NZsnowboard.com

Snow sports set to boom thanks to one lift, experts predict. New Zealand?s ski and a snowboard industry expects a massive uptake of snow sports due to the new chairlift at Turoa.

Miles Davidson of the New Zealand Snow Industries Federation said Turoa?s new ?High Noon Express? six-seater chair has reduced weekend queues to almost zero ? and this will greatly boost the popularity of snow sports.

?The effect of new lift is truly amazing. It?s virtually eliminated queues. No more 30-45 minute wait at the bottom on Saturdays,? he says. ?Weekend skiing is fun again.?

Davidson says the change will entice more people to Turoa each weekend, and the industry expects this to have a huge knock-on effect, making people more enthusiastic about snow sports and more likely to invest in new gear.

?The industry is very positive and enthusiastic about the new developments on Mt Ruapehu and the future plans for both sides of the mountain,? he says.

Davidson says the other advance of the new chair is that it opens up more terrain, and allows people to get far more runs in each day.

Increased snow making capacity also means top to bottom runs are available from the start of the season.

Mike Smith, marketing manager at Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, said the new lift is exceeding everyone?s expectations. Last Saturday, he said, it only took 15 minutes to get from the back of the queue to the top of the mountain.