Snowboard Responsibility Code #7 Lift Safety

This online snowboard lesson will go over #7 Lift Safety. The lift is something you want to really know how to use. I’ve gone over certain skills you’ll want to have when loading and unloading the lift. Be very comfortable skating and gliding with one foot in and one out. Use a bench on a slope to create a simulation of the chair lift. Before getting on the chair lift ride the conveyor belts or gondolas which are much safer and easier to load and unload. Refer back to what type of lifts are on the resort in the snowboard tutorial video Navigating the Resort. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you signup that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for Beginner Snowboard Skills & Drills on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos;  Beginner Snowboard Lesson on Steering, Toeside Heelside Stance, Learn How To Ride The Lifts Safely, How to Snowboard: Balance Twist & Beginner Snowboard Stance. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com, Take Placement Quiz, take a look at Our Blog for more free content, and learn to snowboard right!

I have a ton of eye-witness experience seeing what snowboard chair lifts can do. When loading I’ve seen people not paying attention and get smacked in the face by the chair. This will cause lots of pain, bruising and bleeding. Pay close attention and follow the chair out. You need to keep your board straight and flat. Lifting your edge or turning your board can catch the snow under you and drag you under the lift. I’ve seen all this happen to folks. They usually are able to stop the lift but things happen fast around the lift. It’s good planning to actually sit outside of the lift line and watch people load the chair. Stop and wait for the chair to pass and then follow it out and wait at the line in the snow where the chair picks you up. If you hesitate and don’t follow it you should just wait for the next one so you don’t get hit by the chair. Once your board leaves the snow you can turn, sit, put your foot under your board to relieve stress on the leg that is strapped in and enjoy the ride up.

I had several students talk to me about the lift that failed in Russia this season. There is a viral video showing a Russian snowboard lift that has failed and the chairs are going backwards swinging wildly around the bull wheel at the bottom chucking people off the lift. I’ve worked in the winter sports industry for along time and know about these huge people movers. The technology and moving parts that goes into running thes giant ski & snowboard lifts is amazing. In the back of my head I always think about what if the lift were to fail? Where on this lift would I jump off so I won’t end up like some of the people who were riding that lift in Russia. A lot of times near the bottom there is less vertical and you see some people jumping off there. You don’t want to jump off a lift unless the brakes fail and it starts going super fast in reverse. I’ve been on lifts that have broke and I was evacuated off by ski patrol using and rope. Jumping off the lift or bouncing can cause a lift to derail off or cause damage to the lift and increase injury risk. Respect the lift and you’ll be fine.

I came up to lift and right as I was about to load the chair fell off as it was coming around the bull wheel. They closed the lift for a week to make sure it was safe. Luckily no one was on that chair and that it fell off right at the bottom. I helped the lift operator drag it off and close the lift. That chair weighed 500 pounds about 220 kilos and was heavy. I was teaching a lesson and helped close that trail. I always think about that when I ride that chair. I saw another chair come off the bull wheel at the bottom. This chair was a detachable quad meaning it comes off the wire at the top and bottom and slows down while going around the bull wheels. A skier was going fast out of control and crashed through the bamboo poles and ropes to keep folks away from the lift. Well, he went through those barriers and wrapped himself around a chair as it was about to detach off the wire. The rope and poles started snapping and breaking and then they pulled the chair right off the bull wheel. I was coaching and helped the lifty drag the chair and this one was even heavier. These are personal experiences that I’ve seen mainly because folks weren’t being safe and following the Snowboard Responsibility Code.

Chair lifts are big moving pieces of metal so make sure you unload the lift using efficient body movements. Keep your upper body and lower body aligned with the snowboard pointing parallel to the ramp slope. Have your back foot on your board as soon as you touch the snow. Standing up tall and not touching your hands to the ground is tuff but you can do it and keep the majority of your weight on your front foot that is strapped in. Glide off the ramp without turning and use the edge to steer once you’re in the flats. As you ride up the lift relax but practice turning your body in the chair to get ready to unload. Allow yourself about 30 seconds to get prepared to unload because if you’re prepared you’re 90% of the way there. You can practice efficiently with  Snowboardclass/FlowingFreeride’s techniques so go back to earlier snowboard videos that teach Steering, Balance, Stance and Lift Safety. You can signup to get access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark contact me if you want to book a lesson through my local resort or have any questions about Snowboarding.