Ride a ski lift with snowboard

Riding a lift with a snowboard is not the easiest thing to do. Especially if you are a beginner or want to teach your child to get up using the lift. That's why we've put together a complete lift guide that is perfect for both beginners and children who want to learn to ride a lift with a snowboard!

Different types of lifts

At Stöten in Sälen, we have several types of lifts. They work in slightly different ways and, depending on your or your child's ability level, some may be more suitable than others. Below we will tell you more about how the different lifts work, for whom they are suitable and how to go about snowboarding in them:

The conveyor belt - a lift for the little ones

For the very youngest children who are going to ride a lift for the first time, there is a conveyor belt. You'll find it at the beginners' favourite slope - Lill Haren at Soltorget.

Everyone can ride the conveyor belt, which is both easy and safe. Depending on what your child feels comfortable with, you can let him or her ride the lift with or without the snowboard on their feet. If they're uncomfortable, you can start by taking them up the conveyor belt without the snowboard, and then add it as they get more comfortable with the belt.

The button lift - the next step in development

Once your child feels comfortable with the conveyor belt, it's time to introduce them to the Card Button and Wolf Lift. Two child-friendly lifts that take them up to some of the beginners' favourite slopes! The Button Lift is similar to the classic Anchor Lift, with the only difference being that at the end of the stick there is a round button instead of an anchor. Hence the name.

The complete guide for young and old alike who want to learn how to lift snowboard

When you go snowboarding, the first thing to do is to release your back foot from the binding. Next, you need to stand in the designated place and watch your back. When the lift is right behind you, grab the stick and insert the button between your legs. The same principle also applies to larger button and anchor lifts.

Doing a button lift with a snowboard is much more difficult than doing it with skis. This is because you have to place the button between your legs while keeping your back foot on the board without getting stuck in the binding in order to achieve the so-called oblique pull.

The chairlift - the comfortable option

Riding a chairlift is both more comfortable and easier for adults and children, although it can be a little scary at first. Again, the rear foot should be untied from the binding. Then just look back and wait for the chairlift at the indicated mark. When the lift arrives, you sit down.

If you are travelling with several people in the lift, wait until everyone is in a good position on the seat, then fold down the bar and place your foot or snowboard on the footrest, depending on which foot you have the board on and which side is closest to the footrest.

Once at the top, the bar folds up in the same simple way, and you stand on the slope and let the chair push a little while you slide away from the lift.

Place the rear foot on top of the board as it is this foot that steers. It can be a good idea to ski a bit away from the lift before you sit down to fasten the loosened foot. This way you avoid other skiers sliding into you when they get off the lift.

Extra tips for parents

If you are in the process of introducing your child to snowboarding, you can check out our previous articles:

• How to teach children to snowboard
• Children's snowboard length - a sizing guide

We hope you now have a better understanding of how to go about snowboarding, whether you're a beginner yourself or you're passing on the knowledge to your child. If you don't feel comfortable taking on the task on your own, we at Stöten offer snowboard lessons. Take a look our offers to have a great experience with us at Stöten in Sälen - see you on the slopes!

Stöten in brief

• Stöten has been voted Sweden's best ski resort several years in a row by Freerides readers
• There are 50 slopes with different levels of difficulty
• There are 45 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, 3 km of which are lit
• Stöten is home to Sälen's longest descent - Morsmor's 3060 metre plunge
• Pisten Älvan has previously been voted Sweden's best piste
• Stöten has been awarded Sweden's best ski resort for families with children

Stöten Adventure - an adventure for the whole family

Challenge your mates in Stöten Adventure - an area with eight fun adventure courses suitable for riders of all ages. Stöten Adventure includes;

• Stöten Cross - a fun and challenging ski cross course that includes both jumps and terrain waves
• Speed Freak - a fun and fast-paced race track, perfect for challenging the family
• Stöten Snowpark - where you can glide around jumps, rails and boxes with great music on the speakers
• Jibbarena - a fun park in mini format with boxes and rails
• Side by Side - challenge your friends to a parallel slalom, first down wins
• Vargy's adventure course - our mascot Vargy's own exciting forest trail
• Selftimer - the latest addition to the Stöten Adventure, a self-timing course to see who is really the fastest of the bunch