Indoor ski slope

Indoor ski slopes are found in several countries, proving a climate controlled environment can be maintained in which snow can be manufactured using a snow cannon, enabling skiing and snowboarding to take place year-round.

Notable mentions

The world's first indoor slope was Ice Arena, formerly known as Snowdome Adelaide, formerly known as Mt Thebarton Snow & Ice, in Adelaide, Australia, which has since been removed due to running costs.

The world's largest indoor ski area is SnowWorld Landgraaf, the Netherlands (opened 2001) with a total of 35,000 m² of snow. In 2003, the first indoor snowboard FIS WorldCup contest was held in SnowWorld Landgraaf.

The world's longest indoor slope with 640 m is in the AlpinCenter in Bottrop/Germany and the world's first indoor black diamond with a 31 percent grade is in the SnowFunPark in Wittenburg/Germany.

In 2001 SNO!zone was created in Milton Keynes, in the Xscape centre, followed by the Castleford one in 2003, and the third SNO!zone was built in Braehead, Scotland in 2006.

In November 2007 [http://www.chillfactore.com Chill Factore] in Manchester, UK opened making it the worlds widest slope at 100m wide at the bottom.

In spring 2008 construction will start on a fourth 500 metre ski slope at SnowWorld Zoetermeer, The Netherlands. After completion SnowWorld Zoetermeer will be, once again, the largest indoor ski area in the world. A new restaurant is planned at 50 metres high, with views of the Zoetermeer skyline. An ice skating rink, a new 400 bedroom hotel and a children's winter playground will be built at the base of the new ski slope.

Indoor ski slope locations

An incomplete list of operating indoor ski slopes in the world:

Under Construction

* Bahrain - [http://www.skibahrain.com Ski Bahrain]

* U.A.E
** Abu Dhabi

* United States
** Nevada - [http://www.lasvegaswet.com/ Las Vegas WET]
** New Jersey - Meadowlands Xanadu
** North Carolina - [http://www.uski365.com/ Westmoreland Ski Resort]
* Belgium
** Lessen (Lessines) - [http://www.snowgames.be Snow Games]
* UK
** Hemel Hempstead - [http://www.thesnowcentre.com/ The Snow Center]

Proposed

* Ski in the U.A.E. in Ras al-Khaimah a 2000 m slope is under consideration
* Ipswich, Suffolk, UK - SnOasis - 500 m slope with 100 m drop.
* Croydon, London, UK - Unknown - facts are sketchy but is suspected to be considering site in the South of the borough of Croydon.
* Perth, Western Australia - West Coast Snowpark [http://www.snowpark.com.au/index.htm]
* Finland, Helsinki; SuperLife Lab - indoor ski and surf center
* Seoul, Korea, Ski Trac.
* A list of all of the indoor slopes proposed for the UK is available at [http://www.theboarder.co.uk TheBoarder.co.uk] (external link)
* SnowWorld Zoetermeer, The Netherlands Fase 3. A fourth 500 m slope with 50 m drop is proposed. Construction starts end 2007. Also including an Ice-skating stadium, restaurants, hotel and a children's winter playground village.
* SnowWorld Landgraaf, The Netherlands Fase 3. A fourth slope, supposedly a small slope being added to accommodate more beginners.
* SnowWorld Barcelona, Spain A suggested copy of the SnowWorld Landgraaf concept. In the very first stages of development.
*The Falls at Lanier Highland Dawson County, Georgia (U.S. state) The Falls at Lanier Highland is a proposed convert|2100000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility that includes a convert|1000000|sqft|m2|sing=on indoor ski area. [http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20070830/localnews/193804.shtml]
*Goshen,NY-An indoor ski slope and water park.
* Mount Pegasus in Atlanta, Georgia
*peter glenn snowpark Tampa, florida

Closed

*Australia, Adelaide - Snowdome Adelaide, formerly known as Mt Thebarton (Closed June 2005; now only running as an ice-rink)
*Japan, Funabashi - SSAWS (Closed September 2002)

ee also

*Artificial ski slopes
*Skiing and Ski Topics
*Ski Simulators

External links

* [http://www.geospot.eu/index.php?option=com_google_maps&category=53&Itemid=123 European Indoor ski slopes overview on Google Maps]
* [http://www.snowindoor.com Snowindoor professional portal]
* [http://www.passportdiary.com/ski/indoor-skiing-uk Indoor Skiing UK] Directory
* [http://artificialskislope.com Artificial ski slope]