Best Opening Day Ever at Mt Hutt!
Did someone say “Build it and they will come“? – well, Mt Hutt had it’s best opening day ever after they built their new Nor’west 8 seat chairlift.
Over 2,200 people descended on Mt Hutt today for the opening of the 2021 season and the new Nor’west Express chairlift.
![Frothing for first lift on the new 8 seater Mt Hutt](https://snowaction.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hutt.lineup.696.jpg)
Ski Area Manager James McKenzie was thrilled by the turnout saying their previous record for an opening day was in 2009 when 2,093 people hit the slopes.
“There’s a buzz up here today, everyone is stoked the season has kicked off and that the new Nor’west Express chairlift is spinning. We’ve got a great early season base which has set us up well for the winter ahead.”
With the ability to carry up to 3000 people per hour the new lift is a game changer for the ski area.
“This lift really changes how people access the mountain. It’s now only a two-minute ride to our terrain parks and mid-mountain trails which means more laps for everyone,” James says.
Eight enthusiastic skiers spent a night or two on the mountain to score the first seats on the new 8-seater. Brendan Lindsay from Christchurch secured bragging rights after camping out on the ski area for two nights to do so. The Ritchie family also spent a night ensuring they were first in queue, while Ben Yorston made it nine years in a row for his first on chair spot.
Mt Hutt ski season is scheduled to run through until Sunday 17 October.
![](https://snowaction.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hutt.firstchair.696.jpg)