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The annual lift construction survey has been lovingly and carefully watched over by David Rowan, Nils Ericksen and many before them in the 44 years it has existed. So, when the job became mine this year, I dutifully turned to our back issues and poured over the historical data so that I was armed to tackle this year’s analysis. When this year’s figures were compiled and the charts were made, I thought there had to be a mistake. As near as I could figure, it was the worst lift construction year on record.

That’s right, folks, only 33 new lifts were installed in North America in 2005, the same paltry number as in 2002. But add this year’s total VTFH of 56,463 into the equation, and we hit our record low. The previous lowest VTFH was 56,646 in 2003. (Note: VTFH measures the number of skiers who can be transported 1,000 feet vertically in one hour. It is arrived at by multiplying the vertical rise in feet by the capacity in people-per-hour and divided by 1,000.)
Let’s first take into consideration that the U.S. logged its fourth best season ever with 56.4 million visits in 2004/05. Granted, the folks in the Pacific Northwest had one of their worst seasons ever, but everyone else fared pretty well.

So, what happened? After studying the trends, speaking with several experts and analyzing the data, we have come up with the following: we have no clue. Perhaps ski areas are spending their money elsewhere. Were the pleas from the snowmaking and grooming departments finally heard? Are those new ticketing systems and learning centers a ski area’s way of saying, “The customer needs more than great lifts?” If so, then the news is not all that bad. Clearly resorts are as committed as ever to providing the best experience possible and we are quite sure that that still includes lifts...just not for this year.

In the East, eight lifts were installed, as opposed to nine lifts the year before. Over the past ten years, the region has averaged 10.4 lifts per year, making the eight a low number indeed. The bright spots were the installations of two quads as part of an expansion at Wisp in Maryland; and Vermont’s Burke Mountain and Stowe each upgraded with a detachable.

The Mountain region logged 17 new lifts, which is right where its 10-year average is. So, not a bad year (in 2003 there were only 4!), but an average year. The big news in the Rockies was at Snowmass—a pulsed gondola and a 6-pack, both from Leitner-Poma, made their debuts this season. And a new private area in Montana comes on line this season: Spanish Peaks, located next door to Big Sky and the Yellowstone Club. The area is part of an upscale real estate development that will offer home buyers a backyard that will include a detachable quad, two triples and two platter lifts, all from Doppelmayr/CTEC.

As we mentioned, the Pacific region, namely the Pacific Northwest, suffered through one of the worst snow years on record. As a result, only three new lifts were installed, all of which are in northern California, where the snow did fly. Included in our charts to the left, but not included in our totals, is the only other gondola for 2005: the city of Spokane is sporting a new pulsed gondola from Doppelmayr/CTEC.

Moving north, Canada hit an all-time low with only five lifts. Maybe it was the weather out in B.C. and Alberta. Surely, there will be brighter times on the horizon with the Winter Olympics heading to Vancouver in 2010.


The Manufacturer Story
With the acquisition of Partek by Doppelmayr/CTEC, there are only two lift players left on the field. Does this hurt the industry? Doppelmayr/CTEC’s Jan Leonard doesn’t think so. “There just isn’t enough business to support three or four manufacturers. Gone are the days of 70 to 75 lifts per year. I think we will be looking at 50 to 55 as a good year.”

While Doppelmayr/CTEC installed twice as many lifts as Leitner-Poma, 22 versus 11, the companies were almost dead even on VTFH with Doppelmayr/CTEC accounting for 28,803 versus Leitner-Poma’s 27,660.

One thing both companies agree on is the fact that lead times are growing, making it harder to fill late or last-minute orders. “Lifts keep getting bigger and order dates keep getting later,” reports Leitner-Poma’s Rick Spear. Diesel engines, gear boxes, steel in general, are all requiring more time to acquire. Throw in a generally longer permitting process, which accounted for several lifts being delayed this past year, and we see that the old way of doing business will have to change. Instead of ringing out the register at the end of the season to see what improvements can be made, ski areas will need to make these decisions earlier in the year and plan for them.


Surface Lifts
Despite the woes of their air-bound cousins, surface lifts are still going strong, especially in the conveyor category. A total of 80 conveyor lifts were installed, which beats out last year’s record of 77. Areas both large and small are turning to conveyor lifts to get both beginners and tubers up the hill—some areas are even mixing both tubers and beginners on the same conveyor, reports Magic Carpet’s Jennifer Kelly. Thanks to the ability of a conveyor lift to transport a person every 4.5 feet as opposed to every 20 feet on a tow, areas are finding these machines ideal for moving large numbers of people.

In the handle- and rope-tow arena, only 12 lifts were installed, as opposed to last year’s 22, perhaps because most areas are opting for conveyor technology instead. Still, as an inexpensive way to get people up the hill or access new terrain, these surface lifts still have a role.


Dividing the Pie
In looking at who installed lifts this year, a pleasant surprise surfaces—a couple of newcomers. Tamarack in Idaho, which installed four lifts last year, accounted for two quads this year, one a detachable. And, as mentioned earlier, Spanish Peaks comes on line with five new lifts. Together they account for 21 percent of the new lifts and over 12 percent of the VTFH.

Aggressive expansions and renovations at Stowe, Wisp, and Snowmass also account for a large number of the installed lifts. In fact, of the larger companies, Aspen Skiing Company brings home the VTFH prize with 8,460, largely due to its Snowmass project. Second in VTFH, at 6,255, is Intrawest with two installations, one at Winter Park and one at Blue Mountain in Ontario. The Winter Park installation is notable because of its use of wind power. Third in VTFH, coming in at 5,652, was Vail, with lifts put in at Beaver Creek and Breckenridge.

So, there you have it—the worst year on record, and without a defining reason, like war, global warming or a plague. Still, remember, we only report brand-new lifts here. Areas are still installing plenty of used lifts (see page 52) that are new to their customers. In addition, suppliers are bullish about 2006 and report that early indicators show a rebound. And solid early season snows have set the stage.