Last year, Mount Washington Alpine Resort dismantled its Green Chairlift and installed four covered conveyors, called Magic Carpets, to move skiers from one part of Easy Acres beginner area to the other.
The Magic Carpets move at 80 per cent of the speed that the former Green chairlift did, but the carpets move people more efficiently. Aside from the learning curve Resort staff experienced, everything ran smoothly, Trousdell said.
“The feedback was really positive, and that included staff from other ski areas. We had a lot of people coming to look at them.”
One person from another resort was impressed that, in his words, “Mount Washngton has the biggest beginner skiing program in North America.”
David Lynn, CEO of the Canada West Ski Areas Association, said Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Seymour, both of which installed covered Magic Carpets last winter, are at the forefront of the industry.
“It’s quite exciting how the technology continues to evolve,” Lynn said, adding that covered Magic Carpets represent the next generation of products being developed to enhance the skier experience.
“With shape skis and better lift technologies it’s so much better to learn to ski now than it was when I learned 30 years ago.”