Mike Solimano Interview - NYskiblog

[SPORE]

https://nyskiblog.com/killingtons-mike- ... more-50205" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mister Moose]

Next on the list is the K-1 Lodge and more lift upgrades.

[hillbangin]

Next on the list is the K-1 Lodge and more lift upgrades.

And Woodward for the summer

He's right on!



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[da Pimp]

Excellent article and great thoughts on where Killington stands now and into the future. One item that needs expansion is the comment about the World Cup costing about a million dollars. That might be the overall cost, but there is the financial input from the FIS and the revenues generated from the event itself. So I really doubt if Killington is throwing away a million bucks just because they are so wonderfully generous.

Music to my ears to hear about improvements in the future for the K1 lodge and other lifts. In the middle of the $25 mil projects and there is a positive wind blowing for future. Topped off by a good health report. The Beast does have a soft edge to it. Their success benefits me and I support all that they do.

[Bubba]

Best part of the interview was Mike's health.

[rogman]

Best part of the interview was Mike's health.

Positive, upbeat, planning for the future: all good. Glad to hear they aren't standing pat, but thinking about lifts and lodges.

[snoloco]

I figured that Superstar, Ramshead, and North Ridge would be up for replacement as Mike stated. Superstar has a ton of hours from running such a long season and it would make sense to have a new lift there. Ramshead is one of the busiest lifts on the mountain and will get even more traffic when The Village and interconnect are in place. North Ridge needs a newer, more reliable lift as it is the only lift they can use early-season. North Ridge would probably be a fixed grip quad and capacity would increase slightly. I think the detachables will be replaced with at least bubble 6's like Snowdon and there could even be a possibility of going bubble 8 like Big Sky. Superstar is a highly visible lift from anywhere on the access road, it appears in World Cup footage, and is shown in nearly every Killington marketing piece, so a flagship lift there would be a good idea. With Ramshead receiving even more traffic when the village and interconnect plans materialize, it needs all the capacity it can get. I wouldn't be surprised if whatever is built there gets double loading to allow for the highest possible capacity. They could also increase the number of trails in that area to provide more intermediate terrain.

[machski]

I figured that Superstar, Ramshead, and North Ridge would be up for replacement as Mike stated. Superstar has a ton of hours from running such a long season and it would make sense to have a new lift there. Ramshead is one of the busiest lifts on the mountain and will get even more traffic when The Village and interconnect are in place. North Ridge needs a newer, more reliable lift as it is the only lift they can use early-season. North Ridge would probably be a fixed grip quad and capacity would increase slightly. I think the detachables will be replaced with at least bubble 6's like Snowdon and there could even be a possibility of going bubble 8 like Big Sky. Superstar is a highly visible lift from anywhere on the access road, it appears in World Cup footage, and is shown in nearly every Killington marketing piece, so a flagship lift there would be a good idea. With Ramshead receiving even more traffic when the village and interconnect plans materialize, it needs all the capacity it can get. I wouldn't be surprised if whatever is built there gets double loading to allow for the highest possible capacity. They could also increase the number of trails in that area to provide more intermediate terrain.

Please no bubble on a Superstar replacement, would ruin the spring vibe and it's short enough line length wise to not really be of benefit anyway. I would also think SS will be the last of the 3 to be upgraded as it was practically a totally new lift with the Poma upgrade. SS and Barker at SR are the two Yan HSQ in NE that were basically overhauled almost completely by Poma. The balance we're retrofitted but not to the same extent. They need to stay away from an 8 seater, the unload areas have no where the space that Andersite does at Big Sky.

[snoloco]

Of the 6 Yan detachables in the east, Mount Snow's Grand Summit Express is the most extensively modified. Superstar and Barker have just had the chairs replaced while Snowshed and the two at Pico still have the original Yan chairs. A bubble would not ruin the spring experience. You'd just leave it up unless it was r*ining. Mount Snow and Okemo run their bubble chairs all summer and it's not an issue. There's plenty of space for unloading up top. Much more than on Needle's or Skye Peak.

