Sunshine ski area near Banff in Canada is working on their new Super Angel lift.
It will be North America’s first 6 passenger heated EVO Leitner-Poma bubble lift when it opens for skiers and snowboarders November 2024.
The new lift replaces the 1988 Angel Express which has been flying skiers and snowboarders up a vertical rise of 1,244 ft. in just over five minutes. Once dubbed Angel Flight Express, the high-speed lift made Sunshine history as it was the first high speed quad in the Canadian Rockies.
“I remember the look of disbelief as skiers and snowboarders would zoom into the top station,” says long time Sunshiner Don Beaulieu. “High-speed quads were new, and skiers had this look on their face that they weren’t quite sure the lift would slow down in time.”
As a resort, Angel Express transformed how Banff Sunshine was skied. The lift created longer ski runs for guests to enjoy, and transported people up the mountain faster than some could ski down.
The new lift will cut the ascent time further, by about a minute, and increase capacity from 2,400 to 3,000 people per hour.
It’s Banff Sunshine Village’s second heated chairlift, good news for when temperatures dip far below freezing in midwinter.
The original Angel Express has been disassembled and moved to Castle Mountain Resort to continue work at the southern Alberta Resort.
Earlier this month, concrete was flown in via helicopter for the new tower forms. The Albertan resort reports construction on our new chair is progressing on schedule and will continue all summer.
