When I went snowboarding in Korea, they let people carry their
snowboard when they ride on a chair lift (and in fact, many people do
just this, as opposed to wearing them on the lift).

However, at the resort I went to in Japan, they absolutely forbid this
- instead, you have to get on the lift with one (leading) foot still
strapped into the board. I can only surmise that they do this to
prevent somebody dropping their board onto the slopes (or people)
below ???

Is this the same situation in Europe and USA ?

Anyway, this in itself would be ok, except the knee of that leading
leg always hurts as a result ... with each day, I notice that riding
on the lifts soon becomes the part I dread most as the stress in the
knee becomes excruciating. (My binding angle is only 15 degrees, so
sitting on a lift with 2 or 3 other people and my board facing forward
means twisting the foot 90 degrees and when you're sat down all of
that comes out of the knee).

Has anybody else experienced and overcome this at all ?

Apologies for this rather silly question.

chas