# Your first snowboard lift experience



## sook (Oct 25, 2009)

Try not to get too discouraged, everyone has a rough first day. I'm glad you have a more "go for it" attitude this season because, if you're too wrapped up in not hurting yourself, your learning curve is going to suck.

My first lift experience wasn't too bad. I had an instructor friend give me an informal lesson and heres how it went:

1. Learn to skate on flat ground
2. Learn how to walk up a hill with one foot strapped
3. Skate down said hill, glide to a stop
4. Then get on a lift
5. Sideslip ect...

If I ever go up with a complete noob that just won't go for a lesson, thats what I do with them and every one so far has been able to skate off a lift unassisted on their second try.


----------



## BigC_ 13 (Dec 28, 2008)

My first lift experience sucked, I was in grade three living in whistler for a year and it was my first time ever boarding, I got a 1995 model board (don't even know the brand) for like $10 at the turkey sale that I was riding (this was in 1999 and the thing weighed probably as much as I did. Getting off the lift I was doing fine, but the other kid beside me fell backwards onto me which knocked me over, I spun as I fell and my board being heavy as all hell did not. I proceeded to dislocate my knee and couldn't board for a while.


----------



## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

My first lift experience was not that great. I didn't take lessons as my friend was teaching me so it was basically a trial and error kind of thing.


----------



## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

My first time snowboarding I expierienced the usual falls while trying to master the lift, then after a few times I was sure I had it down. The real problem came when I attemped to ride the lift with myself and three other buddies. Since we were all noobs we didnt really think to plan ahead which way we were going to go when we got to the top. Heres basicall what happened. Me, being the only goofy rider, turned to the left, my buddy next to me turned to the right. Then we basically just all went down in a huge pile of four dudes. Then, the lift chair came around behind us and hit me in the back of the head. The good part was that I figured it couldn't really go much worse than that, so I wasnt really nervous about it after that.


----------



## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

first lift, dont' remember but pretty sure I ate sh!t 2 seconds after my butt left the seat. I took 0 lessons and strapped in a moment before gettig on the lift.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Ah the good 'ol "learning how to deal with the lift" issue. They are a pita aren't they? Especially when you are learning to ride. Just remember to keep your board flat and go straight off of the lift. Don't try to turn while you are on the ramp, and use the run out. If people are not getting out of the drop off ramp zone, well you may just have to run into them to get a point across, especially if you can't cut a turn or stop. Regardless, make sure you get your butt out of that zone once you are off the lift. 

Also, once you start exploring the mountain and using different lifts, detachable quads and other chairs can be nice. Even though you are with a group, just sit back and let everyone unload first, then push off (before it's too late) basically giving you a lot of space. You can do this with fixed grip lifts, but you really have to be on it in comparison to a detachable.


----------



## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Don't try to turn while you are on the ramp, and use the run out. If people are not getting out of the drop off ramp zone, well you may just have to run into them to get a point across, especially if you can't cut a turn or stop.


This happened to me a couple of times. I'd go straight and there'd be just a group of people standing right there in front of the lift so I ran into them.


----------



## G2309 (Oct 22, 2009)

I've had the usual falls coming off the chairlift.
Bujt the worst and most embarrasing was after I'd mastered it. i was on a chair with 2 newbies trying to convince them that getting off was easy. we got to the top and they slid away fine but the high back on my binding go stuck under the chair. By the time I got it out the chair was goining back round and I tumbled off.
Painfully.
At least the chair didn't hit me in the head.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

It's like standing at the base of a landing at the terrain park...


----------



## newbie2009 (Apr 8, 2009)

I'll add my horror story to the mix:

The first time I went snowboarding I had never seen snow before. Nada. Zilch. I wanted to wait until I had at least a beginner's lesson but the people I was with convinced me that I would be fine.

Needless to say, getting off the lift I bombed it and sustained a severe Right rotator cuff injury. I was stubborn though, and even though I couldn't use my Right arm for shit and it hurt like hell, I still managed to learn how to snowboard the next few days.

I wasn't able to go snowboarding again unntil two years later but I had so much more fun since I didn't have to worry about a bum arm. I've been going at least once a year since then.

This season I'm taking my wife for the first time and I'm doing everything I can to make sure her experience is much more pleasant than mine was.


----------



## dharmashred (Apr 16, 2009)

Dude...My first time on the lift was a trainwreck. I was taking a lesson, but the instructor hopped on before us with another rider in our class, leaving me and another chick from my class to fend for ourselves. She did just fine...I didn't move fast enough, missed the chair, fell down (all of this is _before_ i ever got on) then right when i stuck my head up the next chair took me out. Finally they completely stopped the lift and I got on. I had to ride up by myself, terrified. Only thing I could remember is what my dude always told me "everyone eats shit off the lift...just get the eff outta the way fast". So coming off the lift I was too scared to stand all the way upright, so the chair basically pushed me off, since I was half-way sitting and half-way standing...then I tada! ate shit face forward. At that point I just helicoptered the hell out of the way of the riders behind me. 

