One Death Reported in Ski Lift Accident

[Powgirl]

I think the more you use it the more you get used to it! It's there for your safety! So what if you get an eye roll or called a name...you have to think about yourself in certain situations and do what you're comfortable with! I don't even ask if they are ok with the bar, I just announce that it's coming down!

Lol, me too...I just announce that the bar is coming down.

I have also had the chair rock due to people getting settled, fooling around playfully with their friend, messing with their equipment, etc...and then there's the wind factor that can give one a pretty good scare...

But, here in Colorado, lots of folks ride the lift without the bar down.

 

[Jilly]

As already mentioned it's the law here. No bar down may result in no more rides up.

I always ask if everyone is ready for the bar. But I'm real quick if there are small kids. Like as soon as we clear the loading area.

 

[Powgirl]

Please bring it down *slowly*. The reason to ask is because some people are still getting settled, and when you bring the bar down when they're not ready, it's going to whack someone in the head or the footrest will lever the leg painfully.

Yes!!

I dont "ask", but I wait until everyone on the chair to help control the bar so it doesn't bang anyone on the head...same with lifting it up...

 

[Liquid Yellow]

Well, maybe, but I and others have posted here that we often don't bother - and we're not blokes, and I'd prefer to think we're not pathetic.

You're also twisting my words! I said they're pathetic if they are not lowering the bar because it's somehow less macho. I doubt that applies to you or anyone else on here?

I've never skied anywhere, ever, in 27 years where someone protested at the bar being lowered, or left it up. I'm sure the lifties wouldn't let you anyway. It's there for your safety and I'd go absolutely apeshit if someone tried to leave it up. But I've never known anyone do that! Some chairs in Europe are very high/go up cliffs and you'd certainly die if you fell off - they are also known to suddenly stop and bounce a lot.

Putting down the bar is as automatic as putting on my seatbelt when I get in my car. I don't understand people who don't do that either.

 

[santacruz skier]

I've noticed skiing in Europe the bar goes down automatically (almost), so I now expect it as I've almost been hit on the head several times... Even in Tahoe, many don't put the bar down. I like too for several reasons (one of which I'm a bit afraid of heights)..... But I have noticed that skiers from other places (countries) will put the bar down as soon as they get on the lift. My boyfriend has been hit on the head several times... we would prefer "bar down" as a warning....but if it's the natural thing to do, then why "warn" others...

 

[diymom]

I've never thought of the bar being "optional"- I guess since I've skied mostly in Ontario. But here in New England everyone seems to use it too. That said, every since getting an earful one time for basically just putting my hand up to lower the bar before the guy next to me was ready I always start off with a simple "all set?" before doing anything now. (In his defence, I think he did mention something about being whacked in the head by the bar once.)

 

[Jilly]

Also another good reason to where a helmet!!

 

[ski diva]

More news about the tragedy.

 

[bounceswoosh]

The helmet makes your head a bigger target ... I never got hit in the head by the bar till I wore a helmet.

Just ... slow down, y'all!

 

[vanhoskier]

Also another good reason to where a helmet!!

My helmet protects me more from bumps on the lift bar than anything else. I'd rather that than ride with the bar up....most lifts are high enough to kill someone in a sudden fall. We really never think anything bad can happen, but all it takes is one little unexpected thing. I feel terrible for those 2 young girls, their father, and their mother's fiance. Lives changed forever in one brief moment.

 

[PugetSoundGirl]

I have never mandated the use of bar, but thinking I will. Grew up skiing in CO and folks are quite right many of the older lifts don't have them unless high speed. Now live in Pacific Northwest and it's even more "Wild West" out here, like the mentality is just any way to get up the hill works! Definitely will start using the bar!

Heartfelt condolences.

 

[Christy]

Please bring it down *slowly*. The reason to ask is because some people are still getting settled, and when you bring the bar down when they're not ready, it's going to whack someone in the head or the footrest will lever the leg painfully.

Yes!! Don't announce, ask if everyone is ready. I have a feeling most surliness toward the bar is due to the people that just bring it down, ready or not, thus whacking people on the head. On the 6 packs at Crystal the people on the end have to duck their heads inside to avoid getting hit. And no a helmet doesn't make that not hurt.

We've had threads about bars and it does seem to be the norm for locals in many areas in the West to not use the bar. Of the 3 chairlifts I rode today only 1 even had a bar, and it was what my husband calls a "fake bar," the kind that doesn't seem like it would really do anything to keep you from slipping out (unlike those big heavy ones with footrests and maybe trailmaps that do seem like they'd provide a measure of protection).

