Younger Males Keep Falling From Chairlifts Out West

[ChrisC]

I have seen headlines that many guys are falling from chairlifts this year. Darwin. I was always slightly confounded by the refusal to use safety bars, but historically many lifts out West did not have them. I think all the Riblet chairs lack safety bars, so maybe that is how it became culturally ingrained.

However, I appreciated this article from a European perspective.

How to keep American skiers safe by throwing tantrums on chairlifts

The safety bar on chairlifts is there for a reason, but it seems that many people in the western US don’t bother with them. Perhaps European ski tourists can help, writes Roger Cox

www.scotsman.com

However, I am taller, 6-3, and while in Europe, I must use expletives 2-3 times per day because of getting the bar slammed on my head. Especially in the Germanic countries, they love to slam that bar down. No warning. Or even time to lean back. I have to wear a helmet for the aggressive Euros. What's even better is that when the bar bounces off my helmet, they try to slam it again. WTF?

I think the East Coast has a happy medium.

https://www.powder.com/news/snowboarder-falls-from-chairlift-in-colorado

Boy falls from lift at Park City Mountain, transported to Salt Lake hospital - TownLift, Park City News

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Officials confirmed that a guest was involved in a lift accident at Park City Mountain on Monday morning. The incident, which

townlift.com

UPDATE: An Illinois man is dead after falling from chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and to correct John Perucco’s age. A skier is dead after falling from a chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort on...

www.summitdaily.com

Two people fall 37 feet from same ski lift just days apart in Colorado | OutThere Colorado

Two more snowboarders have fallen from Colorado lifts in recent days, adding to another fall that took place at Keystone Resort earlier this month.

denvergazette.com

 

[jamesdeluxe]

getting the bar slammed on my head. Especially in the Germanic countries, they love to slam that bar down. No warning. Or even time to lean back.

It doesn't happen often; however, yes, I've had that experience. That said; I get annoyed even more in the western U.S. when it becomes an almost libertarian move, as if I'm impinging on their personal space. Once, when I asked someone if we could lower the bar, he dickishly said "you must be from the east."

 

[EMSC]

I remember in the 1980s back east when lifties and patrollers would literally yell at you in the east if you didn't immediately put the bar down.

While more and more western lifts are gaining "comfort bars", there are still a ton without them. Officially there is no such thing as a safety bar. Just like there is no such thing as a guard rail on a road (Officially those are guide rail).

I'm generally ambivalent about safety bars. Occasionally will put one down of my own accord, but mostly not. But if someone else wants to I don't really care so not obstructive. One exception to that rule is American Flyer lift at Copper. A huge sofa style bubble 6pack. Slippery seat surface, it tilts ever so slightly forward and then the whole chair bounces surprisingly going over the towers. So despite the huge expense of the sofa bubble chairs, I find that lift to be the worst experience in the front range and always put the bar down.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

One exception to that rule is American Flyer lift at Copper.

While there are too many chairs in the Alps to list that would make me feel very anxious without a bar, I've mentioned before that the stateside chair where I always had a death grip on the seat back (especially during windy weather) was the old Millicent double at Brighton. Even chairlift.org made a point of bringing it up, copied below. They say that it's a Yan but looks exactly like a Riblet with the center pole and no bar.


BRIGHTON, UT
MILLICENT (YAN) - Cruel for those with fear of heights. This chair replaced the original Millicent single chair in 1974. It is a rare Yan design with center pole chairs similar to those at Alta. It was replaced with the Milly's quad in 2007.

It was worse than it looks here ^^ (the big drop was out of frame directly under the seat). A few Utards who ordinarily never used a bar confirmed that they would've preferred one on this chair.

 

[snowave]

My problem is not everyone skis. Sure, the safety bars without footrests are fine, but the ones with footrests can be a major PIA for snowboarders. I've cramped up/charlie-horsed several times in the past to accommodate a full HSQ. Then the fiasco of raising the bar before getting off, (and yes getting bopped in the head, too). If there's only 3/4 people on the chair, I can usually manage fine, and don't really care. I've used them (safety bars w/out footrests) on some of the scarier lifts, like on Ch 23 at Mammoth when they finally installed them. I do get the willies on some of the old center pole riblets, which the last one I think I was on was with Jamesdeluxe at Silver Mtn, ID.

 

[ChrisC]

I believe KT22 might have been a Riblet/Center Pole lift.

In WA state, the 7th Heaven life is a crazy high Riblet lift, and the upper/Edelweiss lift at Alpental—lots of Riblets at Mt. Spokane and 49 North.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

And another:

Fatal fall on Red Lodge chair lift sparks call to strengthen safety laws

A tragic chair lift accident at Red Lodge Mountain on Monday has raised significant safety concerns following the death of Jeff Zinne, who fell from the triple chair lift.

www.ktvq.com

 

[MarzNC]

I do get the willies on some of the old center pole riblets

A center pole double is better than riding solo on a triple with no safety bar. There are three of them at Brian Head. The one that serves mostly black terrain is relatively long and gets reasonably high. I rode up behind a chair with a big guy sitting in the middle with a hand firmly gripped around a side pole.

Taos still has two chairlifts without safety bars, a narrow triple and a center pole double. Have to take both to get back to the main base from the Kachina side if don't want to take the long cat track back.

 

[EMSC]

Not sure that many of the very old lifts can be retrofitted. I note that Copper retrofitted basic bars onto some of their 1970's age lifts this year. Still hundreds of lifts in the west without any kind of bar. Eldora has 4 chairs with no bars and perhaps ironically all of them are in the beginner part of the mountain.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Mammoth retrofitted basic bars on chairs 22 and 23 a few years ago.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Copper retrofitted basic bars onto some of their 1970's age lifts this year.

I'm curious to know how much that ^^ costs vs. replacing all of the chairs with new or newer ones. I suppose the fact that they went through with retrofitting indicates it was the more cost-effective option. Moreover, if a ski area is thinking about replacing the chairs, wouldn't it be better to just go ahead and replace the entire lift? Also (and having no technical knowledge about any of this), I would've guessed that a lift from the 1970s was reaching the end of its lifespan and won't it need to be replaced regardless? Once again, apparently not the case because Copper retrofitted them.

Not sure that many of the very old lifts can be retrofitted.

I bet that's the case so if the western U.S. states belatedly made it a requirement for all chairs to have safety bars, ski areas (especially independent ones that have the majority of old lifts and are least likely to have to resources to go ahead with retrofitting) would be faced with some tough financial decisions.

A center pole double is better than riding solo on a triple with no safety bar.

No question. In my 2020 Sunlight report, I mentioned that lifties were warning people to mind the Riblet poles while loading -- I assume that some skiers not wearing helmets were getting conked.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Chairs 22 and 23 were built in 1982. Chair 23 may not be high speed but it was expensive to build. Some of the towers are double normal width to withstand avalanches and there is the "vacuum cleaner" unloading building at the top to protect from wind. Both are triples and most people were uncomfortable in the middle seat of 23 before the bars were installed.