 Poster: A snowHead
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@hammerite, 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As a snowboarder I reach across to the nearest skier, grab their poles, tap them in the direction I want to go, just so everyone is clear, then ride off the lift at top speed and sit down in the unload zone to do up my bindings
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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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Simple: If I am in the left or right seat, and going left or right, no problems. If I am in the center seats or not going in a logical direction, I just tell people where I'm going. Takes a second to say or indicate with my hands. Saves a huge amount of confusion. That said, I try to be the last person off the chair so I can anticipate and avoid any problems. Seems like a good strategy so far as I've NEVER had a crash in decades of skiing except when my brother and I would try to knock each other down when we were kids...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Step 1 = download last
Step 2 = launch off with hand
Step 3 = poles vertical in the other hand |
Exactly. Although everyone can't be "last," I try to make sure that's me.
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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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the most annoying thing is when people who sit on the right side, want to ski left as soon as possible (an vice versa)
But that has sometimes to do with the direction of the slopes etc.
When i seed that after downloading you have to go to X direction to hit the slope, i sit always on the opposite - X side in the chairlift. So most of them goes to the X direction and i have plenty of space for me.
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| davidof wrote: |
| JayRo wrote: |
| I'm curious as to what people consider to be 'the last second' to raise the bar. My own preference is to leave it down until passing the sign to raise it (which is usually in the same place as the start of the safety netting under the chair): that invariably leaves plenty of time, even if it looks like a short distance before the end (often deceptively so, especially in the case of detachable chairs). Lots of people seem to want to raise it well before that, which in my experience runs the risk of being stopped on a chair, swinging back and forward, with the bar up and no netting below. |
Can't stand the demented early bar raisers panicking, usually old folk in my experience. As you say, there is a sign, raise it then. |
With certain testosterone-heavy skiers, there seems to be a game of chicken to raise it as early as possible, ideally over a rocky chasm...as for the Karens and Kevins who lower it the second they get on, both whacking people in the head and pinching their equipment, a pox on them. it seems to be a French thing, so I purposely block the bar from lowering. Also, I'm from the U.S, where lowering the safety bar is an act of surrender!
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@Pasigal, is wearing a seatbelt whilst driving also an act of surrender?
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Luckily the last few times I've skied there have been no queues so I usually only share with hubby and/my friend. We communicate about lowering/lifting bars etc. because hubby gets clacked on the head nearly every time we share with strangers, and I seem to need a bit longer to get my feet on the bar than other people - I like to lift it earlier than hubby does because I find them quite heavy and panic I'm not gonna be able to lift it.
However, this year was just me and hubby and we somehow had got our skis entangled - he managed to ski away, I was left in a heap and skis didn't release so was worried about knee - it was sore and bruised but survived as did the false hips (always my first concern). Mucho marital "french" as I blamed him (of course).
He's getting a bit mutt and jeff so at least twice we ended up on different chairs as he didn't hear me ask if he was ready and as he didn't reply I assumed he wasn't so waited for the next chair, then at the top I get the "why the hell didn't you get on" conversation.
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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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Good thread. Boarders, teenagers, beginners give me the fear. I stay as small as possible with poles tucked into my sides (I am already quite small which helps). Been taken out a couple of times thankfully without injury in this situation and am fearful of it. People get very cross about lift lines but I’m happy to wait a few more minutes so I don’t have to sit next to a beginner boarder with his board swinging all over the shop, terrified of the impending dismount!
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The worst ski injury in my family was sister in law, skiing in New Zealand. She stood up to get off the chair and her skis stuck firmly to the surface. She couldn't move. The chair then knocked her flying and before long she was flying to Wellington in a chopper. Very badly messed up knee. Nobody else's fault.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| DavidYacht wrote: |
| Don't snowplow after you get off the lift |
Oh yes. a thousand times yes. I wear the knee braces now to prove what happens when someone does this next to you (Twice in my case). Nowadays I make every effort to get the outside chair, and peel off asap. As for the idiots who sit right, but want to turn left so choose to make their move in the landing zone...
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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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| franga wrote: |
I am a boarder (regular - left foot first) and even though I have been at it for 25 years I still try and occupy the rightmost seat ...
Why?
I can always veer right at the top (away from everyone else) or at least maintain a straight line and head as far away from the lift as possible before bending down to strap.
The key to exiting a chairlift exit zone is to have a clear idea of what your path is and, most importantly, to look ahead (not down). |
Same, albeit I generally go on the left (I'm goofy, right foot forward). Just makes sense to be able to toe edge turn away from the others and see what you're going towards.
When I tried skiing for the first time it did feel like a breath of fresh air that I could sit anywhere and just ski straight of he chair, but force of habit did find me at one end or the other just to avoid crashes.
Thankfully I think if I cast my mind back, there are very occasions where I've encountered a truly horrendous chairlift experience; usually it's down to the missus who is petrified of the chair lifts so she slams the bar down, usually with that support bar halfway along the bar ramming right into my knackers.
