 Poster: A snowHead
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The post by the owner of the redundant gondola pod from Flaine instantly reminded me that I have not posted about an increasingly worrying problem....
...the growing width of skis, their twin-tip character and the narrowness of many of the existing ski carriers on aging gondola pods.
This season saw almost complete social breakdown in queues as those with powder planks had to split their skis and use two carriers - each designed for a pair of the skis of the last decade. My kids now have wider skis - and they are 8 and 10, I have off piste planks and that means either a bun fight on a six person gondola or taking at least two pairs inside. Fine if they are the kids' skis. Not if it's two pairs of 170s.
Some companies are busily welding on additional carriers. Others get the pisteurs to stick skis in the board carriers - at precarious angles. I have spent an anxious ascent with my hand out of the window, grabbing a flapping ski - not good in minus 5.
Anyone else....?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I haven't got anything that fat but I sometimes have trouble getting them in 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Take em in the gondy with me if lift cos can' t be arsed getting into 21st century. They've had 14 years.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just goes to prove that this site is full of nutters 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| musher wrote: |
| I haven't got anything that fat but I sometimes have trouble getting them in |
Are you talking about skis?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The answer is new lifts of course. Surely most resorts only have a handful of the old relics left...?
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On a lift at Laax a few years ago my skis had to be sent up on the folowing chair (laying across the seats) as they were too wide and they were only a little over 90mm. Can't remember exactly but I think it was a chair which you took your skis off with a ski carrier on the side. Up from Falera I think.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I lost one of mine from the outside of the gondola in Hochgurgl. Fortunately it fell out immediately we came out of the bottom lift station and so it was collected by a lifty and sent up separately.
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I have to split my twin tips on every gondola ride. So annoyed was I that I went out and got some new ski's.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Slot em both in a snowboard slot. I hate it when I split them then some liftie proceeds to take them out, jam then in a slot so tight that it dulls the tails and makes it almost impossible to get them out at the top.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Not a problem on a 'copter. 
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Haha go to Hokkaido if you think Europe's bad. Some lifts are so tiny you can't even take the skis inside (let alone the racks) without opening the vents in the roof first.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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you just need to put them both in with the base facing in the way then they almost always fit together assuming 1 gets in that is
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do you not have "staff" to carry them up for you on their backs?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Got 99 first world problems...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Perhaps this splitting of wide sets of skis and taking up two slots is why I've, very occasionally, had to put my everday thinner, non-twin tip skis in a snowboard slot in a packed lift queue. At which point I spend the whole journey hoping they won't tip out of their precariously balanced perch when we go over each pylon!!
I have huge preference for gondolas you can take skis into and they are far easier if you have kids with you. For the last couple of years mine have just about been able to manage to hoof them high enough to get them in a slot themselves, but I still cross my fingers that they don't mess it up. Before that it was always a juggling act to get all the skis in a slot and everyone in before it zoomed off. Is it actually cheaper to make bubbles with the slots on the outside - is this why they do it? I would have though it was easier just to make a plain oblong box that you take all the gear into?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, the lifts aren't just for skiing. They'll have bike racks on in summer.
Saying that, there seems to be a larger number of 10-person gondolas now, with 5+5 ski slots and 2 board slots (or 2 bike hangers in summer), which are nearly impossible to get 10 people to slot skis and get inside. I'm sure they're sized because it's easier to get 8 to go up in 1 cabin that way. Not only that, they are large enough to take skis/board inside, and take bikes inside.
In Maribor, we went just after the gondola fell over and was replaced with a new one. Think it may have been an 8er? 2 bikes fit inside, so I expect skis would too.
And while riding there, we found some of the old cabins (well bubbles) littered about the forest. I still think it's amazing those things were ever used in the first place. I can only just get in them, and my poles I'd usually wedge between floor + ceiling.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| Got 99 first world problems... |
but the switch ain't one?
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livetoski, ....exactly.....
excellent vid.
we had a good chortle at the skis collapsing at the end of the vid - exactly what has happened to us.....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Is it bad that I picked up which lift that was in about 15 seconds?
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