14 replies to this topic

[liftmech]

Since we were going way in the Winter Park photo section Cameron suggested we continue our discussion about footrests elsewhere. Let us start over here.

To refresh memories, we were talking about how Doppelmayr has a spring assist on some of its footrests. I mentioned that Timberline doesn't have it and uses a counterweight like Poma does. I have also seen (I believe it was in the '03 World Book) where Doppelmayr has a beginner lift with a padded lap bar that is raised and lowered with the same device that opens a gondola cabin's doors.

[poloxskier]

Is this lift in North America?

[SkiBachelor]

I think it's over in Europe because the carriers looked really nice and had the comfy pads.

[highspeedquad]

Too bad they don't have as comfortable Dopps here. My experience with Dopp hasn't brought the most comfy results.

[Durrrant]

highspeedquad, i agree with you. my home mountain (Jay Peak) has 3 Dopp fg. (there are only 8 lifts on the mountain, and two of the Dopps are the only lifts on oneside, so you can't avoid them.) Two of the Dopps are late eighties vintage. Infact, the return terminal of one of them is my avatar. However, the new one (relocated from the bush) has seat cushions. it is very very comfy.

moral of the story: when Dopp wants to be comfy they can. I guess it depends on how much the resort wants to spend.

[highspeedquad]

I have never been on one of the more comfortable Dopps. Poma is definitely better as far as the seat cusions go.

[liftmech]

A reminder: It's not Poma that usually puts the comfy cushions on, it's the customer. There are at least three different aftermarket manufacturers whose primary product is seat pads, tower/hydrant pads, and other ski area necessities. All of our pads come from them. Poma does put pretty nice pads on as a standard, it's true, but for some reason most places don't have those anymore. Doppelmayr pads their seats with that single piece of foam because it lasts longer and is harder (though not impossible) to vandalise. If we wanted, we could put the same pads on Timberline as we do on the other lifts, but so far no-one's complained about the standard Doppelmayr pad.
We are once again

[jeffgladnick]

liftmech, on Feb 15 2005, 07:11 AM, said:

Since we were going way in the Winter Park photo section Cameron suggested we continue our discussion about footrests elsewhere. Let us start over here.

To refresh memories, we were talking about how Doppelmayr has a spring assist on some of its footrests. I mentioned that Timberline doesn't have it and uses a counterweight like Poma does. I have also seen (I believe it was in the '03 World Book) where Doppelmayr has a beginner lift with a padded lap bar that is raised and lowered with the same device that opens a gondola cabin's doors.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As far as footrests are concerned from a comfort standpoint, I will purposely avoid visiting resorts that don't have footrests. Call me east-coast (you're right), call me lazy (you're probably right), but if I am traveling across the country to ski for a week, I feel like the least they could do is throw some footrests on there. Although locals will tell you "they don't care" or don't use the footrests at all, their skiing/riding habits usually entail no more then a few hours a day, and rarely for 5 days in a row. Whereas people like myself flying in from the east coast are aiming to ski 5 days straight, all day, each day.

Of course I also have somepersonal motivations behind this as well, but its never-the-less a sentiment shared by a lot of people.

[spunkyskier01]

i was wondering, i was looking through a issue os SAM and in their, appeared achair that has head rests on it, as anyone else ever seen a chair with head rests on it?

[highspeedquad]

I have never seen or even heard of a chair with headrests before.

I don't really care too much about footrests, because my legs can barely reach them so it won't really matter. But my dad likes them and complained when he went to WP because most of the lifts he rode just had the retention bar.

[SkiBachelor]

The lifts with the headrests are at Blackcomb, B.C. on the 7th Heaven and Solar Coaster lifts. However, they are really annoying if you're wearing a helment since you tend to hit the head rest while going over sheave trains.

[poloxskier]

Does anyone have pictures of the headrests? Are they padded?

[highspeedquad]

Are there any chairs with headrests in Colorado? I might like the opportunity to ride one.

[SkiBachelor]

Here's a picture of a head rest on the Wizard Express taken by Vancouverguy. However, this lift only has bubbles on it in the winter time and half of the Solar Coaster's and Wizard Express' carriers are switch in the summer. I thought I would just tell you since people would wonder what's up with that carrier being bubbled if it's on the Wizard Express.

 chair.jpg (83.25K)
Number of downloads: 62

[Kicking Horse]

no skilift in colorado has headrests. (that i know of)