Lift Blog

On Friday I reported Bluewood’s used detachable quad installation would be delayed until next year due to a dispute with the lift’s broker, now revealed as Steelhead Systems Inc. (SSI) of British Columbia. Both parties released statements today and I obtained a copy of the lawsuit, filed by Bluewood’s owners on August 11th. The complaint alleges Steelhead Systems, together with sister shipping company Mar Divinia Ltd. of Alberta and their principal, Zrinko Amerl, engaged in “breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment” involving the sale of the used chairlift from Austria. Steelhead Systems counters “we strongly deny the allegations of dishonesty and bad faith made in WGSKI’s press release,” contending it continued shipping parts to Washington as disputes arose over invoices. Barring a settlement, the case will play out in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The parties signed to relocate the lift on June 7th, 2024 and announced it to the public two weeks later. Bluewood would pay €1.38 million for the used Doppelmayr detachable quad with bubbles, US$600,000 for shipping, US$88,000 for “optimization engineering” and a price “determined before shipping” for “engineering, loading, bullwheel cradles, containers and other adjustments.” All equipment was to be delivered by July 15th, 2025 so Bluewood could complete installation and open the lift to the public for the 2025-26 season. It would become Bluewood’s first detachable lift, reducing base-to-summit ride time from 12 minutes to less than six.

Bluewood’s parent company, WGSKI, LLC, says it paid invoices totalling $2.2 million plus additional expenses billed including site visit, document scanning and construction consulting. The dispute centers on further invoices sent beginning in late May 2025. Over time the US dollar weakened in relation to the Euro, resulting in SSI invoicing Bluewood $110,400 for an exchange rate adjustment. Second, shipping costs increased by $425,700 on top of the $600,000 estimate – an increase of more than 70 percent. In its complaint, Bluewood’s attorney calls these amounts “inflated and unjustifiable.” On June 18th, Bluewood proposed taking over shipping itself if SSI agreed to refund the $600,000 already paid for shipping. Bluewood also alleged Steelhead had not performed optimization engineering it paid for. On July 3rd, Bluewood alleges Steelhead generated another invoice for a 16th tower at a cost of $30,208. These invoices weren’t paid as the dispute escalated.

Bluewood contends it has paid in full for the lift. As of last month, 23 out of 27 containers had been delivered, representing approximately 90 percent of the lift. “SSI has failed or refused to provide relevant details regarding the status of what has been shipped and when or how it will be delivered to WGSKI at Bluewood,” WGSKI alleges. A third potential complication, not part of the lawsuit, is new tariffs on goods imported to the United States from the European Union announced after the contract was signed. I’m told Bluewood is responsible for any tariffs as the importer of the lift, another hiccup on top of exchange rates and shipping costs.

Bluewood says it has endured numerous costs including lost revenue, lost opportunity, lost market share and interest expense as a result of delaying the project by a year. It’s seeking immediate delivery of remaining equipment plus damages. “Substitutes for the Equipment are not readily available on the open market and WGSKI stands to suffer irreparable harm if the Equipment is not delivered promptly,” the suit notes. Bluewood also seeks to hold Amerl personally liable for alleged contract breaches, calling Steelhead Systems “a sham corporation that is merely an alter ego for Mr. Amerl and which he uses to protect himself from personal liability for his wrongful and dishonest conduct.”

Steelhead Systems specializes in relocating used lifts from Europe to the United States and Canada in partnership with Pro-Alpin Ropeway Services of Austria. Before founding SSI, Amerl once bought Fortress Mountain, Alberta from Resorts of the Canadian Rockies and tried reviving the Drumheller Valley Ski Hill. Both mountains have since closed. Amerl pivoted and his companies successfully relocated a bubble quad chair from Austria to Mission Ridge, Washington in 2020. Amerl contends his business allows small ski areas like Mission Ridge to access high quality, used equipment at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

Simultaneously with the Bluewood project, Amerl is currently helping Eaglecrest, Alaska bringing a pulse gondola from Austria to serve as a sightseeing lift for cruise ship passengers. That project has been beset by years of delays which Amerl argues aren’t his fault. Eaglecrest is owned by the City and Borough of Juneau, has lost money for years and fired its General Manager last year. So far Juneau taxpayers have fronted $1.33 million for the gondola, $1.1 million for shipping and $1.86 million for additional towers, a haul rope, extra sheaves, grips and hangers. The gondola has been mostly delivered and engineered with the City expected to issue an RFP for installation soon.

There’s an argument ski areas like Eaglecrest, Mission Ridge and Bluewood simply could not afford brand new bubble chairs and gondolas from Leitner-Poma or Doppelmayr and used lifts are their only option. “Steelhead Systems has always been committed to helping small resorts prosper and grow and our track record is unblemished,” notes Amerl.

Luckily Bluewood is not without a base-to-summit lift this season. The new Skyline Express was slated to replace a Borvig triple chair dating back to 1978. Luckily that lift remained intact alongside construction of the new lift’s foundations. Bluewood did remove the chairs last spring and is in the process of re-installing them. Construction continues on the new lift’s foundations with the goal of having the detachable quad operable for winter 2026-27.

Steelhead Systems has not yet filed its response to Bluewood’s claims in court. “Steelhead has acted in good faith throughout its dealings with WGSKI and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of business integrity and professionalism,” the company said. “We are confident that the legal process will confirm that Steelhead has fulfilled its obligations appropriately.”