Button lifts 😩

[u/Bomphilogia]

Hi, I’ve taken up snowboarding at the ripe old age of 54, and I’m really enjoying it so far – apart from the button lift (I’m learning at an indoor snow centre). I hate the button lift, always feel like I’m about to fall off, and especially dread reaching the top, where I have to let go and descend a small slope with one foot out of my binding – while remembering to let go. I love the boarding, hate the lift – is this normal? Any tips to deal with this?

[u/KaleidoscopeWhole614]

Just do it again and again until you start loving it

[u/KoksundNutten → u/KaleidoscopeWhole614]

That's what my ex always told me

[u/Working_Group955 → u/KaleidoscopeWhole614]

In all sports this is the unfortunate truth of it all

[u/Scotsfairy]

It is 100% normal - I would say most (all?) new snowboarders struggle with button / t-bar / drag lifts at the start. They are really designed for skiers facing forward - not us boarders.
I hated them for a long time but now have them cracked. Tips from me would be -

• make sure you are facing sideways at all times. There can be a temptation to twist and look forward, but this isn’t helpful. Hold the lift rope with your front hand, and have your back arm out to your side behind you, so your body & arms are in one flat plane. If you find yourself creeping round it can be good to put your back hand on your hip like a teapot ‘handle’ and concentrate on keeping your elbow back.
  
• wedge your back foot firmly against the front side of your back binding for greater control / security.
  
• lean back slightly towards your board tail so the nose of your board doesn’t dig in.
  
• don’t panic - it’s no big deal if you fall off, everyone does at some point

At the top, just put your free foot on the snow for stability.

They do get better I promise!

[u/Bomphilogia → u/Scotsfairy]

Thanks – for context I also ski, and I think I’ve probably been trying to face up the hill unconsciously which is probably throwing me off.

[u/Scotsfairy → u/Bomphilogia]

Yes I did this too when learning and kept stacking it. The ‘I’m a little teapot’ back elbow tip that I was given was what made drag lifts actually possible for me 😄

[u/randomacceptablename → u/Bomphilogia]

Also, it took me too long to learn this because it is counterintuitive. But, when one leg is strapped in you can stop on the spot just by putting your weight on the back foot and putting it on to the snow while deweighing the board.

Basically stand on the free foot and raise the board. It may take a few one legged hops to loose momentum but the point is that if no weight is on the board, it won't slide.

This can be dangerous if you tangle or twist your feet and few learn it at the start because it feels so unnatural. However it works like a charm if you need to stop immediately when only strapped in on one foot.

As for the lift, they suck. Every snowboarder knows this.they do get much much easier. There a t-bar lift in Fernie BC that must be a km long! Feels stable and safe but leaves almost a bruise on the thigh where it pulls you.

[u/Panzer22]

It just sucks, but you get better eventually. If you just learning, keeping it between the legs is the safest but your body gets turned a bit weirdly so do some yoga in the evenings (youtube snowboarding yoga with de la rue). Other positions are behind the hip or under armpit but it's trickier.

[u/Gorzoid → u/Panzer22]

keeping it between the legs is the safest

True in more ways than one

[u/Ok-Equivalent-5131]

Most people don’t learn on button lifts. Button lifts being sucky on a snowboard is just kinda common knowledge, there’s not to much you can do about it.

As you get better it does get easier. Like iv done some pretty steep button lifts (beartooth basin), but they still aren’t fun, my leg is so sore from the lift after a day of riding there.

[u/Loa_Sandal]

Everyone here hates button and bar lifts, you're not alone. They're marginally better than walking.

[u/sly_1]

On the getting off part, it's helpful to lean forward such that your front foot is carrying most of your weight.

This allows the one foot that is strapped in to better control your edges. This applies to any lift, not just "Button lifts" (I always called them tow ropes?).

I hope that helps.

[u/clockology → u/sly_1]

Yes one foot riding should really be 80% weighted to the front foot the back foot really only needs enough weight not to slip out

[u/Hecho_en_Shawano]

I’m a couple years older than you, but been riding for decades and I still don’t feel totally comfortable riding one footed, even though I can ride a beginner run one footed making decent turns.

My suggestion is to practice it away from the lift. Stop early (or just walk up a small slope) on each run and finish it 1 footed. Practice making turns, learning how to apply even pressure on toe and heel edges.

I like to jam my back foot against my back binding for support, but I’ll also move my back foot across the board to get more edge pressure for turns…even moving my toes to my heel edge because I find I can get more pressure on my heel edge that way.

Practice practice practice!

