Killington Resort announced details on the the forthcoming replacement of the Superstar Express chairlift during the summer of 2025, in a news release Tuesday, Oct. 22. The current high-speed quad will be replaced with a Doppelmayr UNI-G six-person chairlift. The new chair will be the first for the resort from that manufacturer.
With this new lift, guests will notice a few changes in addition to the chair size. The lift maze will be reconfigured for easier load and the lift will spin clockwise, like the Snowdon Six Express. But the new Superstar lift will not have a bubble both because of challenges with storage and because Superstar is a relatively quick ride, the resort noted.
Though it is a six-person lift, plans are to run it at a speed such that the overall uphill capacity will remain the same.
“Upgrading to a six-person chairlift is mostly about comfort,” explained Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano. “We want to provide the best possible experience for our guests, so this new, roomier lift made a lot of sense. The heavier chairs also help with the wind, which is an added bonus.”
The original Superstar lift, a first-generation detachable quad from the Yan Lift company, was built in 1987, making it one of New England’s oldest detachable chairlifts. Over the course of its lifetime, it was retrofitted by Poma in 1997. Superstar is the 10th longest aerial lift in Killington’s fleet of 17 with a rise of 1,199 vertical feet.
The new lift will follow the same line as the old chair; however, all towers will be relocated with the exception of the terminal towers. Tower 4 will be shifted 80 feet uphill and closer to tree line. The snowmaking pipe location will also be adjusted and a small, new maintenance workshop will be added at the top of Skye Peak.
Lift installation will be completed in summer of 2025, and will affect spring skiing on Superstar this season. The project will commence sometime in April 2025; however, the resort plans to make additional snow in other key areas of the mountain including the Canyon, Snowdon and Ramshead to extend the season elsewhere.
As for the Stifel Killington Cup, Killington is confirmed to host over Thanksgiving weekend 2024. The status of the 2025 event is still to be determined as the resort finalizes the construction timeline for the new Superstar lift.
This project is part of recently announced $30 million in capital improvements to be completed over the next two seasons. The cost for this lift replacement project is estimated to be $12 million.
