84 replies to this topic

[Eric]

: Do you guys have more informations about yan ???

That's what I know:

Jan Kunckzinski

He started in the mid '60s in Carson City NV after leaving Pomagalaski

1st Accident; Teller lift @ Keystone in 1985. This lift was replace by a Poma HSS.
1st HSQ; Broadway Express @ Mammoth in 1987

In the early 80's, Yan lifts were the hottest lifts that a ski resort could buy . Then, his HSQ's were problematic. After there were several accidents with his lifts. The worse one was at Whistler on December 23rd. Quicksilver Express. Faulty grips :help:

Then, lift engineering went out of business in 1996-97 (I think)
The last lift installed was Vicking Triple @ Deer Valley

[SkiBachelor]

I think Yan built a few lifts their last year. Heather Canyon I think was built the year that Yan closed. However, Viking was a free lift from Yan. At least that's what TR said I believe.

[liftmech]

They did build a hell of a lot of lifts- when I was shooting pictures for the site I noticed A-lift's gearbox serial number is 79-475-20, meaning the twentieth size 475 box Yan built that year (1979). That's not counting the size 250s, which were installed in smaller lifts. I imagine Yan tied with Riblet for building the most lifts in a single year, with Riblet setting the record in the late 60s sometime.

[KZ]

Riblet sure did build a lot of lifts, but a lot have been replaced. Yans still remain, so there are probably more active yans then any other lift out there.

[Kelly]

Eric:
I wouldn’t key in too heavily on the accident stuff. All of the other manufactures have had some run of bad luck. The web just makes it easier to access. Notice not much history before 96.
Ski Area Management magazine has a little better detail on manufactures performance - good and bad. I say "little" because it's a trade magazine.
YAN (Jan, Janic) is married to Squaw Valley owner's daughter.
Polish ski team member
First office was in Tahoe City (North Lake Tahoe)
Lift Engineering/YAN (same) manufacturing plant/yard survived for a few years in the same location doing part sales.
Please read information in all the posts in the tech section, mostly good, some bad, but they will give a broader picture of the company and its owner.

Ryan B

[Allan]

One of our SNs is 475-80-026, so a bunch more in 80 too!

[Bill]

I agree with Ryan B, we tend to pull up the damaging past of these companies, we should also note that every company has had some mishap, and the web does bloom these facts. We should also note the good and the advancement that these companies have done. Without the technical advances of these companies, where would lift engineering be today.

[Kicking Horse]

we would have fixed grip 8 packs :---:

[floridaskier]

SkiBachelor, on Jan 30 2004, 05:24 PM, said:

I think Yan built a few lifts their last year. Heather Canyon I think was built the year that Yan closed. However, Viking was a free lift from Yan. At least that's what TR said I believe.

Why did Yan close in 1991, instead of after the Quicksilver accident which they had so much trouble about?

[SkiBachelor]

Where did you get 1991 from Tyler? They closed the year Eric said.

[KZ]

Yan did a good job. Maybe had they never come along with cheaper lifts (hs especially) lift prices may be much higher, and there would be less express lifts. The company did more good then bad. So many resorts were built with all yan lits, and that probably allowed more money for other things due to the cheaper prices.

[floridaskier]

Yan didn't build any lifts after Viking in 1991 until their closing around 1996-97? Viking was definetly built in 1991, TR said he worked on it when it was being built

[SkiBachelor]

hhhmm, well Heather at Meadows is a Yan and was built in 96.

[Kelly]

KZ's current picture (avatar) is a early YAN double. Notice compact design.

Ryan B

[Kicking Horse]

where was the first Yan Chairlift?

[KZ]

No idea. Here is a bigger picture of my avatar:

Attached File(s)

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[SkiBachelor]

Lift Engineering built their first three chairlifts in 1968.

[KZ]

Were they at Squaw?

[SkiBachelor]

I have no clue. I just got the dates out of my 1996 SAM issue.

[Kelly]

Baileys Beach
Belmont
Links
At Squaw – tram was also put in at this time.

Ryan B