Lifts 1989

Well, let’s face it, 1989 did not set records in lift construction in North America. Having said that, the flip side must also be stated: it was in no way the bummer that some have tried to make it. The investment level remained high, in fact. Measured by VTFH — Vertical Transport Feet per Hour — 1989 ranks as the fifth best year ever, and only six percent below last year’s all-time record. Some slump!

VTFH has been used consistently by SAM since 1969, and it is still by far the most sensitive measurement of investment outlay, and the best indicator of the uphill bang the skier wants for his lift ticket buck. We annually explain it because even some in our industry still get it wrong. VTFH is the number of passengers transported 1,000 vertical feet in an hour. The mathematical skills required are not stressful; multiply the vertical rise of the lift by its hourly capacity and divide by 1,000.

So, yes, the number of new lifts installed in 1989 for the 1989-90 season was 78, down from 103 last year, and the lowest total since 1982. But, the total VTFH was 146,617.7, which was right up there with last year’s record 156,235.

Average Size Up

The mathematical result is that there is a truly dramatic increase in the size of the average installation. This increases almost every year, but this year shot up 23.9 percent to 1,879.7. As “average” lifts go, that’s pretty impressive. It might be seen as a quad chair with 1,800 capacity and a 1,044-ft vertical.

To put that into perspective, the 220 lifts erected in 1972 averaged 600 VTFH. Ten years later, this was up to 1,032.

This trend to more powerful lifts is likely to continue, as areas reconfigure their facilities, replacing older lifts with fewer, but more powerful ones. Total lift inventory will probably decrease, while total VTFH will rise. The skier will continue to be served better.

Contributing to the increase in this year’s average VTFH was a sharp increase in powerful detachables. Of the 73 chairlifts built, 24 are detachable — a startling one-third. Expressed as percentage of chairs built that are detachable, the trend line is dramatic: 1985 — 10.5; 1986 — 17.1; 1987 — 17.8; 1988 — 20.2; 1989 — 32.8.

Also contributing to the high VTFH is the continued trend to the larger carriers. No less than 53 of the 73 chairs built this year are quads. Last year in this space I wrote, “In three years, the incidence of quads in the chairlift mix has changed from a little over one-third to roughly half to almost two-thirds.” This year we update the quad factor to show almost three-quarters in that configuration. The gain in quads was at the expense both of triples and doubles.

Biggest of the big award this year goes to the Doppelmayr Quad detachable at Big Mountain in Montana, which weighs in at 5,848 in VTFH, thanks to a 2,084-ft vertical and a capacity of 2,806. It’s about a mile-and-a-half in length.

Surface Lifts

At the other end of the scale, surface lifts have all but disappeared: two small platters are the total output this year, compared to 10 surface lifts in 1988 and 12 in 1987. American visitors to European slopes are always amazed at the number of surface lifts they encounter, and the contrast with the North American mix is startling. Given the maintenance, employment and insurance factors, it seems unlikely we will see any change — a pity, because they can add greatly to skiing enjoyment. But today, in North America, they are increasingly confined to special situations — glaciers, racing or providing a link in circulation of skier traffic.

Part of the slack is being taken up by wire ropetows and handle tows. About 25 were sold this year, and they are a solid part of today’s scene.

Another interesting blip on the screen is the reappearance of the enclosed chair. There are two this year: one a CTEC quad at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, where the wind off Lake Superior can be a tad unfriendly; and the other in a Poma at Copper, where the 1.2 mile length — this year’s longest chair — will make it welcome. Besides, Copper skiers have long been accustomed to bubbles.

West Big Winner

Geographically, the big loser this year is the East, and the big winner the West, which got about half of all the new VTFH (49.2 percent). This share is up from a third of the pie last year. The 72,107 in new VTFH in the West represents a 37 percent increase over last year, and puts it back in the range enjoyed in the 1985 and 1986 years.

Biggest contribution to the western boom comes from California, with 11 out of the West’s 28 new lifts, and some 44 percent of the West’s new VTFH. Squaw Valley, with five new lifts, led the way.

Canada had another excellent year, with Quebec alone adding an 8-passenger gondola and eight quads, of which three are detachable. Ontario was not far behind with seven quads, of which three are detachable. It must be noted that comparisons with the U.S. must take into account the generous encouragement that the Canadian government gives to lift investments.

The East, with 19 new lifts, was obviously paying the price of a bad snow year. You have to go back to 1981 to find a year with fewer lifts built. The high spot would have to be the explosion of lifts at New York’s Peek ‘N Peak: a dual double, a dual triple and a triple — all from CTEC.

The Midwest — well, it fared even worse than the East. It added only four lifts — a record low — and you have to go back six years to show a lower addition of VTFH.

New Areas

It is always nice to be able to welcome new ski areas to the industry. Lake Ridge in Ontario starts life with two quad chairs by BM Lifts. The other debut is an area which will offer the closest skiing — just 60 mile west — to the important Washington, D.C. market. Called Cherokee, it is on an exit off I-66 in Linden, Virginia. Developer Gene Adkins is installing three Riblets — two quads and a triple. The area is almost close enough for the USIA troops to go skiing there on lunch breaks from their McLean headquarters.

