February 18, 2021
Well, this is interesting. Believe it or not by seeing the content, I usually write these emails over a few hours, at night, with no barking dog or Moms looking for lost skis. Tonight the email server is going dead in 30 minutes so I might want to hurry.
It is time to talk about Kids on Lifts
Starting this weekend kids that have never been on chairlifts will be going for the first time. As parents, we freak out more than they do, but there are some things Sky Tavern needs to share..
Chairlifts are incredibly safe. They don't stop without a reason and the movie Frozen, not the Elsa one, is total bull. Yes, we practice getting people out of a dead lift every year. Go ask Mike the head of Patrol and our Facebook weatherman when we did it last. Also, kids don't fall out of the chairs at their desks at school. It is the same.
We have bars on Sky Ridge. America is coming when we raise some more money., $25K. Kids do fall out of chairlifts two ways. They don't get in all the way or lack attention. Read that last part as screwing around. Get in, sit all the way back, put the bar down, and sit still. It's pretty up there but twisting around to look at the clouds is not a good idea. Poking your buddy with a ski pole, worse.
The most likely kid to come out of a chair is a special team kid, race team, or freestyle. Makes no sense. They are the most experienced on the hill, right. Yep and that is why. They are the most comfortable so they don't pay attention and they @#$% around. My kids were on teams. I kicked them off our chairs and let them hike the hill. Seems to have worked.
Chairlifts are much better than walking up a mountain. Get out to the line, follow instructions, sit down and back, and if there is a bar, put it down. Do not lean on the bar. Two to a chair and SkyKids have an adult with them. If too short and in the big kids class, we will find an adult to ride with you.
We don't have accidents on our chairs like public ski areas do because we practice. We take this seriously. There will be a practice chair out on the Rocco hill this weekend. Instructors, use it! Chairlifts are not something anyone should be afraid of but should have respect for. Talk to your kids because our instructors are going to too.
Click the picture above to go to the NSAA website about kids on lifts.
