport within the Italian Culture Ministry.
A 36-year-old skier from Parma died on Sunday after he collided with a young snowboarder on the slopes of Cortina d'Ampezzot.
"We started thinking about the law last September but Sunday's incident obviously brought the point home," said Mr Pescante, adding that he would meet ski industry leaders today to discuss his plans.
Snowboarders, however, are unhappy about the idea of segregation.
"As far as I know it would be a European first . . . but everyone should be entitled to go down every piste on every mountain," said Mr Jamie Baker, the British free-style snowboarding champion. "Maybe the introduction of a ski driver's licence would be better," he said.