Please note: the rules in Europe are sometimes different. The bar of the ski lift will always be put down so expect that it will be lowered. If you want to open your boots etc do it before entering.
@@evanevanson4742 A friend of mine worked at a skilift for a few seasons. They'll stop the lift if you don't close your bar and if they catch you opening the bar midway they'll give you a warning and will ask you to leave if you keep doing it. It's for your safety and their publicity. If a single person falls to their death (or gets seriously injured) on a lift, the whole thing needs to close, there will be an investigation and a metric ton of bad press. They really want to avoid that. Some of the newer lifts also close and lock the bar automatically.
Been skiing and snowboarding for 29 years now. East coast or west coast, I stay in the blacks, double blacks, and ungroomed bowls. I think one thing that was missed is as an advanced or expert skier/snowboarder, be mindful of the slope you are on and it's difficulty. If you're bombing a green or blue (especially on a busy day) be aware that there are beginners going slow, falling, not knowing where to stop, etc. Yes going fast is a lot of fun. Running into a kid or someone just learning isn't fun at all, you can hurt them and yourself. I've seen toddlers air lifted from the resort because people are going way too fast on a beginner green run and can't stop or turn quick enough.
I agree strongly on this. I'm up teaching my kid how to board right now and unfortunately all the runs are straight ice, not the best to teach your kid on. So we're on the green runs about halfway down the mountain instead of the top, and people are flying by us glaring and everything and all I could think is, this is a green run... And it made him not want to go anymore
As someone just learning, this is so important. I still don't have the best control of turning and slowing down. I always try to keep an eye on who is coming behind me but its super frustrating when people go flying by super close to you. Im doing my best!
I go very fast on runs but I am always aware of my surroundings and rarely if ever hit into people, you just have to give people room when your going fast and watch out
Things to add for next time... 1. Don't cut the lift lines 2. Talk to whoever you are sharing the lift with on which way you are exiting. 3. Leave room when you are passing others, it's just the safer way to travel. Love the video!
One more thing maybe (especially there for advanced people) : remember not everybody is as comfortable and knowledgeable as you on skis/snow, specially when you go on easy slopes, and be nice. Do not shoot "stay in your lane" to the newbie that goes 7kph in a easy slope, taking the entire width to make turns. That's already good they are managing to keep their balance and speed in control, they are doing the best we can reasonably expect from them. Do not rage against people in general. If you have to interact with people, explain things calmly. A lot of people are simply unaware of the etiquette. "Please, don't group stop in the middle of the slope, better go to the side where there are fewer people skiing". Edit : Changed my ignorant use of "he/she" etc for "they". Turns out that while trying to be inclusive by going for both pronouns, as it would be done in my native language (we don't have the neutral "they"), I may have used a form that is sometimes used to offend trans people. On a side note some people didn't try to inform me whatsoever and criticized my form in a rather mean manner like "Did school never teach you ?". If you did so wanting to defend trans people, please understand your cause is right but your ways are likely wrong, as it feels a bit hypocritical to defend trans from oppression and mockery by mocking people with imperfect writing.
@@ianmierek7647 Actually, they did not, or maybe they did and I don't remember ^^ (English isn't my native language so I also have some confusion with other languages sometimes --') On a side note, try to have a more neutral tone when pointing out mistakes and flaws or making advises :) like : "You can use 'them' instead of 'him/she'", it will increase the chances your remarks are taken in account.
@@felixbertoni you seem like a very positive person. and i appreciate you saying that. i love skiing but it’s been a tough process picking it up, and sometimes i have to cut really far to get down a blue (at the mountain i go to a lot of the time blues are unavoidable if you actually wanna have fun), and although I try my absolute hardest to stay out of peoples ways and make it clear that i’m doing my best a lot of people are so unkind! i feel like with a sport like this people should be encouraging one another or cheering people on, especially those who clearly are new and are doing their best, not being mean to them.
@@brontebowling4143 that sucks dude. Never really had that experience in Austria. Not even when I was a beginner, but then maybe that comes from me being a child back then. So weird that people would get mad at smb for going down a blue slowly and maybe taking wider turns, when they obviously don't have the skill to control their skis properly yet. Blues are made for beginners who try to become better and that's how these slopes should be treated. If I wanna yeet myself down a slope I do a red. If I wanna have a steady, slow and easy run I do a blue. Always do my best to slow down and safely pass beginners. We've all been there. All the best to you and your progress!
@@GimliGloinsson what skill level is a red, i don’t think we have that here! and that’s great for the culture, people definitely treat kids who are learning here in the states different than adults, and I know from a family member skiing in germany that that did not go so well for her on her first time 🤣 but i love flying down greens personally, blues are how you learn how to turn properly.
How about planning your run. If you are going to exit off to a other run from what you are currently on, don't be on the opposite side and cut across traffic to get there. Kind of like exiting the highway. Don't be in the left lane and cut across everyone to exit on the right.
But I think his point is just that if you need to cross in front of somebody, signaling is a good way to do that, just like on the highway. I don't think he is recommending that you just cut across in front of everybody at the last second
I think skiers and snowboarders should spend at least a couple of days doing the other sport, even if it’s not really their ‘thing’. It really gives an appreciation for the different challenges of ‘the other guy’, the differences in where blind spots are, the different challenges with lift mount/dismount etc. The mountain is a lot cooler when people have empathy rather than hostility. Also doing both is just cool anyway.
@@leahjohnson7883 similar story for me, skied for years then learned to board, did that for years and tried to ski again s couple of years ago and failed 😂
Great tips. I've been skiing for 38 years, and in the snow sports industry for 26 years. It's all about respect. We all share the mountain, and the road getting to the mountain. We all want to have fun, enjoy nature and get home safely.
Great thoughts, thanks for the video. As someone who has been on the mountain for 35+ years, there’s a lot of etiquette that people struggle with, and not always beginners. -When you get off the lift, clear the unloading area; get your pole straps on or strap on your board out of the way of everyone unloading. - don’t stop in the middle of the trail, as most people will ski down the center. I personally like skiing on the edges, but as an advanced skier it’s easier to maneuver around people that are clearly stopped at the edge than people in limbo in the center - if you are skiing in a group, don’t ski 4 across, leave room for people to pass, just like a highway - don’t cut in line, we all learned how to take turns in kindergarten, don’t act like you are confused and don’t understand how it works. If you don’t know, ask someone. - on a similar note, give people space in line. If you are 1 inch or 1 foot away from me, you aren’t getting on the lift any quicker. - if you want to listen to music, do it quietly so you can still have awareness of people around you, you are not in the x games, and stop playing it out loud on your speaker - I don’t mind people having a drink or two at lunch, but Drinking and driving is illegal for a reason, so should drinking and skiing.
I’ve had too many people hack the top of my board with their board/skis while in line. One guy did it twice to me in the same line and I said to him “do you really think you’re getting on this lift any quicker by getting up in my ass?”
@Matthew not ask, more like just call out because if you’re about to put the bar down I don’t want you to bonk my head because I was trying to tighten my boots or something
Your first tip about the safety bar on the lift. In Europe the staff puts it down, or you get yelled at if you don't put it down. I guess you would have to tighten your boots once the bar is down. I skied in Mt Baker and Squaw, I was shocked at first when I saw there was no safety bars on the lifts ^^
Yup, I was going to say that, but you did it for me. This side of the pond, you have a duty of care - If you had the bar up and somebody else on the chair slipped off, the authorities would throw the book at you.
When the lift starts, the bar comes down. it's very basic. @Tommie Bennett - if you need a warning, the problem is you. If you have some emergency where someone shouldn't put it down, OK, say so. But futzing on you boots and being annoyed about the bar coming down - nah, the bar is coming down and you should expect it.
@@john-tomlinson I quite agree and I suspect that Tommie is lucky that some assertive user is yet to lower the bar on his selfish and patently dangerous attitude.
Yo I agree with all of these, have one thing to add: when you’re in the park, I don’t care if you’re a beginner or pro, don’t cut across the run, because it cuts off anyone trying to hit the features, causing them to lose their speed and not get to hit the feature. Stay in your lane and do your line, you can hit the other features next run.
Depends entirely on the size and popularity of the park too. Most small mountains don't have enough people in the parks for this to even mess anyone up if you're just a little conscientious of what you're doing. If the park isn't crowded you can totally move across by staying out of landing zones and just looking up the slope to make sure nobody's coming.
Completely correct, unfortunately most people who are cutting across to hit all the features at once aren’t usually paying any attention uphill because of course they’re focusing on their “line.”Definitely be looking uphill when merging and stuff, good comment
your responsibility when coming down. I train my kids and look up as much as possible, but please miss your lame tricks so i can teach my kid to ski, a proper sport...
I saw this recommended for me. I'm newly into snowboarding and I didn't think to look up something like this. I haven't been to a resort yet and I'm so happy you made this video. Thank you!
Another thing: Don't stop right uphill of a group of people, even if it's your group, and especially if you're just learning to board or ski. If you lose control, you're going to take them all out like bowling pins. Even if you're confident, you can still hit a patch of ice.
Definitely! Even if you’re experienced, be careful stopping uphill of people, and don’t do it if it’s icy, very steep, etc. My family and I (all competent skiers) have hit each other this way on difficult terrain!
Or 'spraying' friends with snow. I never do that do the chance of me falling and possibly causing them to fall. And also damaging my board/their board and hurting others. Taught my friend how to snowboard and tries to spray me and try to tell him not. He has gone like 6 times to show you how new he is
Great video. Thanks for putting this together. I have skied since 1960, taught skiing seven days a week for 53 years, and was a decent snowboarder at one time. Here are my safety thoughts. 1. I agree that clicking your poles behind someone is just rude. The traditional polite approach for at least the past 75 years on very narrow areas like cat-tracks (narrow roads that crisscross the mountain) is to politely call out which side you hope to pass on, which I follow with a 'thank you' as I go by. The reasons for this are to avoid suddenly surprising someone and also to avoid them making a sudden move toward the side you are hoping to pass on. It does not ask the person in front to do anything to get out of the way, just letting them know you are there and which side you hope to pass on. 2. There is a safety protocol that I would love to see everyone adopt, something I call the "ten for ten" rule. The idea is to allow at least ten feet of distance between you and others for every ten mph of speed you are traveling. If you are traveling at 30 mph, allow at least 30 feet between you and everyone else, especially those below you. If there is not enough space on the run to allow 30 feet, there is really not enough space to travel at 30mph. At 30mph you have less than a second to react to any surprises within 30 feet of you so don't put yourself or anyone else in that situation. Some people like to yell at people going fast, but I have no problem with that (EXCEPT IN MARKED SLOW ZONES) if they follow the 'ten for ten' rule. If you want to go 50mph, make sure you never get within 50 feet of anyone. If 50 feet is not available, slow it down to match whatever space there is and then you can open it up again once there is more room. If you are coming into a crowded base area where people are within five or ten feet of each other, the max speed should be 5-10 mph depending on how closely people are spaced. 3. The one exception to the 'ten for ten' rule is cat-tracks. This is where the rule of calling out your intentions from behind allows for safely passing with minimal spacing. If anyone agrees, please spread the 'ten for ten' rule so that it becomes as common as the downhill skier having the right-of-way. Adopting this will avoid 90% of the arguments about whether someone is traveling too fast.
Sad part is that most people who do these annoying things will never watch this video , just like on the road, lack of self-awareness is somewhat frustrating . What this video really needs is some cute kittens or some other unpredictably stupid thing for it to go Viral and spread the knowledge ! Never came across "honking and flashing" here in France. Could add poking sticks backward at eye level whilst climing stairs...
Sure but new people probably will, i've only been out skiing once and now about to try snowboarding and sure most of this is common sense but it feels good to have general idea of whats expected
No, what needs to happen is more people need to speak up. People are so afraid to say anything to peoples faces these days. Just get online to complain. Trust me, the people who hit into my board on a lift line will NEVER do it again.
