Winter is nearing, which means so too is ski and snowboard season.
Along with annual equipment and fashion updates, safety should also be top of mind for those venturing out to B.C.’s ski hills.
Enter skiKrumb, a new Okanagan company that’s created a GPS-based tracker aimed at keeping location tabs on children and youth skiers.
Company founder and CEO Keith MacIntyre says he came up with the idea after being separated from his son at a ski hill.
“I had the idea about 10 years ago,” said MacIntyre. “My son got lost at a ski lesson and it was terrifying, going up the chairlifts, scanning the trees, wondering if he’s lost or hurt.
“It turned out he wasn’t paying attention and was skiing at the bunny hill. But it took ski patrol’s time, it added stress to everybody’s day.”
MacIntyre says while cellphones are marvels of technology, there are some areas where they can’t receive signals, rendering them ineffective. He also said Apple’s Airtags are also good in certain scenarios, but aren’t effective when out on a mountain.
MacIntyre said it took a while to find the right technology, as “ski hills are challenging environments. Not everything will work in that environment.”
The tracker has been ready to go since 2020 — when the pandemic hit, forcing a three-year delay.
MacIntyre says he’s talked to hundreds of parents, claiming his idea has been well received.
The device is small, around 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches, and can easily fit in pockets or be placed on a lanyard. The battery is said to have a life of several days, while the GPS range is 15 to 20 kilometres.
Apex Mountain Resort near Penticton liked the idea so much that the tracker will be available for rental there. Antennas have been planted at the hill to help pinpoint a tracker’s location.
To date, it’s the only resort where the tracker can be rented, for around $20 a day or $250 for the season, though MacIntyre said he’s approaching other resorts.
“Anything to do with skier safety, we’re in favour of it,” said Apex resort general manager James Shalman. “Especially when it comes to kids.
“They can get separated from their parents and it’s an easy thing that can happen.”
Shalman said it’s a rare thing for a child to be separated from a parent at Apex, but the tracker “is peace of mind with the parent to know that they can track their kid, no matter if they took a side trail and ended up on a different run.”
He continued, saying the parent “can then take a look at the device and see exactly where the kid is. This eliminates that uncomfortable feeling where you don’t know where your child is at.”
More information about the tracker is available on skiKrumb’s website.
“Whether it’s five minutes or two hours, being separated from a child is an anxiety that you don’t need,” said MacIntyre.
“A lot of times, they could be a couple hundred feet up the hill and you don’t know whether they’re up or down.”