By the end of my lesson I was so worked...my instructor was carrying my backpack (why the eff I thought i could have a backpack and be successful on my first day is beyond me). I never was able to get up heelside that day, only toeside and I was so worked! I was the last one down. But my instructor stayed with me an extra hour after the lesson was over because he said "i've never seen someone take so many hits and still keep going." 

I found an easy way to get off the lift. I would just "walk" off. basically put front foot down and angle the board (to the right cause I'm goofy and I try to always take the right side), stand up and my back foot walks off on the snow, as opposed to on the board. Kind of like when you're in line for the lift.

I'm sure everyone is afraid at some point, even advanced riders can get in their head. It's not letting the fear stop you that matters.


----------



## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

mpdsnowman said:


> Bunch of fucking skiers! They are known for that. Usually older people or clueless family outings where Dad has fucked up his gloves and has to fix them right at the bottom of the ramp. And of course if "Junior" wipes out on the way down well thats a production in itself!!!
> 
> 
> That by far is the most difficult part of getting off the lift. Avoiding those who choose to view the bottom of the exit ramp as a meeting location to discuss the price of fucking rice in China.


Exactly. I try avoiding them because I don't wanna be a dick about it and just run into them but if they don't move there's not much of a choice even if I tell them to watch out.


----------



## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

This wasn't on my first experience, but probably my most embarrassing..on one of the high speed quads has a small decline you ride down to the line to load on the lift when its your turn..

I wasn't paying attention(daydreaming or something) and i pushed off with 4 others who were ahead of me...they had to dive out of the way as the chair came swinging around and and i came barreling up the middle of them trying not to get slammed by the chair...lifty gave me the evil eye...i felt so stupid..


----------



## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

I remember one time where I was getting of the lift and I put my backfoot down against my bindings but I never owned a stomp pad and I slipped on the snow on my board and ended up taking out everyone with me going down.


----------



## SPAZ (May 2, 2009)

"oh shit, oh shit, IM GONNA DIE!"
that sums it up well =)


----------



## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

I was lucky one of my mates told me to get the hang of having one foot unstrapped before I went anywhere near a lift. Also I learned at Keystone and back then the bunny hill had a surface poma lift so you had plenty of time getting used to having one foot out. I have had plenty of wipe outs on chair lifts though.
Lifties at good hills should slow the chair down for you if you wave at them when you get to the top. This can make it easier to get the hang off.


----------



## Guest (Nov 15, 2009)

first time i went off i did fine and had my foot on the stomp pad and everything coasted quite some ways then my foot slipped off the stomp pad when i went to stop to strap my other foot in and the board slid out from under me and i busted my ass but didnt get hurt though or do a faceplant, just my pride because people up here are weird like that, like if your not as good as them theyll make fun of you, anyone that wears a helmet theyll laugh at and make fun of or anyone that comes in a snow mobiling outfit they laugh at which i can understand that a little :laugh:


----------



## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

mpdsnowman said:


> Bunch of fucking skiers! They are known for that. Usually older people or clueless family outings where Dad has fucked up his gloves and has to fix them right at the bottom of the ramp. And of course if "Junior" wipes out on the way down well thats a production in itself!!!
> 
> 
> That by far is the most difficult part of getting off the lift. Avoiding those who choose to view the bottom of the exit ramp as a meeting location to discuss the price of fucking rice in China.


or one of there kids dropped there ski pole at the bottom and they are waiting for someone to bring it up.


----------



## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

Lifts are my bane. I can board on black diamonds, but I can't exit a lift without a mild panic attack.

First, I'm afraid of heights, so I can't look down from the lift. I also have to do something to take my mind off the height. By the time we get to the end I'm dreaming about unicorns and usually flounder around like a spaz getting off the lift.

So don't feel bad. Even after years, I'm still a lift noob.


----------



## Penguin (May 30, 2008)

To this day I'll occasionally scorpion off a lift. Great times.


----------



## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

avenged1985 said:


> or one of there kids dropped there ski pole at the bottom and they are waiting for someone to bring it up.


This happened to me before except one of the skier's skis fell off so I was stuck with it carrying it up.


----------



## Guest (Nov 15, 2009)

did anybody ever try the T things i forgot the name of them T lifts or something like that where you kind of sit on them and theyre on a big spring and they pull you up but if you move slightly you fall right off, ive never tried them but my cousin and many other people have and told me theyre hard to do especially on a snowboard and your first time


----------



## Guest (Nov 15, 2009)

when i first started snowboarding, i want to say fourth grade? i was getting off the chairlift and doing great but these 20 sum year old bitches fell right in front of me and didn't get out of the way. i fell on them and dug an elbow into one of their chests but i skinned my face. it didn't hurt at all yet half my face was bloody (not deep at all) and all the older hot girls were liek aww poor thing are you alright? i was a pumped 10 year old :laugh:


----------



## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Probably the best thing i learned last season was, plant your back foot up against the rear binding, and point straight and just go straight until everyone around you is away lol..

Or you can always do the heel slide..leave half your back foot off to be able to use your heel to dig in to slow down if you need too..


----------

