Lift Riding Protocols
Ride with your guests. Set your guests up for success. Children will need physical help with getting started. If necessary, take your skis or board off so you are more mobile! Our goal is to move guests out of the base areas, so please do your best to fill chairs on Ram8, Swift6, and 6-Shooter.
APO – AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Group Lessons: Should primarily use the general public lanes. If the line is out of the ropes/corrals then it is okay to use the APO lane.
Private Lessons: Private lessons can use the APO line, although if there is no need to, it is preferred that they go through the line.
Surface lifts
Surface lift riding best practices:
Guests and instructors are allowed to ride each of the six surface lifts (carpets) with or without equipment.
When riding surface lifts without equipment, riders will exit the lift at the foot traffic exit sign.
Maintaining appropriate spacing is critical on surface lifts. Spacing needs change depending on conditions. Please make spacing decisions accordingly and refer to the lift operator’s instructions for proper use.
Instructors and guests are encouraged to ride surface lifts with equipment when conditions allow.
Loading, riding and unloading surface lifts:
Skis should be parallel and at a comfortable stance width with knees, ankles and hips bent.
Begin at the very bottom of the lift, where sliding backwards is prevented by a level deck.
If using poles, keep one pole in each hand and use them to aid in balancing and propulsion.
While maintaining a parallel stance shuffle the feet or push with the poles until the skis are picked up by the black conveyor belt.
Lean forward to maintain balance.
Keep both skis flat on the moving part of the lift.
Skiers and snowboarders should exit straight off the end of the carpet.
Move students away from the unloading area.
Chairlifts
Lift riding best practices:
The best way to minimize accidents involving lift riding is to teach students how to safely load, ride and unload the lift – they will be safer knowing the expected behaviors and actions.
All lifts at Big Sky Resort can be slowed down to assist in the loading of guests. When possible, manage guests so that a slow on lifts other than Explorer or Derringer is not necessary. If a slow or any other assistance from the lift operator is necessary, on all other lifts, the instructor should communicate request directly to operator prior to entering the lift maze. The loading area is quite loud and it is difficult for lift operators to hear from a distance.
Load children needing assistance on the side of the lift operator.
Groups, including adults assisting children, will be organized prior to entering the lift maze.
If a student is not securely loaded and cannot be easily and quickly secured in the seat, an instructor has the option to release the student to the ground prior to leaving the lift corral.
6 and under lift riding protocols:
Children 6 and under (Mini Camp) ride with an adult. Adults should answer yes to the following three questions:
Are you willing to ride with this child?
Are you capable of riding with this child?
Will you use the restraint bar with my student?
We will maintain a max 2 to 1 child to instructor ratio for children 6 and under.
We will maintain a max 1 to 1 child to adult helper ratio for children 6 and under.
Children 6 and under will be wearing identifiable vests to help parties recognize their age.
Procedures will be followed for both private and group lesson students.
In the case of a group of smaller statured children who are older than 6, we recommend the 6 and under procedures be followed.
Loading, riding and unloading chair lifts:
Use restraint bars when provided with Mountain Sports School guests.
Instructors will ride up in the last chair of their group.
Prior to entering the lift maze:
Establish a meeting point.
Remove pole straps.
Remind children of the following rules when riding the lift:
No horseplay.
Do not swing or bounce the chair.
Sit all the way back in the chair.
Do not kick skis together.
Lower restraint bar before leaving corral.
Raise restraint bar at top of loading ramp.
Loading the lift:
Use poles with straps off to maneuver through the maze.
Load children on the operator’s side so that the operator can assist the child.
Wait at “wait here” sign.
Immediately after a chair passes, follow the chair and stand on the “stand here” sign.
Instructor will ride up in the last chair of the group.
Riding the lift:
Restraint bar should be lowered before leaving the corral.
Stay relaxed and expect occasional stops.
Unloading the lift:
Raise the restraint bar when you are at the top of the ramp, or at the ski school unload sign.
Keep ski tips up.
As you are ON the unloading ramp, stand up next to the “unload here” signs and lean forward.
Ski down the ramp and safely out of the way of other lift riders.