Platter lift
Encyclopedia
Surface lift
A surface lift is a type of cable transportation system used to transport skiers and snowboarders where riders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill.Types of surface lifts include the Poma lift, J-bar, T-bar, rope tow, and magic carpet....
, a mechanized system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
they are also known as Poma lifts (after Poma
Poma
Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,...
corporation which first made them). In French, it is téléski (although colloquially known as a tire-fesses or bum
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
-pull). In Italy it is skilift (or sciovia). It was invented in 1908 by Robert Winterhalder in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
).
The lift consists of an aerial steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
rope loop running over a series of wheels, powered by an engine at one end. Hanging from the rope overhead are equally-spaced vertical poles or cables attached to a plastic button or platter that is placed between the skiers
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
legs and pulls the skier uphill. Snowboarders place the platter behind the top of their front leg or in front of their chest under their rear arm and hold it in position with their hands. Attempting to be pulled up just holding on with the arms is tiring and makes balancing more difficult. Also, a common mistake for first-time riders is attempting to sit on the platter, which immediately sends both platter and rider to the ground.
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It is important to distinguish between Platter lifts and Pomas as they are very different types of lifts. Whereas Platters are fairly similar to T-bars with the stick attached to a spring box by a retractable cord, Pomas have a detachable grip with the button connected to the grip by a semi-rigid pole. Because they are detachable, most Pomas operate at speeds of over 4 metres per second, while platters and T-bars average 2.5 m/s. When a Poma's grip attaches to the cable, the passenger's acceleration is lessened by having the pole be spring-loaded (however on faster lifts there can still be quite a jerk when the pole becomes fully extended). This allows considerable running speeds to be attained, exceeding those acceptable in a (non-detachable
Detachable chairlift
A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the...
) chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
. 1,070 metre long Howqua Poma at Mount Buller
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
, Australia probably set a ski lift speed record by operating at an astonishing 6.5 metres a second when it was built in 1964, but the ensuing chaos resulted in it being restricted to 4 m/s in later years.