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Let’s begin with the Snow Angel Foundation’s story
She was 5. You were doing 50.
It's one of the strongest statements explaining why outdoor sports enthusiasts should slow down, and a reminder of why education about speed and collision awareness is important.
In 2016, the Snow Angel Foundation co-founders, Chauncy and Kelli Johnson, partnered with the NSAA to promote ski collision awareness. This partnership resulted in the "Ride Another Day" safety campaign, which the Johnsons have promoted nationwide.
Snow Angel Foundation was formed in 2023 in order to increase safety education and awareness while promoting the benefits of skiing and snowboarding. In 2024, the Snow Angel Foundation partnered with Inter-Mtn. Enterprises Inc. to create a standardized collection of highly durable aluminum collision safety signs, which was also developed in cooperation with the NSAA.
Combining their resources, the foundation, association, and industry partner/go-to signage supplier, Inter-Mtn. designed a series of ready-made, high-quality signs with strong language to educate on why there is a need for reduced speed in certain areas, with a focus on avoiding collisions.
The efforts of these credible sources resulted in a complete set of standardized collision safety signs, featuring the message 'why slow down.' The collection offers consistent signage for ski resorts and bike parks, specifically built for the varying outdoor conditions across North America’s outdoor recreation industry.
To emphasize the importance of this initiative, Inter-Mtn.'s President and CEO, Leah MacDonald, spoke of the partnership and its signs during the 2025 Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) Spring Conference Risk & Safety Industry Overview Session.
At the session, Leah stepped onto the stage and began with a personal statement about her own motivation. She shared that at 15, while skiing, she was involved in a collision with another skier and a man-made object, which resulted in her breaking her back.
"I'm fortunate to be walking today. Collision safety is crucial, and this partnership will help explain why slowing down matters."
Leah expanded on that personal reflection, adding that she and Chauncy have spent most of a year working on this collection of signs, including how this partnership came to be:
"I love a good slow down banner, it’s one of my favourite things! A really good slow down banner or a chicane of slow down banners, even better!
However, this direct message of 'Slow' has been a consistent one for the 30+ years that Inter-Mtn. has been making slow signage; now it is time to include the reason for slowing down. The why."
Knowing why is really important information.
Leah looked at the messaging that Deep Snow Safety did for Tree Well Safety about 10 years ago—there is a great big sign that explains why tree wells are dangerous and what happens if you get in one, she said.
The wording can be used not just on that sign, but components are used in resort-focused communication while keeping consistency in messaging from resort to resort.
Reflecting on how the education and information behind the Tree Well Safety sign was created, Leah, on the topic of slow, looked at the 'why behind the concern,' and where/how she could help.
Initially, when Chauncy and Leah came together, the Snow Angel Foundation was doing exceptional work, which included conducting school programs.
Leah and the team at Inter-Mtn. provided customized snow toys from their line of foam products, Kidstuff.
"The Snow Angel Foundation's message is fantastic, and we support them.
We came together because we wanted to create some ready-made resources for resorts that we all use.
Using the same consistent language helps explain the why behind it."
As an industry, having consistent resources available helps support this initiative and educates riders on why they need to slow down.
In Leah's relaxed conversational style, she explained during the presentation why someone who works at a ski resort might want their guest to ride slowly and be aware.
"Is it because someone in patrol has an ego, and doesn't want anyone to have fun on the mountain. No!
It is because—and this is really interesting—if you speak with some of our younger riders, and you ask them 'why' slow down, they can't properly articulate why to slow down and when to slow down.
This includes high-speed intersections, but they often struggle to articulate that a lot of the time, it is also a congregating area, merge point, or where there is a roller and you can't see underneath.
I think that with a little bit of education, some of these collisions may be preventable."
She then introduces the large and legible H170 Slow for Collision Safety sign, which Chauncy and Leah worked hard to create in cooperation with the NSAA.
The wording on this sign goes through 'Slow for Collision Safety,' and the big message is:
"Watch Speed.
Slow Down.
Avoid Collisions."
It educates about collisions with others, natural objects, and man-made objects. This works as an example that collision safety isn't just about collisions with others. It includes man-made objects, too.
The H170: Slow For Collision Safety Sign
The Snow Angel Foundation has fantastic messaging, and through their effort, passion, and commitment to increasing safety education and awareness while promoting the benefits of skiing and snowboarding, that messaging has been adopted across North America.
For example, the Snow Angel Foundation's collaboration with Ski California resulted in an excellent webpage showcasing educational videos. This highlights the Foundation's broad efforts to provide education with clear, straightforward language across North America. Inter-Mtn. is proud to partner with them in creating ready-made signs, with part of the proceeds donated to the Snow Angel Foundation.
The hope is that these signs support resorts' efforts in welcoming the next generation, while delivering consistent messaging, which includes the Snow Angel Foundation's powerful message:
"She was 5. You were doing 50."
Effective and memorable, the Snow Angel Foundation's messaging is displayed on signs and banners to educate riders on the importance of slowing down.
To illustrate the power of this messaging, we'll share a line from Chauncy and Kelli Johnson's interview with The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast, where the host, Stuart Winchester, wrote:
"The first time I saw this, I felt like I got punched."
Leah echoes that sentiment:
"This is a foundation that had a tragedy; it is real-life reasons to slow down."
With this powerful messaging now on signage, Leah and Chauncy created a booklet that contains these resources. Each sign is available at www.inter-mtn.com, where large, high-visibility banners have been included in the collection of standardized aluminum signs.
Leah concluded the CWSAA presentation, stating:
"I am hoping that the industry will join us in using this powerful and consistent messaging to help explain why speed control matters, when it matters, and what's at stake."