“Ogden should take her place in the elite of the world in winter sports. We have the snow at our backdoor in Ogden valley and should attract visitors from all parts of the land.”

~ Gus Becker, circa 1929 ~

Becker Chairlift Auction

Spring 2025

Here’s your chance to own a piece of Ogden skiing history! Snowbasin will be replacing the Becker lift this summer with a new high-speed detachable quad, and this is your opportunity to get your hands on one of these iconic triple chairs. 

The Becker triple was installed in 1986 by WSO Stadeli, replacing a Telecar double chair from 1959. The new triple was twice as long as the old lift, offering another access point, along with Wildcat, to the relatively new Middle Bowl triple chair (built in 1979). Both chairs, as well as a rope tow on school hill, were named for Gustav “Gus” Becker, co-founder (along with his father, John, and brother, Albert) of the Becker Brewing and Malting company, and an integral piece of Utah skiing history. 

In 1929, in a bid to lure more tourism to the prosperous city of 40,000, Ogden established the Ogden Winter Sports Commission. Gus Becker was tapped to chair the commission, and immediately set sights on establishing a winter festival featuring dog sled races and ski jumping. Ogden would join a circuit with Truckee, California and Aston, Idaho. But first they needed a jump. 

Construction started on the slope where the South Skyline Trail now descends toward Windsurfer Beach in 1929. Becker Hill was christened on January 19, 1930, and at the time was the longest ski jump in the world. On that day, Halvor Bjorngaard, who had recently been hired as the Ogden Ski Club’s director of winter activities, wowed 3,000 spectators with a jump of 176 feet. The festival was set for February 11, and featured a troupe of 13 professional and amatuer ski jumpers, including Bjorngaard and Norwegian brothers Alf and Sverre Engen. 

This event is credited with helping convince Alf, Sverre and their younger brother, Corey, to relocate to Utah. The Engen brothers went on to rewrite skiing history in Utah and the West. Alf laid out more than 30 resorts in the Intermountain region and Pacific Northwest, including Alta, Snowbasin and Bogus Basin. Corey established the first ski school at Snowbasin. It’s safe to say that Utah skiing would not be what it is today without the influence of Gus Becker. 

After his death in 1947, the rope tow on School Hill and the adjacent hill were renamed in his honor. When the double chair was installed in 1959, it carried on the name. The lift line for the current triple was subsequently dubbed Becker Face. The new high-speed quad will continue to honor the memory of Gustav Becker. 

In a fitting continuation of Gus Becker's dream of making Ogden an elite destination in the world of winter sports, the Becker chair is being replaced in part to prepare Snowbasin for its role of hosting the 2034 Winter Olympics. The resort generously donated the chairs to the Snowbasin Sports Education Foundation, so that they can continue Halvor Bjorngaard’s mission to bring the sport of skiing to the children of Northern Utah. You can own a piece of this ski history by bidding on a chair to be your own at www.snowbasinskiteam.org/becker-chairlift-auction