Evolution of Chairlifts
More than 54.7 million skiers spent a good deal of their day riding chairlifts at resorts all over the United States during the winter of 2008/2009, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The modern chairlift is a technological wonder--fast, safe, dependable and easy to ride. They're loaded with computer technology that can tell the operator how fast the cable is running, if the wind has shifted directions and if so, by how much. But, it wasn't always that way. Chairlift technology has evolved over the years, as much as skis and boots.
Fixed-Grip Chairlifts
The first chairlift installed at a U.S. resort was installed on Proctor Mountain in 1936 by James Curran in Sun Valley, Idaho. Like the chairlifts of today, they were comprised of lift towers that were staggered from the bottom of the hill to the top, with large bullwheels that pulled a thick steel cable uphill. At the time, single person chairlifts were welded at certain intervals on the cable (called fixed-grip chairlifts), making it a challenge to get on and off of the lift. During the 1980s, the Doppelmayer Corporation invented the triple fixed-grip chairlift that could haul three people uphill in a single chair.
Modern Chairlifts
While there are still a number of fixed-grip chairlifts operating at resorts, they're being replaced by detachable chairlifts--usually quads, or chairs that carry four skiers at once. Detachable quads still have lift towers staggered uphill with heavy bullwheels at the top and bottom, but they're operated by powerful electric engines with diesel backup engines. Should the electric engine fail, the diesel engine activates. The chairs are no longer fixed onto the cable. At the top of each chair is a series of cogs that push the chair around the bullwheel once it enters the bullwheel area. From there, it slowly moves the chair around to the other side of the bullwheel, allowing people ample time to unload the chair. Once the chair reaches the other side of the bullwheel, the clamp at the top of the chair secures itself to cable for the ride downhill.
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