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General Dryslope News
View all 326 headlines for General Dryslope News.
Garthdee ski centre in Aberdeen Scotland has added a tubing slope, the first of its kind in the UK, as part of a major upgrade.
A new slope surface has been installed and a local graffiti artist has decorated the terrain features including jumps and rails.
Now run by a charitable trust, rather than the local council, manager David Jacobs told local media “Because of the success of our first year we wanted to put something back into the community to try to improve things to make it better for the regular users. The older ski-slope matting had been down for years so we have put down new matting. That has made a huge difference.
In its first full year under new management the centre has attracted nearly 40,000 visitors – up by 25–80% on previous years.
This winter The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) will open London’s first ever indoor artificial twin ski slope. Running from late November to 25 January 09, visitors will be able to ski, snowboard or snow tube at The O2.
The twin slopes, both 45 metres in length will give Londoners the option to learn to ski or snowboard or for experienced skiers to warm up their ski/snowboard legs before heading to the mountains. Tubing will also be available.
The Warren Smith Ski Academy will offer top level coaching for all levels at The Slopes. Ski and Snowboard manufacturers, K2 and Ride, will be supplying the range of skis and snowboards to rent.
Niccy Hallifax, Head of Special Events at The O2, said: ‘The Slopes is a fun and safe way for both experienced skiers and snowboarders to gear themselves up for the real thing or as an introduction for complete beginners. The Slopes are designed for all abilities and the snow tubes are ideal for both small and big kids alike!’
With the whole of the London Piazza themed like a winter resort, The Slopes, along with real snow covered trees and chalet will help create the perfect day out this winter.
A trip to The Slopes could also be combined with a visit to one of The O2’s 26 bars and restaurants, a show in The O2 arena or indigO2, or to see a film at the 11 screen Vue cinema.
Tickets start at £15 per adult per hour (ski/board rental additional £5) and snow tubes £8 per half hour (subject to booking fee).
www.theo2.co.uk
Midlothian Snowsports Centre (aka Hillend) have now received their very own freestyle features... finally!
So far they’ve been christened in The Lowlander Scottish Freestyle Series and tested in the Scottish Universities Dry Slope Championships last weekend but it’s now time for the public debut while they’re still looking nice and shiny. This week Hillend are holding back-to-back freestyle sessions on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October from 6-9pm so why not be one of the first to try out the straight box, a-frame and c-box.
Users must:
be able to link turns competently
be an advanced skier/boarder (ie level 7 ski/level 6 board)
have confidence approaching the kickers, controlling speed & direction
wear long sleeves, gloves & helmet
have a valid uplift ticket
Freestyle Sessions will take place each Friday thereafter, except 7 Nov when the British Uni’s Dry Slope Champs are on.
All photos from Lowlander and © Steve McKenna
The Euroboys are finally back in business at Gosling after their summer break. This coming Tuesday is the 1st night and it's already looking busy. The slope's running super fast and smooth so we will be flying!
Don't forget SCUK Members can get a discount with the Euroboys.
Are you a snowboarder looking to get into Freestyle but would like some lessons first or would like to build your confidence on the dry ski slope? Bracknell have a new Snowboard Carvers Club for anyone above Level F who want to progress their snowboarding.
It is a club designed for people looking to get to a level where they can then join the freestyle club. Level F is advanced turns so the snowboarders need to be able to confidently link turns down the main slope. The carvers club is designed to then teach them more advanced turns, smooth carving turns and to ride switch in preparation for freestyle club.
Tuesday 7pm - 9pm
£21 adult £16 junior
Tuition with their top snowboard instructor.
Places must be booked in advance please call 01344 789002/003 for more information.
Swadlingcote dryslope currently recruiting for the winter season and we have plenty of vacancies.
Reception
Take bookings, lessons and parties. Must have good communication skills and be computer literate. Evenings and weekends.
Competitive rates of pay amongst other benefits such as free lessons and slope use.
Ski Techs & Toboggan Operators
Must have a flexible approach to work, working outside and be safety conscious. Evenings and weekends
Competitive rates of pay amongst other benefits such as free lessons and slope use.
Ski and Snowboard Instructors
If you already have a qualification then contact Ryan the Head of Ski School on 01283 217200 or rng@nikegroup.co.uk. If you haven’t got a qualification then enquire about our Instructor Training evenings only £10 a session. All instructors are on a casual basis.
Competitive rates of pay amongst other benefits and free slope use.
If you’re interested in any of the above then please contact the centre for an application form on 01283 217200.
Sheffield Ski Village, which claims to offers the UK’s largest artificial surface ski and boarding area, and previously had plans to convert to an indoor snow centre as part of a plan involving a large scale housing development which was ultimately rejected by local councillors, is now planning to add a bowling centre under new ownership.
Pullan Developments have been given the green light by councillors in Sheffield for a two-storey extension to form a bowling alley with a children's play area on the lower ground floor. The idea is to try to widen the ski village's appeal by pulling in more families, who may be attracted by more mainstream activities, but could then be tempted to try skiing.
Developer Kevin Pullan, who bought the centre last year after it went in to administration, told local media, "One of the problems is it is quite difficult to get to a level of skiing where you can start to enjoy it. By building a 10-pin bowling alley that everyone can enjoy we can help the facility's profile by bringing in more family users. It is a complementary position, to try to get more families to the ski slope. Once they are there they might decide to try to use the ski facilities as well."
