Best chairlift conversations you've experienced

[aveski]

I have a few:

Some years ago I was spring skiing at Sugarloaf and was on the lift with John Christie, former owner of Saddleback and GM at Sugarloaf. He also wrote the book on Sugarloaf. Interesting conversation about skiing in general and his feelings on Boyne and the Loaf. He felt they were a positive for the mountain. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 79.

And lift coincidences:

I was on a lift at Jackson Hole in 2015. Was riding single and a women border was also a single. We got on with two other women. After talking a bit, we realized we were all from Maine.

Last year at Perfect North, I’m riding with a guy I had just met. I mentioned I was from Maine and he was saying he used to do a lot of white water kayaking in New England. I asked him if he knew a friend of mine named Bryan B. Yep, they went on a few expeditions together.

Small world.

 

[SkiNurse]

Every chairlift ride with @Drahtguy Kevin

 

[Tricia]

Every chairlift ride with @Drahtguy Kevin

Now I have some of those conversations in my head. Thanks for that.

 

[oldschoolskier]

The best conversation was riding the chair by myself. It covered a wide range of topics and was very enlightening.

Wait does that mean I’m crazy because I respond to myself?

 

[KansasTraverse]

This curious conversation on a PowMow lift happened back in February.
Me: How's it going?
Nottobenamedlocal: Awesome.You didn't see me on the trail next to trees?
Me: No?
Notobenamedlocal: I was taking a leak when you skied right past me.

We skied the rest of the day together.

 

[pud]

About 20 years ago I was skiing Aspen Mountain with some friends and skied down to the 1A chair. As I was ready to board I noticed Klaus Obermyer ski up by himself. I asked him if I could join him and he smiled and said "of course". What a great guy and legend. To make it special I happened to have a pair of Obermyer ski pants on and he of course loved that. I asked him how he stayed so young and vibrant and he said in his thick accent" I ski everyday and I stay away from zee bumps"! Probably the only time I didn't mind taking a slow two person chair.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

I was at demo day at Loveland a few years ago. I skied down to the lift behind a guy on a snowboard. I know nothing about snowboarding but I thought, “This guy looks like he knows what he is doing”. I ended up on the lift with him and we start chatting. It turns out he is Chris Klug, Olympic snowboarder. Very nice guy.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

I rode the chair at Mammoth once with a kid about 9 or 10 years old. All he could talk about was how excited he was to be "working" with ski patrol that day. I thought "how cute, he's shadowing them." Nope. He had volunteered to get buried with a beacon and let the avalanche dogs dig him out. It was dog training! All I could think was .. and your parents KNOW you are doing this????

 

[DanishRider]

Some of the best (and worst) chair lift conversations I have had were on this chair...
View attachment 77946

Mad River Glenn?

 

[Bad Bob]

There is another that will leave you asking that person on the chair, "What the $&)# are we doing here?" Especially when it is raining in a strong wind. Mt Eyak Cordova, AK.

 

[Brad J]

While in Big Sky riding up on the quad from the base me and my buddy George got on with an older guy , when I asked him what he did before retirement he aid he was a pro hockey player with the Detroit Red wings 1947- 1957, His Name was Marty Pavelich 91 years young. we had a great conversation about his playing days and him playing with Gordie Howe. His first contract was 6K a year. the most intresting thing he said was that Gordie always worried that he would not make the team, his response to him was I am the guy that should be worried about making the team. It was such a joy to meet and talk to him , being a hockey fan during the Bobby Orr era I have alway had the greatest respect for the old time players who played for the love of the game.

 

[Tricia]

I was at demo day at Loveland a few years ago. I skied down to the lift behind a guy on a snowboard. I know nothing about snowboarding but I thought, “This guy looks like he knows what he is doing”. I ended up on the lift with him and we start chatting. It turns out he is Chris Klug, Olympic snowboarder. Very nice guy.

