Ever been tempted to jump off the lift?

[Darin]

One of our lifts, the last 50ft is about 6 to 8 ft off the ground. Man it looks tempting, But I know I'd get kicked out. Plus, I guess you'de have to strap in on the lift before the plunge.

About a week ago, an 8 yr old boy fell about 20 ft breaking his femer, the lift operator wasn't paying attention, and the boy wasn't all the way in his seat. His dad was holding on, but he slipped out of his hand. His dad watch him fall and break his leg. The lift gets steep and high right after take off.

[Wakebrad]

yes, yes I have... whenever I go over a low point where there is a huge build up of powder.. but every time I go boarding it's only for 3-4 days so I can't risk losing a day.. it would be a rush though.

[jryoung]

Tempted, yes, but held back for seeing absolutely no logical reasoning in it. I'd rather bomb a drop for 20ft.

That sucks, sounds like a lawsuit pending.

[Jay Dutton]

Don't do it! It's not only illegal but dangerous too. In additition to putting yourself in danger you put everybody else on that lift in danger too. When you jump off the lift the chair can fly up and derail. It happend about six or seven years ago at the canyons on one of the older lifts. Nothing fell to the ground but it f'ed up the lift and everybody had to be evacutated off of it.

[jryoung]

Jay Dutton, did you get caught

[Darin]

I searched for any news story on derailed cables, and found this unrelated story, but people dieing skiing non the less. Kinda scary.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 15, 2005

VAIL - A 28-year-old Minnesota man died while skiing on an expert run at Vail Mountain on Saturday, the resort said.

Jacob Vanvalkenburg died of a neck injury after falling on the Blue Ox ski run, Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis said. No one witnessed the fall, resort spokeswoman Jen Brown said.

Ski Patrol responded around 10 a.m. and Vanvalkenburg was taken to Vail Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

"He just fell and was not wearing a helmet," Bettis said.

At least six people have now died after skiing at Colorado resorts this season. Three snowboarders died after colliding with trees at Vail, Breckenridge and Winter Park; a 13-year-old ski racer died at Vail in a collision with a resort snowmobile; and another man died of a seizure disorder while snowboarding at Vail.

[NorthwestRider]

I've jumped off a lift before. It was about 10 feet up on a powder day. Me and my friend were night riding at the Ski Acres and it was the last run of the night. We did it on Triple 60 chair lift. Near the top. The funny thing was is my friends dad was waiting for us up top and he was very confused about how we never met up with him.

[lcap]

I was two chairs behind a kid that had a siezure on the chair and the instructor couldn't hold onto him. He fell about 30' and died. Worst day on the mountain I've ever had.

I've been tempted but never pulled the trigger.

[jryoung]

[pyrocasto]

I've been very very tempted. I was at a local resort, about 30ft up when it broke down. I ended up being on the lift for 30min in 4 degrees F. My lift partner and I almost jumped since others were, but I decided not to in the end. It was kinda wierd having them all check if we had frostbite afterwards.

[lcap]

Was this at Snoqualmie?

It was at Crystal three or four years ago on what is now the "Forest Queen" chair. Somehow he managed to get under the bar. The instructor tried to hold onto him with everything he had but couldn't. Very, very sad.

[ttuclint]

I did one time I dropped my pole right when the lift took off.

[Buergday]

I saw a lady take the plunge last season. She had just got on the lift and wasn't on all the way. Got about 15-20 ft. up off the ground and then bailed. My wife and I watched the entire thing. It was quite a shock. Not sure what happened to her.

I fell off the lift once at Sierra. My dumb @ss buddy pushed off of me when we were getting off the lift (the old school two-person type that doesn't slow down at all). Well he basically pushed me back into the chair. It whipped around to go back down the mountain and I thought to myself "f**k it" and just kinda scooted off of it. I fell about 10 feet into the powder underneath - and the lift guy just laughed his ass off.

[numbfoot]

someone is going to think i'm full of crap for saying this but it's like a yearly tradition for me and my friends. lol it's fun. like on this one part of one of the chairs it's about halfway up so the lifties can't see and it's only like 15 ft. up. it's a lot of fun, and we're on a small mountain so it's really hard to get caught doing. we always wait for a really sick powder day tho so it doesn't hurt.

