zipSTOP Case Study

Major Resort, Ontario, Canada

In the winter of 2012, zipSTOP was contacted by Montgomery Childs, an engineering consultant hired by a major resort in Ontario Canada to improve throughput and decrease operational costs on the existing zip line operation installed at the resort.

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The Challenges

Monty conveyed three principal challenges with their current operations, of which could be solved with the addition of a zipSTOP braking installation:

Challenge #1

The resort employs dual 2,500’ zip lines with extremely high demand, however their throughput was very low. Because their existing system required long initial customer set‐up and an expansive customer disembarkation process, the resort wasn’t able to meet customer demand. Their maximum capacity was only 80 participants per line/day, yet demand was in excess of 300 participants per line/day on a busy day.

Challenge #2:

Even with relatively low customer descent cycles, the resort’s zip lines were wearing extremely fast. With the existing technology employed, the zip lines required complete replacement every two years. This cost, strongly impacted any possible Return On Investment.

Challenge #3:

The resort felt that customer satisfaction (and repeat visits) could be improved if they could increase rider speed. In brief, the resort employed a resistance pulley system that slowed a rider from start to finish – which left customers desiring more from an experiential standpoint.

The Solution

Following extensive dialogue with Monty about how the zipSTOP product could assist on increasing throughput, zipSTOP (TRUBLUE LLC) felt that all problems could be easily solved with a comprehensive evaluation and replacement of their rider pulleys and braking system. zipSTOP (TRUBLUE LLC) recommended that Monty engage the services of Skyline Eco Adventures to implement a fully integrated zipSTOP based system, utilizing Skyline’s proprietary Pulley and launcher system, integrated with a zipSTOP braking system.

It was believed that throughput could be increased by decreasing rigging time (with Skyline’s Launcher/Pulley/Harness interface), and the increasing of rider velocity and decrease customer unloading/disembarkation (both accomplished with the implementation of a zipSTOP braking system). The implementation of zipSTOP and the much faster Skyline Pulley, would allow a much faster and quieter rider experience, which would not only increase throughput, but would dramatically increase the customer experience.

Finally, it was also projected that the line wear problem could be completely alleviated with the implementation of Skyline’s pulley, which employ high‐grade polyurethane Sheaves, and which would virtually eliminate wear to the cable, and provide for a very quiet ride.

The Results

The installation was completed in the Spring of 2012. The installation was extremely successful in dramatically improving all variables. Download the complete case study, including a representative model of the financials