Riders code: you are responsible not to hit those below you on the trail. Skiers and boarders do change their turn radius and when coming up on someone be aware they may change their turn patterns, give room! Also as a skier, if I turn my neck/head to look uphill while I’m cruising in my groove, I can easily become counter-rotated by looking up hill and that causes a momentary out of balance/ risk. Pass with care.
These are all great, and I agree with them 100%. I always think that it is a great idea to ride predictably. If you randomly put in a hard turn without warning or checking behind you, someone who is already trying to give you space may not have room to avoid you. Also, people who speed into lift lines are the worst. There is no need to charge at stationary people at 100mph, just to join them in the line.
people who speed like crazy on the last 150 yards of the greens that dump into the bottom of the mountain piss me off so much. as a beginner, trying to make it across the long, shallow flat near the end without catching an edge is hard enough when you don't have some dude on skis or a board just straight-lining it at like 50mph 3ft away from you as you're struggling to just hold it together and make it to the end lol
I’m with u on the most annoying thing that is people behind u keeps hitting ur board in the lift line. I literally had the top sheet of my $700 brand new board chipped on the first day by a skier behind me while in the lift line, freaking drives me nuts till this day!!!
In my local park, the kids don’t give a shit in the ski line.. A normal day is telling 10 kids to stop doing it and they just laugh it off. Getting new skies now, and I’m super scared to use them because of this. They need to put up a sign or something for real…
Man the people in the lift line keep hitting my twin tips, it’s so fucking annoying, last time it was so close, I almost slapped someone because it’s so goddamn annoying
Great video! Though one thing I would point out is that I used to work at the mountains, and putting the bar down as soon as you get on the chair is the default. If you need time before the bar goes down, you need to be the one asking the others to wait
No kidding. I wore helmets as a kid, then grew into the immortal teenager having gone a couple seasons without falling and switched to a beanie. You can probably guess where this ends. In 2011, I gave myself a concussion after catching my heel side edge during a toe side turn across a steep slope. I went ass over elbows, and smacked the back of my head into the snowpack. Took probably two weeks to stop getting nauseous, and I’m pretty sure it lead to mental issues that took 3 or 4 years to fully resolve. Brain buckets. Wear them. I give TBIs a 0/10, would not recommend.
@@mrb692 you would have gotten the concussion anyways. Helmets really don’t help. Great for lacerations though, especially since you are on ice on the mountain
I’ve been wearing a helmet for thirty years, originally it was because I had a new baby in the house, but I slowly found out I like it because when you go over the bars and start tomahawking your beanie and goggles won’t go flying downhill never to be found again, and with the price of goggles no thanks. If you’re contemplating a helmet I recommend the Giro Jackson, comfortable fit, not too hot, vents and an adjustment dial on the back. One issue I’ve had with it is that the adjustment dial will loosen from rubbing against the back of your coat collar, but simple enough too retighten
I watch every video I can find like this. It's my second year snowboarding and one of my biggest set backs is my fear of causing a crash, and I end up losing all confidence in my ability worrying about everyone else on the hill.
Yoo same here, it's also my second year and this was a major concern of mine and still is! Hoping to be a bit more relaxed on the slopes this season with these tips haha, wish you the best!
It’s good to care about other people, but don’t worry about it too much. As long as everyone is somewhat considerate, there is no need for much stress - the mountain is a big place and people will generally be spread out.
Minor collisions do happen from time to time, it's an inherent risk of many sports. As long as you aren't going speeds that could cause injury, most aren't going to make a big deal out of it.
If you’re a skier with your snowboarding friends.. it’s totally okay to hockey stop in front of them as they’re securing their bindings. Trust me, they love it
I think the point about being aware of people behind you, especially if you're a beginner and going a little slow, is important. Yes, it is technically their responsibility to avoid you, but they are not psychic and can't see into the future, so if you cut in front of them when they try and pass you, they may hit you, no matter how skilled they are. No skier or snowboarder can stop or turn on a dime and they only have the reaction time of grey matter. If you're aware of someone behind you going faster than you, the best thing to do is stick to the middle of the slope or one side of the slope, and be as predictable as possible. That person will be looking at your line and forecasting where you're going to be so they can pass you with as much space as possible. If you make it easy for them to pass, they will really appreciate it.
Wait you have to have a safe distance from the guy thats in front of you so you wouldnt crash if they stopped the guy in front of you can you whatever you want he can stop he can fall down YOU are responsible for no crashing into him
@@arplay5715 Unless you're psychic and know exactly where the person in front of you is going to be in the future, it's not possible to do this with absolute certainty. What you thought was a safe distance can quickly not become a safe distance if they suddenly do a very wide turn, for example. Taken to an extreme it would be impossible for a faster skier or snowboarder to pass a slower one, on any slope, anywhere, ever. There is always a level of risk.
Sorry buddy dont agree, what you're saying is way beyond 'being aware'. If you cant turn on a dime to avoid the person in front of you making a turn, then you are either skiing too close to them or too fast for your ability.
@@Azerki1 At a certain point it's really got little to do with ability. You can be the most advanced skier in the world, but you can't beat the laws of physics, or the biology of your central nervous system to react in time. Similarly by that standard, "too close" is anywhere on the slope, even a particularly wide one. At an extreme you'd have to only have one person on the slope at a time or have everyone going exactly the same speed to completely avoid any chance of collision. Both of which are of course completely impractical. I appreciate this is less of a problem where people of mixed ability aren't sharing the same slope, as in the case with many european resorts, but it's far more common in the US and Canada for a black, blue and green to all merge into one near the bottom.
One of the things you missed is unstrapping in a lift line, nothing is more frustrating than rolling in on momentum just to find a snowboarder blocking the entire chute. If you can't glide right onto a chair dont block the approach😉
Bro yes! I snowboard and will coast into line while unstrapping but I can do so without stopping/blocking people or running into people. I can not stand when other people attempt it but fall or blast into others in the line. Shit drives me crazy. Or waiting for friends in line instead of before the line.🙄
That's kind of silly most people are unstrapping where they come to a stop, not everyone is an expert. Downhill has the right of way... not you hot dogging thru a fuckin line dude cmon
@@DoPtRiGGa not "hotdoging" through a line when you expertly roll in with just enough momentum to slide right onto a chair and nothing more frustrating than some gapper blocking the entire approach when no inner is ahead of them, if you don't have the skills to unbuckle when you are riding then stop before the line and do it like a green beginner. I ride with snowboarders almost exclusively and everyone of them can unbuckle while cruising in
@@Snow-Journal So you're riding with experienced riders, not everyone has that kind of experience. It's a ridiculous request seriously, you can skate for 10 feet you'll be ok
Just have to say your content is great man! I’m late to the game and new to snowboarding and hearing an experienced guy like you not belittle newbies, but trying to show them the ropes is super awesome.
Great tips and things to be aware of . So many people just don’t care or don’t bother to learn proper etiquette when they start any new hobby . A little awareness and Courtesy go along way to keep you and everyone around you safe and having fun . One thing I can’t stand and this is specific to skiers is when people use their poles to point and swing them all around… Definitely been smacked in the side of the head multiple times. Also when people are filming And get tunnel vision on what they’re doing forgetting there are other people on the mountain, I’ve had so many close calls with people zoned out on their camera or phone , you didn’t mention it specific towards filming but I noticed you’re always looking around head on a swivel, Situational awareness is key to every situation!
Big pet peeve for me is not being controlled with speed on the bottom of runs (i.e. dercums dash @ keystone) or where everyone gets funneled together at high speed. Had a boarder come flying in at the end of the run in the slow signs and cut me off, made me catch my toe edge going pretty fast and crack a rib. Was the last 50m of my last run, and now I'm out for a few weeks. :(
Yeah, my ex actually had someone come in flaming hot from Ina’s Run into Dercum’s Dash and broke her arm. I always instructed her to stay closer to the middle to avoid others merging, but she still had the right of way.
My favorite is when people blow past you in a slow zone (trail to a lift, ending of a run, merging of runs) the signs are there for a reason and it’s so unsafe to go fast through these areas because they are so unpredictable. Can be very stressful for new riders as well so if you see a slow sign please just slow down. There’s steeper runs for those who want to go fast with no slow signs.
THIS! I am a new snowboarder and was going on my second green ever...the entire thing is marked as a slow zone and the trail was ungroomed after 12+ in of snow.. People were zipping passed me and coming within inches of me..caused me to have a panic attack because I didn't want to fall and then get runover by someone speeding. luckily my boyfriend who is experienced was with me and stuck behind me to body block for me.
@@michele8083 hey groomers are still fun even if you can rip some crazy turns… But also… I have found those signs are put up on weird places that you really shouldn’t be slowing down in (right before some flats)
@@tainicon4639 While that is true I think the point is if you're on a green run and you want to bomb maybe don't zip past people really close, give yourself some room you are the one who is good enough to control where you are on the mountain and your speed so stay a nice distance from people who you are passing because they are probably still learning and for sure when they are learning and you fly past them it's going to rattle them and can easily cause them to lose their concentration and fall.
@@DoPtRiGGa oh totally. I have been working as a coach and instructor for about a decade haha. A common thread I have simply noticed is that at smaller/local mountains the patrollers who put the signs up often aren’t super experienced skiers and can make mistakes in sign placement. It’s not big deal if you know what you are doing. Importantly though… on skis I think speed is relative to ability. If you have no control 20 mph can be very dangerous for you and for others, While I can not even properly turn my skis at that speed… so it’s actually safer for me to be moving at like 35 mph (which is still pretty tame) where I can actually maintain control.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people congregate right in the path where everyone gets off the lift. Move to the side so other people can get off the lift safely. As a snowboarder I find it difficult to control myself with only my front foot strapped in and getting off the lift with a crowd of people standing in the way is never fun.
As a beginner heading into my 2nd season, one thing that really frustrated me was other beginners literally stopping as they got OFF either the beginner Lift or Magic Carpet. SO many times I ended up running into someone as I was getting off at the top because they didn’t use their “critical thinking” to keep moving out of the way before stopping to strap in.
One thing I like to do when I am passing I yell down the mountian "coming left" "coming right". Or "on the left" "on the right". Also a good help which a lot of skiers appreciate when we are cruisin through!!
Good idea, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to understand you. I got a helmet on and it get's pretty loud with the wind. Most people also wear something over their face/mouth further muffeling any yells.
I switched to skiing this season and used to do this too as a snowboarder but now that I’m a beginner to hear people say this behind me scares me and messes with my head. It feels like they don’t have the control to maneuver past me safely. I know they are probably just making sure that I don’t make a sudden move to one side but it throws me off.
DON'T yell out behind someone to pass them. That's the same as making noise and banging poles. With helmets on, they aren't going to hear what you are saying and are going to turn to look as a reflex and could end up catching an edge. You're not on a bike, most people's ears are covered, all they hear is someone yelling not what you're saying.
Been skiing for life. Never boarded. A lot of your tips apply no matter which you do. Honestly, for skiers don’t be afraid to take some space to turn back and forth as in my experience, that’s the best way to go fast without hurting people. Too often I see skiers who don’t turn and go fast and they aren’t really in control of whether they take someone out. I used to race and basically ski like I would race and have still been taken out before. Also East Coast the bar has to be down by law, but I’ll still warn people that it’s coming so no one gets hit in the head
I've been riding for over 15 years and the most annoying riders are skiers in front of you that just sporadically and unpredictably cut across the whole track with no warning, I've had soooo many close calls, so I've learned best thing to do is when you coming up on someone or group of ppl and especially if you are flying just yell out "on your left/right!". And it has been very successful and works great for me.
Yes! I agree. Yes technically the people below you have the right of way, but if you are going to make a major line change, like from one side to the other, it's a good idea to look around you to make sure you don't cut someone off
It honestly perplexes me the lack of self preservation that some people have. Like it gives me serious anxiety that someone is gonna hit me when I cross the entire run like that. I'm constantly looking up the hill triple checking to make sure I don't get taken out. Someone needs to invent little side mirrors to attach to a skier's pole if they're gonna be cutting across like that lol
@@jimshorts5970 It doesn't happen equally. It's quite hard for intermediate snowboarders to cut across the mountain the way that intermediate skiers usually do. That's also besides the point. Anyone that dangerously crosses the entire run by not looking needs to be told off. Your post screams someone who yells all lives matter and it's embarrassing.
