Never be afraid to just tell your lift mates that you're a beginner. We have all been there and would rather change our trajectory than get tangled up with you....

I've done backflips on jumps. Getting off the lift with one foot scares me the most.

"Look up, and look where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid" has been the best advice for my beginner friends for getting off the lift. Anxious riders are focused on the ground and the people next to them, and then they crash. It's good advice for riding in general, especially trees.

I nornally snowboard in hills instead of mountains (it’s what is available to me) so the unloading of the lifts are very short and steep and you normally cannot wait for the board to stop naturally. With that, some recomendations: - if possible, pick a spot at the corners of the lift as it will help you turn without wiping the whole crew (been there, done that) - if possible, announce to your lift partners that you need space to maneuver. Skiers normally can unload faster. I prefer to be the last one to unload (again, if possible) - ANTICIPATE! If you will turn left as you unload and you ride regular, let your heel a little off the board will help you turn and plow. If you will turn right, leaving the toes out helps a bunch. - keeping your shoulders parallel is a must. Overall amazing video! Great job!!! ❤

I think I learned most of this in the countless classes I took in the 2000s, but wanted a refresher and this delivered. New info to me was to push against the rear binding with your back foot. I’m going to start every session going forwards with a bit of one footed push and glide and stops. Thx!

Been snowboarding for 20 years but just recently picked up skiing… life has been goooood 😅

A lot of great information and detail here which I have just taken for granted over the years.

I’m getting chest pain watching this and remembering my knee being twisted by that Board!!! Felt it rip!

As a beginner snowboarder, what really helped for me is practicing being strapped in with only one foot, pushing myself and sliding, even doing a few heel edge stops just to get a feel for it. Once I got that down I was no longer falling every time I got off the lift. Its so much more fun without the anxiety gripping you as you see the load-off point approaching :S

Top tip: avoid the Boulevard lift in La Plagne. It's got a very steep, very short exit ramp with trees & a snowbank to run into if you don't stop in time. Which is quite ironic as it serves the main beginner area in Plagne Centre.

This channel is so helpful. I'm going to be trying it in a few months and getting some experienced knowledge from your videos before I get started is going to help so much. Always got to be prepared.

I watched this video before I went snowboarding for the second time (needless to say I always fell off the chair lift when I went for the first time haha) ... But this time I didn't fall once! Even though I've probably used the chair lift 7 times or so. This video honestly helped me so much. I feel like once you get the hang of it, you can master the chairlift :) It felt so good. Thank you so much! Keep up the great work!

Hahaha, I love the editing on this one! Keep this level up quality up dude, was a fun change from every other snowboard video.

Great tips and explanation. Personally I've found that allowing the lift to push against the outside of my back leg results in a smoother departure from the lift platform.

This is one of the greatest snowboarding channels on KZfaq. You explain techniques super well and provide easy instructions. You deserve more subscribers and views!

Great detailed tips !

20 year instructor trainer here. Excellent, excellent video. A few more items: 1. If you see a mis-load occurring (somebody only half on the lift, or getting run over by it while loading), yell "Stop The LIft!!" at the top of your lungs repeatedly until the lifties take action to fix the situation. It's very loud at the base of most lifts, and lifties may have their attention elsewhere and not see the issue develop. 2. "Bottom to bottom, back to back" is the mantra we teach students for riding any lift that doesn't have a safety bar, or any other lift without putting the safety bar down (which you shouldn't do, because stuff happens). Keep your bottom on the seat bottom and your back against the seat back. "Sit still and hang on" is another good reminder. In some states it is required to use the bar if it exists; if not, don't be afraid to ask firmly to put it down. 30 years ago I saw the aftermath of a bar-less ride by a man who had a heart attack and convulsions on the ride - the ski patroller he happened to be riding with managed to hold onto him for a minute or two but then he fell 35 feet and died. 3. When you see people who aren't moving forward to get ready to load (happens a lot with little kids) it's OK to say loudly, "Go! Go! Go!" to spur them to timely forward movement, thereby saving a hundred people 12 seconds or so - which is 20 person-minutes. 4. If you are with other riders you know on a 4 or 6-pack, organize yourselves so there's a minimal boundaries between goofy and regular-foot riders: g, g, r, r is better than g, r, g, r on a quad chair. Boards won't be interfering with one another as much on the ride. And if you are riding with people you don't know, ask which way (right or left) they are turning at the top, so you sit on the left if you are turning left and the right if turning right; get rid of unnecessary turning conflicts. If (God forbid!) you are riding with skiers and you are all turning the same way, they are best suited to the middle, because their snowplow makes it easier for them to avoid folks who have fallen and are camped on the unload ramp. A final point: pushing hard against the back binding when getting off CAN"T be overemphasized, especially when you get on one of the 60-year-old black diamond ramps you will sometimes find at old-school resorts. You have to dive down the ramp to keep your shoulders parallel to the slope, or your board will run away from you.

