On Friday I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Official opening on the new 6 seater chairlift on Mt.Perisher.

After years of planning, building, testing (and just a little bit of weather watching), the brand new, 6-seater chairlift on Mt Perisher is ‘officially’ open. Sitting proudly on the front of Mt Perisher, the Mt P 6 is now the highest lifted point in Australia.

The lift is much faster with better wind performance. The chair can be slowed in stronger wind conditions and operate in stronger winds than were previously possible, which should result in less time lost due to wind hold. The state of the art Doppelmayer chair has a wider rope guage and can monitor any movement to the mm any movement and improve user safety. A trip to the top now takes 6-minutes, which is much faster than the previous 10minute ride and a 60% increase in chairlift capacity on Mt Perisher and a 22% increase in overall lifted capacity in the Mt Perisher precinct .

The chairs have super comfy padded seats, which is a nice change, foot rests, and the chairs are detachable so can be automatically stored overnight at the bottom station so we won’t see ice on the chairs after overnight snow. Another plus is that the lift now opens from 8:30am compared to the previous 9am. The removal of the double and triple chair towers and the new lift only need 6 external towers means there is more skiable area on the new ‘Legends’ run.

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Vail Resorts announced Richard Phillips as its next Vice President and General Manager of Hotham and Falls Creek ski resorts, effective Sept. 14. Phillips currently serves as VP and GM of Falls Creek and will oversee both resorts in his new role, creating new synergies and collaboration between the neighbouring resorts. Tina Burford, the current Vice President and General Manager at Hotham, has been appointed the new Sr. Director of Skier Services at Park City Mountain in Park City, Utah – the largest ski resort in the United States. She will relocate to the U.S. after the closing of Hotham in winter 2025. 

Rich has led the team at Falls Creek for nearly 6 years and has more than 25 years of experience in the ski industry in Australia, including former roles in sales and marketing at both Perisher and Thredbo. During his time at Falls Creek, Rich has developed strong partnerships with the local community, which are critical to resort operations and the success of the resort as a winter destination. He has also been a strong advocate for improved snowmaking on key areas of terrain at Falls Creek to improve access to lodging and village services, enhancing the resort and guest experience. 

“Rich is a driven, thoughtful, strategic leader and community partner, and he is the right person to bring together the leadership of both Falls Creek and Hotham,” said Jody Churich, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Vail Resorts’ West Region. “This multi-resort leadership model has proven successful in our operation of resorts in North America, creating deeper connections, better efficiencies, and encouraging more collaboration across resorts that are closely related based on size, scale, and geography. I look forward to Rich taking on this expanded role for our company in Australia and bringing this model to life for Falls Creek and Hotham.” 

“I am super excited to be joining the Hotham team and community in this new role,” Rich said. “With Hotham being a part of the Vail Resorts family, I have been exposed to the resort in many ways and have been inspired by the passion shown for the mountain and the constant drive to improve the guest experience across all areas of the resort. I am well aware there is much to learn and I’m hungry to better understand all facets of such a unique and beautiful resort. I not only look forward to the opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to Hotham but also the opportunity to learn from that team and community as I expand my role and impact across our resorts in Australia. Tina has done an incredible job leading the team at Hotham and providing a great experience for skiers and riders, and I am honoured to carry that work forward with the foundation she and the leadership team have set over the last two years.” 

Tina Burford has been a long-time leader in the ski industry with a career spanning more than four decades with 32 years at Perisher, including as the resort services director and two years at Hotham as the VP and GM. During Tina’s time at Hotham, she was instrumental in revitalisation efforts across the resort, including reimagining the overall resort experience and the Snowsports School experience. Specifically, she led the redesign and relocation of the Kids Snowsport School to enhance the beginner and family experience with a fresh indoor space and new dedicated learning areas on snow. At the same time, she and her team successfully repurposed the former learning space to implement a progression-focused terrain park and freestyle zone for resort skiers and riders. 

“I am excited to see Tina take on a critical role for our company and team at Park City Mountain in the U.S. after such an accomplished career in Australia,” Jody said. “Tina has vast experience training and teaching at resort ski and snowboard schools around the world and has even been an instructor at Vail Mountain in the U.S. With this move and her appointment to a key role at one of our North American resorts, Tina is following in the footsteps of another accomplished leader from our Australian region, Belinda Trembath, who has brought her Aussie perspective and leadership to Whistler Blackcomb as the resort’s COO starting in 2023. We are grateful to have such talented leaders share their impact across the Vail Resorts global portfolio of resorts.” 

“I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done at Hotham during my time there as Vice President and General Manager, and particularly our work to improve the Snowsports School experience for our guests,” Tina said. “Prior to leading Hotham, I spent a large part of my career running resort skier services at Perisher, and I am excited to return to these roots at the iconic Park City Mountain. I am incredibly passionate about this sport, its growth for our resorts and our industry, and inspiring the next generation of skiers and snowboarders. I look forward to bringing this passion and drive to the team at Park City.” 

Both Rich and Tina will transition into their new roles towards the close of the 2025 Australian winter season, with Rich’s role as Vice President and General Manager of Falls Creek and Hotham effective starting Sept. 14. Tina will transition into her new role after the closing of Hotham in winter 2025. 

