Ten People you Meet on the Chairlift

At its core, skiing is a solitary experience. Even if you're up there with friends or family, it's basically just you, your skills and the mountain until you reach the bottom.
The chairlift, however, is the great equalizer. You meet new people, have your few minutes of conversation and go on your way. It's where black diamond rippers meet newbies who barely know how to get off the lift.
At risk of over-generalizing, we've put together a list of the different types of skiers and snowboarders you meet on the chairlift at a Colorado Ski Country USA resort. For expediency, we've described them as "he" but of course you'll meet plenty of folks of both genders on the lift.

The retiree

He worked and saved for 40 years to live near his favorite ski area and makes the most of it. He's in the parking lot by 7 a.m. to get a close spot, getting dressed in the warmth of the lodge for an hour while sipping coffee and on the lift by 9:05. And he's on the way home by 1 because, as they say, "Old skiers don't die. They just go downhill really fast."
Telltale sign: Has way more days on the mountain than you.

The ski bum

Skiing and a full-time job are often at-odds with each other, and the ski bum embraces this. He works all summer to save money for winter, spends hours looking at weather forecasts and if his local resort doesn't have the good snow, he'll travel to one that does.  When the tourists are shelling out big bucks for lunch, the ski bum - if he stops for lunch at all - can usually be found in a corner of the lodge or warming hut scarfing down a pocket sandwich.
Telltale sign: A $1,500 set of skis attached to the top of a $500 car.

The ultra-local

This is his mountain and he wants you to know it. He knows the name of every run and the exact snowfall amount the resort has received in every storm. He also knows where the best powder stashes are, but if you think he's going to tell you, forget about it, bro.
Telltale sign: Has to be off the mountain by 2 for his shift as a waiter, bartender or dishwasher.

The ripper

He feels the need, the need for speed. He skis alone and waits for nobody in the quest to stack up vertical feet on his iPhone app. He may spend the entire lift ride scouting on his next line and telling you about it.
Telltale sign: Does two runs for every one you do.

The Texan

Everything may be bigger in Texas, but Colorado has the better skiing, so they flock here, especially around Christmas and spring break. They only ski a week a year and spend the first day shivering and remembering how to ski, the second day ripping groomers, the third day reminding themselves they don't know how to ski double-diamonds, the fourth day at the bar and the fifth day shredding like a pro. They have 360 days to forget it all before the next trip.
Telltale sign: Is at the bar by 11 because his blue jeans are soaked.

The Front Ranger

He woke up at 4 a.m. in Denver to beat the traffic and even if it's not a powder day, he's just glad to be out of the city and up in the beautiful mountains. He's in line for first chair and skis hard until lunch, when he's back on the road to again beat the traffic. When it's an epic powder day, he might not be able to make it to work because of snow but has no problem getting to Loveland, Arapahoe Basin or Winter Park.
Telltale sign: Talks wistfully about moving to the mountains from the city, if only he could find a well-paying job.

The little shredder

Many of us weren't lucky enough to be born near a ski area, but this kid has been on skis practically since birth. Muscle movements that may always seem awkward to the late-learner come natural to this kid, who may be competing in the Olympics by the time he's your age.
Telltale sign: No parents in sight. He's that good already.

The harried parent

Skiing can be a great way for families to spend time together, but you wouldn't know it by the look in this parent's eyes as he carries three pairs of skis, two backpacks and a massive cooler. The kids may be crying because it's cold but the parent urges them on mercilessly, often making two or three trips back to the car because someone forgot their gloves. But it'll be worth it someday when the kids are old enough to get their Colorado Ski Country USA Passport and can ski on their own, which means so can mom and dad.
Telltale sign: Can be overheard pleading with kids to hurry up "because we're going to miss the powder."

The newbie

We all had to learn to ski or ride sometime, and this ski school student who has finally been turned loose by the instructor may be full of questions. Where are the easiest runs? How do I get back to the base? What the heck are these poles for? Avoid the temptation to be snide or mock the newbie. After all, the future of our sport means attracting new skiers all the time.
Telltale sign: Asks which direction you're headed off the lift and gets scared if you're going the same way and takes you all down while getting off anyway.

The spring breaker

While college students in northern states are sick of winter by March and head south, the opposite is true for many at southern schools. And since Colorado is known for its great spring snow, many head here for a week of partying and maybe a little skiing. The spring breaker will often drink too much at high altitude and realize that skiing with a hangover is no fun. But he does it anyway because, well, "SPRING BREAK!!!!!!"
Telltale sign: His skin begins to turn blue on the lift because he's skiing in shorts and a t-shirt and didn't realize it's much colder on top of the mountain than at the base.