Maine § 15217. - Skiers' and tramway passengers' responsibilities
Full text of Maine Maine Revised Statutes § 15217. — Skiers' and tramway passengers' responsibilities, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 15217.. Skiers' and tramway passengers' responsibilities
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Inherent risks of skiing" means those dangers or conditions that are an integral part of the sport of skiing, including, but not limited to: existing and changing weather conditions; existing and changing snow conditions, such as ice, hardpack, powder, packed powder, slush and granular, corn, crust, cut-up and machine-made snow; surface or subsurface conditions, such as dirt, grass, bare spots, forest growth, rocks, stumps, trees and other natural objects and collisions with or falls resulting from such natural objects; lift towers, lights, signs, posts, fences, mazes or enclosures, hydrants, water or air pipes, snowmaking and snow-grooming equipment, marked or lit trail maintenance vehicles and snowmobiles, and other man-made structures or objects and their components, and collisions with or falls resulting from such man-made objects; variations in steepness or terrain, whether natural or as a result of slope design; snowmaking or snow-grooming operations, including, but not limited to, freestyle terrain, jumps, roads and catwalks or other terrain modifications; the presence of and collisions with other skiers; and the failure of skiers to ski safely, in control or within their own abilities. [PL 2007, c. 287, §3 (AMD).]
B. "Skiing" means the use of a ski area for snowboarding or downhill, telemark or cross-country skiing; for sliding downhill or jumping on snow or ice on skis, a toboggan, sled, tube, snowboard, snowbike or any other device; or for similar uses of any of the facilities of the ski area, including, but not limited to, ski slopes, trails and adjoining terrain. [PL 2007, c. 287, §3 (AMD).]
C. "Skier" means any person at a ski area who participates in any of the activities described in paragraph B. [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
D. "Competitor" means a skier actually engaged in competition or a special event or training or practicing for competition or a special event on any portion of the ski area made available by the ski area operator. [PL 2007, c. 287, §3 (NEW).]
E. "Freestyle terrain" includes, but is not limited to, terrain parks and terrain park features such as jumps, rails, fun boxes and all other constructed or natural features, halfpipes, quarterpipes and freestyle-bump terrain. [PL 2007, c. 287, §3 (NEW).]
2. Acceptance of inherent risks. Because skiing as a recreational sport and the use of passenger tramways associated with skiing may be hazardous to skiers or passengers, regardless of all feasible safety measures that may be taken, each person who participates in the sport of skiing accepts, as a matter of law, the risks inherent in the sport and, to that extent, may not maintain an action against or recover from the ski area operator, or its agents, representatives or employees, for any losses, injuries, damages or death that result from the inherent risks of skiing.
3. Warning notice. A ski area operator shall post and maintain at the ski area where the lift tickets and ski school lessons are sold and at the loading point of each passenger tramway signs that contain the following warning notice:
4. Duty to ski within limits of ability. A skier has the sole responsibility for knowing the range of the skier's own ability to negotiate any slope or ski trail, and it is the duty of the skier to ski within the limits of the skier's own ability, to maintain control of the rate of speed and the course at all times while skiing, to heed all posted and oral warnings and instructions by the ski area operator and to refrain from acting in a manner that may cause or contribute to the injury of the skier or others.
4-A. Competition and freestyle terrain. A competitor accepts all inherent risks of skiing and all risks of course, venue and area conditions, including, but not limited to: weather and snow conditions; obstacles; course or feature location, construction and layout; freestyle terrain configuration and condition; collision with other competitors; and other courses, layouts and configurations of the area to be used.
5. Responsibility for collisions. The responsibility for a collision between any skier while skiing and any person or object is solely that of the skier or skiers involved in the collision and not the responsibility of the ski area operator or its agents, representatives or employees.
6. Liability. A ski area operator or its agents, representatives or employees are not liable for any loss, injury, damage or death resulting from the design of the ski area.
7. Provision of name and current address required. A skier involved in, causing or contributing to a collision or other accident at a ski area that results in a fall or injury may not leave the vicinity of the collision or accident before giving that skier's name and current address to an employee or representative of the ski area operator or a member of the ski patrol, except for the purpose of securing aid for a person injured in the collision, in which case the person leaving the scene of the collision shall give that skier's name and current address after securing such aid. A ski area operator, or its agents, representatives or employees, is not liable for a skier's failure to provide that skier's name and address or for leaving the vicinity of an accident or collision.
8. Actions not prohibited. This section does not prevent the maintenance of an action against a ski area operator for:
A. The negligent operation or maintenance of the ski area; or [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
B. The negligent design, construction, operation or maintenance of a passenger tramway. [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
Source: official Maine text · Last verified 2026-08-27
Frequently Asked Questions About Maine § 15217.
What does Maine Revised Statutes § 15217. cover?
Section 15217. ("Skiers' and tramway passengers' responsibilities") is part of the Maine Revised Statutes, the codified statutory law of Maine. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.
How do I cite Maine § 15217.?
A common citation format is "Maine Revised Statutes § 15217." (Maine). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.
Is this the official text of Maine law?
No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Maine official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Maine attorney.
How does Maine § 15217. apply to my situation?
Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in Maine can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.
Sources & Verification
Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in Maine.