26 May Chairlifts and Bananas!
Do you recall the first time you were learning to work out slopes in the snow? Whether you were secured to a board or your feet were in rigid plastic boots attached to skis, you might remember what it was like to be moved down the hill, aiming to stay upright and get to the bottom with some grace left intact.
At the outset, you may have been at the bottom of the bunny hill, feeling just fine as you grabbed on to the tow rope and began to be tugged up the small hill. You watched more experienced skiers and boarders overhead on the lift, and then looked back down to the rope in your hands.
Once you got to the top, all you had to do was let go of the rope, steady yourself, hold your head high, and then, we’ll, make a go of it. You started to gain speed, and instead of going straight, you were headed sideways.
” Oh boy,” you told yourself. “Okay, wait. I understood this. Come on, come on,” you thought. And for a minute, it seemed that maybe you were going to get yourself righted in the end. But that illusion only lasted a few seconds before the reality of the scenario set in: you were careening to the left, going full tilt, headed straight for the tow rope that just brought you up.
What did you do? Well … you backed off on any kind of grace or pride whatsoever, hit your bum, obliterated, turned around, and looked back up the hill to make eye contact with your best pal. And you were laughing in semi-embarrassment, but mostly because the scenario was just funny.
And because you were turned away from the rope, looking at said friend, you didn’t see how it was just about to become funnier. The tow rope hook had come along on the ground, snagged your pants, and began to take you along, too.
Okay, but really. It’s funny to remember on, but you were probably grateful when you were able to get in line for the chairlift, ride up in dignity, and keep your pride by staying upright all the way down. (Go, you!).
Chairlifts make it easy to make up the mountain (and it’s kind of nice to be able to relax and take a break between runs, too). Before they went along, people used other methods to get to the tops of slopes. That all changed in 1936 when the first chairlifts were installed in Sun Valley, ID, and it all began with bananas.
Only that the guy who came up with the concept of the chairlift had previously used a similar technique with bananas. James Curran, an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad, was an engineer who had come up with a cable system with hooks to transport bananas onto boats in Honduras.
He took the tip and ran with it … and it worked! * We have him to thank for the comfort and fun that we delight in today on the slopes. And if just checking this out makes you itch to put your skis on, remember that we specialize in group transportation and love dealing with the driving for ski trips. Our coaches can transport your whole group (family, office, friends … whoever!) comfortably, without a hitch. Additionally, we’ve got great storage capacity for all the gear, along with anything else you might need to bring along. We ‘d love to make you up to where the air is clean and crisp and fresh powder is calling your name!
* To learn more on this, check out this article for extra reading (we loved it):.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/magazine/who-made-that-ski-lift.html?_r=0.