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Teenage Snowboarder Falls From Chairlift at Copper Mountain

An 18-year-old snowboarder fell from the American Flyer chairlift at Copper Mountain in early January.

The Summit Daily reported that the fall happened as the snowboarder was getting ready to unload from the chairlift. There were no significant injuries reported. The fall was between towers 25 and 26 of the American Flyer lift, the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board said.

There were no issues found with the chair, but the rider fell after lifting the restraint bar and moving forward in preparation of getting off of the chair. Studies have shown that the majority of falls from chairlifts are a result of user error.

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Copper Mountain.

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This fall is the fourth this season in Summit County. An officer with Summit County Sheriff's Office said that chairlift falls in Summit County are “uncommon.” The sheriff's office responds to one fall every other ski season or so. Despite that, a spokesperson with St. Anthony Hospital told CPR News, “Sadly, we see a number of skiers airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital this time of year,” in a statement.

On December 11, 2024, a 32-year-old snowboarder was airlifted to a Colorado hospital after he fell from a chairlift at Keystone Resort. The rider fell while he was trying to tighten his bindings on the Ruby Express lift, Colorado Public Radio reported.

The chairs on the Ruby Express lift quickly gain elevation after departing the loading area. The trail the rider fell onto had not yet been opened for the season, and was primarily covered by rocks aside from a thin layer of snow. The Passenger Tramway Safety Board, a state-run inspection agency – reported that the rider fell 47 feet after holding onto the armrest. The restraint bar was not down, and the rider was wearing a helmet.

We’ve reported this here at Snowboarder in the past, but for the safest experience possible while riding the chairlift, make sure you take off any backpacks or bags while loading the lift.

There’s obviously a lot of debate on whether or not to put the restraint bar down or to leave it up, but on particularly windy days, or at ski areas in which you feel less confident or familiar with the conditions, remember that the bar is your friend. Especially if you're going to be leaning one way or another on the chairlift while adjusting equipment.

Remember that if you're alone on a chairlift, the distribution of weight will also be wonky, and small movements could also have greater consequences.

Related: Alabama Ski Area Opens for First Time in Five Years


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