STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-March 5, 2021-One of the double chairs from the Barrows Chairlift at historic Howelsen Hill could be yours if you submit 1 of the 49 winning bids. The chair sale is a chance to secure an iconic piece of local ski history and a ‘for-sure’ conversation starter at your home or business.
“Chairs from local lifts are always in high demand especially smaller doubles,” commented Howelsen Hill Ski & Rodeo Manager Brad Setter. “To be able to get your hands on a chair from a lift that has played such a significant role in the history of Howelsen Hill is truly a special and rare opportunity.”
Sealed bids for one of the retired Barrows lift chairs will be taken by the city to secure good homes for these unique pieces of history. Bids will open Monday, March 8 and close at 11:59PM on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 with minimum bids starting at $150. The top 49 bidders will be contacted on March 18 or 19, to confirm payment and chair collection details, which is anticipated to take place during the week of March 22-26.
All proceeds from the sale of the chairs will benefit the Howelsen Hill Ski Area Endowment Fund held at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. Bids can be made at steamboatsprings.net/chairsale. Any amount paid over the bid minimum of $150 is eligible as a tax-deductible donation and winning bidders will receive a donor acknowledgement letter for tax purposes.
Crews will begin removing the chairs from the lift immediately after the ski area closes for the season on Sunday, March 14, 2021.This is the first part of a several week process that will see the 33-year-old workhorse of a chairlift make its departure. Areas around the base of the ski hill will be impacted or closed during this time as well as throughout the summer during new lift installation.
The Barrows lift was installed in 1988 and has carried skiers and snowboarders ranging from those just starting out in the sport to top-level athletes including Olympians and World Champions. The lift carried riders up the 440 vertical foot slope in around 5 minutes during summer and winter.
A new era begins in 2021/2022 when a new $3 million Skytrac triple chairlift is installed through a partnership with The VF Foundation, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the City of Steamboat Springs.
Owned and operated by the city, Howelsen Hill holds a unique place in the history of skiing for the Yampa Valley and Colorado. It is North America’s oldest continuously operated ski area, since 1915, and has the largest and most complete natural ski jumping complex on the continent. The ski hill has been the training ground for more than 90 Olympians making over 150 Winter Olympic appearances, 22 members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame, and 13 members of the National Ski Hall of Fame.
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Contact
Brad Setter, Howelsen Hill Ski & Rodeo Manager, 970.879.4300 or email
Emily Hines, Marketing & Events Coordinator, 970.871.7031 or email
Michael Lane, Communications Manager, 970.871.8220 or email