Monday, December 12th, 2011
Jasper, Alberta
John Day has had his share of memorable moments and he was smiling broadly after yet another one last weekend, the Edmonton businessman and part of the Marmot Basin shareholder group helped to officially open the Jasper ski resort’s newest chair lifts this past Saturday.
The $6-million Paradise lift has been running since Nov. 26 so skiers and boarders have been enjoying it, along with the superb early-season conditions, for a couple of weeks before the official opening.
The high-speed detachable quad replaces the old Paradise triple chair and makes life on the slopes better for clients in several ways.
For starters, the base was moved lower down the mountain, making it easier for skiers and especially boarders to access.
With a vertical rise of 410 meters it is 70-per-cent longer than the old chair, but with a ride time of just 4.5 minutes it is almost twice as fast.
The combination means riders and skiers will get to the top of the hill quicker and more comfortably, creating a more enjoyable experience.
The new Paradise chair also marks a milestone for the ownership group.
“Since 2003, we have invested $25 million, including state-of-the-art snowmaking, new terrain park, new guest services and rental shop, numerous renovations throughout chalets and the Kokanee Glacier Sundeck,” said Day.
The old Paradise chair was retrofitted and relocated to the bottom of the hill, replacing the School House T-bar to service novice ski runs and vastly improve the learning experience for new skiers and boarders.
Marmot Basin has now installed more new high-speed quad chairs and lifts in the last three years than any other Canadian ski resort. In 2009 the Canadian Rockies Express Quad was installed, the longest high speed quad in the Canadian Rockies that opened new, expert terrain that changed the face of Marmot Basin.
The new quads, said President and CEO Dave Gibson, means skiers and boarders spend about 24 per cent less time on chairs and that much more time on the slopes.
And, said Gibson earlier this winter, “we’re not finished yet.”
Along with the opening of the new lifts for the new lifts this season, Marmot Basin is also enjoying some of the best snow conditions in Canada. Just four weeks into the season the resort is already reporting more than 200 centimeters of snow and with a 90-cm base at mid-mountain is in excellent condition.