[harvey44]

https://nyskiblog.com/killingtons-mike-solimano/

SPORE thanks for posting the link and thanks for the feedback all. (If you remove the part of the link after "solimano/" when the page loads you will be at the top instead of part of the way down the page.)

I'm a lurker here, but haven't been here this season. I guess I knew some weren't happy about World Cup but when Mike mentioned it in the interview I came over to see what you guys had to say. Passion on both sides as is normally the case when discussing major issues about a home mountain.

I don't have a ton of days at Killington, maybe 20 in my career, at least half of them in April and May. I love the place, but I'm sure I don't see the issues as clearly as you guys. With that disclaimer, two cents from the peanut gallery...

The WC is a branding move, which in some ways put it in the same category as the extended season. I'd say Killy's commitment to building their brand overall is a good thing for skiers in the northeast. So I'd look at it all together. As others here have said and Mike implied, Superstar probably lasts a little longer in the spring because it's getting extra snow in the early season.

Have a great season all.

[Southside_Bobby]

Great piece.
Some troll has invaded the comments section, whining that he is a long time K skiier, who is switching to Epic.

Doesn't sound familiar at all.

[Mister Moose]

Great piece.
Some troll has invaded the comments section, whining that he is a long time K skiier, who is switching to Epic.

Doesn't sound familiar at all.

"Benny Profane" is a frequent poster at TGR, currently at 31,700 posts.

[machski]

Of the 6 Yan detachables in the east, Mount Snow's Grand Summit Express is the most extensively modified. Superstar and Barker have just had the chairs replaced while Snowshed and the two at Pico still have the original Yan chairs. A bubble would not ruin the spring experience. You'd just leave it up unless it was r*ining. Mount Snow and Okemo run their bubble chairs all summer and it's not an issue. There's plenty of space for unloading up top. Much more than on Needle's or Skye Peak.

Why, because they put a load carpet on the Grand Summit? No, you are incorrect on SS and Barker, more than just chairs and terminal skins. The entire terminal systems were changed out with the exception of the bull wheels and bullwheel braking systems. I doubt Grand Summit at snow had anything more than that, a carpet load is an easy add on to any existing lift. Hell, Okemo added a load and unload carpet to one of the dual quads at the base.

[snoloco]

All 6 had the terminals redone and grips and line gear replaced. That was done exactly the same on all 6. Superstar and Barker got new chairs in 2004 while the rest kept the Yan chairs but with Poma grips. In 2011, Grand Summit got new chairs with foot rests and I believe other upgrades were done to the control system. It runs faster than the other 5 as well.

The fact is that even with the Poma upgrades, a lot of very old Yan parts remain and the lifts are slower and less reliable than the regular Poma detachables from the late 90's when the mods were done. Barker at Sunday River is down 10+ days a year for maintenance.

[machski]

All 6 had the terminals redone and grips and line gear replaced. That was done exactly the same on all 6. Superstar and Barker got new chairs in 2004 while the rest kept the Yan chairs but with Poma grips. In 2011, Grand Summit got new chairs with foot rests and I believe other upgrades were done to the control system. It runs faster than the other 5 as well.

The fact is that even with the Poma upgrades, a lot of very old Yan parts remain and the lifts are slower and less reliable than the regular Poma detachables from the late 90's when the mods were done. Barker at Sunday River is down 10+ days a year for maintenance.

Yes, Barker has been less reliable than SS, I think because Boyne had not been staying ahead with wear items that were Yan parts (they waited for it to wear to limits and then they have to be fabricated at order, causing big delays for the parts to arrive on site). The new chairs required a second overhaul of the terminal system, the hangar arms are a bit different than what they retrofitted to the old Yan chairs. I know after they went from first to second retro at Barker, the chairs came around the terminals differently (the first retro, the chairs would almost snap around the turns). Barker's controls have been all upgraded as has SS's I believe. Not sure on K's remaining fleet of them.