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February, 2025

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Getting off the chairlift: lift incident today

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rememberscott
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 5,200
So I was working the top shack of "Cannonball" the main lift at Eldora today. It's an old school, fixed gear chairlift that swings around the bull wheel super fast. I usually work that chairlift and people eat shit getting on it all the time (it's a tiny double) and people wipe out at the top but it's all good.. Lot's of foreign people and first time skiiers at Eldora. Anyway this solo snowboarder was unloading and instead of pushing off the chair he stuck his hand through the metal support beam on the side and the chair swung around super fast and snapped his arm in half. I thought his arm was gonzo straight up I was in shock. He was screaming and shit his arm was bent in half prolly compound fracture but it was under his jacket. Luckily the Ski Patrol shack is next to the lift and they came over right away. They drugged him up and took him on a sled out.

Sorry for the story time but this was the most gnarly shit I've seen this season and had to share it. I guess use extra caution when using a lift next time? And don't take your detacheable high-speed chairlifts for granted haha. I just feel super sorry for that dude I know it ruined his day.
Mar 26 2013 8:50PM
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a_burger
Posts: 5248 - Karma: 20,896
I had my coat zipper get caught on the back of a chair once, was the scariest 8 seconds of my life trying to get it out, got it right as we got off.

And yeah those fixed doubles can be nasty, anyone ever ride the one they used to have at Berkshire east?
Mar 26 2013 9:08PM
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-emile-
Posts: 6613 - Karma: 8,593
holy crap breaking an arm must be the gayest shit ever
Mar 26 2013 9:12PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,492
How does one get a zipper caught on the back of a chair? That is just silly
Mar 26 2013 9:13PM
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.Brink.
Posts: 1622 - Karma: 189
sounds fucking gnarly, how loud was the snapping noise when it broke?
Mar 26 2013 9:27PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,010
eeep, that's terrifying. fortunately in the skiers code it states that people must have sufficient knowledge to load and unload a chairlift, so he can't sue the resort or anything because that's blatantly the improper way to unload
Mar 26 2013 9:30PM
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*coop*
Posts: 384 - Karma: 928
hit the lift switch. its what all the cool kids are doing
Mar 26 2013 9:36PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,752
hahaha, know how I know you don't work at a ski resort?
Mar 26 2013 9:38PM
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rememberscott
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 5,200
true that. Patrol took pictures of the ramp and all the signs, luckily I had it looking prime. Obviously it was his fault but people do sue and I had to fill out an incident report.
Mar 26 2013 9:55PM
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Holte
Posts: 10750 - Karma: 7,995
"hey dude, how was your weekend?"
"not good bro. Snapped my arm clean in half."
"holy shit dude. How did you do that?"
"i was...uhhh...well...ummm... wingsuiting. Out of a volcano. Not snowboarding. Now never ask me about this again."
Mar 26 2013 10:25PM
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De-Clan
Posts: 1920 - Karma: 3,696
thats bad, but hear this

a few years ago at the small hill in my town, they had this tiny tow line that had small carrot things to grab onto, anyways this snowboarder was going up to the top of the town and it has a huge wheel that is off to a slant and pull around fart, the kid made it to the top and may i remind u that this wheell is like 10 ft tall and steel, and his gloves finger somehow got stuck on something on the carrot pull thing that you hold onto and the thing whipped him up and over the rotating circle, the kids fucking finger was ripped off, most disgusting thing i have ever see, it was his thumb too, made it that much worse, he passed out from shock, he was like 11 i felt really bad

just thought id share a similar story and OP i feel ur pain its gross seeing this happen to another human being
Mar 26 2013 10:26PM
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450out.
Posts: 596 - Karma: 517
Somehow got my backpack stuck on the edge of a lift at Fernie this weekend. Almost didn't get it off. ^^^That shits nasty though
Mar 26 2013 10:33PM
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Maturin
Posts: 132 - Karma: 78
Ahh that's wild! I usually sit on my poles on the lift. Last season when I went to get off the lift and pull my poles out, the baskets got stuck on the back of the chair and I snapped them with my crotch. It was terrifying and extremely painful.
Mar 26 2013 10:42PM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
This is funny because she's a lifty.
Mar 27 2013 6:28AM
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JahLiam
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 7,828
Sit with your baskets in front of you
Mar 27 2013 6:52AM
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SkiBum31
Posts: 81 - Karma: 58
I remember that lift, that thing was really sketchy. Me and my friend were behind these two bigger guys waiting to get on the lift. It was their turn to get on the lift so they proceeded to ski to where the lifty was. Anyways, the chair comes whipping around tye corner and the two men try to get on, but the chair launches them a good 10-15 ft. None of them were hurt so i thought it was a pretty funny story. I'm glad though that Berkshire East took that lift out.
Mar 27 2013 7:03AM
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corona
Posts: 12823 - Karma: 33,027
yea I had something on my bag get caught on the lift when I was trying to get off. not a nice feeling.
Mar 27 2013 7:23AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22714 - Karma: 76,758
This is exactly why I never understood the scarf fashion trend when it hit snowboarding.

