Industry News
Killington, VT (October 22, 2024) – Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, announces the forthcoming replacement of the Superstar Express chairlift during the summer of 2025. The current high-speed quad will be replaced with a Doppelmayr UNI-G six-person chairlift. The new chair will be the first from that manufacturer for the resort.
- Related: New Killington Resort, VT, Ownership Group to Invest $30 Million in On-Mountain Capital Improvements
With this new lift, guests will notice a few changes in addition to the chair size. The lift maze will be reconfigured for easier loading, and the lift will spin clockwise, like the Snowdon Six Express. Unlike the Snowdon Six, this new lift will not have a bubble because of storage challenges and because Superstar is a relatively quick ride. Though it is a six-person lift, we plan to run it at a speed such that the overall uphill capacity will remain the same.
“Upgrading to a six-person chairlift is mostly about comfort. We want to provide the best possible experience for our guests, so this new, roomier lift made a lot of sense. The heavier chairs also help with the wind, an added bonus.”
– Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano
The original Superstar lift, a first-generation detachable quad from the Yan Lift company, was built in 1987, making it one of New England’s oldest detachable chairlifts. In 1997, Poma retrofitted it. Superstar is the 10th longest aerial lift in Killington’s fleet of 17, with a rise of 1,199 vertical feet.
The new lift will follow the same line as the old chair; however, all towers will be relocated except for the terminal towers. Tower four will be shifted 80 feet uphill and closer to the tree line. The snowmaking pipe location will also be adjusted, and a small, new maintenance workshop will be added at the top of Skye Peak.
Lift installation will be completed in the summer of 2025, affecting spring skiing on Superstar this season. The project will commence sometime in April 2025; however, the resort plans to make additional snow in other key mountain areas, including the Canyon, Snowdon, and Ramshead, to extend the season elsewhere. As for the Stifel Killington Cup, Killington is confirmed to host over Thanksgiving Weekend 2024. The status of the 2025 event is still to be determined as we finalize the construction timeline for the new Superstar lift.
This project is part of $30 million in capital improvements over the next two seasons. The cost for this lift replacement project is estimated to be $12 million.