 

[bounceswoosh]

My husband always brings down the bar. He loudly announces, "Coming down, slow and easy." And he does pull it down very slowly - more accurately, as the bar swings down, he pushes against it so that he controls the speed of the bar. It's a shout-out to Bailey, a skier in his 80s (last we saw him ...), who always did that.

 

[just jane]

I usually ask if people mind having the bar down (I've never gotten an outright "no"), and do a visual check if everyone's ready as I start bringing it down. Same at the top of the lift - if no one else starts, I'll ask "Ready for the bar up?" before I start lifting it.

 

[nopoleskier]

what a shame! I always use the bar, I understand totally why they are there! on an icy day I almost slid out of the chair it was very scary. My pants were glazed and when the chair lifted out of the station I got just enough whatever to make me slide forward and get that horrible sick feeling..thankfully we were putting the bar down but we were all freaked..

I've been on lifts when the wind was blowing so hard I thought we'd all get flipped out! Having my own near incidents I can easily imagine a kid sliding under the bar! I can't imagine the horror of the poor Mom.. one slips, one grabs, then she grabs and down you all go.. just awful..

Even w/the bar when I'm riding w/little kids in lessons I have my arm in front of them and a piece of something. I like the harness's w/the grab bar on the back (Okemo uses them) to hang on the kids just in case they can be such wiggle worms!!

I second @Liquid Yellow I've never had someone argue about putting it down and I agree some may think they are 'cool' or macho or what ever to not use it. Fools I say!

At my Home Mt the lifts aren't high and while everyone is supposed to use the safety bar it's surprising how many don't. thankfully we've never had an incident but all it takes is a tragedy like this for a wake up call and rightfully so.

I can't imagine skiing without a helmet. while I did for over 35yrs my Dad got hit by another skier and it shortened his life, I immediately bought a helmet. I too have had the bar bonk me on the head, I've been hit in the head w/ski poles in lessons (why I take them away) the list goes on and on.. skiing is a sport but can be dangerous for sure..

 

[skibetty]

The automatic bar got me thinking....I was in Norway this summer and rode the chair at Lillehammer and if the bar wasn't down then the chair would just stop. I realize that it's more of a tourist attraction especially in the summer but it may not be a bad idea...

 

[Moonrocket]

What mechanically could cause a chair to swing and hit a pole while not falling?

Especially with a crazy winds- could it have slipped off the wheels or something?

The chair is still closed 5 days later. Which I have never seen without an obvious problem.

Has anyone seen a lift investigation like this before?

 

[bounceswoosh]

What mechanically could cause a chair to swing and hit a pole while not falling?

A sudden stop will swing fore and aft ... haven't seen side to side. I HAVE seen side to side when kiddos are goofing around in the chair behind you ...

 

[elemmac]

A sudden stop will swing fore and aft ... haven't seen side to side. I HAVE seen side to side when kiddos are goofing around in the chair behind you ...

I agree, I've only seen side to side swinging from kids goofing off or wind (and I've yelled at plenty of kids to stop swinging chairs). Maybe if the mom and 2 kids were all on one side of the chair and there was a sudden stop, it could create a side to side swinging as well?

Many times when people don't use the bar, I think it's the mind-set of "it won't happen to me", or "what could happen". However, whenever I've ridden a lift with a parent and their kids, it's always the parent that is the first to put the bar down (for understandable reason), so this accident really shocks me that it was a parent and two kids with no bar...just seems odd.

I once had a discussion about putting the bar down with someone on the chair, they didn't like putting it down because they had a fear that the chair would fall, or the cable would slip off. They would then be bound to the chair instead of being able to push away. Which I guess I can see that reasoning...but I think the event of you slipping off of the chair for various reasons is a much larger probability than a major lift malfunction.

 

[Lellandra]

I just came back from a skiing trip and reading this makes me shiver!

My 7 year old is learning to ski and we took the lift several times. The first time we were on this trip she almost fell off right as the chair was picking us up. I grabbed hold of her and pulled her back and lowered the bar immediately. Also kept my poles in front of her even though she was complaining about them. (Complain all you want, those are for my sanity!) There were a couple of times with the excuse of warming mommy up, we held together until the ride was over.

Little kids have small femurs and they cannot reach the back of the chairs. I also ask them to lower the speed of the chair a little if possible.