Dragons’ Den Takes on Skiing: Meet the PL1, the Portable Rope Tow That Can Fit in Your Bag
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the sport of skiing will surface in the broader cultural consciousness when the inventors of the PL1, a portable rope tow system, appear on CBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Similar to the show Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their product to a panel of Canadian business moguls, who decide whether or not they want to invest.
“This appearance is not only about showcasing the PL1, but also about securing investment and strategic partners to fuel the company’s next phase of growth,” Zoa Engineering, the company behind the PL1, said in a press release. The company’s co-founders and brothers, Eric and Robert Button, traveled to Toronto to pitch the Dragons on the show.
What Zoa Engineering didn’t say, however, is if the Dragons backed the PL1—you’ll have to watch the upcoming Dragons’ Den episode to find out. It’ll be available on CBC TV and the CBC Gem app.
On Instagram, Dragons’ Den shared a tease of the episode, showing one of the Dragons sliding across the stage with the PL1. Tap or click below to watch.
Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.
What Is the ZOA PL1 Portable Ski Lift?
The PL1 kit currently for sale includes a motor, 1,000 feet of paracord, and a few other accessories. To use it, a skier finds a slope they want to lap and drops and anchors the paracord. With the PL1, they can then make laps as long as the battery lasts. Zoa Engineering describes it as a “backpack ski lift.”
Photo: Ian Greenwood/POWDER Magazine
Almost two years ago, POWDERtested the PL1 in the Montana backcountry.
Our verdict? It’s a little heavy—the motor itself weighs 10.5 pounds—and had one major hang-up at the time. With the setup we tried, you had to operate the motor while it pulled you up the paracord line. Then, at the top, the motor goes into your backpack, making for a weighted, slightly cumbersome trip back down the mountain.
“Personally, having the device in my pack would dissuade me from going upside down, launching a large cliff, or pursuing a distant alpine objective,” we wrote.
Photo: Ian Greenwood/POWDER Magazine
Still, the fundamentals of the PL1 were impressive. It worked flawlessly towing our tester uphill, and the ability to bring a battery-powered rope tow well, anywhere, had plenty of appeal.
And Zoa Engineering has a plan to sidestep the issue of skiing with the motor in your bag. This winter, the company will host a Kickstarter for what it calls the Loop System. The system, according to Zoa Engineering, allows the PL1 to operate more like a traditional rope tow, making for unencumbered laps.
You can follow along on the company’s Instagram page.
Leave a Reply