Chairlift rollbacks are rare, but they happen. I remember the day Sugarloaf’s King Pine rolled back in 2015. While I was fortunately nowhere near the chair when it happened, I was on the mountain, and it caused quite the understandable stir. But could a chair rolling back really be that dangerous? Based on the rollback test in this video, the answer is yes.
The dangers of a rollback depend on the type of lift, but they’re dangerous no matter. Being on the lift as it whips around the base, even at slower speeds, can cause a skier or snowboarder to go flying. That’s why you see people jumping off the lifts when a rollback begins. If you’re ever in a lift failure emergency, please listen to the ski patrollers and officials in the area.