He is really an incredible human being. It was great to spend time with him at the Hall of Fame Induction at Aspen a few years ago.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

I taught a beginner lesson to Joe Schmidt, Detroit Lions probowl linebacker. He bought a big house next to the beginner run off the chair. Most of our chair conversation was about all his shoulder surgeries.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Thanks, Kneale, for reminding me of the conversations I had with Eddie Jenkins when I was fortunate enough to give him a private lesson one day.

Eddie Jenkins was a pro football player. He played for the Miami Dolphins the year they went undefeated and won the Super Bowl (1972). During his career he also played for the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. When he retired from football, he went to law school, became a lawyer, and ended up having an important impact on law in Massachusetts.

Our chairlift conversations were about how it felt to go back to law school after playing pro football, and how all his football friends had suffered physical decline because of major injuries from playing the game. He was a great ski student. I'll never forget that morning.

More on Eddie Jenkins: https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/eddie-jenkins-jr

 

[Gary Stolt]

That's hysterical!

Oh what a web we weave. This is one to remember.

 

[Gary Stolt]

It was a few years ago at Breckenridge. I was on a solo trip - first ride up - got on the lift with a young lady. She was a nurse. We got to talking and told her I was retired. She obviously could not see very well when she said you look kind of young to be retired. What is the secret to early retirement? It took me a while but then said. "spend less than you earn."

 

[mdf]

At A-Basin @SkiNurse told us about the young nurses who work for her, who she endearingly refers to as her "puppies" (because of their enthusiastic but slightly goofy demeanor). The next day, I happened to be riding a chair with one and she asked me if I was one of the crowd skiing with Christie. We chatted a bit and I said, "Yeah, Christie is a good kid." "Kid? <muffled snort>" "Well, she is younger than I am..."

 

[x10003q]

Here are 2 fun conversations from last year at Stratton:

I was riding the URSA 6 and happened to get on with two 8 year old girls who where in the Stratton jr race program. When I get on, I say hi and I notice that both girls are staring at me. About 30 seconds later, one of the girls shyly says to me - I love your helmet, immediately followed by a me too from the other girl. I happen to ski in a pink POC racing helmet and they where wearing the same ones. I said thank you and said I like your helmets. They giggled and asked why I had a pink helmet - I told them my little girl picked it out for me. At that point they both nodded and one of them said we have never seen a boy in a pink helmet. That made me laugh.

The other conversation was also on the URSA on a windy below zero day. I was in the singles line and get mixed in with a group of "20 somethings" - 3 women and 2 men. I am at the end of the chair next to a guy. They where laughing and arguing in the line and were really going at it in a nice way on the lift. Eventually I pay attention and hear them arguing about brushing your teeth before breakfast or after breakfast. There was some funny back and forth. Eventually, one of the women at the other end of the chair says "ask her what she thinks". The guy next to me looks at me and laughs and says "she who??" So the woman leans forward and says "the tall women in the pink helmet at the end of the chair". As I am 6'2" and 220 pounds and hard to confuse with a women, I answer with an " after breakfast" in my regular voice. The whole chair started hysterically laughing followed by profuse apologies from the woman at the other end of the chair. I got more apologies and laughter at the top when we got off the chair.

 

[SkiNurse]

At A-Basin @SkiNurse told us about the young nurses who work for her, who she endearingly refers to as her "puppies" (because of their enthusiastic but slightly goofy demeanor). The next day, I happened to be riding a chair with one and she asked me if I was one of the crowd skiing with Christie. We chatted a bit and I said, "Yeah, Christie is a good kid." "Kid? <muffled snort>" "Well, she is younger than I am..."

 

[T-Square]

May not be the best, but it was memorable. I was in the gondola at Stratton many years ago with several boarders. They started talking and hinting about bringing out the ganja and toking their way up. I don’t know what possessed me but I said, "how do you know I’m not a cop?" Which was true, I’m not a cop. Things got really quiet and I enjoyed a smoke free ride the rest of the way. By the way, yes, I am an a$$hole.