Some modern lifts can be run in reverse. But most lifts can’t and very bad things happen when the heavy side of the line begins to move backwards. That’s called a rollback, and if that happens you’re much better off jumping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwPP4i7ENvQ (test conditions- what they showed us in lift op training)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPkw1XE_W0U (fairly recent incident- warning! -disturbing)
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In defense of ski lift operators. It’s a monotonous job. The machinery is loud. Once the outgoing chair is seated you immediately have incoming guests to watch and the next chair to bump. If an incident doen’t occur right after someone sits down your attention is going to the next group and chair. Chairlifts also don’t stop that fast, because swing.
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Relax bro
We don’t live in a world where emergencies happen all the time and everyone is prepared to respond in that way. Then some people react to stress differently. Then some of those children are raised by helicopter parents and likely don’t have the experience to own the moment. Then some people will process emergencies slower and perhaps come to the right conclusion where the first to react might already have a split skull from a falling ski or a boot and now you have more injuries to deal with. Maybe the standers would have been moved to action if there wasn’t already a team working on it?
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Some modern lifts can be run in reverse. But most lifts can’t and very bad things happen when the heavy side of the line begins to move backwards. That’s called a rollback
Interesting. I would have thought those where failures of power and/or brakes, and there would be no inherent impossibility of running these things backwards in a controlled manner.
In any case, you would have to coordinate with the other station, so you do not accidentally put more people in danger.
You go first… 
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Please please PLEASE tell me this is real and not photoshopgimpery???
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I have a suspicion. I can only wish I knew.
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Yet… …
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Oh boy, I get to introduce you guys to Captain Disillusion. He debunks viral hoaxes, and also just explains how they do cool visual effects. Here is his video about the ostrich video. (It is also spliced in with humor, and in this case, complaining about youtube. But stick with it, it shows how it was done.)
And his love letter to Back to the Future’s effects.
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Oh boy right back atcha - this looks good! And thanks!
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That snow was pretty well compacted there; people were running on it in ski boots and not digging in.
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