The lift picture would not be complete without a word about relocations and re-engineerings. Investments in new drives, tower equipment, safety systems and the like are the less glamorous, hidden part of the picture, but the dollar commitments are substantial. Borvig’s re-engineering work at Massanutten, Vernon Valley and Jack Frost, for instance; or CTEC’s at Solitude; Riblet’s at Big Powderhorn; Poma’s reworking of lifts at Sugarbush and Stowe. These and others are all a vital part of the industry’s investment in modern, efficient, safe uphill transportation.

Is the downturn in 1989 the start of a trend? I doubt it. A lot of lifts built in the 1960s and 1970s are being looked at with an eye to consolidation and replacement. A lot of lift systems are being examined with an eye to maximizing capacity and efficiency that today’s technology makes possible. A lot of ears are open to consumer reaction, because consumers are becoming increasingly able to differentiate between lifts and types of lifts.

All of this points to a continued high level of investment in uphill transportation. And, as always, a great snow year has a way of unloosing purse strings.

TABLE I — NEW SKI AREAS AND LIFTS BY REGION

Region	New Areas	New VTFH	Surface	Chair	Gondola	Total
East	1	21,702.3	—	19	—	19
Midwest	—	2,570.0	—	4	—	4
West	—	72,107.2	2	26	—	28
Canada	1	50,238.2	2	24	1	27
Totals	2	146,617.7	4	73	1	78

TABLE II — LIFT COMPARISON WITH PRECEDING YEARS

Region	’89	’88	’87	’86	’85	’84	’83	’82	’81	’80	’79	’78
East	19	31	39	33	23	36	29	20	18	11	14	33
Midwest	4	9	10	8	7	11	5	10	9	6	18	18
West	28	26	22	25	45	31	36	39	43	40	39	45
Canada	27	37	31	26	32	11	9	8	14	27	25	31
Totals	78	103	102	92	107	89	79	77	84	84	96	127

TABLE III — VTFH COMPARISON WITH PRECEDING YEARS

Region	1989	1988	1987	1986	1985	1984	1983
East	21,702.3	46,667.3	57,249.5	43.370.3	27,724.0	45,223.5	28,461
Midwest	2,570.0	3,796.3	5,283.8	4,370.6	2,876.1	3,260.6	2,345
West	72,107.2	52,635.3	34,051.3	73,797.2	82.757.2	50,308.7	54,156
Canada	50,238.2	53,136.1	52,481.8	27,050.1	37,045.1	13,616.3	8,748
Totals	146,617.7	156,235.0	149,066.4	148,588.2	150,402.4	112,409.1	94,710

TABLE IV — NEW LIFTS BY MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer	Surface	Chair	Gondola	Total Lifts	Total VTFH
BM Lifts	—	4	—	4	3,036.0
Borvig	—	8	—	8	7,826.7
CTEC	—	12	—	12	13,017.9
CTEC/Von Roll	—	1	—	1	3,802.4
Doppelmayr	3	19	1	23	51,880.5
Lift Engineering	—	10	—	10	26,822.8
Poma	1	13	—	14	35,337.5
Riblet	—	5	—	5	4,426.8
Von Roll	—	1	—	1	467.1
Totals	4	73	1	78	146,617.7

EAST

Location	Type	Manufacturer	Installed HP	Lgth.	Vert.	Cap.	Spd.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Bretton Woods	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	500	4900	1010	2500	1000
NEW YORK
Holiday Valley	4C	CTEC	150	1720	429	2400	400
Peek’N Peak	3C	CTEC	100	2070	343	1800	400
Peek’N Peak	2C (dual double)	CTEC	30	650	97	1000	250
Peek’N Peak	2C (dual double)	CTEC	30	505	69	1000	250
Peek’N Peak	3C (dual triple)	CTEC	100	2002	318	1800	400
Peek’N Peak	3C (dual triple)	CTEC	100	2002	318	1800	400
Song Mountain	3C	Riblet	150	2950	580	1800	500
Whiteface	2C	CTEC	200	2458	993	1200	500
PENNSYLVANIA
Big Boulder	3C	Borvig	100	1550	374	1800	450
Seven Springs	4C	CTEC	250	2965	667	2400	400
RHODE ISLAND
Yawgoo Valley	2C	Doppelmayr	40	1360	180	1020	450
VERMONT
Okemo	4C	Poma	310	4535	967	2100	500
Stratton	4C	Poma	475	6285	1476	2400	550
VIRGINIA
Cherokee*	3C	Riblet	40	1020	90	1800	300
Cherokee	4C	Riblet	200	3195	547	2400	450
Cherokee	4C	Riblet	200	3812	513	2400	450
Massanutten	4C	Borvig	250	2953	800	2100	425
WEST VIRGINIA
Silver Creek	4C	CTEC	250	3010	653	2400	425

