The first Snowflex year-round wintersports slope in the United States is currently being built in Lynchburg, Virginia for Liberty University.
Snowflex is a revolutionary polymer composite artificial surface for ski and snowboard slopes that is placed atop a shock absorption layer. Snowflex is made in tiles and can be shaped to replicate an authentic alpine environment.
The Snowflex surface allows wintersports to take place at essentially any location at any time of year. Indeed, Dieter Sturm, the USA rep for Snowflex and Briton Engineering Developments, UK says, "I've spent 5-1/2 years of my life with this vision for the States. It's been an uphill battle as a rep to get people to understand how this surface can really work as a high-performance alternative to real snow."
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Year-round Wintersports
- The Snowflex surface can revolutionize the wintersports industry by providing year-round skiing and snowboarding opportunities.
- Artificial Surface Technology
- The development of Snowflex highlights the potential for disruptive innovation in artificial surface technology for recreational activities.
- Location-based Recreation
- Snowflex demonstrates the potential for location-based year-round recreation that could be applied to a variety of different industries.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Wintersports
- The Snowflex surface could disrupt the traditional wintersports industry by eliminating dependence on natural snow.
- Recreational Equipment Manufacturing
- The development of Snowflex opens up opportunities for manufacturers to create new and innovative equipment designed specifically for artificial slopes.
- Tourism and Hospitality
- Year-round artificial slopes could create new opportunities for the tourism and hospitality industry to attract visitors to areas that wouldn't traditionally support winter sports.
