Warmwell artificial ski slope in Dorset, U.K. (Snowflex)

Artificial ski slopes or dry ski slopes are ski slopes that mimic the attributes of snow using materials that are stable at room temperature, to enable people to ski on them. The term "dry ski slopes" is also used but can be misleading as many slopes are lubricated using a mist or jet system to increase speed and prevent damage to equipment from friction heat build-up. As a general rule, they are found predominantly in the U.K. as continental European countries tend to have ready access to real snow fields, as does North America. Image File history File linksMetadata Warmwell. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Warmwell. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Temperature (disambiguation). ... Cross-country skiing (skating style) in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. ...

Materials

Early materials

Early surfaces

A variety of materials can be found on dry ski slopes.

Early efforts to mimic snow involved laying extruded plastic tiles with upward spikes in an attempt to provide grip. These were unpopular as they provided little grip and turning capability and the experience was similar to skiing across ice. For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... This article is about water ice. ...

Brush materials

Dendix mesh material

The next stage in dry ski slope development came with the brush industry. The most common material is dendix, a by-product of brush manufacturing which is similar to a short haired brush with the bristles sticking upwards. Dendix is manufactured in Chepstow in the United Kingdom, however it can be found on slopes throughout the world.^[1] It is arranged in a hexagonal pattern of approximately 1 inch (25 mm) strips of bristles in a 4 inch (100 mm) hexagon. Although it was a significant advancement from previous surfaces, concern over damage to slope users (it provides little or no impact protection to a slope user when falling) and ski or snowboard damage due to friction meant litigation for slopes using it was a constant threat. Nowadays water is often sprayed onto the surface of the dendix to lubricate it and increase speed however higher insurance premiums cause many slope operators to look for safer alternatives.^[2] For the 1968 stage production, see Hair (musical), for the 1979 film, see Hair (film). ... For other uses, see Brush (disambiguation). ... A bristle is a stiff hair or feather. ... , Chepstow (Welsh: Cas-gwent) is a border town straddling the Wales—England (Monmouthshire—Gloucestershire) border, situated at the confluence of the River Wye and River Severn on the Severns west bank. ... For other uses, see Hexagon (disambiguation). ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A snowboard with strap-in bindings A snowboard is a board ridden in snowboarding to descend a snow-covered slope. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Lubrication occurs when opposing surfaces are separated by a lubricant film. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ...

Recent materials

Snowflex with stapled seams

The most recent development has seen a crop of materials providing both impact protection and slope lubrication as well as the ability to perform turns, erect jumps, rails and quarterpipes and provide a ride that is closer to the feel of real snow. The most common of these is Snowflex, manufactured near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom by Briton Engineering Developments Limited. Others include Perma-snow by John Nike Leisure/ Techmat 2000, also in the UK and Astroride by NorCal Extreme Sports in the United States. Snowflex and Perma-snow are both white in colour, although the former has been produced in a darker green - see Kendal Ski Club in Cumbria, United Kingdom - to comply with planning requirements.^[3] It should be noted that Perma-snow is not lubricated as it was designed to reduce friction through use of a looped pile, although the effectiveness of this is disputed.^[4] There is no indication from NorCal Extreme Sports that AstroRide has not yet been commercially tested to any great extent.^[5] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Snowflex is a snow sports surfacing product, invented and manufactured by Briton Engineering Developments Ltd of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire in the UK. Snowflex with stapled seams. ... Snowflex is a snow sports surfacing product, invented and manufactured by Briton Engineering Developments Ltd of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire in the UK. Snowflex with stapled seams. ... , Huddersfield is a large town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. ... Coat of Arms of South Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, that has a population of 2. ... John Nike OBE is a Bracknell-based leisure and hotels entrepreneur. ... Snowflex is a snow sports surfacing product, invented and manufactured by Briton Engineering Developments Ltd of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire in the UK. Snowflex with stapled seams. ... Cumbria (IPA: ), is a shire county in the extreme North West of England. ...

Outdoor Artificial Ski Slopes Locations

• Sheffield Ski Village
• Gloucester Ski & Snowboard Centre at Matson in Gloucester
• Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
• Bearsden, Glasgow
• Hillend Ski Slope, Edinburgh
• Aberdeen Snowsports Centre, Aberdeen
• Silksworth Sports Complex, Sunderland, UK
• John Nike Ski & Snowboard Centre, Bracknell, Llandudno, Chatham, Plymouth, Swadlincote and Bristol
• Aldershot Ski & Snowboard Centre
• Ski Rossendale, Rossendale
• Pendle Ski Club, Sabden ([1])
• Norfolk Ski Club, Trowse, near Norwich.
• Malta Ski, Poznań, Poland
• Pontypool Leisure Centre, South Wales, UK

Snowpark Sangro Sheffield Ski Village is an dry ski slope resort in Sheffield, England. ... This article is about the city of Gloucester in England; for other uses see Gloucester (disambiguation). ... Hillend is a small hamlet in Midlothian, just outside the Scottish capital Edinburgh, best known for the Hillend Ski Centre, an artificial ski slope. ... silksworth is a small town in sunderland, Its used to be an old mining town, It has turned an old coaling mine into a ski slope. ... Trowse is a village in South Norfolk which lies about 1½ miles (2½ km) south-east of Norwich city centre on the banks of the River Yare. ... For other places with the same name, see Norwich (disambiguation). ... Coordinates: , Country Voivodeship Powiat city county Gmina PoznaÅ„ Established 8th century City Rights 1253 Government  - Mayor Ryszard Grobelny Area  - City 261. ...

References

See also

Dry slope skier

• Indoor ski slopes
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Ski Simulators