I feel like ski patrol & yellow jackets should let people know about etiquette. "Hey, there's a ton of people here. You probably shouldn't sit/stand in the middle of the run."
Exactly!! They are NEVER pro active. All they care about is pulling passes from good riders like Tommy, who have the best etiquette in the mountain. I think they are literally told to leave the tourists alone. They really could prevent a lot of problems on the mtns. Again, too much passivity in CO.
Same can be said for driving etiquette, I should make a video on that, people are clueless and generally hypocrites when someone does the same thing to them
Great stuff here Tommie and totally agree! Especially on busy days, the lift lines space is soo needed. It can come off as disrespectful and just really ruin your good vibe on the mountain when you see something like rentals slamming into your gear over and over. Watch my tips and give me space please and we will all have a better day! Lift line etiquette in general is something to talk about. The lack of communication is annoying sometimes and it doesn’t have to be hard. No one wants to be skipped/ cut in line by something like not alternating / not paying attention when lanes merge together. Or to see a lift go up empty or with one person on a busy day. My roommates and I always try our best to communicate and invite singles to our group early to help fill the chair and keep the line moving. Resting your gear while on the lift is another thing to be mindful of as you swing your stuff around to get comfortable. Communicate as your are figuring it out just like the safety bar. A tip I share with others all the time on a crowded full chair where I can’t easily rest my unstrapped foot under my binding, I will cross my free foot behind my strapped foot to relieve the weight of the board. Works so well and doesn’t get in the way of others. Also maybe as a single snowboarder try to snag and sit on the outside of the chair or whatever makes the most sense in the scenario you are in so you have the best dismount possible at the top. Couldn’t agree more on the runs being like highways and the need to be aware of your surroundings. Being able to stop in emergencies is another big one for me. Looking ahead and behind you often. Know your skill level as well and what runs you go on. Big s curves are fun but on a busy day, it is like cutting across 3 lanes while driving during rush hour on the highway. No one behind you in the opposite lanes are expecting random drastic lane switches like that. Stay in your line and when switching just look and like you said, give people indications where you are trying to go when you can. Lastly because this comment is too long already: Always look out for beginners and kids. I try to help out people when I see help is needed. Grab a dropped pole or ski if you see it or block off and warn others above for they may not be able to see an injured person in a blind spot that you see. Ski X’s or poles are a great symbol to use in emergencies until ski patrol gets there. Share the mountains, respect each other and simply communicate. Oh and pick up trash when you see it. So many people go out to enjoy the mountains with their friends or simply to escape these crazy times we are in. I could talk all day about this and so glad to see this being discussed more here Tommie! I think info like this needs to be shared with others when needed respectfully for they simply may not know some of these things. Maybe how to give constructive feedback or advice to others is a good topic as well. Stay safe out there everyone! I know I’m trying to ride into my 70’s! 🤙🏻🏂❄️🏔
I completely agree with the responsibility of passing, I see too many people getting irate because someone in front of them wasn't skiing/boarding "predictably". While I have been caught making a too-close pass due to someone surprising me with a big lateral move, but its my job to make sure I left the distance and passing speed to be able to miss nearly any wild move in front of you. I do call out "on your right" sometimes, but we can't rely on this because so many are rocking headphones or just can't hear due to the helmet and gear. it never hurt to give a call out.
I’ve never seen the bar thing in a lift in all my years of skiing. Maybe it’s an American thing? But everyone knows when you’re sit down and the lift launches you away the bar is coming down. If you’re adjusting your binding you do it before or after even queuing the lift. If you start bending down and someone hits you on the head with the bar people with probably think you’re a first timer. Otherwise the tips were really good 👍
@@anneonnamouse5496 In Colorado, there are lots of lifts that don't have bars at all, and most people don't use them on lifts that do have them. Out of 100 lift rides, maybe 10-12 will have someone that wants to put the bar down. So, it is considered common courtesy here, to warn others if you are bringing the bar down.
I love this videos!! I´m a skateboarder/surfboarder new to Snowboarding, and this kind of videos helps me a lot to underestand the written or unwritten rules of the slopes. There are many differences here in Europe but still helps a lot.
Also for places without designated rest areas, Whenever my parents need to take a break, We like to stop behind SLOW signs. They act as a great visible place and ensure you aren't in the way.
I tried to snowboard yesterday (which I am not very good at). Wiping out on the back of a steep roll and picturing myself coming over the roll on skis (which I am quite good at) gave me good perspective. It also made me try to get off my ass ASAP. As for passing people, I will often say "on your left/right" just to let people know that I'm there and in the hopes that they won't suddenly make a last second turn in my direction. This is basically only necessary in that one spot where there is a huge flat spot coming and the cat track is narrow.
Yelling out "on your left/right" is the same as the "don't" mentioned for making noise or banging poles. When someone comes up behind you and yells, reflex is to turn and look and you can cause them to catch an edge and crash. Don't be a d*ck, figure out a way to pass without yelling
People running their boards or skis over other's in front of them is by far the most annoying thing that I see happen every time I go up to the mountain. STOP IT.
Bro I got the top of my skis absolutely sliced the other day by a beginner in a lift line. Luckily they were nice rentals with insurance (rented cuz my skiis were getting work done that day)
I had the outside edge on one of my brand new skis chipped to hell last year bc someone behind me just slid up next to me over the top of my ski. Took a lot of self control to not make a bad decision...
Great video. Been riding a few years now and sadly still see to many of the dont's happening (especially groups sitting in the lee of a roller - my pet hate). Would love to see this video shown to all newbies before they are allowed on the mountain!!!!! Could save a lot of accidents and make a better atmosphere
1. When you leave your skis/board right NEXT to the rack on the ground! I don’t care if they’re nice and you put them way out of the way, where nobody will have to walk around them.
I'm glad I watched this because being a noob, I was taught the way to de-ice my board is by beaver slapping it. The binder trick takes so much less effort and is less damaging. Just bought my first board so this info is coming in clutch.
10:38 As a lifty, it's not the noise that we hate (but having it happen every five fucken seconds does get annoying) the #1 reason we hate board smacking is that it packs the ramp down into ice, so if you have lifties that actually try to keep their ramp nice, dont smack your board on our ramps My FaVorITe thing is when a rider comes through and smacks their board 5x and I give them a death stare as I tell them not to so that and they usually give lip about why they shouldn't, then 3 hrs later they come through and slip then complain about how icy the ramp is. (I know it's not just their fault but it is the amount of board smacks over those three hours from hundreds of riders that ruined the ramp we then have to replace the ramp entirely, but this season we don't have the snow to replace the ramps, so not only are they icy from the never ending onslaught of board smackers, they are icy from weeks of riding on the same ramp without replacement.) This season blows, I pride myself on having a good ramp but without snow I can't fix them and the customers are complaining all day long, fucken sucks
I love this. So many people need to see this! One this is I am a skiier and I click my poles together not to tell you I am here but to say I saw what you just did and think it was cool or I was impressed in someway. It is like clapping. 👏
Just saw your vid today - just wanna say THANKS SO MUCH for taking the time to put together all the info! I'm coming into this sport way late, way out of shape (in other words I'm old and round workin on undoing the round part LOL) but absolutely in love since I saw my first Winter X Games decades ago and this is #1 on my bucket list! TO be honest I'll most likely never do half pipes and air tricks, but I'd love to get to the point of just comfortably coasting down a slope without killing myself OR anyone else! Some things sound like common sense, such as make sure you can skate before you ride a lift, cuz whatcha think you're gonna do when you get off the lift, right? I especially loved the tip on blinkers, sure the person higher up the hill has most responsibility to avoid obstacles downslope but you also have a responsibility to not ride like a complete idiot/out of control or riding way beyond your skill level - I had no idea how to signal people uphill. Love the tip on how to carry your skis, but snowboarders also are guilty of carrying over the shoulder, etc. I carry my board with the bindings facing away from my body with my arm under the binding to keep it from slipping out of my grip... I've seen some people carry their boards by grabbing the binding with their hand which is great but not if you're gonna let it swing around n hit people. So I guess I have to say a lot of it boils down to being spatially aware no matter your skill level, and love the tips posted by the rest of you = fave comment is the one about boards or skis both are cool and we are out doing what most people never dare to try and we can all be cool and positive! PS THank you to anyone with experience who observes a newbie struggling and chooses to drop a tip or two instead of droppin a rude comment and an eye roll - hey we gotta start somewhere so yeah thanks for anything positive!
i had to slow up for someone taking super wide unpredictable turns in front of me and trying to time her, had US ski team wannabe coming down the mountain. put on my blinker to pass her on the right, figuring he'd go left. nope. literally had to come to a complete stop. he barely made it through the gap. if i didn't stop, someone was getting a ride down the mountain in the toboggan. good luck with the shoulder. mine took nearly a year to heal, but for 5 weeks it was in sling and i was regulated to the groomers.
I go once every year ,I just moved to Missoula Montana,the snowbowl open in a couple of weeks.i go alone and this is the first year my daughter is coming totally stoked ❄️❄️ 🌨️
Love this list! Skiers! He is absolutely correct about how you can carry your skis. One method of doing it: the front section of your ski should rest on your shoulder with the toe binding resting right behind your shoulder. Also: your break binding will lock on one side, not on the other. So if you do this method and your ski slides, simply flip it over and the break won’t slide. From there keep the angle of your ski up like the video instructed and you’re in the clear!
Hate people that run over the back of your board. I lift my board up on an edge and use the base as a barrier to stop morons thinking every mm is going to get them faster to the lift.
Good for you We need more of these type of videos on safety and etiquette. I like the real estate part - I'm a private ski instructor and I always tell people when they're ready to advance and get on the intermediate run for their first time, I let them know there are different levels of skiers on this run and you can't take the whole run to make your turns. the beginner hills different everybody's slow and learning. here you've got intermediates practicing so that are learning too. So what you need to do on an intermediate blue run, is cut the hill in half and use half the hill to make your turns, so that people going faster can use the other side of the hill to pass you. safe places to stop because more people are on the hill riding this season... is more important than ever. If you're wearing black don't stop in the shade. where bright colors like this guy with the red jacket. bar etiquette is important because not everyone's wearing a helmet and we have metal bars in Tahoe so you get slammed in the back ahead with one of those you're able to go unconscious and write off the left 30 ft in the air. Just like a car on ice never go faster than you can stop ot turn. remember that you begin and end where your skis or board begins and ends. Your responsible in a lift line, for not climbing on other people's gear. somebody pays $1,300 for the stokely's, they don't want you on top of them. (A good joke is to turn around and say hey I like to be on top). There's always those people who think it's okay to use the human in front of them to stop and lift lines. Like hey that's what your polls are for. I just turn around and ask nicely Don't use my skis to stop and slow down. I've been slammed into the back of my binding and a lift line by a 6'4 man that sent me flying. bullying on the chairlift or in lift lines:. Just take their picture and turn it into ski patrol there's no point in responding or escalating the bully. If you're visiting another mountain like when I was visiting Mammoth (shout out to his mammoth sweatshirt) and I started feeling like oh I'm now one of those annoying people that does all the s*** that bugs me on my home mountain. So exercise extra caution when you're not familiar with the territory. I just told everybody my name was Dorothy and where am I lol If somebody's being pushing trying to get ahead of you in the Funitel line, let them. They're probably not that good and you'll get more runs in anyway. If you're smashed into the Funitel like sardines, try a sing along if you've got a speaker like I do. The guy next to me had that idea today and he had me put on Sweet Caroline and then we shouted out sing along! everyone in that Funitel sang the choruses lol. It was a great ride. If you see somebody laying in the snow go ask him if they're okay and if they're not conscious call Ski patrol. set their skis and poles in an X So nobody hits them. WHERE A HELMET - I'm experienced skier died this year on my home mountain because he had a tree with no helmet. Don't do what the lady did today trying to cut the line by going under the fence under the chairlift and almost got hit by the chair. watch a few videos on people falling off chairs and put your bar down. especially if it's windy. A lady got blown off one of our lifts in a 50 mph gust. She didn't weigh much and she wasn't that far from takeoff fortunately. If you see one of those doofus Dad's taking his beginner child out on an expert run... Just take their picture and show to ski patrol so they can go talk to Mr Dad. If you got to pass somebody, be loud -- I used to say on your left on your right, Now I find as long as I'm loud it doesn't matter what I say I could be say yippee ki-yay. If you're skiing on a main run and you know there's other runs that come in to that run or chutes that drop into that run... Don't flip and ski a ride that side! move over to the middle or the right side... And please use any of the above in your future videos!!! We had a 3-year-old killed by a out of control snowboarder at Mountain this year in Tahoe. collisions can injure people, and the smaller person that gets hit is going to be the one that gets the most hurt. high speeds out of control on firm snow or ice You hit a little ice patch and you hit a kid smaller than you... You're sending someone to the hospital.
