Alyeska Resort Ski Area announced the promotion of Dianna Hiibner to Ski Area General Manager. Hiibner is a life long Alaskan who will take over the responsibilities of Ski Area General Manager in October, replacing Rich Eidem, who is moving back to Wyoming to be close to his family.
“I look forward to starting my new position as the Alyeska Ski Area General Manager and want to see Alyeska Resort reach its full potential,” said Hiibner. “Alyeska is committed to the residents of Alaska as well as working towards becoming a year round destination for tourists.”
Hiibner has over 20 years in the ski industry getting her start at Crested Butte working in their Ski School Department. She has been a member of Alyeska since 1994 working in every facet of the resort from lift operator to trail crew, ski patrol, snowmaker, mountain host and most recently Mountain Service Manager. Her racing accomplishments include competing in the Junior and Senior Nordic National Championships and Arctic Winter Games. Hiibner lives in Girdwood with her husband of 13 years and two young children who are involved in the Educational system in Girdwood.
Alyeska is finalizing the over $3 million dollar lift upgrade for the Winter 2008-2009 season.
Chairlift 3 is being replaced with a fixed grip quad chairlift manufactured by Dopelmay-rctec. The new lift alignment places the unloading station halfway between the old top station and the top of lift 7. The bottom station has been moved closer to the Sitzmark deck. The new fixed grip high speed quad lift will provide greater uphill capacity while eliminating a large amount of stops per ride due to passenger loading and unloading.
Chairlift 7 is being modified to include a midway unloading station and a conveyor loading system at the bottom station. These improvements will allow better utilization of the terrain for lower level skiers and allow the lift to be operated at a higher speed than in the past. Providing a more streamline access point for kids and adults accessing the beginner lift directly behind the Hotel Alyeska. Alyeska will provide guests learning the sport a much easier loading and unloading experience encouraging them to come again and again.
Alyeska has been working hard to improve the overall guest experience for families and beginner skiers and riders. Both lift projects are scheduled for completion in September 2008.
What does RFID mean for me? Using an RFID lift and/or season passes allows guests to set up an automatic charge with a credit card, allowing them to directly access the lifts without waiting at the ticket windows. Alyeska Resort will debut a complete installation of radio frequency identification (RFID) gate technology and the Resort Technology Partners (RTP) software and web services system for the 2008-09 winter season. Skiiers can purchase your RFID Lift Pass one time for $5 and use it for the rest of the season.
One great advantage for Alyeska skiers and riders is that the hands-free system means no more showing a pass at every lift. Skiers place their lift ticket or season pass inside a pocket by itself and leave it there for the day; the antennas will do the rest. The reusable lift pass allows visitors to bypass the ticket window and head straight to the lifts by purchasing visits online.
After your day on the slopes, visit alyeskaresort.com and enter the web ID on the pass to track ski history and reload the card. On your next ski day, go straight to the lifts and skip the extra stop at the ticket office. To ensure efficiency of RFID system, skiers and riders can make sure the antennas read the chip in their pass by placing it in a pocket by itself. Do not put it in a pocket near cell phones, music players, metal ware or other passes. The ideal location is above the knees & below the shoulders.
The RFID system will provide a completely hands-free experience for all guests, scanning lift tickets and season passes automatically at turnstiles positioned at the entrance to each lift including the tram, chair 4, chair 3 and eventually chair 6. The scanners receive signals from the tickets that are tucked into jacket or pants pockets. The embedded RFID chip will register with an access gate that will automatically swing open to admit an authorized skier or snowboarder.
The less time guests wait in line for lifts, tickets and rentals, the more time they have for fun. After this season, hang on to your new card (media). Passes and Cards will be able to be renewed online – never wait to pick up your card again.