Great video. Very well explained.

WOW this was helpful! It almost makes sense now! AND the comments are helpful as well. New bucket list tick item: SHRED SCHOOL! Thanks for taking the time to produce so many vids this noob binge watches em all!

Thank you for the video! I did feel embarrassed at the end of the chairlift. Still not confident at all. This season I will need to face it again!

"I like to take off my mittens" playing with fire

100%, spot on; go Eddd!

i have to admit this is the scariest part of any of my snowboarding sessions

I tried it and I could take off thechairlift! Thank you!!

Thankyou. Great tips.

What I ususally do is first make sure I'm on the outside of the chair. And when we reach the point to get off, hold on to the lift as long as you can so that the Skiërs have time to get clear of the area without the risk of some Snowboarder hitting them. And you can then follow behind them. You usually have plenty of time to get clear of the area. Do note, I only have experience in Europe.

Yup. Underrated topic.

Love the tutorial.

Good advice. Here is something else to consider.....as a beginner snowboarder you may find it more comfortable to position yourself early in the lift line so that you will be seated on the outermost left or right hand seat of the chairlift. This prevents people sitting on you as you get on the chair. This is especially true if riding a six passenger lift. This little trick will also lessen the possibility of entanglement with the rest of the gaggle getting off the chair with you. If there is a pile up getting off the chair you can edge to the outside readily to keep yourself clear of the mess.

I recall my first day snowboarding, I kept going on the same lift, and kept falling, so get better the next time, actually should be get better next season 😂

Thanks 🙏

Im goofy (right foot forward) so I always try to sit fully right. I feel it’s easier to get off then. Also sitting on the outside turn helps.

In my snowboarding days I had Flow step-in bindings. I clipped in as soon as the lift safety bar came down. I boarded with my left foot forward so I always tried to get a right hand seat. As soon as the chair arrived, I would boost off the forward momentum of the chair and was able to get away rapidly and make a shallow right hand toe edge turn in to the exit slope area and get away cleanly.

In my experience, some skiers may cut you, forcing you to turn sharply on ice, which may be really challenging while one footing. I try to think that skiers don't know how challenging snowboarding can be. If possible try to learn with a non-crowded chair or tell the person right beside you that you will need to ride straight some meters. Stomp pads can also aid. Chairlifts out runs are usually icy, training skating on ice is a good practice.

Oh yeah! The only action my helmet gets is when some pulls the bar down on my head before everyone has even sat down! 🤬

I've been snowboarding for over 10 years... I don't recall the last time I fell getting off the chairlift, but somehow I STILL hate it

I had my boot caught under the lift sitting down one time and it was my worst snowboarding injury yet, and I've had my fair share of falls lmao

Don't drag yourself along with the bar. The reason being, if you let go suddenly, it will close the bar on the people in front of you. If they haven't all loaded or sat down, they may misload, get dragged, or seriously injured. ~Lifty

Put your board on your foot by using the binding hood loops. Not the board edge.

Nice 👍

I don't like to rest my boards edge on the top of my boot. It cuts into your boot and will shorten the lifespan of boots. Just my 2 cents. Amazing video though. To many people get on the lifts before they are ready. Keep up the great content.

Wish this guide was around when I 'boarded for the first time...and yes, I crashed getting off the lift the first time, and the second I ran over my buddy who was teaching me. He wasn't too happy having me on top of him. 🤬

what if there is a group of skiers standing around at the bottom of the ramp? I run into this about half of the time, and that's when I tend to take a flip.

This year I tried snowboarding and even the "ass lift" was a great challenge. I eventually just stopped undoing one foot and would "jump around" to get on since it made me feel more stable. However this was extremely exhausting

Get a stomp pad! My foot would always slip off trying to turn with one foot, bought a spiky stomp pad and it’s basically like having your foot in a binding but with a little more narrow stance

The problems I’ve had on getting of the lift is skiers, cutting in front when getting off or in a couple of cases putting their poles through my legs. Had one kid put his pole through my legs when getting on and dragged both of us forward.

I only crashed once getting off a chair lift and I was looking at a tree and singing O' Christmas tree. Basically I jammed the nose down into the snow, did a whole tamedog, and someway landed upright on that bar that cuts the lift off. I say it doesn't qualify as a crash because I landed with my board under me it was a collision. Most of my wrecks have been when I was either singing or trying to use a camera.

I always try to sit on the end, so that everyone else is in front of me as I stand to get off. Then I can see them, in case someone is flailing or likely to cause issues. And I can even fend them off if needs be!

The toughest are those near vertical 5 kilometer Poma lifts that go around corners and have icy ski ruts. Pure evil!

Yeah if only all the lifts would be designed as well as the big one in the video! Often the lift exits are super steep, crowded with people camping on the exit point and paved with glass like ice.