On the "beaver slap", I was one of those guys in the past but I quickly discovered that I had delaminated the trailing edge of my board, and I believe it was a result of slapping my board. That and hearing other people slap their boards around me made me realize it was annoying, damaging, and unnecessary.
Great public service , thank you for posting. this type of education should be included as part of all ski lessons to avoid learning the hard way, but it's rarely done and if so, only in passing. Thank you.
Skiers click their poles so that boarders don't cut into them when the skier is passing, not so that the boarder gets out of the way. I can't count the number of times ill be passing 5-10 feet away from a boarder whose been tracking a straight line, only two have the boarder make a sharp cut directly across the run in front of me. We don't want to startle you, we just don't want you making a move we can't compensate for. It doesn't seem to matter of we pass front or back side. Far too many boarders don't look before they cut.
The worst is when boarders all sit down in the middle of the top of a run when getting off a lift. Equally bad when a group of skiers stand in a line after getting off the lift to discuss where they’re going to go.
As a beginner, I'm simultaneously super-self-conscious about people behind me while I'm worrying about not running into people ahead of me. Using hand "turn" signals seems like an elegant solution!
I disagree. You should have an idea who is behind you. That has nothing to do with being in your right. The same way om a highway. Always know where the idiots are. Regardless of whether your right or not. They are the one who will put you in the hospital. My advice would be to, when there is traffic, sky in a predictable way. Try to figure out whether there are natural lanes with with different speeds. Join the lane that matches your speed.
@@ptjenl1 so you should have eyes on the back of your head? It's your responsibility on the slopes to be aware of whose ahead of you, and that responsibility extends behind you, not the other way around. When you're on the highway, you have mirrors. You have mirrors on your helmet on the slopes? I didn't think so moron 🤣 Tell me you're a noob without saying you're a noob lol
You nailed Most of them. Forgot one that I find is a complete don't. Taking up a whole run going side to side as slow as possible, I understand some people are beginners but maybe stay on some bunny trails or green runs. I honestly think that causes alot more accidents than anything
Had no idea you could use the ratchet to clean the binding out!!! I tend to get ice and snow built up in my rear foot. I'll have to try that next time!
Don’t. You’ll break your ratchet waaay sooner than normal wear and tear. Carry a small screwdriver tool in your pocket. There are actually little springs in your ratchet which when they start to loosen or break down, , will no longer work and you can actually get hurt if your binding opens while riding.
Generic rule of thumb: uphill rider holds responsibility to ride in a way where they can perform an emergency stop if necessary (aka minding speed and distance to below riders in same path) Advanced rule of thumb: downhill rider holds the responsibility to ride predictably in a clear path. This means if you suddenly decide to switch out of your predictable path and for example cross court the slope or make a sudden wide turn, you have the responsibility to check that you're not diverging into someone else's fall line -even if they are uphill riders relative to you they may have higher pace and will end up being equal to you once you have come into their lane. Expert rule of thumb: Pace yourself relative to those around you. The higher pace, the more awareness is required, and the more responsibility you hold as a rider regardless of where you are on the mountain. Pace exponentializes all hazards, so keep an eye out below you, around you, and above you - and ride according to your surroundings at all times. Less skilled riders may not have the capacity to keep you in mind, even if you through technicality have the right of way. Never rely on right-of-way technicalities for how you decide your course of action. Always assume others know less than you and are less aware than you. You may have right of way, but you don't have right to partake in a hazard that you were more than capable of avoiding regardless of who had the right.
My two biggest pet peeves: 1) if you hit somebody, apologize. You will make enemies so quick and kill somebody's vibe and maybe even ruin their day. 2) If you take a side hit, it's YOUR responsibility to have a clear landing. I got bodied by a guy who took a side hit, and completely ate shit. He got up, and sped down the mountain without even acknowledging anything. I confronted him at the base, and he shouted at me saying it was my fault. Don't be that guy.
-Wear a helmet. -Look up hill before you turn. -Don’t get wasted on the hill. -Ride at a speed that you can control no matter what. I’ve been riding for 26 years and all over the industry from coach, sales rep, competitive rider, instructor, and now patroller. I can tell you with 100% certainty that just doing those 4 things will make sure you get off the hill in one piece.
9:40 exactly how i broke my wrist last winter, skiier snuck up on me and was making some noise, i turned my head, caught an edge, and fell. Dude just sped by, didnt even stop to see if im alright. It was a flat run as well
The roller blind spot issue is a big one for me as the consequences are dire. A decade or so ago my home mountain (Hogadon in Casper, Wy) had a double fatality on I think Christmas Eve. Best that they were able to figure out was a mother and her 5 year old daughter were getting the little girls skis back on when a snowboarder aired off the roller and collided with them. From what I remember the little girls throat was cut by the edge of the snowboard and she bled out. The snowboarder and mother both suffered head traumas, the snowboarder died from his injuries while the mother survived. Slow down and save the alcohol and pot for the apres when the mountain closes.
Important to remember that a roller means the backside is steeper and so skiers/boarders can be going slower or have fallen on the far side of the roll. I see people send it off rollers with no idea what's on the other side.
im ok with people making noise when theyre coming up behind. Like the pointing which direction you are heading, it just lets people know you are there, esp if they dont seem like they are looking around much. If you are on a narrow run and cant pass, I dont see any issue with it
The worst is when someone is riding terrain completely out of their skill level and riding unpredictability. Super common when parents drag their kids into the bowls and gate access areas. STOP DOING THIS! I’m trying rip in an advanced area and not have to worry about kids stopped in the middle of the bowl because they are scared
You forgot the most important part: Stay consistant/predictable! Humans are very good in seeing and interpreting patterns. Someone skiing down the hill will see you carving big curves and automatically pass behind you, because they don't think you'll suddenly turn around and do small curves. Or if they see you short swing down the hill, they don't expect a sudden wider curve.
You were literally standing 20 ft from where a skier swung their skis and left a huge digger in my brand new goggles when you explained how to carry equipment. I’d also mention people riding out of control. Yeah, I love to bomb a mountain too, but if you’re putting other people at risk it’s not worth it. Save it for a wide open run - nobody thinks your cool when you cut everyone off and hog the mountain.
Great vid Tommie! Just want to add that in catwalks or whatever you want to call those narrow passes, everyone please share the “road” skiers and boarders, tho I usually do see skiers slowly swerving back and forth taking up the whole area sometimes
I went up yesterday and some one stopped right in a blind spot and I was going pretty fast so I saw him right as i was going over and had to swerve super hard to not hit them I ended up catching an edge and broke my knee cap and sprained my ankle first day of the season to pretty annoyed
I think skiers/snowboarders should respect the green slopes. I have been teaching others how to ski for the first time on the green slope in North Star Lake Tahoe. The area is clearly marked as "slow mellow zone" & "family learning zone" on the map for beginners. Meanwhile, there are dushbags who fly through at full speed and get angry at slow people on the slope. Like what's wrong with you, if you are so good, please go to a black or blue runs where there are no beginners. Learn how to read if it says "slow" on yellow. Please follow the rules. There are kids and first-timers on the slope!
My favourite is when groups of 4-6 decide to have a break and a chat in the middle of a slope.
And right after a big roller so you don't see them until your right on top of them!
If you can’t see them until your right in them that’s bad but if you can see them and know they are there it isn’t too scary
it’s always the snowboarders who get sore legs and just sit back and slide down shaving off all the good snow in the middle of all the runs
If there not going, give them a snowing.
@@rick4677 sorry you have no friends to snowboard with
Please note: the rules in Europe are sometimes different. The bar of the ski lift will always be put down so expect that it will be lowered. If you want to open your boots etc do it before entering.
Exactly
Some of the new one even close them self
Is that a legitimate safety thing or just something people do? I'm hoping to do a trip to the Alps this season and I wanna be prepared
@@evanevanson4742 safety thing. Some resorts will actually stop the lift if you don't put it down.
@@evanevanson4742 A friend of mine worked at a skilift for a few seasons. They'll stop the lift if you don't close your bar and if they catch you opening the bar midway they'll give you a warning and will ask you to leave if you keep doing it. It's for your safety and their publicity. If a single person falls to their death (or gets seriously injured) on a lift, the whole thing needs to close, there will be an investigation and a metric ton of bad press. They really want to avoid that. Some of the newer lifts also close and lock the bar automatically.
Been skiing and snowboarding for 29 years now. East coast or west coast, I stay in the blacks, double blacks, and ungroomed bowls. I think one thing that was missed is as an advanced or expert skier/snowboarder, be mindful of the slope you are on and it's difficulty. If you're bombing a green or blue (especially on a busy day) be aware that there are beginners going slow, falling, not knowing where to stop, etc. Yes going fast is a lot of fun. Running into a kid or someone just learning isn't fun at all, you can hurt them and yourself. I've seen toddlers air lifted from the resort because people are going way too fast on a beginner green run and can't stop or turn quick enough.
@@tommiebennett Overall, great video. Thanks for sharing knowledge
I agree strongly on this. I'm up teaching my kid how to board right now and unfortunately all the runs are straight ice, not the best to teach your kid on. So we're on the green runs about halfway down the mountain instead of the top, and people are flying by us glaring and everything and all I could think is, this is a green run... And it made him not want to go anymore
As someone just learning, this is so important. I still don't have the best control of turning and slowing down. I always try to keep an eye on who is coming behind me but its super frustrating when people go flying by super close to you. Im doing my best!
I go very fast on runs but I am always aware of my surroundings and rarely if ever hit into people, you just have to give people room when your going fast and watch out
Me as a beginner appreciate this comment, i just went snowboarding for the 2nd time lol.
Things to add for next time...
1. Don't cut the lift lines
2. Talk to whoever you are sharing the lift with on which way you are exiting.
3. Leave room when you are passing others, it's just the safer way to travel.
Love the video!
I personally don't need to know where people are going when we get off the lift. I will avoid them either way.
Good ones.
@@SnootchieBootchies27 same
lift line cutting is by far my biggest pet peeve
@@SnootchieBootchies27 yeah i always try and one of the outside seat the right one if possible. I don't hit anybody and no one hits me
One more thing maybe (especially there for advanced people) : remember not everybody is as comfortable and knowledgeable as you on skis/snow, specially when you go on easy slopes, and be nice.
Do not shoot "stay in your lane" to the newbie that goes 7kph in a easy slope, taking the entire width to make turns. That's already good they are managing to keep their balance and speed in control, they are doing the best we can reasonably expect from them.
Do not rage against people in general. If you have to interact with people, explain things calmly. A lot of people are simply unaware of the etiquette. "Please, don't group stop in the middle of the slope, better go to the side where there are fewer people skiing".
Edit : Changed my ignorant use of "he/she" etc for "they". Turns out that while trying to be inclusive by going for both pronouns, as it would be done in my native language (we don't have the neutral "they"), I may have used a form that is sometimes used to offend trans people. On a side note some people didn't try to inform me whatsoever and criticized my form in a rather mean manner like "Did school never teach you ?". If you did so wanting to defend trans people, please understand your cause is right but your ways are likely wrong, as it feels a bit hypocritical to defend trans from oppression and mockery by mocking people with imperfect writing.