MIDWEST

Location	Type	Manufacturer	Installed HP	Lgth.	Vert.	Cap.	Spd.
MICHIGAN
Nubs Nob	3C	Riblet	100	1370	376	1800	400
Sugarloaf	3C	Von Roll	75	805	266	1756	400
MINNESOTA
Spirit Mountain	4C (Encl.)	CTEC	150	2020	433	2250	425
WISCONSIN
Tyrol Ski Basin	3C	Borvig	60	1171	251	1800	450

WEST

Location	Type	Manufacturer	Installed HP	Lgth.	Vert.	Cap.	Spd.
ARIZONA
Sunrise	4C	Borvig	250	3891	871	2000	450
Sunrise	4C	Borvig	200	3887	549	2000	450
CALIFORNIA
Alpine Meadows	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	5560	1562	2400	900
Boreal Ridge	4C	Lift Engineering	200	2076	465	2400	450
Mountain High	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	900	5649	1589	3000	1000
Northstar	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	500	5204	918	2800	1000
Northstar	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	600	5639	1253	2800	1000
Sierra Ski Ranch	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	5170	1582	2400	900
Squaw Valley	3C	Lift Engineering	400	6200	950	1800	500
Squaw Valley	2C	Lift Engineering	100	3000	600	850	500
Squaw Valley	4C-Det.	Poma	870	7622	1660	3000	1000
Squaw Valley	3C	Poma	350	3628	1283	1800	475
Squaw Valley	3C	Poma	400	4475	1332	1800	475
COLORADO
Berthoud Pass	4C	Borvig	200	1953	594	2400	400
Berthoud Pass	3C	Borvig	100	1429	388	1758	450
Berthoud Pass	2C	Borvig	15	441	74	1000	300
Copper Mountain	4C-Det. (Encl.)	Poma	720	6327	1476	2800	1000
Steamboat	Platter	Doppelmayr	15	753	145	513	385
Vail	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	700	6588	1466	2800	1000
Winter Park	3C	CTEC	300	3805	879	1800	475
MONTANA
Big Mountain	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	798	7689	2084	2806	1000
NEVADA
Mt. Rose	4C	CTEC	500	3950	1310	2400	450
NEW MEXICO
Taos Ski Valley	4C	Poma	480	3740	1634	2400	500
OREGON
Mt. Bachelor	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	520	5807	1306	2800	1000
UTAH
Park City	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	5287	1304	2800	900
Park City	4C	Lift Engineering	250	2600	870	1800	450
Solitude	4C-Det.	CTEC/Von Roll	700	4780	1358	2800	1000
WYOMING
Jackson Hole	Platter	Poma	40	1246	156	1200	690

CANADA

Location	Type	Manufacturer	Installed HP	Lgth.	Vert.	Cap.	Spd.
ALBERTA
Skiing Louise	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	6030	1457	2400	900
Skiing Louise	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	3855	1385	2400	900
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Big White	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	572	5953	1445	1799	1000
Blackcomb	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	549	4647	1230	2864	1000
Fernie Snow Valley	4C	Doppelmayr	268	4615	1025	1810	500
Whistler Mountain	4C-Det.	Lift Engineering	752	6005	1394	2800	986
NEWFOUNDLAND
White Hills	4C	BM Lifts	200	2235	602	2400	450
NOVA SCOTIA
Ben Eoin	Platter	Doppelmayr	15	760	130	460	350
Ben Eoin	4C	Doppelmayr	200	2200	480	2400	450
Ski Wentworth	4C	Doppelmayr	150	2300	470	2100	460
ONTARIO
Blue Mountain	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	300	2460	620	2800	1000
Horse Shoe Valley	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	200	1400	300	3000	900
Lake Ridge*	4C	BM Lifts	60	870	165	2400	430
Lake Ridge	4C	BM Lifts	100	1372	245	2400	430
Mont St. Louis	4C-Det.	Poma	290	2175	419	3000	1000
Searchmont	4C	Doppelmayr	175	2300	560	2000	460
Sir Sam’s	4C	BM Lifts	100	1255	253	2400	450
QUEBEC
Grand Coulee	4C	Doppelmayr	200	4400	650	1920	475
Grand Coulee	4C	Doppelmayr	250	3700	740	2200	475
Gray Rocks	4C	Poma	125	1860	381	2000	425
Le Relais	4C-Det.	Doppelmayr	400	3000	730	2800	1000
Massif du Sud	4C	Poma	400	5466	1240	2200	492
Mont Garceau	4C	Poma	300	3560	829	2400	492
Mont Habitant	Platter	Doppelmayr	15	500	100	500	350
Mont Ste. Anne	Gondola (8)	Doppelmayr	1000	7800	2050	2800	1000
Mont Ste. Marie	4C-Det.	Poma	510	4642	1070	2400	1000
Mont Ste. Marie	4C-Det.	Poma	500	4380	904	2800	1000