The Grand Opening of Okemo’s Sunburst lift was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13.
Owner Tim Mueller smashed a bottle of champaign on one of the support towers to officially christen it, and Owner Diane Mueller did the ribbon cutting. The event happened to correlate with a media weekend at Okemo Mountain Resort, which many attended.
Construction of Okemo’s Sunburst Six began in July and was completed in 139 days, several weeks ahead of schedule. The first of its kind in North America, the detachable lift, with chairs that seat six, is outfitted with heated seats and retractable polycarbonate domes to protect passengers from wind and weather. The new lift, built by Leitner-Poma, replaces Okemo’s Northstar Express Quad lift. The length of the lift is 6,430 feet, with a vertical rise of 1,670 feet. One hundred thirteen chairs travel at a speed of 1,000 feet per minute and deliver skiers and riders to the summit of Okemo Mountain in 6.4 minutes. The cost of the lift, including installation, was $6.9 million.