Taking my kids of the first time ever this Spring so we'll see how often we can 'own' a chairlift and not get any randoms sat next to us LOL
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I wonder if there is correlation between those who are self-defined as nervous at lifts, and those who pick up injuries?
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You know it makes sense.
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| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| I wonder if there is correlation between those who are self-defined as nervous at lifts, and those who pick up injuries? |
Interesting thought!
Maybe a broader correlation between those self defined nervous skiers and those who are involved in collisions?
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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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All accidents I've seen have been caused by skiers polling off the chair. Getting entangled with other poles, other's skis or tripping up boarders. Just don't do it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Agreed - no excuse for poling off a chair.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Origen wrote: |
| Agreed - no excuse for poling off a chair. |
I pole off chairs. There is an excuse, as follows: I'd prefer to be ahead of any clatter than skiing towards it (or getting caught up in it).
I've never caused anything or gotten tangled because I'm not an idiot - tips next to my skis, skis together, one quick shove and poles up out of the way. I'm gone before most have finished standing.
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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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| Quote: |
I wouldn’t hesitate to cut right through a crowd of unknown people, skiing over their ski and whacking them with my trailing poles as I come through.
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It's an absolute d**k move to be honest. I'm yet to see anyone stop in the deload zone to purposely hold up those behind them. Much better to politely explain to them it's not a good place to stop for their own safety.
Last week had a stationary skier at the side of the piste pull out in front of me without looking up hill. Was a busy piste so I was going slow and could easily stop. I'm sure some of the snowheads who seem to go straight to aggression would have gave him both barrels. I gave him a "hey, you need to look uphill before setting off else you are risking someone hitting you". He apologised and hopefully won't do it again. That's how 99.9% of ski issues could/should be solved.
Getting off a chair is really not complicated. Just go straight until things separate out a bit. Again a bit of communication goes a long way (although Brits and euros seem to really hate this - in 1 week of skiing in France this year I had 0 conversations even just a hi and nod of the head with anyone on a chair or gondola I didn't already know!). I've been on chairs in Canada where person on far right wants to go left and vice versa, a little "ok you jump of first and cut across and I'll hold back and then turn behind you" and it all works out fine.
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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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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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| johnE wrote: |
| 8 minutes into this video shows how it should be done |
Magical, nice vintage!
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@johnE, Quality - reminds me of watching my mum in the 80's . . .unsurprisingly she never got the 'bug' for skiing
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As others have said. One hand on the seat, a gentle push off and away you go. Then try to go dead ahead for a bit and either stop or turn.
Our eldest started to get in the habit of putting his wrists through his ski pole loops.. What are you doing?? Then would swing them about as he got off the chair and be at the mercy of the traction of his skis... He's stopped doing that now. Our youngest started to do the same, until I pointed out to him in the simple one hand push off technique. They both tended to go off at an angle, but both seem to have learned - especially as I pointed out that if they clatter in to me it's only going to be worse for them, as in I'm a lot bigger and heavier than they are.
Personally I try to go either end, but sometimes it's just not possible and this year an instructor or guide had decided it was a good idea to have a chat with a lift operator on the exit to a chair in val d'Isere. He got short shrift! Initially didn't see the problem - but were a full chair and there wasn't much space to go, especially as he was perpendicular to the chair exit. It caused a bit of carnage - as you'd expect!! It was one of those lift exits where there was a snow bank one side and a drop on the other. With his skis taking up 1/4 of the route..
We did have a beginner attempt to get off a chair waaaaay too early one time. Managed to grab her before she fell a few metres. That was almost 20 years ago now. It would have only been 10 or 15 metres before the end, but wouldn't have been great for her.
I don't mind who I go with on chairlifts, but if there is a chair stacked with boarders I might hang back. Happy to help with ski schoolers - the lift operators usually slow things down if they are particularly young or beginners.
It does annoy if there are quite a few people and those in front just have to sit on their own little group with half a chair in front of them empty. Just fill the spaces up!! You don't and won't have a 4 way conversation on a chair anyway, typically it will be 2 of you. No wonder some of the queues are so long.
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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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| Thomasski wrote: |
| Origen wrote: |
| Agreed - no excuse for poling off a chair. |
I pole off chairs. There is an excuse, as follows: I'd prefer to be ahead of any clatter than skiing towards it (or getting caught up in it). |
You don't need to pole to get away quickly, you just need to hop off in the right way.
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I actually quite like escorting a kiddie from the ski school on lifts. They are usually very chatty and I'm amazed how many French children speak English.
Having restricted knee flexion I find the getting on the lifts the hard part as I flop sideways onto them. The seats are just too low to the ground.
Two more controversial points: I would much rather be on a slow lift with no queue than wait 10 minutes for a fast lift even if it gets to the top slightly later and prefer drag lifts to telecabines.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You prefer drag lifts to anything?? Woah!
Next you'll be liking T bars and magic carpets or rope drags...
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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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In Canada the ski school folk will ask if you're willing to shepherd a sprog or not.
