‘Priceless’: Dedicated Mt. Bachelor skier ends up with one of the old Skyliner Lift chairs
(Update: Adding video)
Meanwhile, proceeds from chair sales will help nonprofit bring more kids to the mountain
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --In June, Mt. Bachelor held an auction to raffle off 50 lift chairs from the Skyliner Express, which is being dismantled to make way for a six-person high-speed detachable for next season.
More than 7,000 people entered the raffle, each agreeing to pay $500 if chosen.
Jaky Gysin, a dedicated skier known as "Modoch Man" on the slopes, has been skiing at Mt. Bachelor for nearly 35 years. Last season, he left his home of Alturas, California, and earned a spot in the resort's "100-Day Club."
“It's just been a dream of mine to ski 100 for a winter, and I did it last year -- I got over 100," Gysin told NewsChannel 21 recently.
Gysin had another dream -- of winning a Skyliner chair in Mt. Bachelor's raffle. When he wasn't one of the 50 chosen, he didn't lose hope.
"After a week, I was kind of depressed, because I'd figured it already happened and I didn't get the email," Gysin said. "So I was cruising around on the internet and one night I flipped over to the Mt. Bachelor Conditions (Facebook) page -- and there was the Skyliner chair for sale."
"I talked to the gentleman, and I knew he didn't have the room for it -- he had it on his lawn in the backyard of his apartment complex," Gysin said. "And it was just like he wasn’t going to be able to keep it. And we were on his doorstep at 8 in the morning as promised, with cash in hand."
Gysin wouldn't say how much he paid, but says it was more than the original $500 the resort was selling them for.
"He made a nice little chunk on it, but I didn’t mind, because it’s worth every penny to me," Gysin said.
The Modoch Man has the 7-foot-tall, 200-pound chair in his garage -- along with decades of ski memorabilia.
"It’s a little large for me -- but wow, it’s almost larger than life to have it," he said. "It's my own piece of Mt. Bachelor in my house -- I couldn't be happier -- it's just incredible. Priceless.”
All of the proceeds from Mt. Bachelor's sale went to Vamonos Outside, a local nonprofit dedicated to connecting, engaging and inspiring Latinx families and community into the outdoors.
Wesley Heredia, the program coordinator for Vamonos Outside, explained the need for diversifying outdoor sports.
"Skiing and snowboarding is a privileged activity for sure. Bachelor is such a big part of what makes Bend, Bend," he said. "The lack of Latinos and people of color accessing that space — there's a huge imbalance."
Vamonos Outside is using the money to buy a new van to get kids to the mountain, giving Latinx kids and teens a chance to experience Mt. Bachelor the way Gysin does.
"That's where my soul loves to go. I'm so happy on the mountain," Gysin said.
Heredia says nearly 30 kids will learn to ski or ride at Mt. Bachelor with Vamonos Outside next season.
"It feels great, it feels amazing -- I can't express enough gratitude to Mt. Bachelor.”
The resort is working to have its new six-chair Skyliner Lift ready to go when the new season begins -- and of course, Gysin hopes to be one of the first people to ride it up the slopes on Opening Day.