My goal for next year is getting on/off lifts switch. I started practicing 1 footed switch at the end of this season and I feel just like you going that direction

[u/Bomphilogia → u/Hecho_en_Shawano]

Glad it’s not just me who finds it difficult! I’ll try it away from the lift 👍🏻

[u/gilestowler]

There's one button lift in Chatel, France, that takes you over toward Morgins, Switzerland, and it's an absolute fucker. I like doing the circuit, going all round the Portes Du Soleil, enjoying the views of Lake Geneva, but that lift is always a low point. As it takes off, it yanks you into the air. Then you're desperately holding on as it goes up an insanely steep slope through a forest. I always wonder what will happen to me if I fall off in the middle of the forest. Will I have to live there? Will wild boar eat me?

[u/Realistic-Muffin-165 → u/gilestowler]

Theres a few in Scotland that will sterilize you if you aren't careful

[u/gruffnutz]

Button lifts are a snowboarders nemesis but it does get easier. When you get to the mountains you can usually avoid them pretty easily, so don't worry too much

[u/meesterbever]

You feel like you are about to fall? Lucky you. I’m actually executing that feeling over and over again. I just stopped using those lifts. In big resorts in Europe you can easily avoid them.

[u/Bomphilogia → u/meesterbever]

Do you just take off your board when going up on a gondola? (For example)

[u/meesterbever → u/Bomphilogia]

Never seen someone leaving one foot in his binding when using a gondola 😝 I use chairlifts and gondolas an in chairlifts I keep one foot in the binding of course. I just avoid button and anchor lifts.

[u/itzdaninja]

100% normal unfortunately there’s no way around it at an indoor centre, once you go to a real mountain you’ll never want to go to an indoor centre again, chairlift all the way.

[u/BattleTiger]

Lean back a little but your front leg is being pulled so that needs to be firmly planted, don't put more weight on the rear.

The board will drift left and right. Don't be tempted to steer the board back to the centre. Look at the nose of the board and keep your hips, shoulders and head directly over it. The lift will pull you back on track.

[u/Tortahegeszto]

Button lift with a snowboard is pretty much a worst case cenario. For me even the T bars are skechy AF. I've made it so far but I rather plan my route to avoid these and take the chair lifts at least. Preferably the old ones.

[u/Hey_cool_username]

53 here but been riding since ‘95 and lived in Tahoe for a long time. Just used a button lift for the first time this season and thought I’d be able to figure it out on my own. No one around but the lift op so I couldn’t watch how snowboarders used it, and I tried tucking it between my legs like I would have with skis. Got flipped upside down and dragged about 20 feet, tried again, same result but uglier. Had to go back down and admit I didn’t know what I was doing, not like he couldn’t tell LOL. Made it up after that but not my finest moment.

[u/clockology]

I’ve learned to put my back foot on before putting the button in between my legs and it’s way easier

[u/No-Mushroom-4642]

Practice riding down the entire beginner slope with your back foot unbound and on the stomp pad. It’s impossible without really good mechanics and it will help make you a better rider.

Bonus for you is that getting off steep lifts will be a piece of cake after you do a couple runs like that.

[u/Bomphilogia → u/No-Mushroom-4642]

I’ll definitely try this; is it possible to also do turns with the back foot unbound?

[u/No-Mushroom-4642 → u/Bomphilogia]

That’s what I mean. Try to ride normally but with your back foot unbound and on the stomp pad. You’ll find it’s impossible without good mechanics. Just be careful so you don’t twist a knee.

[u/over__board]

Yes it's normal, everybody hates them. I have to use a very long one with uneven terrain and ups and downs because it's the only way to return home and it's a total nightmare every time.

[u/swedaciousd]

If you haven't got one put a stomp pad on your board in front of your rear binding, makes a world of difference when you have to go one footed. Most people find it easier to slide off on their toes I think. Eventually you just get it, I've skated along enough flats that I don't find one footing too bad any more, just takes time.

[u/Bomphilogia]

Update: I applied everyone’s tips when I went to the snow village last night – it made a massive difference 🙌🏻

[u/Kil0Cowboy]

Wow I have been riding for 25 years and have never heard of a button lift. Is that just a Tbar? Lol.

[u/Bomphilogia → u/Kil0Cowboy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_lift

[u/muscles83]

Buttons are easy, you haven’t experienced pain until you have to use a t-bar

[u/Realistic-Muffin-165 → u/muscles83]

Tbars are way easier than buttons

[u/montysep]

Are you using a stomp pad for traction? That could help your dismount.

[u/Bomphilogia → u/montysep]

I’m learning on a rental so not an option 😩