ski lift accident

[Ed Bighi]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone around here every wondered what's up with the ancient chairlifts at most US ski resorts? And this for what sometimes is up to twice as much as what it costs to ski in Europe. In the US I was always appalled at how archaic most lifts were. And usually it cost me more for that lift ticket. Where does all the money go? Definitely not for updating equipment. Worse of all is that nobody seems to care. They just spend the money and don't notice or care about a thing. Then this happens.
Sugarloaf chairlift derails, 8 injured
While this does not happen often, I still find it unbelievable that the lift was installed in 1975 and modified in 1983. It looks it as well. After moving to Europe, here is the Doppelmayr that I usually end up going up a mountain in.
Doppelmayr Garaventa Group - Surface and Aerial Ropeways, Funicular Railways, Urban Transit Systems, Elevators, Mechanical Garaging Systems and Stacker Cranes for high rise warehouses,*Kuppelbare Sesselbahnen
Very nice, very modern, windshield bubble and all. And you can literally expect this stuff all around Western Europe nowadays. It's interesting that this issue is barely every discussed among skiers who have done both sides of the pond.

[9dreizig]

Actually last Sunday at Mt Rose at Lake Tahoethey had to evacuate the lift as one of the chairs became de-railed (no injuries however).
Ski rates have nothing to do with lifts in the US. Has to do with liability and getting sued.

[masraum]

Yeah, I'm sure it's insurance. Of course, if you had better lifts, would the insurance be cheaper?? That's the $1,000,000 question.

That lift in the article looks downright scary. I guess it's fortunate that I'm not a skier.

[MotoSook]

Can't believe the lift story is getting so much press. I'm guessing the fact that a CNN staffer was one of the stuck skiers has something to do with it. When CNN post "BREAKING NEWS" for the story and carries it for days...others will pick up on it.

[dhrcr911s]

Don't the lift companies own the lifts in Austria??? They charge what they need to cover their costs for the lifts they own in that area. Am I correct? this is a differnt model than the US resorts operate under.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by masraum

Of course, if you had better lifts, would the insurance be cheaper?? That's the $1,000,000 question.

NO... now give me my million

Society today increasingly moves away from personal responsibility. So now nearly every fun adventure type sport/hobby has become expensive and difficult to fully enjoy because some douchebags decide to sue ski resorts because their idiot kid hit a patch of ice and broke his leg. Instead of simply getting a cast put on and learning from his experience.... Mom and dad sue for hundreds of thousands. Same holds true for nearly every thing fun in life. It is always someone elses fault now days.

I long for the days when kids could climb trees/jump on trampolines/jump BMX bikes/swim/dive etc w/out the parents having to worry about losing their house if someone gets a boo boo.

[LSA]

I can't really comment on other places but I'm an avid skier and just went last weekend to Mammoth Mountain here in Ca. They keep all their lifts running fantastically and it had only been 2 years since I was skiing there and they had since updated 1 chair to highspeed detachable quad and other chairs had the lift chairs upgraded the lift tickets are 90 bucks a pop :X... but they really do keep that place in tip top shape and the skiing is amazing probably the best in Ca.

[dhrcr911s]

Derailment is bad, rollback is worse.. A new High Speed Quad is over $6mill..

[TechnoViking]

My old man was on the ski patrol back when "chair lifts" first came out. They broke down all the time. He always carried a rope when riding them, just in case he had to get down.

[serge944]

A lot of it also depends on ski resorts' running lifts in strong storm conditions. A tree fell on a Sierra-at-Tahoe lift the other week, but that storm was gnarly!