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| Having restricted knee flexion I find the getting on the lifts the hard part as I flop sideways onto them. The seats are just too low to the ground. Two more controversial points: I would much rather be on a slow lift with no queue than wait 10 minutes for a fast lift even if it gets to the top slightly later and prefer drag lifts to telecabines. |
The height of seats is pretty variable, as is the height of ski boots and stuff. Definitely you need to be lined up and ready.
Lift speed/ capacity are interesting. You need to check also if it's detachable or not and if there's mechanical "deceleration" technology used. In at least one place I know the resort chose a slower but high capacity lift, which they claim has the effect of reducing the load on the one piste that lift serves, by stacking people on the lift rather than on the slope. In Whistler they replaced a bunch of slow lifts, which took 29 minutes from base to the top, with some faster lifts, which take the same time when combined with a long lift line. They shifted people from the lift into the lift line, which it's busy at least.
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| Quote: |
I wouldn’t hesitate to cut right through a crowd of unknown people, skiing over their ski and whacking them with my trailing poles as I come through.
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It's an absolute d**k move to be honest. I'm yet to see anyone stop in the deload zone to purposely hold up those behind them. Much better to politely explain to them it's not a good place to stop for their own safety.
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Stopping in the unload zone is the d!ck move. Anything else that results from that is the consequence.
They shouldn’t need educating, it says in clear writing, in several languages, not to stop there.
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You know it makes sense.
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| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| Thomasski wrote: |
| Origen wrote: |
| Agreed - no excuse for poling off a chair. |
I pole off chairs. There is an excuse, as follows: I'd prefer to be ahead of any clatter than skiing towards it (or getting caught up in it). |
You don't need to pole to get away quickly, you just need to hop off in the right way. |
"Well, that's just your opinion man" The dude
And until we race a best of three, we'll never know! 
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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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3 rules
1)Just go straight ahead and get out of the unload area
2) if two people fall off a 4 person lift then as a liftie do your job and stop the lift. Don’t let us poor sods who are on the chair behind them have no option other than to fall over or smash the two old ladies in the head when they’re not wearing helmets.
3) if you’re a big man then don’t mistake my leg for the seat and helpfully push yourself off the chairlift - forcing me all the way back in the seat, which leaves me to hurriedly shuffle forward, fling myself off and jump 4-5 inches to the off ramp while you obliviously ski away.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
You never ski in places that are crowded.
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Yes it was a joy skiing whistler by myself on mlk and presidents weekends. Literally the only person on the hill 
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Stopping in the unload zone is the d!ck move. Anything else that results from that is the consequence.
They shouldn’t need educating, it says in clear writing, in several languages, not to stop there.
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Maybe they missed the sign. Maybe they are focused on something else. Maybe they are just having a brain dead moment. Human beings make mistakes. If you are a half decent skier you should be able to avoid them. Resorting to violence "whacking them" is completely uncalled for and likely doesn't solve your problem as well as politely explaining to them why it's not the thing to do. Even an angry shout of "get out of the deload zone" seems preferable.
I find it weird that for some skiers aggression seems to be the answer for any problem. There are plenty of times in life people cause others minor inconvenience by breaking rules and I can't think of an example where "whacking them" would be appropriate.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@boarder2020, I wouldn’t actually hit them (unless they caused an accident in which one of my family got injured). I would ski past them and call them F-ing Cts though,
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think the violent assault thing is an artefact of the internet; never seen anything remotely like that irl, but you'd likely rightly end up waving your willy in court.
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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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Lethal exit ramp for snowboarders …
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd fancy that over the ones that don't drop away and need me to stand up from a squat that I'd struggle to get up from when I was young and fit.
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Nah The snowboarders would sit on the lip and do their bindings up.
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| phil_w wrote: |
| I think the violent assault thing is an artefact of the internet; never seen anything remotely like that irl, but you'd likely rightly end up waving your willy in court. |
I have seen it. Once saw an instructor punch a fat middle aged numpty who had attempted to ski between his students, lost control while doing so and took two of them out. And have seen quite a few shoves delivered mostly in lift queues. I have also myself had quite a few confrontations that would best be described as robust, mostly when teaching and someone endangers my students. Never come to physical blows, that’s a step too far. And it’s interesting that those who threaten that very quickly back down when they come across someone comfortable with confrontation and clearly standing their ground.
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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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honestly the worst think i find, is in the waiting line for a gondola, when people have they poles quer to their bodies (horizontally) in the same high as many kinder eyes. Good that most of the kids have googles etc.
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| Timmycb5 wrote: |
| @boarder2020, I wouldn’t actually hit them (unless they caused an accident in which one of my family got injured). I would ski past them and call them F-ing Cts though, |
coming to close may cause an accident, and you never know how someone will react. E.g. you come to close, call someone XXXX, he falls down, twisted his knee, or his wrist, and then he said you are responsible, your insurance has to pay bla bla bla
Even if you are right, and his stays in unloading zone have this in mind
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FAQ