Did school never teach you to use them instead of specifying him/her
@@ianmierek7647 Actually, they did not, or maybe they did and I don't remember ^^ (English isn't my native language so I also have some confusion with other languages sometimes --')
On a side note, try to have a more neutral tone when pointing out mistakes and flaws or making advises :) like : "You can use 'them' instead of 'him/she'", it will increase the chances your remarks are taken in account.
@@felixbertoni you seem like a very positive person. and i appreciate you saying that. i love skiing but it’s been a tough process picking it up, and sometimes i have to cut really far to get down a blue (at the mountain i go to a lot of the time blues are unavoidable if you actually wanna have fun), and although I try my absolute hardest to stay out of peoples ways and make it clear that i’m doing my best a lot of people are so unkind! i feel like with a sport like this people should be encouraging one another or cheering people on, especially those who clearly are new and are doing their best, not being mean to them.
@@brontebowling4143 that sucks dude. Never really had that experience in Austria. Not even when I was a beginner, but then maybe that comes from me being a child back then. So weird that people would get mad at smb for going down a blue slowly and maybe taking wider turns, when they obviously don't have the skill to control their skis properly yet. Blues are made for beginners who try to become better and that's how these slopes should be treated. If I wanna yeet myself down a slope I do a red. If I wanna have a steady, slow and easy run I do a blue. Always do my best to slow down and safely pass beginners. We've all been there. All the best to you and your progress!
@@GimliGloinsson what skill level is a red, i don’t think we have that here! and that’s great for the culture, people definitely treat kids who are learning here in the states different than adults, and I know from a family member skiing in germany that that did not go so well for her on her first time 🤣 but i love flying down greens personally, blues are how you learn how to turn properly.
How about planning your run. If you are going to exit off to a other run from what you are currently on, don't be on the opposite side and cut across traffic to get there. Kind of like exiting the highway. Don't be in the left lane and cut across everyone to exit on the right.
“I turn now, Goodluck everybody else”
Lmao I’ve seen that too many times on the freeway
@@ncdozer3103 second best moment in Family Guy! 😂
Best was Damn Nature You Scary
Yeah a simple glance over your shoulder is all it takes.
But I think his point is just that if you need to cross in front of somebody, signaling is a good way to do that, just like on the highway. I don't think he is recommending that you just cut across in front of everybody at the last second
I think skiers and snowboarders should spend at least a couple of days doing the other sport, even if it’s not really their ‘thing’. It really gives an appreciation for the different challenges of ‘the other guy’, the differences in where blind spots are, the different challenges with lift mount/dismount etc. The mountain is a lot cooler when people have empathy rather than hostility. Also doing both is just cool anyway.
I have been doing that, I have been skiing and recently started snowboarding aswell and I understand how hard it is even better
16 years skiing, decided to try snowboarding just to see how it is and im going on season 3 on my board now.
I’ve skied all my life but I snowboarded for like a week a couple years ago
@@leahjohnson7883 similar story for me, skied for years then learned to board, did that for years and tried to ski again s couple of years ago and failed 😂
Im never going to snowboard because of the falling and sitting on your knees, i wouldn't make it through the day
Great tips. I've been skiing for 38 years, and in the snow sports industry for 26 years. It's all about respect. We all share the mountain, and the road getting to the mountain. We all want to have fun, enjoy nature and get home safely.
THIS 💯
38 years, holy moly
The people just chilling in front of where the chairlift unloads 😲
That’s a good one
Oh yeah! And when you run into them they get mad!
That gets me crazy
Great thoughts, thanks for the video. As someone who has been on the mountain for 35+ years, there’s a lot of etiquette that people struggle with, and not always beginners.
-When you get off the lift, clear the unloading area; get your pole straps on or strap on your board out of the way of everyone unloading.
- don’t stop in the middle of the trail, as most people will ski down the center. I personally like skiing on the edges, but as an advanced skier it’s easier to maneuver around people that are clearly stopped at the edge than people in limbo in the center
- if you are skiing in a group, don’t ski 4 across, leave room for people to pass, just like a highway
- don’t cut in line, we all learned how to take turns in kindergarten, don’t act like you are confused and don’t understand how it works. If you don’t know, ask someone.
- on a similar note, give people space in line. If you are 1 inch or 1 foot away from me, you aren’t getting on the lift any quicker.
- if you want to listen to music, do it quietly so you can still have awareness of people around you, you are not in the x games, and stop playing it out loud on your speaker
- I don’t mind people having a drink or two at lunch, but Drinking and driving is illegal for a reason, so should drinking and skiing.
Ill play my music as loud as i want and ride as wide as i want. Fuck you mountain nazi.
None of that has to do with safety and its just what YOU want.
I can tell you're a skiier already 🤣
@Noah %100 agree!
I’ve had too many people hack the top of my board with their board/skis while in line. One guy did it twice to me in the same line and I said to him “do you really think you’re getting on this lift any quicker by getting up in my ass?”
@Matthew not ask, more like just call out because if you’re about to put the bar down I don’t want you to bonk my head because I was trying to tighten my boots or something
Your first tip about the safety bar on the lift. In Europe the staff puts it down, or you get yelled at if you don't put it down. I guess you would have to tighten your boots once the bar is down.
I skied in Mt Baker and Squaw, I was shocked at first when I saw there was no safety bars on the lifts ^^
Yup, I was going to say that, but you did it for me.
This side of the pond, you have a duty of care - If you had the bar up and somebody else on the chair slipped off, the authorities would throw the book at you.
Mount Baker Hard Core
When the lift starts, the bar comes down. it's very basic. @Tommie Bennett - if you need a warning, the problem is you.
If you have some emergency where someone shouldn't put it down, OK, say so. But futzing on you boots and being annoyed about the bar coming down - nah, the bar is coming down and you should expect it.
@@john-tomlinson I quite agree and I suspect that Tommie is lucky that some assertive user is yet to lower the bar on his selfish and patently dangerous attitude.
The staff don't put it down. The people on the chair put it down around 10-20 metres after the chair leaves the station
I've never been more thankful for being a weekday rider. could not deal with slopes this crowded.
Lol where i go weekends are less busy
(French alps)
Been riding midweek only for 25+ years, great to have a job that when it dumped I’m sick 🤒
Try Japan, even when it's crowded there's plenty of space. Shiga Kogen rocks!
Even the busiest days at my local mountain aren't as bad as this. I'd give up snowboarding if I had to deal with crowds like that.
Yo I agree with all of these, have one thing to add: when you’re in the park, I don’t care if you’re a beginner or pro, don’t cut across the run, because it cuts off anyone trying to hit the features, causing them to lose their speed and not get to hit the feature. Stay in your lane and do your line, you can hit the other features next run.
Depends entirely on the size and popularity of the park too. Most small mountains don't have enough people in the parks for this to even mess anyone up if you're just a little conscientious of what you're doing. If the park isn't crowded you can totally move across by staying out of landing zones and just looking up the slope to make sure nobody's coming.
Completely correct, unfortunately most people who are cutting across to hit all the features at once aren’t usually paying any attention uphill because of course they’re focusing on their “line.”Definitely be looking uphill when merging and stuff, good comment
Dont drop in on other peoples runs and this isnt a problem
your responsibility when coming down. I train my kids and look up as much as possible, but please miss your lame tricks so i can teach my kid to ski, a proper sport...
@@bjornklein935 merging is a different story than going for features. also, snowboarding sucks
I saw this recommended for me. I'm newly into snowboarding and I didn't think to look up something like this. I haven't been to a resort yet and I'm so happy you made this video. Thank you!
Are you going to a resort?
Oooh! What resort did you go to?
Another thing: Don't stop right uphill of a group of people, even if it's your group, and especially if you're just learning to board or ski. If you lose control, you're going to take them all out like bowling pins.
Even if you're confident, you can still hit a patch of ice.
Definitely! Even if you’re experienced, be careful stopping uphill of people, and don’t do it if it’s icy, very steep, etc. My family and I (all competent skiers) have hit each other this way on difficult terrain!
Or 'spraying' friends with snow. I never do that do the chance of me falling and possibly causing them to fall. And also damaging my board/their board and hurting others. Taught my friend how to snowboard and tries to spray me and try to tell him not. He has gone like 6 times to show you how new he is
Great video. Thanks for putting this together. I have skied since 1960, taught skiing seven days a week for 53 years, and was a decent snowboarder at one time. Here are my safety thoughts. 1. I agree that clicking your poles behind someone is just rude. The traditional polite approach for at least the past 75 years on very narrow areas like cat-tracks (narrow roads that crisscross the mountain) is to politely call out which side you hope to pass on, which I follow with a 'thank you' as I go by. The reasons for this are to avoid suddenly surprising someone and also to avoid them making a sudden move toward the side you are hoping to pass on. It does not ask the person in front to do anything to get out of the way, just letting them know you are there and which side you hope to pass on. 2. There is a safety protocol that I would love to see everyone adopt, something I call the "ten for ten" rule. The idea is to allow at least ten feet of distance between you and others for every ten mph of speed you are traveling. If you are traveling at 30 mph, allow at least 30 feet between you and everyone else, especially those below you. If there is not enough space on the run to allow 30 feet, there is really not enough space to travel at 30mph. At 30mph you have less than a second to react to any surprises within 30 feet of you so don't put yourself or anyone else in that situation. Some people like to yell at people going fast, but I have no problem with that (EXCEPT IN MARKED SLOW ZONES) if they follow the 'ten for ten' rule. If you want to go 50mph, make sure you never get within 50 feet of anyone. If 50 feet is not available, slow it down to match whatever space there is and then you can open it up again once there is more room. If you are coming into a crowded base area where people are within five or ten feet of each other, the max speed should be 5-10 mph depending on how closely people are spaced.
3. The one exception to the 'ten for ten' rule is cat-tracks. This is where the rule of calling out your intentions from behind allows for safely passing with minimal spacing.
If anyone agrees, please spread the 'ten for ten' rule so that it becomes as common as the downhill skier having the right-of-way. Adopting this will avoid 90% of the arguments about whether someone is traveling too fast.
Sad part is that most people who do these annoying things will never watch this video ,
just like on the road, lack of self-awareness is somewhat frustrating .
What this video really needs is some cute kittens or some other unpredictably stupid thing for it to go Viral and spread the knowledge !
Never came across "honking and flashing" here in France.
Could add poking sticks backward at eye level whilst climing stairs...
Sure but new people probably will, i've only been out skiing once and now about to try snowboarding and sure most of this is common sense but it feels good to have general idea of whats expected
No, what needs to happen is more people need to speak up. People are so afraid to say anything to peoples faces these days. Just get online to complain. Trust me, the people who hit into my board on a lift line will NEVER do it again.
The struggle is real
Riders code: you are responsible not to hit those below you on the trail. Skiers and boarders do change their turn radius and when coming up on someone be aware they may change their turn patterns, give room! Also as a skier, if I turn my neck/head to look uphill while I’m cruising in my groove, I can easily become counter-rotated by looking up hill and that causes a momentary out of balance/ risk. Pass with care.
These are all great, and I agree with them 100%. I always think that it is a great idea to ride predictably. If you randomly put in a hard turn without warning or checking behind you, someone who is already trying to give you space may not have room to avoid you.
Also, people who speed into lift lines are the worst. There is no need to charge at stationary people at 100mph, just to join them in the line.
people who speed like crazy on the last 150 yards of the greens that dump into the bottom of the mountain piss me off so much. as a beginner, trying to make it across the long, shallow flat near the end without catching an edge is hard enough when you don't have some dude on skis or a board just straight-lining it at like 50mph 3ft away from you as you're struggling to just hold it together and make it to the end lol
I’m with u on the most annoying thing that is people behind u keeps hitting ur board in the lift line. I literally had the top sheet of my $700 brand new board chipped on the first day by a skier behind me while in the lift line, freaking drives me nuts till this day!!!
I had a 10yo parkkid jump into the liftline and shave like 20cm off my new topsheet.
He got some real "advice" from like 4 pissed guys😅
@@gryyta9617 lol I hope you didn't mean "beating his ass" by "real advice", poor kid...but RIP top sheet...