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Friday was one of those magic Perisher days. Blue skies, crisp air, fresh groomers, and one very shiny new 6-seater chairlift spinning for the first time.

After years of planning, building, testing (and just a little bit of weather watching), our brand new, 6-seater chairlift on Mt Perisher is officially open. Sitting proudly on the front of Mt Perisher, the Mt P 6 is now the highest lifted point in Australia, and judging by the huge turnout, our awesome Perisher community were just as excited as we were to finally see it in action.

From early morning, there was a buzz around the resort. Some guests were lining up as early as 6am to be part of the moment. You could feel the anticipation building across the lifts and in the crowd at the Mt P 6 load station, where skiers, boarders and local lodgies gathered well before first chair.

We were honoured to invite six young guests to help us mark the opening of Mt P 6, with each of them celebrating their birthday on Friday 28^th June. These legends joined us for first chair and kicked off the morning with early laps, birthday cake, and front-row seats to a pretty special moment in Perisher’s history.

We feel incredibly lucky to have shared this moment with them. Being part of their birthday, on such a meaningful day for the Resort, made the occasion even more special. It was one of those mornings that remind us of what it’s really all about. Whether it’s your first run or your hundredth, there’s always a chance to Discover Your Moment at Perisher.

Throughout the morning, we kept the good vibes rolling with live music at bottom station, cookie and limited-edition Mt P 6 merch handouts, and plenty of high-fives from the Perisher team.

Whether you were lapping the new chair, stopping for a snack, or just there to see it all unfold, the energy was unmistakable…proud, happy, and a little emotional for those who’ve watched this project come to life from day one.

The Mt P 6 Is More Than Just a New Lift

Mt P 6 means faster access to the top of Mt Perisher, more laps, more choice, and ultimately, more fun. But it also means something a bit bigger. It’s a sign of progress. Of investment in our guests, our infrastructure, and our mountain community. It’s the kind of upgrade you don’t just see… you feel it.

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• Big D ski area to become a dedicated progression-focused freestyle and terrain park zone that will also be home to night terrain park sessions and events
• Big D buildings to be repurposed with the view to expand indoor facilities and services to benefit both guests and staff 
• Kids Snowsports School to move from the Big D to Hotham Central, and surface lifts to be relocated to support the learning experience for both Kids and Adults, bringing snowsports together at Hotham

Hotham is excited to share plans for the 2025 snow season, which will see the Big D terrain evolve into a dedicated progression focused freestyle and terrain park to include a huge variety of jump and rail lines, a permanent mogul course and a mini boarder x course. It will also become home to night freestyle events, with night skiing and boarding also remaining at the Big D, offering both terrain park features as well as a regular ski run option.

“We are so excited to bring this new offering to life at Hotham. We’re creating something unique to Australia that will really appeal to Hotham guests and families, who we know are progression focused and always up for adventure,” says Tina Burford, Hotham’s Vice President and General Manager. “We thank our staff and stakeholders for coming on this journey with us and helping us to provide leadership and innovation in the Australian snow industry.”

These changes will allow for exciting new opportunities for the Big D building, which will be developed over the next few years, for both staff and guest use, as well as space for development programs and camps. It will be an exciting multiyear journey to fully develop and recognise the potential for this space.

“Terrain parks are ever popular with skiers and snowboarders,” says Briony Johnson, Hotham’s Terrain Park Supervisor. “Not only are they a great place to learn skills in a controlled environment but they also create a social hub for riders. We are looking forward to putting our creativity to the test and creating fun and exciting lines for skiers and riders of all abilities. Watch this space as we bring this new part of Hotham to life!”

This progression focused park will also provide the perfect development opportunities for Hotham’s more challenging terrain and the bigger features of the Summit Terrain Park.

Currently located at Big D, the Kids Snowsports School will be relocating to Hotham Central with Mighty Mites (3–6-year-olds) meeting indoors downstairs at Hotham Central and Kids Club (7-14-year-olds) meeting on snow at the back of Hotham Central. 

“Based on both guest and staff feedback around the challenges of Big D being separate to the rest of the resort, we are bringing both adult and children’s snowsports together at Hotham Central to create a seamless experience for guests,” said Chris Lewczynski, Hotham Snowsports School Senior Manager.

Centralising the snowsports offering will improve the guest experience by reducing the amount of bus trips required, increasing the time on snow for both children in lessons and parents heading out on the slopes, while increasing safety by removing the need for kids in lessons to frequently travel on a bus with their instructors or reach the carpets mid-mountain on the Big D.

To support this change, a number of surface lifts will be relocated over the next two years and a new indoor space will be created in Hotham Central for Hotham’s youngest learners. For the 2025 season, the Bunderool carpet will be used exclusively for kids lessons and the Pup’s Playground carpet lift will be moved as an additional lift for the Kids Snowsports School. The Summit Trainer Poma will be removed and replaced with Harry’s, the longer Big D carpet, to better support Hotham’s adult learners. This will significantly improve their learning experience, particularly for snowboarders. Future plans include the potential to relocate the current Summit Trainer lift to the skiers right of the Sun Run, to provide a good intermediate run option when upper lifts are wind affected.

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