Gordon Gilgan

I hold a Super Senior Pass, and have been skiing at Manning since 1965. When I first skied, there was a small rope tow on the Bunny Hill and Twin rope tows that took us up to Tree Island. I skied the Blue when it was built in 1967 and was delighted when the Orange Chair was done in 1970. I have had a seasons pass for most years since 1974.

My daughter rode the Orange Chair in my backpack before she was one, and that started her love of Manning Park. She skied her first run on the Orange Chair with me when she was four. We skied together on the Orange Chair until she was 16 when we both took ski instructor training. We were instructors together in the Manning Park Ski School. Very recently, she told me that being a ski instructor at Manning Park was the best job she ever had. She is currently a Deputy Director at the United Nations.

My daughter now lives in NYC, but still comes out each winter to ski the Orange Char and the Manning Park Powder. She brings her two young boys, who also have ridden the Orange Chair since they were small. So we now have three generations skiing together on the Orange Chair, which makes my heart happy.

I have many memories of the Orange Chair, but my favourite image is of my daughter sitting on it in August, 1996. We had just spent the night at Poland Lake and were hiking down to Lightning Lakes to spend another night. Summer or winter, the chair, with the spectacular mountains in the background is so inviting, and I cherish this image as an important part of my life, and that of my daughter and grandchildren.