Vail Mountain Names New Gondola “One” in Honor of Resort’s First Lift and Ongoing Commitment to Excellence
- New lift installed in conjunction with Vail’s 50th anniversary
- Cabin #50 will be gold as an ongoing reminder of Vail’s golden anniversary
- Gondola will open to the public on opening day of the 50th anniversary season, Friday, Nov. 16 following a formal dedication
One-hundred ten of the gondola’s 111 cabins were designed with a silver finish and full-length tinted windows while cabin #50 has been painted gold as an ongoing reminder that the lift is an integral part of Vail’s 50th anniversary celebration. A grand opening dedication will be held Friday, Nov. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
“Vail’s new gondola, One, is a tremendous step forward for both Vail Resorts and the ski and snowboard industry as well as an incredible investment in the guest experience,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “We could not be more excited to officially dedicate and launch it on opening day of such a monumental season for Vail Mountain.”
The gondola, constructed by Leitner-Poma of America, is the first of its kind in North America. The 10-passenger cabins feature heated, cushioned seats and Wi-Fi access. It has a speed of 1,200 feet per minute and a ride time of just under eight minutes. It is the fastest gondola of its type in the world, creating a 40 percent increase in uphill capacity over the previous Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16), a high-speed quad chairlift constructed in 1985.
More than 70 percent of the lift was manufactured just two hours west of Vail at Leitner-Poma’s Grand Junction plant. The cabins and other portions of the gondola were constructed in Europe.
For more information about Vail Mountain, visit Vail.comor contact the Mountain Information Center at (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
About Vail Mountain
Quickly approaching its 50th anniversary on Dec. 15, 2012 and coveted as the largest ski resort in the United States with more than 5,000 acres of skiable terrain and seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, Vail is an extraordinary winter vacation destination. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year and with more groomed terrain than anywhere on the planet, families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is world class, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to the events, activities and festivals, the shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail can still credibly lay claim to being a resort like nothing on earth. www.Vail.com.
Photo: Vail’snew, state-of-the-art gondola cabin. Credit: Vail Resorts.
###
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com