[shagprodigy]

if its a real small mountain, wouldn't it be easier to find you?

[numbfoot]

shagprodigy, nope. Since it's smaler there's not as much ski patrol or staff to see you. The only way u could get caught is if someone reported u, and no one would take the time to do that.... usually.

[stompin7s]

[LFADAM]

Ive been very tempted. My sister fell off of a lift but it was like 15 feet before the off ramp and was like a 5 foot drop... Sometimes it gets real low and there is powder I really want to do it but there is to much risk in getting caught or hurt.

I was once stuck on American Flyer lift at Copper, CO for 1 AND A HALF HOURS. This was a day where it was 12 degrees with 80-100mph winds...Luckily we were the second chair from the bottom when it stopped, where it was still sheltered, JUST too far to get off and go to a different lift and there was like 200 people/ski patrol watching. (Couldnt jump) Im really glad I wasnt in the middle of the lift for 1 and a half hours, I woulda been an ice cube! Thankfully, they gave everyone a free lift ticket that was stuck. Great service there.

[Method9455]

It depends if your jumping on to flat land, powder, or an actual like slope. Theres a lift at a local mountain that gets really low on powder days and i've jumped off a few times, but its like 5 feet under your board to the ground so no one cares. THere is this really steep point under a lift at my local mountain that i have an urge to jump off onto, its like a 15 foot drop and then a steep section, but it drains out into no where so you'd have to hike up like 500-600 feet to get back to a trail afterwards, i'll prob do it for the video i want to film next season.

[Method9455]

It depends if your jumping on to flat land, powder, or an actual like slope. Theres a lift at a local mountain that gets really low on powder days and i've jumped off a few times, but its like 5 feet under your board to the ground so no one cares. THere is this really steep point under a lift at my local mountain that i have an urge to jump off onto, its like a 15 foot drop and then a steep section, but it drains out into no where so you'd have to hike up like 500-600 feet to get back to a trail afterwards, i'll prob do it for the video i want to film next season.

[chipsevila]

saw this and thought it pertained!

[Elevation]

chipsevila, wow man that is scary

[Liquid*Force*Rider]

chipsevila, That would suck to be on that when it fell

[finkle]

dude, jumping off a chair is no big deal. but derailing is a real possibility if it's stopped. that would suck for everyone else.



I guarantee you if a roll back started I would jump off at any point: flat, rocky, water, whatever. You probably won't live through a rollback.

[Darin]

FREAKY pic!

[Elevation]

kswiss, im guessing a rollback is a break in the cable, therefor the line gets loose and all the chairs rollback?

[Darin]

I'd think they wouldn't roll back THAT far, after a few dips between the towers, it would hang up. I think.

[Elevation]

Darin, i dont know man those things seem like they could get some momentum going. the cables are pretty tight as it is so i could see them rolling back kinda far i dont know.

[finkle]

Elevation, no, a rollback is when the lift starts rolling backward uncontrollably and pretty much anyone in the chairs will probably die as will most anyone around the base of the lift.

as far as I know, it has never accidentally happened, but it is a very real possibility

[Method9455]

http://www.skilifts.org/chairlift_facts_eskimoliftdestruction.htm

[a hairy nun]

yeah it was soo sick in the middle of the lift its about 20 feet to the ground i loved it i did it twice the 1st time i did it fine but the second time i did it i hit my face on my knee and it sucked but it was still soooo freakin sick u guys should all do it its worth the trouble to strap in on the lift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ITS AMAZING

[numbfoot]

a hairy nun, that is AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cezza]

haha dont jump off the lifts where i ride in NZ- u will die...if not die then most def be in a wheelchair. yeh it is tempting but i wouldnt do it, just find a drop somewhere else eh. ive had my jacket caught in the lift trying to get off and that was bad enough let alone jumping off

[ride4life]

I jump off the lift at least once a year, it raises the spirits a bit, usually into a deep powder field or steeps, its not a big deal never more than a 20' drop and last time the ski patrol saw me he gave me the thumbs up. Of course this was at the best mtn in the world BAKER

[Elevation]

ride4life, thats insane dude! wow haha that has to be one sick mountain to have the ski patrol give u a thumbs up after seen u jump the lift.

a hairy nun and numbfoot, your avatars are freaking HUUUUUGE!!