A platter lift (US), platter pull (US - also j-bar) or button lift (Europe) is a surface lift, a mechanized system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope. In Europe they are also known as Poma lifts (after Poma corporation which first made them). In French, it is téléski (although colloquially known as a tire-fesses or bum-pull). In Italy it is skilift (or sciovia). It was invented in 1908 by Robert Winterhalder in the Black Forest (Germany)[1].
The lift consists of an aerial steel 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 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.
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) chairlift. 1,070 metre long Howqua Poma at Mount Buller, 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.
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