15 replies to this topic

[SnowHooker]

From my experience a majority of chairlifts have footrests in the North East and about half or less have footrests in the West. Does this sound accurate? Does anyone have some better numbers?

Rockies?
Canada?
Europe?

In the future will more chairlifts have footrests or less? I have heard they will have less footrest due to added cost and they are not necessary. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Lift Kid]

I believe that the numbers depend on the year that the lift was built and resort preference. In the Rockies, there are quite a few lifts with footrests as most ski areas out there are high class resorts that pay extra to have such items that make their guests more comfortable. I can only think of one detachable that does not have footrests too. Almost all detachables have footrests. In the western rockies, there are a lot of detaches, which also adds to the number of footrests on lifts. Canada has a similar story to the western rockies. I do, however, feel that the Eastern slopes don't have quite as many lifts with footrests. But there are more in the east than the midwest!

[gbcomp]

There is a High speed six at jiminy peak, MA that has no foot rests. Its called the BERSHIRE EXPRESS and it was built by GARAVENTA-CTEC

This post has been edited by gbcomp: 23 October 2007 - 12:53 PM

[Emax]

 SnowHooker, on Oct 23 2007, 02:05 PM, said:

From my experience a majority of chairlifts have footrests in the North East and about half or less have footrests in the West. Does this sound accurate? Does anyone have some better numbers?

Rockies?
Canada?
Europe?

In the future will more chairlifts have footrests or less? I have heard they will have less footrest due to added cost and they are not necessary. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks!

Footrests (cum "safety bars"... spit) are an ongoing matter of debate. Footrests alone are just fine with almost everyone - but, unfortunately, they always seem to come incorporated with "safety bars"... (spit). Many insurance company representatives will argue that these things cause more accident$ (dollar sign intentional) than they could possibly prevent. When something is partially labeled with the word "safety"... (spit)... it is automatically assumed to be a worthwhile step away from the edge of the ocean. This line of illogical reasoning must come to an end.

..."SnowHooker"? Your profile says that you're male. Oh my God, what have I said?

[mikest2]

 LSS, on Oct 23 2007, 06:57 PM, said:

Safety bars with or without footrests were required in the East for some time. Not so in the West. Now days, most new stuff will have Safety bars/footrests. The incident rate for miss loads/miss unloads is higher (someone will disput this) with Safety bars/footrests as they tend to be up or down at the wrong time. Also, you are asking a passenger to remember to put the thing up or down.
Most manufacturers will call them part of the carrier. Reason be, if you call them "safety bars, retaining bars, restraining bars" you identify them as something to keep a passenger in the chair. Foot rests is a much safer? term. God bless the lawyers.

We have to have restraining devices by code, footrests are on 7 of 10 of my chairs. Short rides don't need the footrest. Whether or not to have "safety" bars I don't think matters. What matters is all or nothing. You either have them on everything or on nothing.

[skisox34]

For me personally most footrests are set too high! In the east it seems dopp-ctec's seem not to have footrests on the detaches and the l-p's do. I would much rather not have a footrest and the perverbial manhood crucher that inevitably comes with it where the footrest post comes down from the safety bar. That is one thing women do not have to deal with!

This post has been edited by skisox34: 26 October 2007 - 07:14 AM

[skierdude9450]

In the US and Canada, it's mainly the resort's preference whether to have footrests or not. The only major resort in Colorado that has bars without footrests is Winter Park. (Actually Sunshine Express at Steamboat doesn't, but it was relocated from The Canyons.) There are many places in California that don't have footrests. Around here, though, only about one in three fixed grip lifts have any sort of bar.

From what I've seen in Euorpe, every lift has a bar, and they all have footrests, except for a few of the new Dopps that have automatic bars.

[SnowHooker]

..."SnowHooker"? Your profile says that you're male. Oh my God, what have I said?
[/quote]

SnowHooker is the name of a product I developed. It depends highly on the amount of chairs out there that have footrests. Check out the website - www.snowhooker.com

From my product's standpoint I would love to see them all go away. When I was a skier they were no help. On a snowboard they are useful but not exactly designed for snowboards in mind. With my product you would not need them.

Thanks everyone who replied with some info it is greatly appreciated.

[skierdude9450]

What's your product?

[Allan]

 SnowHooker, on Oct 27 2007, 02:26 PM, said:

... Check out the website - www.snowhooker.com

 skierdude9450, on Oct 27 2007, 02:38 PM, said:

What's your product?

[hyak.net]

IMO, foot rests are virtually worthless when you ride a snowboard. They just get in the way.

[Snoqualmie guy]

Worthless, unless you are alone on a quad. Then it's rather nice.

[Kicking Horse]

On a Avg day at Beaver Creek I slowed or stopped a lift due to the bar not being up 3 to 4 times a day on the busy days. And 1 or 2 on the slower days.

They are more hassle then they are worth. I dont even put them down when I'm riding a lift. Unless someone else wants it down.

[Emax]

"Check out the website - www.snowhooker.com"

Not a bad page. So there is a hooker, as promised.
Nice tits!

This post has been edited by Emax: 28 October 2007 - 04:09 PM

[Phoenix]

The only time I remember either riding or seeing a lift with footrests in the Sierras was in 1980 when I rode the old Chair 9 (Ricochet) at Mammoth Mountain and I think Super Squaw had new chairs installed with footrests after they used their old ones on the chair to replace the YAN plastic seats on Emigrant and East Broadway following the accident during a windy day on Emigrant in the mid 1980s.

I can see how the footrests would be hard on snowboarders (A.K.A. knuckle-draggers) since they have to sit with their board sideways on the chair (I have the nicks in my skis to prove it).

Yes, I have friends that are diehard snowboarders and I hear enough about me being a "double planker," so please take my snowboard comments in jest.

This post has been edited by Phoenix: 29 October 2007 - 07:20 PM

[zeedotcom]

The prevalence of the safety bar is somewhat regional, based on different laws that different states have and insurance requirements. The footrests are much less common than the safety bar. It is entirely up to the resort when they buy it for the most part. It is an "extra feature" that some choose to add, and I have seen triples, quads, and six packs that have them. It seems to be older for the most part, but some new lifts still have it. I would put it at far less than half of lifts that I have ridden, personally. Depending on location, only half of chairs even have safety bars to start with.