Urban Skiing/Boarding: The Mountain Comes To You (Temporarily)

SSAWS indoor ski dome near Tokyo was demolished in 2002. Credit: Morio/Wikipedia
SSAWS indoor ski dome near Tokyo was demolished in 2002.
Credit: Morio/Wikipedia

Every once in a while, a curious idea becomes a reality.  Why not bring snow to the city and provide a place for people to have a great winter experience?  In Japan, the reality involved a $400-million investment in an indoor ski-a-rama called Lalaporte Ski Dome SSWAS.  Built in 1993 in Chiba near Tokyo, it featured a 800 meter run and, at the time, was the largest indoor ski venue in the world.  The vision melted with the extended Japanese recession; the structure was demolished in 2002.

But the idea of skiing in the city still has legs.  Lots of people go cross-country skiing in New York’s Central Park; when we lived on the Upper West side several decades ago, the park was where we learned how to divine the right color wax for our wooden skis.  Now, the city is planning a Winter Jam in the park where city folks can have a taste of snow sports.  [EDITOR NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO AN EXPECTED BLIZZARD THIS WEEKEND ON THE EAST COAST. CUE THE IRONY.] On Jan. 23rd, the NYC Parks Department and the Olympic Regional Development authority will bring Gore Mountain snow guns in to create a 15-foot-high snow mound and enough white stuff to cover a football-field-sized area.  There will be free skiing, snowboard, sledding, snowshoeing, lessons, hot chocolate, and the inevitable snowball fight. Here’s a video from a previous Winter Jam.

Not to be outdone, Boston is also getting into the snow-in-the-city derby. The US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is staging a Polartec Big Air event in, wait for it, Fenway Park, home of the vaunted Red Sox.  While the public can’t actually take to the snow, on February 11 and 12, they can watch top snow board and ski competitors doing aerials off a gigantic, 140-foot high ramp that stretches from deep center field to home base. This is actually an International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctioned event, featuring Olympic champs and hopefuls. [Note to organizers:  Don’t get too close to the Green Monster.]

Since Boston declined to participate in the selection process for the 2020 Summer Olympics, perhaps this is an opening gambit for the 2026 Winter games.  Maybe not.

Move over, Big Papi, Big Air is coming to Fenway.
Move over, Big Papi, Big Air is coming to Fenway.  Spectators can cheer the aerialists on Feb 11-12.

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