Millville — Ski enthusiasts and athletes participating in the Canada Winter Games were surprised at Crabbe Mountain ski hill earlier today as the unreliable chairlift broke down for the seventh time in two weeks, forcing the business to resort to unusual methods to keep the ski event going.
Crabbe staff and non-professional-athlete guests were asked to use long paddles reaching from the chairlift to the ground, to lever the chairlift along in unison so that the athletes could keep competing.
Though tedious, the process worked, and the Winter Games continued uninterrupted.
Skiers and snowboarders were frustrated that Crabbe used all their money and even an ACOA grant to do work on the lodge and sell vacant lots for chalets, rather than build a new chairlift or open up new night skiing runs.
In a statement, Crabbe Mountain management explained that they had made the difficult decision to prioritize renovations to the ski lodge over the chairlift repairs.
“We wanted to give our guests the best possible experience, both on and off the slopes,” said Daryl MacDonald, Crabbe Mountain’s general manager, “and what better way to do that than with a newly renovated ski lodge? We’re confident that our guests will understand and appreciate our decision when they get to sit down in front of big windows and watch noobs fall down on the Bunny Hill for hours.”
However, skiers were less than thrilled about the situation.
“I don’t care how nice the lodge looks, if I can’t get up the mountain to ski, what’s the point?” said Chad Burton, 35. “I mean, I love a good fireplace as much as the next person, but I didn’t come all the way out here to sit in a lodge all day. Isn’t the point of a ski hill to, you know, ski?”
As for when the chairlift will finally be replaced, it seems that skiers will just have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure: the ski lodge at Crabbe Mountain has never looked better.