In my local park, the kids don’t give a shit in the ski line.. A normal day is telling 10 kids to stop doing it and they just laugh it off. Getting new skies now, and I’m super scared to use them because of this. They need to put up a sign or something for real…
Man the people in the lift line keep hitting my twin tips, it’s so fucking annoying, last time it was so close, I almost slapped someone because it’s so goddamn annoying
Kids and rentals are magnets to brand new gear. It’s like they can tell it’s a brand new board and they just HAVE to rude over it. 🤬
Great video! Though one thing I would point out is that I used to work at the mountains, and putting the bar down as soon as you get on the chair is the default. If you need time before the bar goes down, you need to be the one asking the others to wait
Yea, or you could just adjust your gear before you enter the lift
Always encourage friends to wear helmets. Don’t give anyone a hard time for wearing a helmet if you’re too stupid to wear one.
No kidding. I wore helmets as a kid, then grew into the immortal teenager having gone a couple seasons without falling and switched to a beanie. You can probably guess where this ends.
In 2011, I gave myself a concussion after catching my heel side edge during a toe side turn across a steep slope. I went ass over elbows, and smacked the back of my head into the snowpack. Took probably two weeks to stop getting nauseous, and I’m pretty sure it lead to mental issues that took 3 or 4 years to fully resolve.
Brain buckets. Wear them. I give TBIs a 0/10, would not recommend.
@@mrb692 you would have gotten the concussion anyways. Helmets really don’t help. Great for lacerations though, especially since you are on ice on the mountain
@@CampCucumber youre the idiot that doesnt wear and tells people to not wear. Fuck off loser
I’ve been wearing a helmet for thirty years, originally it was because I had a new baby in the house, but I slowly found out I like it because when you go over the bars and start tomahawking your beanie and goggles won’t go flying downhill never to be found again, and with the price of goggles no thanks.
If you’re contemplating a helmet I recommend the Giro Jackson, comfortable fit, not too hot, vents and an adjustment dial on the back. One issue I’ve had with it is that the adjustment dial will loosen from rubbing against the back of your coat collar, but simple enough too retighten
I watch every video I can find like this. It's my second year snowboarding and one of my biggest set backs is my fear of causing a crash, and I end up losing all confidence in my ability worrying about everyone else on the hill.
Yoo same here, it's also my second year and this was a major concern of mine and still is! Hoping to be a bit more relaxed on the slopes this season with these tips haha, wish you the best!
Honestly, be concerned about everybody's safety on the hill is a good thing.
@@sam_s_ True!
It’s good to care about other people, but don’t worry about it too much. As long as everyone is somewhat considerate, there is no need for much stress - the mountain is a big place and people will generally be spread out.
Minor collisions do happen from time to time, it's an inherent risk of many sports. As long as you aren't going speeds that could cause injury, most aren't going to make a big deal out of it.
If you’re a skier with your snowboarding friends.. it’s totally okay to hockey stop in front of them as they’re securing their bindings. Trust me, they love it
I think the point about being aware of people behind you, especially if you're a beginner and going a little slow, is important. Yes, it is technically their responsibility to avoid you, but they are not psychic and can't see into the future, so if you cut in front of them when they try and pass you, they may hit you, no matter how skilled they are. No skier or snowboarder can stop or turn on a dime and they only have the reaction time of grey matter. If you're aware of someone behind you going faster than you, the best thing to do is stick to the middle of the slope or one side of the slope, and be as predictable as possible. That person will be looking at your line and forecasting where you're going to be so they can pass you with as much space as possible. If you make it easy for them to pass, they will really appreciate it.
Wait you have to have a safe distance from the guy thats in front of you so you wouldnt crash if they stopped the guy in front of you can you whatever you want he can stop he can fall down YOU are responsible for no crashing into him
@@arplay5715 Unless you're psychic and know exactly where the person in front of you is going to be in the future, it's not possible to do this with absolute certainty. What you thought was a safe distance can quickly not become a safe distance if they suddenly do a very wide turn, for example. Taken to an extreme it would be impossible for a faster skier or snowboarder to pass a slower one, on any slope, anywhere, ever. There is always a level of risk.
Sorry buddy dont agree, what you're saying is way beyond 'being aware'. If you cant turn on a dime to avoid the person in front of you making a turn, then you are either skiing too close to them or too fast for your ability.
@@Azerki1 At a certain point it's really got little to do with ability. You can be the most advanced skier in the world, but you can't beat the laws of physics, or the biology of your central nervous system to react in time. Similarly by that standard, "too close" is anywhere on the slope, even a particularly wide one. At an extreme you'd have to only have one person on the slope at a time or have everyone going exactly the same speed to completely avoid any chance of collision. Both of which are of course completely impractical.
I appreciate this is less of a problem where people of mixed ability aren't sharing the same slope, as in the case with many european resorts, but it's far more common in the US and Canada for a black, blue and green to all merge into one near the bottom.
@@Croz89 it doesnt fuckin matter if you crash its your fault try to avoid that
One of the things you missed is unstrapping in a lift line, nothing is more frustrating than rolling in on momentum just to find a snowboarder blocking the entire chute. If you can't glide right onto a chair dont block the approach😉
Bro yes! I snowboard and will coast into line while unstrapping but I can do so without stopping/blocking people or running into people. I can not stand when other people attempt it but fall or blast into others in the line. Shit drives me crazy. Or waiting for friends in line instead of before the line.🙄
I wish they would let us do this at our local resorts. For some reason they won't let snowboarders glide unto the chairs
That's kind of silly most people are unstrapping where they come to a stop, not everyone is an expert. Downhill has the right of way... not you hot dogging thru a fuckin line dude cmon
@@DoPtRiGGa not "hotdoging" through a line when you expertly roll in with just enough momentum to slide right onto a chair and nothing more frustrating than some gapper blocking the entire approach when no inner is ahead of them, if you don't have the skills to unbuckle when you are riding then stop before the line and do it like a green beginner. I ride with snowboarders almost exclusively and everyone of them can unbuckle while cruising in
@@Snow-Journal So you're riding with experienced
riders, not everyone has that kind of experience. It's a ridiculous request seriously, you can skate for 10 feet you'll be ok
Just have to say your content is great man! I’m late to the game and new to snowboarding and hearing an experienced guy like you not belittle newbies, but trying to show them the ropes is super awesome.
Great tips and things to be aware of . So many people just don’t care or don’t bother to learn proper etiquette when they start any new hobby . A little awareness and Courtesy go along way to keep you and everyone around you safe and having fun .
One thing I can’t stand and this is specific to skiers is when people use their poles to point and swing them all around… Definitely been smacked in the side of the head multiple times. Also when people are filming And get tunnel vision on what they’re doing forgetting there are other people on the mountain, I’ve had so many close calls with people zoned out on their camera or phone , you didn’t mention it specific towards filming but I noticed you’re always looking around head on a swivel, Situational awareness is key to every situation!
Big pet peeve for me is not being controlled with speed on the bottom of runs (i.e. dercums dash @ keystone) or where everyone gets funneled together at high speed. Had a boarder come flying in at the end of the run in the slow signs and cut me off, made me catch my toe edge going pretty fast and crack a rib. Was the last 50m of my last run, and now I'm out for a few weeks. :(
Yeah, my ex actually had someone come in flaming hot from Ina’s Run into Dercum’s Dash and broke her arm. I always instructed her to stay closer to the middle to avoid others merging, but she still had the right of way.
God I hate those runs. Have had many a fall on inas way because a snowboarder had to bomb it at full speed
Thanks for talking about pole clanking! I was actually taught this by a ski instructor. The car horn analogy is great
My favorite is when people blow past you in a slow zone (trail to a lift, ending of a run, merging of runs) the signs are there for a reason and it’s so unsafe to go fast through these areas because they are so unpredictable. Can be very stressful for new riders as well so if you see a slow sign please just slow down. There’s steeper runs for those who want to go fast with no slow signs.
THIS! I am a new snowboarder and was going on my second green ever...the entire thing is marked as a slow zone and the trail was ungroomed after 12+ in of snow.. People were zipping passed me and coming within inches of me..caused me to have a panic attack because I didn't want to fall and then get runover by someone speeding. luckily my boyfriend who is experienced was with me and stuck behind me to body block for me.
Yasss why are experts on the slow trail !
@@michele8083 hey groomers are still fun even if you can rip some crazy turns…
But also… I have found those signs are put up on weird places that you really shouldn’t be slowing down in (right before some flats)
@@tainicon4639 While that is true I think the point is if you're on a green run and you want to bomb maybe don't zip past people really close, give yourself some room you are the one who is good enough to control where you are on the mountain and your speed so stay a nice distance from people who you are passing because they are probably still learning and for sure when they are learning and you fly past them it's going to rattle them and can easily cause them to lose their concentration and fall.
@@DoPtRiGGa oh totally.
I have been working as a coach and instructor for about a decade haha.
A common thread I have simply noticed is that at smaller/local mountains the patrollers who put the signs up often aren’t super experienced skiers and can make mistakes in sign placement.
It’s not big deal if you know what you are doing.
Importantly though… on skis I think speed is relative to ability. If you have no control 20 mph can be very dangerous for you and for others, While I can not even properly turn my skis at that speed… so it’s actually safer for me to be moving at like 35 mph (which is still pretty tame) where I can actually maintain control.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people congregate right in the path where everyone gets off the lift. Move to the side so other people can get off the lift safely. As a snowboarder I find it difficult to control myself with only my front foot strapped in and getting off the lift with a crowd of people standing in the way is never fun.
This should be required viewing for any and all Jerry's and Karen's on the mountain. Sooo much good info - keepin' it real dude.
As a beginner heading into my 2nd season, one thing that really frustrated me was other beginners literally stopping as they got OFF either the beginner Lift or Magic Carpet. SO many times I ended up running into someone as I was getting off at the top because they didn’t use their “critical thinking” to keep moving out of the way before stopping to strap in.
One thing I like to do when I am passing I yell down the mountian "coming left" "coming right". Or "on the left" "on the right". Also a good help which a lot of skiers appreciate when we are cruisin through!!
Good idea, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to understand you. I got a helmet on and it get's pretty loud with the wind. Most people also wear something over their face/mouth further muffeling any yells.
I switched to skiing this season and used to do this too as a snowboarder but now that I’m a beginner to hear people say this behind me scares me and messes with my head. It feels like they don’t have the control to maneuver past me safely. I know they are probably just making sure that I don’t make a sudden move to one side but it throws me off.
DON'T yell out behind someone to pass them. That's the same as making noise and banging poles. With helmets on, they aren't going to hear what you are saying and are going to turn to look as a reflex and could end up catching an edge. You're not on a bike, most people's ears are covered, all they hear is someone yelling not what you're saying.
As a veteran skiier this was really well said anf explained. Thanks for everything!
Been skiing for life. Never boarded. A lot of your tips apply no matter which you do. Honestly, for skiers don’t be afraid to take some space to turn back and forth as in my experience, that’s the best way to go fast without hurting people. Too often I see skiers who don’t turn and go fast and they aren’t really in control of whether they take someone out. I used to race and basically ski like I would race and have still been taken out before.
Also East Coast the bar has to be down by law, but I’ll still warn people that it’s coming so no one gets hit in the head
Thank you Tommie for the critical PSA and helping people learn the way of the Mountain.
This is the important stuff.
@@tommiebennett i am thanks Tommie. Hope you have a killer season.
I've been riding for over 15 years and the most annoying riders are skiers in front of you that just sporadically and unpredictably cut across the whole track with no warning, I've had soooo many close calls, so I've learned best thing to do is when you coming up on someone or group of ppl and especially if you are flying just yell out "on your left/right!". And it has been very successful and works great for me.
Yes! I agree. Yes technically the people below you have the right of way, but if you are going to make a major line change, like from one side to the other, it's a good idea to look around you to make sure you don't cut someone off
"I go left now, goodluck everybody!"
