How Risky is Ski Cutting?

How Risky is Ski Cutting? features avalanche researcher Bruce Jamieson presenting findings from a survey of practitioners on the risk of ski cutting. Co-authored with Karl Birkeland, Mark Vesely, Ilya Storm, and John Stimberis, the study examines how avalanche professionals assess and manage the hazards of ski cutting in operational settings. The video provides valuable insight into one of the most used—and debated—techniques in avalanche control work.

The companion video (below) “A Toolkit of Common Practices for Operational Ski Cutting” outlines the risk management methods most commonly applied by practitioners in the field. Together, the two videos offer a grounded look at how professionals balance safety and efficiency in avalanche terrain.

The topic is also discussed in the latest Avalanche Review, at WYSAW, and in an upcoming chapter of The Starting Zone.