Getting off of the ski lift is a difficult thing to do, especially when you can hardly make it down the bunny slopes. If you want to snowboard down the mountain, you have to ride the ski lift up. The ski lift moves quickly, and you’re supposed to slide off of it and get out of the way of the people behind you. If you fall, you have to do an awkward sitting shuffle away from the lift so no one runs into you. It can be a scary and embarrassing thing.
So, how do you stop falling every time you get off of the ski lift?
1. Unstrap your back foot.
Before you even get on the lift, you have to unstrap your back foot from the board. This enables you to “skate” on flat ground. You can use your back foot to push yourself forward. You’ll skate up to the red line and sit down on the chair. Enjoy your ride up the mountain.
2. Shift onto your side.
When you’re just a few chairs away from the lift exit, shift onto your hip. Shift onto the same side that your unstrapped foot is on. I leave my right foot unstrapped, so I shift onto my right hip. You might have to hold onto the back of the chair to steady yourself.
3. Angle your board upwards.
Lift the front of your board up a little so it doesn’t catch on the snow at the exit. If your snowboard catches, you could fall of the chair or twist your ankle.
4. Stand up.
Don’t wait until the last possible second to stand up. Stand up as soon as your board hits level ground. There will be a slight downward decline to propel you away from the lift, so use the extra second before you go downhill to steady yourself. The speed from the lift will send you forward. Make sure you remove your hand from the chair too, so you can stand up straight and find your balance.
5. Put your foot on the snowboard.
As soon as you stand up, put your unstrapped foot on the board, right in front of where the strap is. This will help you keep your balance.
6. Lean into it.
I fall the most when I put too much weight on my back foot out of hesitancy. Put your weight on your front foot, and lean into it. This will keep you going straight and get you out of the way of the lift.
7. Use your front foot to stop.
You would usually use your back foot to brake. Since your back foot isn’t strapped in, you’re likely to fall if you use it to stop. Try to use your front foot to stop yourself.
8. Strap in and ride.
Once you’re a safe distance away from the lift and not in danger of getting hit by those exiting the lift, you can strap your back foot in and start riding.
What if you fall?
Everyone falls at some point when they’re getting off of the lift. When this happens to you, quickly get away from the lift. Make sure you’re not in danger of getting hit by a chair. After that, you want to make sure you’re out of the way of the people who are about to exit the chair behind you.
Follow these steps and you should be a pro at exiting the ski lift in no time!
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