I was always like "Dude - you're asking to be hung up by the neck until you die."

Mar 27 2013 7:39AM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
Similar to when you're not wearing your suspenders and they get stuck on the chair so you go around.
Mar 27 2013 7:44AM
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Bonzalo
Posts: 2593 - Karma: 1,812
Probably ruined more than his day.
Mar 27 2013 7:52AM
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OMGHEDIDNT
Posts: 706 - Karma: 12
I had this happen once. My jacket got stuck. It happens when the cable twists (which it is not supposed to do but sometimes happens when these cable lifts are old). I was just holding the carrot thing and then when i tried to get off my jacket was stuck because the cable twisted a lot and wrapped my jacket with it. I was like holyshit, heading to the wheel fast. Luckily someone hit the emergency stop just before i hit the wheel. My arm was way up in the air. They wanted to cut off my jacket. Instead someone helped me to climb over the cable a couple times. Extremely scary shit. And on such a shitty tiny lift. (was on plastic hill here as we have no snow or mountains)
Mar 27 2013 7:58AM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22714 - Karma: 76,758
Highlights the importance of Lifties that are paying attention.

You could owe a lifty your life one day. :)
Mar 27 2013 8:12AM
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FuckAllOfYou
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 2,518
Oh man, I have an embarrassing story about myself.
It was preseason this year, at Trollhaugen in Wisconsin. They just have a normal ol ropetow, but the cable twists near the end. Just as i'm letting go, my sweatshirt gets caught and pulled up over my face so I couldn't see. It lifted me up and before the rope got to the pulley it goes over the lift shack, and they stop the tow right as i'm hitting the shack - i fall right onto the cement doorstep from about 5 feet up.
I didn't get hurt, I was just a little rattled. The facial expressions of everyone were priceless though.

Also, When i was swing through the air blinded, I accidentally hit a lifty smack in the groin with my ski.
Mar 27 2013 8:20AM
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colder152000
Posts: 589 - Karma: 1,176
working lifts is the scariest job ive ever worked. not only am i now pissed scared of riding the chair myself, it scares the shit out of me when little kids that can barely get on the chair are dicking around on it. im scared that one day im gonna look up hill and just see a kid drop.
Mar 27 2013 8:22AM
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Z-Juice
Posts: 3151 - Karma: 1,504
Damn that is brutal. Hope he recovers well
Mar 27 2013 8:26AM
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Stope.Neeze
Posts: 594 - Karma: 148
yeah i know the one that one was sketchy as fuck
Mar 27 2013 8:44AM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
My buddy is actually a lift maint. guy there. Taught him how to ski in Pennsylvania like 3 years ago. OP if you see a long blonde haired hippy kid named Jesse tell him to get a damn haircut and the Flyers suck.
Mar 27 2013 10:08AM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,492
Hahahahaha no way! I saw this happen. I was on the ground laughing sorry hahaha
Mar 27 2013 10:20AM
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EvanMeyer
Posts: 3826 - Karma: 3,509
Ski naked, avoid immenent death from clothes being caught on lift
Mar 27 2013 10:36AM
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JeremyClarkson
Posts: 1600 - Karma: 1,932
That chair was the fastest fixed chairlift on the east coast. Im actually sad they took it away even though it was super sketchy getting on.
Mar 27 2013 11:11AM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,311
6-7 years ago back, on a very icy day at 9 am in the morning I went on the poma lift that runs straight through Avoriaz, there was some snowboarder before me with dangling suspenders.

Right after the tunnel in a place where the lifties can't spot you anymore he managed to fall but get his suspenders stuck on the platter. He wasn't wearing a helmet and was knocked out. So now his motionless body was dragged with his face over the pristine freshly groomed and very icy snow.

Just before the end someone stopped the lift and I was the first to arrive to the guy, untangled his suspenders and turned him around, what I then saw was disgusting, almost all of the skin on his face was gone and it was just one big bloody mess everywhere.
Mar 27 2013 11:28AM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
had to check if we were from the same small hill. This happened at Buck Hill in Minnesota, only it was probably 11 or 12 years ago, and it was the tubing hill rope toe. Thumb went clean off. One of the tubing workers came into the chalet where I was working frantically asking for a bucket of ice. I asked what happened and he told me and I yelled at him asking why he hadn't talked to ski patrol yet. Good times. But I guess the thumb was still in the mitten when they were looking for it.