It honestly perplexes me the lack of self preservation that some people have. Like it gives me serious anxiety that someone is gonna hit me when I cross the entire run like that. I'm constantly looking up the hill triple checking to make sure I don't get taken out. Someone needs to invent little side mirrors to attach to a skier's pole if they're gonna be cutting across like that lol
But you’re okay with your fellow boarders doing it? It happens equally with both.
@@jimshorts5970 It doesn't happen equally. It's quite hard for intermediate snowboarders to cut across the mountain the way that intermediate skiers usually do. That's also besides the point. Anyone that dangerously crosses the entire run by not looking needs to be told off. Your post screams someone who yells all lives matter and it's embarrassing.
I feel like ski patrol & yellow jackets should let people know about etiquette. "Hey, there's a ton of people here. You probably shouldn't sit/stand in the middle of the run."
Exactly!! They are NEVER pro active. All they care about is pulling passes from good riders like Tommy, who have the best etiquette in the mountain. I think they are literally told to leave the tourists alone. They really could prevent a lot of problems on the mtns. Again, too much passivity in CO.
That would ruin the good vibes for the tourists
Same can be said for driving etiquette, I should make a video on that, people are clueless and generally hypocrites when someone does the same thing to them
Great stuff here Tommie and totally agree! Especially on busy days, the lift lines space is soo needed. It can come off as disrespectful and just really ruin your good vibe on the mountain when you see something like rentals slamming into your gear over and over. Watch my tips and give me space please and we will all have a better day!
Lift line etiquette in general is something to talk about. The lack of communication is annoying sometimes and it doesn’t have to be hard. No one wants to be skipped/ cut in line by something like not alternating / not paying attention when lanes merge together. Or to see a lift go up empty or with one person on a busy day. My roommates and I always try our best to communicate and invite singles to our group early to help fill the chair and keep the line moving.
Resting your gear while on the lift is another thing to be mindful of as you swing your stuff around to get comfortable. Communicate as your are figuring it out just like the safety bar.
A tip I share with others all the time on a crowded full chair where I can’t easily rest my unstrapped foot under my binding, I will cross my free foot behind my strapped foot to relieve the weight of the board. Works so well and doesn’t get in the way of others.
Also maybe as a single snowboarder try to snag and sit on the outside of the chair or whatever makes the most sense in the scenario you are in so you have the best dismount possible at the top.
Couldn’t agree more on the runs being like highways and the need to be aware of your surroundings. Being able to stop in emergencies is another big one for me. Looking ahead and behind you often. Know your skill level as well and what runs you go on.
Big s curves are fun but on a busy day, it is like cutting across 3 lanes while driving during rush hour on the highway. No one behind you in the opposite lanes are expecting random drastic lane switches like that. Stay in your line and when switching just look and like you said, give people indications where you are trying to go when you can.
Lastly because this comment is too long already:
Always look out for beginners and kids. I try to help out people when I see help is needed. Grab a dropped pole or ski if you see it or block off and warn others above for they may not be able to see an injured person in a blind spot that you see. Ski X’s or poles are a great symbol to use in emergencies until ski patrol gets there.
Share the mountains, respect each other and simply communicate. Oh and pick up trash when you see it.
So many people go out to enjoy the mountains with their friends or simply to escape these crazy times we are in. I could talk all day about this and so glad to see this being discussed more here Tommie! I think info like this needs to be shared with others when needed respectfully for they simply may not know some of these things. Maybe how to give constructive feedback or advice to others is a good topic as well.
Stay safe out there everyone! I know I’m trying to ride into my 70’s! 🤙🏻🏂❄️🏔
All great suggestions, especially keeping your gear in your space while on chair. Thanks!
Long comment but totally worth the read. Thanks for taking the time to explain some of the etiquette!
@@danikittie It’s easy to say a lot when you are passionate about it lol. Hopefully this helps people on the slopes 🤙🏻
I completely agree with the responsibility of passing, I see too many people getting irate because someone in front of them wasn't skiing/boarding "predictably". While I have been caught making a too-close pass due to someone surprising me with a big lateral move, but its my job to make sure I left the distance and passing speed to be able to miss nearly any wild move in front of you. I do call out "on your right" sometimes, but we can't rely on this because so many are rocking headphones or just can't hear due to the helmet and gear. it never hurt to give a call out.
I’ve never seen the bar thing in a lift in all my years of skiing. Maybe it’s an American thing? But everyone knows when you’re sit down and the lift launches you away the bar is coming down. If you’re adjusting your binding you do it before or after even queuing the lift. If you start bending down and someone hits you on the head with the bar people with probably think you’re a first timer. Otherwise the tips were really good 👍
Yeah I've always had bars down on lifts... I'm Canadian maybe it is a states thing but that stood out to me as so strange
@@anneonnamouse5496 In Colorado, there are lots of lifts that don't have bars at all, and most people don't use them on lifts that do have them. Out of 100 lift rides, maybe 10-12 will have someone that wants to put the bar down. So, it is considered common courtesy here, to warn others if you are bringing the bar down.
@@jeremygosling363 thanks for letting me know! I'd be petrified if the bar stayed up lol. Cheers from Banff!
I love this videos!! I´m a skateboarder/surfboarder new to Snowboarding, and this kind of videos helps me a lot to underestand the written or unwritten rules of the slopes. There are many differences here in Europe but still helps a lot.
Also for places without designated rest areas, Whenever my parents need to take a break, We like to stop behind SLOW signs. They act as a great visible place and ensure you aren't in the way.
I tried to snowboard yesterday (which I am not very good at). Wiping out on the back of a steep roll and picturing myself coming over the roll on skis (which I am quite good at) gave me good perspective. It also made me try to get off my ass ASAP. As for passing people, I will often say "on your left/right" just to let people know that I'm there and in the hopes that they won't suddenly make a last second turn in my direction. This is basically only necessary in that one spot where there is a huge flat spot coming and the cat track is narrow.
Yelling out "on your left/right" is the same as the "don't" mentioned for making noise or banging poles. When someone comes up behind you and yells, reflex is to turn and look and you can cause them to catch an edge and crash. Don't be a d*ck, figure out a way to pass without yelling
People running their boards or skis over other's in front of them is by far the most annoying thing that I see happen every time I go up to the mountain. STOP IT.
Bro I got the top of my skis absolutely sliced the other day by a beginner in a lift line. Luckily they were nice rentals with insurance (rented cuz my skiis were getting work done that day)
I had the outside edge on one of my brand new skis chipped to hell last year bc someone behind me just slid up next to me over the top of my ski. Took a lot of self control to not make a bad decision...
Kids with no awareness or adult supervision doing sudden 90deg turns infront of others across relatively steep decent slopes is a good one too.
Love the video. Spot on with the tips! I do actually politely say "on your left" or "on your right" if I'm passing in a tight trail.
Great video. Been riding a few years now and sadly still see to many of the dont's happening (especially groups sitting in the lee of a roller - my pet hate). Would love to see this video shown to all newbies before they are allowed on the mountain!!!!! Could save a lot of accidents and make a better atmosphere
If a skier crashed with the skis releasing, it's good practice to pick it up when you're uphill. It's really hard to climb uphill with ski boots.
1. When you leave your skis/board right NEXT to the rack on the ground! I don’t care if they’re nice and you put them way out of the way, where nobody will have to walk around them.
I'm glad I watched this because being a noob, I was taught the way to de-ice my board is by beaver slapping it. The binder trick takes so much less effort and is less damaging. Just bought my first board so this info is coming in clutch.
Respect to the guy on the snowboard at 6:28
Preach! Thank you for making this. Ski culture needs the masses to learn mountain etiquette.
10:38
As a lifty, it's not the noise that we hate (but having it happen every five fucken seconds does get annoying) the #1 reason we hate board smacking is that it packs the ramp down into ice, so if you have lifties that actually try to keep their ramp nice, dont smack your board on our ramps
My FaVorITe thing is when a rider comes through and smacks their board 5x and I give them a death stare as I tell them not to so that and they usually give lip about why they shouldn't, then 3 hrs later they come through and slip then complain about how icy the ramp is.
(I know it's not just their fault but it is the amount of board smacks over those three hours from hundreds of riders that ruined the ramp we then have to replace the ramp entirely, but this season we don't have the snow to replace the ramps, so not only are they icy from the never ending onslaught of board smackers, they are icy from weeks of riding on the same ramp without replacement.)
This season blows, I pride myself on having a good ramp but without snow I can't fix them and the customers are complaining all day long, fucken sucks
I love this. So many people need to see this! One this is I am a skiier and I click my poles together not to tell you I am here but to say I saw what you just did and think it was cool or I was impressed in someway. It is like clapping. 👏
Just saw your vid today - just wanna say THANKS SO MUCH for taking the time to put together all the info! I'm coming into this sport way late, way out of shape (in other words I'm old and round workin on undoing the round part LOL) but absolutely in love since I saw my first Winter X Games decades ago and this is #1 on my bucket list! TO be honest I'll most likely never do half pipes and air tricks, but I'd love to get to the point of just comfortably coasting down a slope without killing myself OR anyone else! Some things sound like common sense, such as make sure you can skate before you ride a lift, cuz whatcha think you're gonna do when you get off the lift, right? I especially loved the tip on blinkers, sure the person higher up the hill has most responsibility to avoid obstacles downslope but you also have a responsibility to not ride like a complete idiot/out of control or riding way beyond your skill level - I had no idea how to signal people uphill. Love the tip on how to carry your skis, but snowboarders also are guilty of carrying over the shoulder, etc. I carry my board with the bindings facing away from my body with my arm under the binding to keep it from slipping out of my grip... I've seen some people carry their boards by grabbing the binding with their hand which is great but not if you're gonna let it swing around n hit people. So I guess I have to say a lot of it boils down to being spatially aware no matter your skill level, and love the tips posted by the rest of you = fave comment is the one about boards or skis both are cool and we are out doing what most people never dare to try and we can all be cool and positive!
PS THank you to anyone with experience who observes a newbie struggling and chooses to drop a tip or two instead of droppin a rude comment and an eye roll - hey we gotta start somewhere so yeah thanks for anything positive!
The beaver slap is classic though. Don't do it in crowds, but I'll never stop!
I do it when no one is directly behind me. Or I might just do a light slap that's not so dramatic lol
It’s too practical for me to stop
What all of them said.
To sum it up; you’re not the only person in the mountain, be considerate. Great video
Literally had a skier spook me yesterday at KS and I caught an edge at 35mph
So it’s beer thirty here for shoulder recovery.
Dangerous out there lol
Yewww
@@ellstackeradventures
That’s what I said’ 😂
i had to slow up for someone taking super wide unpredictable turns in front of me and trying to time her, had US ski team wannabe coming down the mountain. put on my blinker to pass her on the right, figuring he'd go left. nope. literally had to come to a complete stop. he barely made it through the gap. if i didn't stop, someone was getting a ride down the mountain in the toboggan. good luck with the shoulder. mine took nearly a year to heal, but for 5 weeks it was in sling and i was regulated to the groomers.
I go once every year ,I just moved to Missoula Montana,the snowbowl open in a couple of weeks.i go alone and this is the first year my daughter is coming totally stoked ❄️❄️ 🌨️
Good manners on the slopes.... not as common as they should be. Good job, we can use more videos like this. You got a new subscriber.
As a skier I agree with you, great points. No one has the right of why just because.
That new intro though let's goooo
🥔🥔🥔
Love this list!
Skiers! He is absolutely correct about how you can carry your skis. One method of doing it: the front section of your ski should rest on your shoulder with the toe binding resting right behind your shoulder.
Also: your break binding will lock on one side, not on the other. So if you do this method and your ski slides, simply flip it over and the break won’t slide. From there keep the angle of your ski up like the video instructed and you’re in the clear!
Hate people that run over the back of your board. I lift my board up on an edge and use the base as a barrier to stop morons thinking every mm is going to get them faster to the lift.
The bar thing… you should always assume it’s going down. If you’d like some time before it comes down… ask…
One other thought, always try to pass boarders on the front side so they see you. No one has eyes in the back of their head.
Exactly
Good for you We need more of these type of videos on safety and etiquette.
