Title: Specific Rule: Buckle Your Hipstrap

General Information about item:

• Verbal Lore, Specific Rule
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Nolan Sankey
• Date Collected: 11-7-19

Informant Data: 

• Nolan Sankey is a 19 year-old junior at Dartmouth College. He was born and grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Nolan still lives in Colorado. He joined ski patrol as a freshman when he arrived at Dartmouth College. He joined the team because he has a strong passion for skiing. He is the president and founder of Dartmouth College Biathlon Club, which is part of the Dartmouth Outing Club. Additionally, he is always excited to learn more about various aspects of life. 

Contextual Data: 

• Though the informant did not explicitly provide us with specific context that this rule could be used in, it is reasonable to assume that this rule would be used in the beginning of every shift and when the ski patrols go on the ski lift. Additionally, this would be told to every new member regularly as they would be unfamiliar with the rules of Ski Patrol.

Item: 

• “Buckle Your Hipstrap” is a rule that is told to every Ski Patrol member. While buckling the hipstrap is not necessary to carry the weight of the pack, buckling became necessary when the hipstraps kept getting caught by the ski lift and not letting the patrols go. Now it is told very regularly to ensure that no one gets caught by the ski lift.

Transcript:

• “When I first joined ski patrol, I remember showing up on my first day of shift. And the patrol supervisor of the day was giving the morning briefing. And one of the things that he mentioned was to ‘buckle your hip strap on the pack.’ I didn’t see why that was important. I had hiked before and when you are hiking you want to buckle your hip strap because it helps support your pack. But our pack wasn’t heavy or anything. I didn’t think anything of it but I did it and did it as I was told. The next time he said it again. And the third time it happened again. And after that one, I finally was just curious and I started asking about it later on shift. And they said, ‘oh you wanna buckle your pack strap because you don’t wanna ride the bowl wheel.’ And I then.. I felt like an idiot because I didn’t know what the bowl wheel was. So I had to ask ‘what is the bowl wheel?’ They had to explain to me that the big rotating disk at the top of the ski lift that brings sort of the chairs that are going uphill and puts them going downhill is called the bowl wheel. And I was like ‘how.. If I don’t buckle my hip strap then why am I gonna start going downhill on the ski lift. And they had to explain if you leave the hip strap unbuckled, when you bring the bar from the ski lift up and over it will catch on your pack strap or on your hip strap and then it will lock you in and secure to the lift. And the moment that you try to get off, you will realize that you wanna get off the ski lift and ski away but at that point, you are attached to the ski lift. And the moment you realize it, it’s already too late. And you are swinging around the chair already on the way downhill.” 

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Informant’s Comments:

• Informant’s interpretation: “I think it started when someone did not buckle their hip strap and they got stuck to the lift. So to prevent that they probably started saying this. At this point no one really questions it. And this is basically told from the older patrols almost religiously.”

Collector’s Comments: 

• Collector’s interpretation: Like the informant speculated, this tradition probably have started when someone did not buckle their hip strap and got caught by the ski lift and flung around. After that moment, the rule was not questioned. However, as Nolan mentioned in his interview, he questioned what this really meant, and I would have done the same if I were joining the group as a new Ski Patrol member because this really doesn’t mean anything if you are not familiar with the terms and the situations that the ski patrols face. This is a great example that makes the Ski Patrol a folk group because they have this rule that only the members of the group will understand. Additionally, fully understanding this rule could be seen as the rite of incorporation. After doing the initiation ritual and being inducted as the Dartmouth Ski Patrol, the new members still don’t have a full understanding of the group yet. However, if they understand the slang and the rules that exist within the group, then it would really mean that they are part of the group. 

Collector’s Name: MK Song

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal Lore
• Ski Patrol
• Skiing
• Safety
• Rule