A chairlift is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a constantly moving loop of steel cable strung between two end terminals and generally over intermediate towers. They are ubiquitous at ski areas, and can also be found at amusement parks, and various tourist attractions.

Chairs, which can seat from one to eight people, are connected to the cable with a one-piece grip, which does not require any special springs, or clamps. These grips allow chairs to be taken on and off the cable with minimal hassle. Some lifts also have bubble chairs, which have an additional plastic covering to protect skiers in bad weather.

The lifts are usually powered by an electric engine, often with a diesel engine for backup in case of blackouts (which are fairly common since ski resorts tend to be in remote areas).

History

The first known chairlift was created for the ski resort in Sun Valley, Idaho in 1936. It was built on Proctor Mountain , to the East of Bald Mountain where the Sun Valley Ski Resort currently resides. The chairlift was created by James Curran of the Union Pacific's engineering department. Prior to working for the Union Pacific, Curran worked for Paxton & Vierling Steel in Omaha, Nebraska, which had engineered installations for loading bananas on fruit boats. Curran took the mono cable tram idea and replaced the banana hooks with chairs. Thus he created a machine with a greater capacity than the up-ski toboggan (cable car) and more comfortable than the J-bar (rope tow), the two most common ways of transporting skiers up a mountain at the time with the possible exception of mountain climbing. His basic design is still used for chairlifts today. W. Averell Harriman, the ski resort's creator and former mayor of New York City, financed the project.[1] [2]

See also

• Aerial tramway
• Gondola lift
• List of aerial lift manufacturers
• Detachable chairlift
• Funitel
• Skiing and Skiing Topics