I like the real estate part - I'm a private ski instructor and I always tell people when they're ready to advance and get on the intermediate run for their first time, I let them know there are different levels of skiers on this run and you can't take the whole run to make your turns. the beginner hills different everybody's slow and learning. here you've got intermediates practicing so that are learning too. So what you need to do on an intermediate blue run, is cut the hill in half and use half the hill to make your turns, so that people going faster can use the other side of the hill to pass you.
safe places to stop because more people are on the hill riding this season... is more important than ever. If you're wearing black don't stop in the shade. where bright colors like this guy with the red jacket.
bar etiquette is important because not everyone's wearing a helmet and we have metal bars in Tahoe so you get slammed in the back ahead with one of those you're able to go unconscious and write off the left 30 ft in the air.
Just like a car on ice never go faster than you can stop ot turn.
remember that you begin and end where your skis or board begins and ends. Your responsible in a lift line, for not climbing on other people's gear. somebody pays $1,300 for the stokely's, they don't want you on top of them. (A good joke is to turn around and say hey I like to be on top). There's always those people who think it's okay to use the human in front of them to stop and lift lines. Like hey that's what your polls are for. I just turn around and ask nicely Don't use my skis to stop and slow down. I've been slammed into the back of my binding and a lift line by a 6'4 man that sent me flying.
bullying on the chairlift or in lift lines:. Just take their picture and turn it into ski patrol there's no point in responding or escalating the bully.
If you're visiting another mountain like when I was visiting Mammoth (shout out to his mammoth sweatshirt) and I started feeling like oh I'm now one of those annoying people that does all the s*** that bugs me on my home mountain. So exercise extra caution when you're not familiar with the territory. I just told everybody my name was Dorothy and where am I lol
If somebody's being pushing trying to get ahead of you in the Funitel line, let them. They're probably not that good and you'll get more runs in anyway.
If you're smashed into the Funitel like sardines, try a sing along if you've got a speaker like I do. The guy next to me had that idea today and he had me put on Sweet Caroline and then we shouted out sing along! everyone in that Funitel sang the choruses lol. It was a great ride.
If you see somebody laying in the snow go ask him if they're okay and if they're not conscious call Ski patrol. set their skis and poles in an X So nobody hits them.
WHERE A HELMET - I'm experienced skier died this year on my home mountain because he had a tree with no helmet.
Don't do what the lady did today trying to cut the line by going under the fence under the chairlift and almost got hit by the chair.
watch a few videos on people falling off chairs and put your bar down. especially if it's windy. A lady got blown off one of our lifts in a 50 mph gust. She didn't weigh much and she wasn't that far from takeoff fortunately.
If you see one of those doofus Dad's taking his beginner child out on an expert run... Just take their picture and show to ski patrol so they can go talk to Mr Dad.
If you got to pass somebody, be loud -- I used to say on your left on your right, Now I find as long as I'm loud it doesn't matter what I say I could be say yippee ki-yay.
If you're skiing on a main run and you know there's other runs that come in to that run or chutes that drop into that run... Don't flip and ski a ride that side! move over to the middle or the right side...
And please use any of the above in your future videos!!!
We had a 3-year-old killed by a out of control snowboarder at Mountain this year in Tahoe. collisions can injure people, and the smaller person that gets hit is going to be the one that gets the most hurt. high speeds out of control on firm snow or ice You hit a little ice patch and you hit a kid smaller than you... You're sending someone to the hospital.
Yea but if the lift stops then you will most probably fall out of that lift anyway like just put the bar down
One annoyance is people carving really wide or erratically on narrow cat tracks. They go slower and take up more room doing that
On the "beaver slap", I was one of those guys in the past but I quickly discovered that I had delaminated the trailing edge of my board, and I believe it was a result of slapping my board. That and hearing other people slap their boards around me made me realize it was annoying, damaging, and unnecessary.
The beaver slap broke my friends bindings lol
Great public service , thank you for posting. this type of education should be included as part of all ski lessons to avoid learning the hard way, but it's rarely done and if so, only in passing.
Thank you.
Skiers click their poles so that boarders don't cut into them when the skier is passing, not so that the boarder gets out of the way. I can't count the number of times ill be passing 5-10 feet away from a boarder whose been tracking a straight line, only two have the boarder make a sharp cut directly across the run in front of me. We don't want to startle you, we just don't want you making a move we can't compensate for. It doesn't seem to matter of we pass front or back side. Far too many boarders don't look before they cut.
Skiers do this wayyyyyy more to me than boarders. You two planker wankers will literally use the entire run to make your turns.
The worst is when boarders all sit down in the middle of the top of a run when getting off a lift. Equally bad when a group of skiers stand in a line after getting off the lift to discuss where they’re going to go.
As a beginner, I'm simultaneously super-self-conscious about people behind me while I'm worrying about not running into people ahead of me.
Using hand "turn" signals seems like an elegant solution!
Dont worry about uphill. Youre riding worse because of it. We need you to ride bettter and not worrying about uphill is the right way.
@@MaYbYl8eR true. If the rule is worry about who is below you I need to expect others to adhere to the rule I do.
I disagree. You should have an idea who is behind you. That has nothing to do with being in your right. The same way om a highway. Always know where the idiots are. Regardless of whether your right or not. They are the one who will put you in the hospital.
My advice would be to, when there is traffic, sky in a predictable way. Try to figure out whether there are natural lanes with with different speeds. Join the lane that matches your speed.
@@ptjenl1 so you should have eyes on the back of your head?
It's your responsibility on the slopes to be aware of whose ahead of you, and that responsibility extends behind you, not the other way around.
When you're on the highway, you have mirrors.
You have mirrors on your helmet on the slopes? I didn't think so moron 🤣
Tell me you're a noob without saying you're a noob lol
@@ptjenl1 is RUclips deleting my comments?
Because you're a moron who clearly doesn't know the rules on the slopes lol
Awesome call on the turn signal indicator/blinker! So few people do this and it's so helpful!
You nailed Most of them. Forgot one that I find is a complete don't. Taking up a whole run going side to side as slow as possible, I understand some people are beginners but maybe stay on some bunny trails or green runs. I honestly think that causes alot more accidents than anything
I back this 100%!!!
In austria it's the standard to put the bar down, there is no asking, it's just you have to do it / everybody does it :)
Had no idea you could use the ratchet to clean the binding out!!! I tend to get ice and snow built up in my rear foot. I'll have to try that next time!
Don’t. You’ll break your ratchet waaay sooner than normal wear and tear. Carry a small screwdriver tool in your pocket.
There are actually little springs in your ratchet which when they start to loosen or break down, , will no longer work and you can actually get hurt if your binding opens while riding.
Got to admit, I don't see what the issue is with beaver slapping...?
Generic rule of thumb: uphill rider holds responsibility to ride in a way where they can perform an emergency stop if necessary (aka minding speed and distance to below riders in same path)
Advanced rule of thumb: downhill rider holds the responsibility to ride predictably in a clear path. This means if you suddenly decide to switch out of your predictable path and for example cross court the slope or make a sudden wide turn, you have the responsibility to check that you're not diverging into someone else's fall line -even if they are uphill riders relative to you they may have higher pace and will end up being equal to you once you have come into their lane.
Expert rule of thumb: Pace yourself relative to those around you. The higher pace, the more awareness is required, and the more responsibility you hold as a rider regardless of where you are on the mountain. Pace exponentializes all hazards, so keep an eye out below you, around you, and above you - and ride according to your surroundings at all times. Less skilled riders may not have the capacity to keep you in mind, even if you through technicality have the right of way.
Never rely on right-of-way technicalities for how you decide your course of action. Always assume others know less than you and are less aware than you. You may have right of way, but you don't have right to partake in a hazard that you were more than capable of avoiding regardless of who had the right.
My two biggest pet peeves: 1) if you hit somebody, apologize. You will make enemies so quick and kill somebody's vibe and maybe even ruin their day. 2) If you take a side hit, it's YOUR responsibility to have a clear landing. I got bodied by a guy who took a side hit, and completely ate shit. He got up, and sped down the mountain without even acknowledging anything. I confronted him at the base, and he shouted at me saying it was my fault. Don't be that guy.
Don't stand below a side hit then
Were you stopped on the run?
-Wear a helmet.
-Look up hill before you turn.
-Don’t get wasted on the hill.
-Ride at a speed that you can control no matter what.
I’ve been riding for 26 years and all over the industry from coach, sales rep, competitive rider, instructor, and now patroller. I can tell you with 100% certainty that just doing those 4 things will make sure you get off the hill in one piece.
I could watch a video of people going over that roller all day. Am I alone on this?
Yo yo
9:40 exactly how i broke my wrist last winter, skiier snuck up on me and was making some noise, i turned my head, caught an edge, and fell. Dude just sped by, didnt even stop to see if im alright. It was a flat run as well
The roller blind spot issue is a big one for me as the consequences are dire. A decade or so ago my home mountain (Hogadon in Casper, Wy) had a double fatality on I think Christmas Eve. Best that they were able to figure out was a mother and her 5 year old daughter were getting the little girls skis back on when a snowboarder aired off the roller and collided with them. From what I remember the little girls throat was cut by the edge of the snowboard and she bled out. The snowboarder and mother both suffered head traumas, the snowboarder died from his injuries while the mother survived. Slow down and save the alcohol and pot for the apres when the mountain closes.
Important to remember that a roller means the backside is steeper and so skiers/boarders can be going slower or have fallen on the far side of the roll. I see people send it off rollers with no idea what's on the other side.
@Sorlud Exactly. They're the low head dam of the slopes. Be safe out there and enjoy the slopes, bud!
im ok with people making noise when theyre coming up behind. Like the pointing which direction you are heading, it just lets people know you are there, esp if they dont seem like they are looking around much. If you are on a narrow run and cant pass, I dont see any issue with it
The worst is when someone is riding terrain completely out of their skill level and riding unpredictability. Super common when parents drag their kids into the bowls and gate access areas. STOP DOING THIS! I’m trying rip in an advanced area and not have to worry about kids stopped in the middle of the bowl because they are scared
You forgot the most important part: Stay consistant/predictable!
Humans are very good in seeing and interpreting patterns. Someone skiing down the hill will see you carving big curves and automatically pass behind you, because they don't think you'll suddenly turn around and do small curves. Or if they see you short swing down the hill, they don't expect a sudden wider curve.
Wow I was watching this video and saw myself ride by lol. 5:27 in the orange jacket
Thanks for the video. I would add one more point - if you see someone fall, please stop for a second to ask if they are ok and help them if needed.
You were literally standing 20 ft from where a skier swung their skis and left a huge digger in my brand new goggles when you explained how to carry equipment.
I’d also mention people riding out of control. Yeah, I love to bomb a mountain too, but if you’re putting other people at risk it’s not worth it. Save it for a wide open run - nobody thinks your cool when you cut everyone off and hog the mountain.
Great vid Tommie! Just want to add that in catwalks or whatever you want to call those narrow passes, everyone please share the “road” skiers and boarders, tho I usually do see skiers slowly swerving back and forth taking up the whole area sometimes
This video basically describes keystone
I'm kind of glad that I dont have to worry about some of these yet because the place I go to is less full
I totally got yelled at by some other snowboarders cause i fell right before a jump. But likeeee maybe they shouldve given more space between?
i love how the snowboard coach is saying its cool to keep the bar up on the lift
I went up yesterday and some one stopped right in a blind spot and I was going pretty fast so I saw him right as i was going over and had to swerve super hard to not hit them I ended up catching an edge and broke my knee cap and sprained my ankle first day of the season to pretty annoyed
I think skiers/snowboarders should respect the green slopes. I have been teaching others how to ski for the first time on the green slope in North Star Lake Tahoe. The area is clearly marked as "slow mellow zone" & "family learning zone" on the map for beginners. Meanwhile, there are dushbags who fly through at full speed and get angry at slow people on the slope. Like what's wrong with you, if you are so good, please go to a black or blue runs where there are no beginners. Learn how to read if it says "slow" on yellow. Please follow the rules. There are kids and first-timers on the slope!