You mentioned folding down your high back, but you should actually do it. I had a student fall on their high back and break it off. It can hurt too.

some chairs are way harder to get off than others. icy conditions always make it harder. and no matter how good you are or how long you've been snowboarding you can still fall easily. usually because someone crashes near you.

My problems 1) toe stops (its more comfy take left corner and stop with heel) 2) meeting guys around the lift area.. last week I just ran over skier pow.. he stuck the pow in snow and started a meeting with their friends. I just ran over crash the pow because I didn't turn for anywhere because was a group like meeting or picnic..

easier just to keep both legs strapped in during the ride, or if the operator doesnt let you, strap in while youre on the lift.

You know, I never once fell getting off the chair as I was learning last season. I suspect my extensive time longboarding really helped. I still caught my edge a shit ton during the early days, but the lifts never caused me any issues. There are a couple at my mountain(Whitefish MT) that have steep unloads that are often icy, those certainly spooked me, but i always managed to stay up thankfully. There's this one lift to the summit that maintains its speed until the last second, and I've come to love launching off it exactly the moment it slows down and zooming across the summit to the top of the run. It's kinda crazy how much fun I have dismounting that lift.

he failed to mention that when you get off the lift there’s a line of skiers right in the path that means you have to brake at speed because they didn’t get out of they way and they line up all the way across! Then it’s sink or swim on your skills to stop, i move my un-clipped foot either heel over or toe over depending on which way you want to move the board.

"Wait as long as possible to make turns coming off the lift unless you really have to because they're more difficult with one foot". Making turns with one foot strapped in is exactly what you need to learn here.

Another huge issue with getting off the lift is the unload ramp. If the lift operator let's groves or doesn't put snow where it's been pushed away it can cause problems for everyone. If the unload ramp is not flat it will cause problems.

My archnemesis is actually the Poma lift

Remember to take your backpack off when sitting on a lift. I saw a kid in front of me get caught and dragged by his backpack while getting off the lift. The safety stop bar, stopped the lift before carrying him back around back down hill.

I've been boarding for 30 years and the lift still makes me nervous. Suppose that's why I watched this vid. I ski as well and the lift doesn't bother me at all on skis. That's just how it is with boarding. The leaning forward thing is crucial. On a board, I always hang back and let the lift push me off. This usually leads to others getting off first, which I prefer. If you're a beginner, this keeps you from taking others out if you crash. If you're advanced, this makes sure no one is in your way if the skiers are going in the other direction off the lift.

Took me years of hating the chairlift before I realized I was just simply not leaning forward.

hilarous. must be for people who drive with lights off at night.

Rather than pushing off the lift when you get off I like to stiff arm the chair and let it push me. Seems more smooth and less jarring than pushing off. I like to give the chair a little "cock knock" right at the end of the stiff arm to assert dominance.

What do you do when the unloading zone is steep and icy?

My stance is reg but my buddy is goofy what is the best way for both of us to get on the same chair and not knock boards?

Is it weird that I get on the chair and skate around switch?

im confused last year i was able when riding with just me and my friend. but this year i fell because i was scared to trip a kid next to me ;-;

Yo yo

My greatest enemy is catwalks. My back leg is going to be twice as strong at this rate given all the pushing I'm doing.

Hi

World of pain, here I come.

If I get scared sometimes I just take my board off and carry it on the lift

It was much harder with the old, non-detachable chairs.

there's no bar where i go

so scaf of htis

Dont ride overpopulated resorts

Im about to go snowboard and afraid i be the laughing stock by those more experienced. I hope they are nice to newbies!

Lesson 1: avoid skiing people waiting in line.

The back foot has to stay close to the front one. Not pushing on the rear binding.

Just use skis like a normal person

People blocking the way because they’re laughing on the ground and have forgotten that people are being unloaded off the lift. It’s like someone blocking the way in front of an escalator. MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!

I hate the singles line. They should not exists, people in groups form perfect 4 before and almost never have a chance to go in there. I waited 2h in whistler while groups was taking 40min at base. Same on top. I never enter single lines anymore.

dont rest your board on your boot, don't clip your helmet on the chair

Because you didn't stand up

I do completely disagree with the standing in line mentality. No pushing, no cutting of other people to make room for your party as you eloquently stated. It is a reason for many useless discussions. Your statement that line cutting is benefitting for others.. It is a strange thing to say, I assume you do it and just try to make yourself feel better with treating others poorly.

If your ever scared to go on a lift just remember when I somehow flipped upside down and got stuck on the lift before flailing around and out of pure luck hitting the emergency stop switch on the pole. Worst part about it was I was on skis 🎿 so you can’t go as wrong as I did

The best advice I’ve ever gotten was don’t look down at your board when getting off the lift. Look at your destination and go. The problem I had was I would look down at the nose of my board, and once I thought I was good I would go to look back up then panic and eat shit. As soon as I took that persons advice the falling stopped.