Member of the Month

GayWolf420
June, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

First year lifty do's/don't-s

profile picture
-Colton
Posts: 272 - Karma: 2,525
Starting my first year as a lifty at my local hill... any suggestions on what to do and not to do?
11 years ago
869 380
profile picture
Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,011
keep your ramp perfect, people will appreciate it
if you're bored there is ALWAYS more shoveling to be done
know where the chairs are at all times, taking an 800 lb detachable chair to the head is not fun
don't act like you're all that just cause you're a good skier. be humble and listen to what the veterans have to say, you'll learn so many valuable things from them
brooms, rakes and shovels make excellent guitars and microphones when a crunchy jam comes on
get to know the locals, they'll hook it up with beer/weed if they like you
know your stop board, you'll feel like a total dipshit if you call lift maintenance and you have a stop button in
don't be afraid to RBO ski patrol if they fuck up. I've gotten so much beer over the years from those guys getting backpacks stuck on chairs
don't use your nice gloves, get some insulated kincos or other leather gloves for work
if you're allowed to ride on the clock bring a personal jacket for ride breaks so you don't catch shit for being off designated runs
get used to climbing into terminals with ski boots on
learn to moon walk in ski boots
have fun and be social, makes the day so much better
11 years ago
9 0
profile picture
Giulio
Posts: 107 - Karma: 70
Don't make it a career.

2 seasons max.
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,903
Stuffing butt is an art form.

The good:



The bad:



The ugly:



Butt seriously; just don't wait until someone is dangling 25 feet in the air to hit the stop button.
11 years ago
5 0
profile picture
ModMommy
Posts: 10877 - Karma: 58,295
If you have a hanger, throw a slow, then stop. You don't want to boot someone off the lift with an estop.
Learn your board, and know what circumstances apply to what stops.
Keep your maze easy to navigate.
If you're not sure about something, ask a more experienced op.
Know your job has risks for you and people. You are responsible for peoples lives. If you fuck up, nut up and admit to it, and have a corrective action so it doesn't happen again.
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
3 beeps for a bossman
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
kim_jong_ill
Posts: 1019 - Karma: 3,147
ChillTeenDad420must be an east coast thing, no one out here in WA ever puts the bar down except for Europeans or people with kids

IDK if iit's the law here in Canada but our lift has a super high spot where it gets windy so I often put the bar down. Better safe than sorry
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
ModMommy
Posts: 10877 - Karma: 58,295
Also, you are the face of the mountain. People will form impressions based upon your service. Make your hill the most friendly, fun place to be. It makes guests want to come back. Throw out high fives, get to know the locals, and have a blast.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
arnie_grape
Posts: 3459 - Karma: 11,912
somehow I don't think anyone has said no phones yet.

if you fuck around with your phone you will be fired so fast. at a hill around where I live a lift supervisor was told that a lifty was on his phone. so the supervisor called him up, the lifty answered, and he told him he was fired for answering his phone on the job.
11 years ago
3 0
profile picture
KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
casualBest advice.

If a manager, or supervisor, or a coworker gets you stoned, or talks about getting stoned with you, don't assume they treat everyone that way. In other words, don't tell other people what you do with other people because you don't know all of the dynamics and hierarchy. You might have just given an asshole ammunition against someone cool.

Don't take people's bullshit personally. You are invisible and most people won't see you as a person. Just stay high, laid back, pay attention, play good tunes, and try and make other people's day better. There's nothing better for the overall stoke, than a pumped up lifty doing their job well.

Throw high fives!

Cut people a break now and again when you can, but never at the expense of your job or job security.

Make friends with people in other departments, don't buy into any us v them bullshit. There's a million reasons to befriend everyone, treat it like a family, and you might have lifelong shred buds.

Work your ass off. Lazy lifties fucking suck. If your ramp is a mess, there's snow on the chairs, the line is backed up, and you're inside fucking with tinder, everyone will hate you.

Try and learn whatever you can about lifts as machines. Pretty cool stuff, and if you decide to stick in ski area business, it can open up other opportunities.

Ski on all your days off. Unless your 30 or older, then you can have a few off now and again.



Great post. Actually some of the best advice I have gotten in regards to work whatever you do whether it be a lifty or Ibanker, or engineer, or whatever. You gotta assume NO ONE is your friend at work. Everyone is trying to get ahead of you to progress their own careers. Yea im friends with the other analysts where I work and we drink all the time and go out but we also already have offers for our next positions so it doesn't matter to much. But work events....NEVER get to drunk. Gotta watch yourself around the bosses.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
J_Steez
Posts: 1167 - Karma: 4,239
I_Bohrmannit would suck to be on the lift


good thing no ones on it
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
schism
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 389
YoungDaphdon't be afraid to RBO ski patrol if they fuck up. I've gotten so much beer over the years from those guys getting backpacks stuck on chairs


As a patroller, lets not do that. Or I'll hot list your pass. In all seriousness, being a lifty is 80% customer service. Write family friendly jokes on your whiteboard, interact with the guests and make sure that your ramps are raked and nice. Have fun, it's contagious

Also, if you're the top operator be prepared for end of day sweep and don't make the patrol wait on you.