Also, my first day skiing, I was getting off the chairlift with my dad. My jacket got stuck to something and I was just kinda hanging there as the lift wrapped around. My dad was freaking out and then I just sort of dropped about 8 - 10 feet. I was entirely fine. The lifty was yelling at my dad like he had done something wrong. I started crying and spent the rest of the night inside drinking hot chocolate. Somehow my dad got me to go a second time.
Mar 27 2013 11:43AM
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HalfandHalf
Posts: 1216 - Karma: 207
Holy shit
Mar 27 2013 12:24PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627

People really don't have enough respect for the scale and power of the machine that is a ski lift.  Dangerous and with hundreds of tons of suspended weight and tension...  People who jump off lifts are fucking idiots, that's all I have to say. 

Mar 27 2013 12:41PM
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ski.cats
Posts: 577 - Karma: 352
the alley chair at sierra.. if youre on the inside seat you better book it off the chair or youre taking one to the hip
Mar 27 2013 12:55PM
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monkatizer
Posts: 4704 - Karma: 1,518
im surprised the rope didnt have a stop gate or other device like that. im pretty sure they are mandatory
Mar 27 2013 3:00PM
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Cole98
Posts: 38 - Karma: 25
Ha, the same thing happened to my friend but his poles didn't break so he got swung around and was held up by his crotch. the lift guy didn't seem to be paying attention so my friend slid off onto a stop bar. Probably the highlight of our day.
Mar 27 2013 6:42PM
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TheAwkwardEagle
Posts: 87 - Karma: 137
Yes! haha that was the best lift. It was as fast as a high speed, but was a fixed-grip. I was sad to see it go (and get replaced by another slow triple)
Mar 27 2013 6:51PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14540 - Karma: 11,112
The poma lift next to the halfpipe at Okemo is/was a killer. The arm was just a huge shock absorber that fucked everyone as soon as you got on.

Mar 27 2013 6:56PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,903
I thought surface lifts had to have the shut off wand to prevent this from happening. Even the most ghetto lifts I have seen have a wire after you get off that hugs the ground. If you can't let go, you ski through the wire and that cuts power to the lift. I would imagine that this area got got sued. The technology to prevent this from happening has been out there for over 20 years. No hate by any means to small ski areas, but this could have been prevented at a minimal cost.
Mar 27 2013 7:13PM
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YABADKID
Posts: 15 - Karma: 5
JUST READ MY NAME, THATS WHAT I THINK BOUT YOU
Mar 27 2013 7:15PM
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NotGhood
Posts: 2809 - Karma: 1,255
My pass gets caught on the edge of the chair all the time, i've almost ripped the zipper off my jacket more than once when i dont notice and get off, not a fun time.

chairlifts are scary
Mar 27 2013 7:21PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,010
you're just hilarious. I've been employed at Big Sky for 2 seasons now, and have had the skiers code come in handy multiple times.
Mar 27 2013 8:07PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,752
If you think the skier's code absolves ski areas of culpability, you're hilarious. I do accident investigations and scene recreations, and the skier's code means fuck all when it comes to litigation involving chair lifts, slip and falls, and collisions with man-made objects. But yeah, lifties are typically experts in these matters, for sure.
Mar 27 2013 10:26PM
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robotdna
Posts: 1232 - Karma: 2,959
Holy damn my arm is hurting so much right now thinking about it. I've gotten backpack straps caught with removal in time, but nothing like this. Man, he's not going to go near a lift for a while. Hope it heals fast.
Mar 27 2013 10:35PM
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steezburgereddie
Posts: 1059 - Karma: 1,945
My grab tab prove effective as it grabbed the chair on Saturday. It went around and triggered the emergency stop on the lift. It was very inconvenient to me and every on the chair.
Mar 28 2013 1:29AM
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FroesenSkeeze
Posts: 638 - Karma: 673
You have some of thee most radical stories I've ever heard. Your grandchildren will never watch TV.
Mar 28 2013 2:17AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10651 - Karma: 7,686
other loose objects to worry about.
Mar 28 2013 2:40AM
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Frediboy94
Posts: 427 - Karma: 730
A few years back I was riding a lift with a taller stranger. It was one of those anchor-shaped lifts, dunno what you call them in the states. Anyway, he somehow twisted the lift so that it went up the back of my jacket and then back down my pants. This was about 10 feet before the unloading area. He just cruised of without noticing anything, but I couldn't get the fucking thing to move. I ended up having to pull my pants down to my knees just as the lift started swinging back around. Some of the scariest and humiliating 3 seconds I've experienced in skiing...
Mar 28 2013 4:24AM
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FuckAllOfYou
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 2,518
No it was hilarious, I was just like "wtf just happened" now i have a mild fear of ropetows
Mar 29 2013 1:51PM
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Probably wearing Saga, giant vent on the back with a zipper.
Mar 29 2013 3:08PM
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