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Fat Skis and Gondolas

hespeler

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So I skied my Enforcer 110's for the first time the other day at Killington and had a heck of a time getting those things in the slots on the gondola. I actually couldn't do it and one of the lifties rearranged them for me but one ride she couldn't do it and left one in one slot and one in the other. I hate riding like that because the entire ride up I stress out that they're gonna be blown right off that thing. The other problem was on that particular ride the tails of each ski got pretty stuck in the slot (guess they weren't blowing off) and I had a heck of a time getting one of them out. I was twisting and shaking that thing as the car was making an almost full rotation around the wheel and only at the last second did I get it free (and only at the last second did a liftie come over to see what was going on). I thought I would be taking a ride down holding onto my ski. When I finally pulled it out the rubber backstop on the tail was a little chewed up.

I actually didn't ride the gondola anymore that day because of it.

Any advice?
 
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hespeler

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Fat skis need to go in the snowboard slot side by side

Yeah I guess that's the way to do it. I feel like they are gonna blow out of there but I guess I just have to trust it.
 

cantunamunch

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The real solution (eventually) will be more along the lines of larger slots with air-inflatable collars. Keep complaining, maybe it will happen.
 

Erik Timmerman

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Bring them inside. It's a pain in the ass and more so as they get longer, but that's what you do. Snowboard slot is really asking for them to get blown out (could depend on the Gondola, but I would not recommend using that slot on Stowe's gondola).
 
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hespeler

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Bring them inside. It's a pain in the ass and more so as they get longer, but that's what you do. Snowboard slot is really asking for them to get blown out (could depend on the Gondola, but I would not recommend using that slot on Stowe's gondola).

Which begs the question, will they let you do that? Especially on a crowded day with a full cabin. Seems like they do at Stowe.
 

Jilly

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The older slots in some gondola just don't work. At Tremblant we have a number of newer car, and they fit. But I would just bring them inside, because like you say, stressed out over not having them at the top.
 

BC.

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So I skied my Enforcer 110's for the first time the other day at Killington and had a heck of a time getting those things in the slots on the gondola. I actually couldn't do it and one of the lifties rearranged them for me but one ride she couldn't do it and left one in one slot and one in the other. I hate riding like that because the entire ride up I stress out that they're gonna be blown right off that thing. The other problem was on that particular ride the tails of each ski got pretty stuck in the slot (guess they weren't blowing off) and I had a heck of a time getting one of them out. I was twisting and shaking that thing as the car was making an almost full rotation around the wheel and only at the last second did I get it free (and only at the last second did a liftie come over to see what was going on). I thought I would be taking a ride down holding onto my ski. When I finally pulled it out the rubber backstop on the tail was a little chewed up.

I actually didn't ride the gondola anymore that day because of it.

Any advice?

I’m used to it....esp at Beast...Snowboard slots.....with top sheets to da inside.....bases facing out.

If no slots....they come inside....it is what it is....I ski 190+ phatties...
 
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Erik Timmerman

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Which begs the question, will they let you do that? Especially on a crowded day with a full cabin. Seems like they do at Stowe.

I think they'd much rather have them inside than have them fall out on an unsuspecting skier below you. It's awkward as hell since you have to hold them diagonally the whole time, and it gets worse when a bunch of you have skis that have to come inside.
 

Jersey Skier

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My 95's wouldn't fit in the regular slots at Gore. I thought for sure they were going to blow out of the snowboard slot yesterday, but they survived (leaning way to the side).
 

Slim

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I noticed the new gondola at Winterpark doesn't even have a skirack on the outside. I think that with all the snowboards, twintips fatski’s etc its just to much of a hassle, especially with a larger cabin.
They were also only loading 8 people in the “10 person” gondola cabins. Seemed like a good idea to ensure everyone fit inside and loaded quickly with their skis.
 

Jacob

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I hate riding like that because the entire ride up I stress out that they're gonna be blown right off that thing.

I've been taking fat skis up European gondolas in the snowboard slot for the last 10 years, and they've never fallen out. Just remember that, if the wind is actually strong enough to blow your skis up out of the slot, then it's too strong for the gondola to be running in the first place.

If a ski is going to fall out, it's going to be when the gondola is first setting off or is arriving at the top. The shifting around is more likely to make it fall out than the wind.
 

PinnacleJim

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So I skied my Enforcer 110's for the first time the other day at Killington and had a heck of a time getting those things in the slots on the gondola. I actually couldn't do it and one of the lifties rearranged them for me but one ride she couldn't do it and left one in one slot and one in the other. I hate riding like that because the entire ride up I stress out that they're gonna be blown right off that thing. The other problem was on that particular ride the tails of each ski got pretty stuck in the slot (guess they weren't blowing off) and I had a heck of a time getting one of them out. I was twisting and shaking that thing as the car was making an almost full rotation around the wheel and only at the last second did I get it free (and only at the last second did a liftie come over to see what was going on). I thought I would be taking a ride down holding onto my ski. When I finally pulled it out the rubber backstop on the tail was a little chewed up.

I actually didn't ride the gondola anymore that day because of it.

Any advice?

The cabins on the K1 gondola at Killington were all replaced this fall. They are Sigma Diamond 8s. The racks have been an issue since day one. They have four ski slots (not deep enough for skis with tail rocker) and two "combination" slots for boards or two pairs of wide skis. After having several boards fall off, they quickly required all boards inside. Skis with tail rocker need to put in one at time. I understand that new parts to retrofit the racks are on order. So bottom line, it was the particular poorly designed racks on these new cabins, not gondola racks in general.
 
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hespeler

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The cabins on the K1 gondola at Killington were all replaced this fall. They are Sigma Diamond 8s. The racks have been an issue since day one. They have four ski slots (not deep enough for skis with tail rocker) and two "combination" slots for boards or two pairs of wide skis. After having several boards fall off, they quickly required all boards inside. Skis with tail rocker need to put in one at time. I understand that new parts to retrofit the racks are on order. So bottom line, it was the particular poorly designed racks on these new cabins, not gondola racks in general.

That's good to know, thanks. So when you say skis with tail rocker need to be put in one at a time, do you mean both skis in the snowboard slot next to each other with bindings facing inward as has been suggested? Or one at a time and then clamped together? Because the second way was posing problems for both myself and the lift attendants.
 

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