The Yan detachable chairlift, with its unique teardrop or pentagon-shaped seats, is a fading symbol of a tumultuous era in North American skiing. Launched in 1965 by Yanick Kchinsky, a Polish immigrant and ex-ski racer, Lift Engineering and Manufacturing Co., known as Yan, burst onto the scene with affordable, stylish ski lifts.
Kachinsky was able to get a foothold in the industry, installing over 200 fixed-grip lifts and later venturing into gondolas and high-speed detachable quads. Unfortunately his innovative yet hasty approach led to quite a few disasters, as early warning signs of shoddy craftsmanship were often ignored in favor of his low prices and bold promises.
Trouble quickly began brewing with Yan’s detachable chairlifts, introduced in 1986 after a rushed development process. These lifts, designed to speed up rides and reduce lines, used a flawed rubber compression spring system that struggled to maintain grip strength. A catastrophic 1985 derailment at Keystone Resort, which left two dead and dozens injured, exposed welding issues and sparked lawsuits. Worse incidents followed in 1993 at Sierra Ski Ranch, where a grip failure killed a young skier, and in 1995 at Whistler, where lift accident claimed two lives after chairs plummeted 75 feet.
By 1996, regulators and the U.S. Forest Service demanded that Yan’s detachable lifts be fixed or removed. Resorts like Whistler, Sun Valley, and Mammoth either replaced their Yan lifts with new models from trusted manufacturers like Poma or Doppelmayr or retrofitted them with safer components. The financial strain and loss of trust pushed Yan into bankruptcy in 1996.
Now only a few retrofitted Yan detachable lifts linger at resorts like Killington, sporting their iconic teardrop or pentagon chairs but running on upgraded systems. These relics are dwindling as resorts upgrade to modern lifts, with most Yan detachables already replaced or relegated to history.
