Superstar chair

[skiadikt]

They got the acreage banked for a new lift line for sure... thinking something like this?

it better not infringe on my beloved old supe . it can't be too far over towards the lodge or else it'll be difficult for folks coming from lark, bitter, etc to make the lift w/o much poleing. the umbrella bar is easy but much beyond that is difficult unless you're really flying.

[Skivt2]

From K's perspective, seems to me Superstar is the obvious choice by process of elimination. They probably don't want to replace the Ramshead or Snowshed lifts because the village construction. As discussed in other threads, I really don't see them investing much in the Skyship because the ROI is not great. On the other hand, apart from K1, Superstar is probably the most important lift on the mountain right now and ROI for that one is probably much better.

regarding the skyeship, from what i've "heard", a stumbling block is it would be a a major expenditure for a very short season - barely 3 months for stage 1. obviously something needs to be done at some point, even if it's only cabin replacement. but as loco points out, that alone is $4 mil.

as others have said, after skyeship, a ramshead 6 should be next but that's probably beholden to the village. supe is probably ready and that will jump to the head of the line because of F.I.S. demands. thought i saw diagrams where the bottom terminal would be in the vicinity of the ubar. certainly would make for easier loading for folks leaving the base lodge.

The constant arguments about an interconnect are pretty hysterical in this context. Pico is open at best from end of December to the first weekend in April and we have seen that season as short at 1/6-3/15 in recent memory. In addition the interconnect itself is only viable on natural snow for maybe 2.5 months. With all the other big ticket needs it seems laughable that anyone thinks that it would happen in the near future.

[Southside_Bobby]

Given the general "it can wait until after the village" mentality by ownership, towards lift infrastructure investment right now, the Supe lift must be in seriously bad shape. I don't think FIS demands are the main driving force in its replacement priority.

I get the power of a "devil you know" mindset. But if Powdr is unable or unwilling to step up the pace of lift refurb/replacement over the next decade at K, new ownership might not end up being such a bad thing. 'Cause there are too many issues (Skyeship cabins being the most prominent example) that can't wait until their stupid village is finished to be rectified.

[Grmmtnhkr34]

Just curious... How do other Yan / Poma conversions hold up after 20 years+ of use? I'd like to hear from someone who knows something about this, not trolls like Downdraft and Bay Five. What about the 2 at Pico?

Comparing superstar with the other yan/pomas is misleading since superstar has logged the most hours. Yes now snowshed 3 is operating in the summer but for most of its life it's only run 3 1/2 - 4 months a year. Superstar has been spinning 7 to 8 months a year almost since its been installed. The pico lifts are almost new in comparison. It's the same reason the chairs were replaced on superstar.

[GSKI]

The rumor from a highly confidential inside "top source" is the SS chair replacement is leaning 6 pack. The company and configuration is not yet decided.

[Grmmtnhkr34]

The rumor from a highly confidential inside "top source" is the SS chair replacement is leaning 6 pack. The company and configuration is not yet decided.

6 packs really are the industry standard for main chairs now. Anything that is in the spotlight is going to go 6 pack at a major resort.

[Skivt2]

I can’t see them ever letting us walk on and walk off a brand new 6 pack carrying our skis. Times are changing. I remember one year where I think the last 5 or 6 days were walk on and walk off.

[wtf021]

Would a six pack get a barn? Do they have the space to build one at the base of Superstar.

[Big Bob]

Would a six pack get a barn? Do they have the space to build one at the base of Superstar.

It will need a barn if the chairs have bubbles.

[Big Bob]

From K's perspective, seems to me Superstar is the obvious choice by process of elimination. They probably don't want to replace the Ramshead or Snowshed lifts because the village construction. As discussed in other threads, I really don't see them investing much in the Skyship because the ROI is not great. On the other hand, apart from K1, Superstar is probably the most important lift on the mountain right now and ROI for that one is probably much better.

regarding the skyeship, from what i've "heard", a stumbling block is it would be a a major expenditure for a very short season - barely 3 months for stage 1. obviously something needs to be done at some point, even if it's only cabin replacement. but as loco points out, that alone is $4 mil.

as others have said, after skyeship, a ramshead 6 should be next but that's probably beholden to the village. supe is probably ready and that will jump to the head of the line because of F.I.S. demands. thought i saw diagrams where the bottom terminal would be in the vicinity of the ubar. certainly would make for easier loading for folks leaving the base lodge.

The constant arguments about an interconnect are pretty hysterical in this context. Pico is open at best from end of December to the first weekend in April and we have seen that season as short at 1/6-3/15 in recent memory. In addition the interconnect itself is only viable on natural snow for maybe 2.5 months. With all the other big ticket needs it seems laughable that anyone thinks that it would happen in the near future.

Why not just replace the door mechanisms on the Skyship cabins? That seems to be what is worn out. Doppe remanufactures whole lifts now, why not refurbish the cabins rather than replace. Sandblast, paint. new windows, grips and doors?

[Heywood jablowmee]

Can’t believe no insider pearls o wizzdum from Killingtons all knowing faux staffer, Bayfive

[snoloco]

That's also an option, especially since Skyeship has a shorter season. It isn't cheap either, but may be less expensive than completely new cabins. Stowe went that route with their cabins. The drawback is that it means they still have two different types of cabins. Also, the door mechanisms on the K1 cabins are in the ceiling, while they are in the floor on the Skyeship cabins. They get much dirtier that way, which might make them more susceptible to failures.

[skiadikt]

The constant arguments about an interconnect are pretty hysterical in this context. Pico is open at best from end of December to the first weekend in April and we have seen that season as short at 1/6-3/15 in recent memory. In addition the interconnect itself is only viable on natural snow for maybe 2.5 months. With all the other big ticket needs it seems laughable that anyone thinks that it would happen in the near future.

off topic but yeah don't envision a pico interconnect until well after the village is up & running if ever. the ROI will be minimal compared to infrastructure costs of 2 lifts, snowmaking, a new lodge, parking and upgrades to some of the other lifts which are all dinosaurs. other than shifting the entry or start point for some folks, don't see a massive influx of skiers who are finally gonna ski killington just because of the interconnect. it will barely move the needle on the number of skier days. plus the "commute" will be a bitch. imagine getting from pico to bear.

[Bubba]

The constant arguments about an interconnect are pretty hysterical in this context. Pico is open at best from end of December to the first weekend in April and we have seen that season as short at 1/6-3/15 in recent memory. In addition the interconnect itself is only viable on natural snow for maybe 2.5 months. With all the other big ticket needs it seems laughable that anyone thinks that it would happen in the near future.

off topic but yeah don't envision a pico interconnect until well after the village is up & running if ever. the ROI will be minimal compared to infrastructure costs of 2 lifts, snowmaking, a new lodge, parking and upgrades to some of the other lifts which are all dinosaurs. other than shifting the entry or start point for some folks, don't see a massive influx of skiers who are finally gonna ski killington just because of the interconnect. it will barely move the needle on the number of skier days. plus the "commute" will be a bitch. imagine getting from pico to bear.

The interconnect supposedly adds a lot of blue terrain, plus the publicity of the new terrain and the village together will draw new skiers to Killington.

[G-smashed]

6 packs really are the industry standard for main chairs now. Anything that is in the spotlight is going to go 6 pack at a major resort.

That is the problem. Our beloved sport is now dominated by a few big corporations just like everything else. We used to have anti - trust laws to prevent this sort of thing.