Have fun and don't fall asleep.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
gerbear
Posts: 435 - Karma: 395
Fuck with people that are high.

Tell people random shit when they are getting on the lift...That way they are confused and thinking about what you meant the whole way up....

I had a blast as a lifty.
11 years ago
1 2
profile picture
Yaraelpoof.png
Posts: 1556 - Karma: 6,418
Alternate which arm you hold the chair with. I can only imagine how sore lifties arms get.
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,011
schismAs a patroller, lets not do that. Or I'll hot list your pass. In all seriousness, being a lifty is 80% customer service. Write family friendly jokes on your whiteboard, interact with the guests and make sure that your ramps are raked and nice. Have fun, it's contagious

Also, if you're the top operator be prepared for end of day sweep and don't make the patrol wait on you.

Have fun and don't fall asleep.



I guess we have a pretty lighthearted relationship with patrol at my mtn because RBOs are something that we've done for years. Gotta keep that patroller ego in check somehow haha
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
phazan
Posts: 28 - Karma: 131
don't get upset when the girl you like is sleeping with your friends. every female ski worker is a slut.

just have fun and don't take things too seriously. high five people and don't get frustrated with the gapers. they don't know any better
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
North_Ace
Posts: 37 - Karma: 33
50KalLiftys change lives with high-fives. Give them all day, everyday, to everyone.

Don't do mind altering substances right before work or during. Lifts hurt people enough when I'm sober. Try explaining to your boss you forgot to hit a stop for a mono skier or falling children because you were too inebriated.
Save fun for after work when lives are not in your hands.

Oh and heres a video of what happens when a chairlift rolls back. It shouldn't happen but never say never.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/744614/Rollback-of-a-chairlift



I didnt have sound on and just thought this was just a really fast efficient chair lift that flung people off at the top haha.........that would suck though would be such a bottleneck at the summit.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,753
YoungDaphI guess we have a pretty lighthearted relationship with patrol at my mtn because RBOs are something that we've done for years. Gotta keep that patroller ego in check somehow haha


I've owed my share of lifties beers for shenanigans. Highlights include being violently ripped out of the chair while sitting between the director and the assistant director my first week when loading without skis on because a lack of a ramp at the top of #2, exploding a bundle of bamboo on the ramp when I tried to take two bundles and one snagged the arm of the chair and I got dragged by the lift ten feet, and then the time I couldn't yank a toboggan off of the chairlift seat because it hung up and I had to jump and the sled almost bullwheeled and rode back down but I got it off at the last second but not before I tripped the stop gate with my fucking face.

However, my previous lifty status allowed me to wave off the horrified lifty from having to reset the magnet and gate at least.

Oh yeah, and I aired airplane rock under chair one when the lifties were doing rotation and when I landed both skis totally stopped and stayed put and I tomahawked and lost my goggles.

So I've owed lots of beers. But my ego still constantly needs checking.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,011
casualI've owed my share of lifties beers for shenanigans. Highlights include being violently ripped out of the chair while sitting between the director and the assistant director my first week when loading without skis on because a lack of a ramp at the top of #2, exploding a bundle of bamboo on the ramp when I tried to take two bundles and one snagged the arm of the chair and I got dragged by the lift ten feet, and then the time I couldn't yank a toboggan off of the chairlift seat because it hung up and I had to jump and the sled almost bullwheeled and rode back down but I got it off at the last second but not before I tripped the stop gate with my fucking face.

However, my previous lifty status allowed me to wave off the horrified lifty from having to reset the magnet and gate at least.

Oh yeah, and I aired airplane rock under chair one when the lifties were doing rotation and when I landed both skis totally stopped and stayed put and I tomahawked and lost my goggles.

So I've owed lots of beers. But my ego still constantly needs checking.


goddamn redcoats.

its ok, every department fucks up. we have been giving a lot of beer to cat crew lately because we keep forgetting that trucks without chains do not drive well on the mountain roads this time of year.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
danncphedran
Posts: 1622 - Karma: 1,002
Be nice! And keep people stoked! Also putting a NS sticker somewhere on the chairs is sick to!
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,011
danncphedranBe nice! And keep people stoked! Also putting a NS sticker somewhere on the chairs is sick to!


no because then my department has to go peel them off in sub zero temps which blows.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,366
Grab the chair with the arm away from where the chair is coming from. I was taught to do it the other way. i.e. if chair is coming from my left, grab it with my left arm. That was really awkward and made my arm very sore very quickly, so I switched to using the other arm (i.e. if chair is coming from your left, grab it with your right arm -- yes, this will require turning to face the chair as it approaches), it makes it infinitely better (easier and more comfortable)
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
homiehomeslice
Posts: 15 - Karma: 58
fast_ass_cam_lol Whiteface, located in NY is the tallest skiing peak on the east coast at 4,865 ft.


beech mountain in NC is at 5,506 ft...
11 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 2:42PM