Summer Skiing At Buckhill, MN, Is About To Happen.
Credit: Buck Hill
We’ve seen how ventures into summer and indoor skiing have become a growing trend in the ski industry. From a business angle, it makes sense: extend the season, create activity at the ski facility, keep lessons going and get people involved. It may also make sense from a climate change angle. If the winters and snowfall in different regions remain as variable as they have in recent years, then thinking of changing the sport’s paradigm from real to artificial snow. Perhaps this is the future of skiing.
Buck Hill, MN, is installing artificial snow hills this summer to extend the season and provide visitors an opportunity to ski 365 days a year. The surface is made by Neveplast, an Italian company that has created a sliding surface it says is the same as snow without the need for cold or water. Here’s a video of Buck Hill’s testing the surface.
Looks interesting. Have you tried this? Would you? Is this the direction skiing is going? Has to go?
Nonsense. Hot, sweaty, very slippery when wet and very hard landing when you fall down, this is a waste of money and it will die out a fast as “Turf Skiing” did in the 70’s for the same reasons.
powder day?
moguls?
1500+ foot vertical run?
tree skiing? (not my thing but just sayin’)
sure, maybe for the bunny slope