Mr Pullan said he was planning to install a wind turbine in the near future, although this would be the subject of a separate planning application.
The Neptune Ski and Snowboard Club is based at Faslane near Glasgow, the Royal Nayy's Scottish HQ. Briton Engineering re-sculpted and resurfaced the main slope with Snowflex. The old tow was refurbished and a new tow added to a new nursery slope.
Although situated on a military base, the slope is open to the public, but you must be escorted. Alastair Scullion is the BASI qualified snowboard instructor there and can escort up to nine adults and a larger number of kids. The slope is open every day from midday until 5pm and on Wednesday from midday to 8pm and Alastair has been tasked with getting more people along to use the slope.
We had this email from the developers: We are delighted to announce that the Cornwall Ski and Snowboard Centre has obtained its full planning permission. The delays and extra costs involved were unfortunate and will inevitably have an impact on our planned development programme which is currently under review. The whole family are grateful to all those who provided such great support for our project and the experts in sport and leisure and tourism especially who have such belief in the potential of our project to deliver year round tourism benefits to the local area and the region. We are totally committed to the Cornwall Ski and Snowboard Centre and will now begin to evaluate our construction programme.
We'll provide more info as we get it, but until then, check out www.cornwallski.com
The artificial surface ski slope operated at Bassingbourn in England is to be replaced and extended ahead of the new skiing season in September. Members are to carry out the resurfacing work themselves at weekends and have raised £50,000 to pay for materials.
The slope is operated by a club, with members aged from three to 80, and is located inside Bassingbourn Army Barracks, has one nursery slope and one main slope. The Dendix slopes need to be re-matted at least once every eight years.
www.skibass.org
Here's a photo of Bracknell's recently refurbished PermaSnow main slope.
[Photo courtesy Bracknell Slope]
First Snowflex™ slope in the USA to be constructed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Briton Engineering Developments are pleased to announce the first major Snowflex® slope to be built in the USA. The slope will be built at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Liberty University’s 5,800-acre mountain will receive a monumental makeover in the coming months with the construction of the year-round ski slope to be named the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre. Upon completion, the artificial snowsports slope will be the first in the U.S. surfaced with the award winning Snowflex® surface system. Liberty University and Briton will be working with the Discovery Channel to document this historic event which will broadcast several phases of the construction on a future episode of Daily Planet.
The view from Liberty’s 5,800 acre mountain.
The idea of building a snow-free ski slope on Liberty Mountain began three years ago when the university investigated several ways it could use its mountain property to meet Liberty’s academic, financial and recruiting goals. In addition to giving students more recreational opportunities near campus, the slope will help establish skiing and snowboarding as LU club sports.
“When the LaHaye family donated the ice rink and student recreation centre at LU, Mrs. Beverly LaHaye stated that her goal was to give prospective students as many reasons as possible to choose LU over secular institutions,” stated Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. “This state of the art ski slope has the same purpose and one hundred percent of the cost of the ski slope project is being funded by a charitable donation to the University”.
Scenes like this will soon be commonplace on Liberty Mountain.
Chancellor Falwell added: “Liberty University is also attempting to reconnect with its alumni. Our plan is to bring former students and their families back to Lynchburg for weekend visits so they can become reacquainted with the university. The Snowflex® ski slope will provide a unique form of entertainment for these families and help us attract more of them to Liberty for weekend visits.” The slope will also be open to the public but students will be given first priority.
The snowsports area will consist of a main ski slope and a beginner’s slope totalling 3766m2 (about 40,537 sq ft). In addition to ski and snowboard instruction, the beginners slope will also be designed to accommodate tubing. Features on the main slope will include a big kicker, a tabletop, a 4m high quarter pipe and two grind rails. A ski lodge will also be installed, permitting parties and other special events. Construction is due to begin early September 2008 with an anticipated grand opening around the start of the New Year, 2009.
Terry Di Stasi, Briton’s Director of Business Development, added that Briton was delighted to be part of such impressive development and the slope would undoubtedly add to Liberty’s appeal to future students. Di Stasi added that this first project would be seen as a prominent showroom for Snowflex® throughout the USA.
For more information about LU’s future ski slope please visit www.liberty.edu/snowflex and www.snowflex.com/news/latest
 A new £8m ($16m) artificial surface ski area development at Wrexham in Wales has got underway this week. The new centre, at Wilderness Tip, Gresford, has been planned for more than a decade and will include an artificial ski slope, ski jump, toboggan run and chalets. It is scheduled to open in 2010.
The Nike Group (no relation to the famous sportswear manufacturer) behind the project already operates six leading artificial surface ski centres in the UK - Chatham, Llandudno, Bracknell, Plymouth, Bristol and Swadlincote. The company have carried out initial earthworks two years after getting planning permission and are now waiting for bids to come in for contractors on the construction work. It is assumed the slope with use the Nike Group's own PermaSnow surface.
www.jnll.co.uk
The main slope at John Nike Bracknell Ski and Snowboard Centre has been refurbished with new PermaSnow and is now open for action.
Monday night 7-10pm is freestyle night, so get yourself some "freestyle freshies" tonight for just £17.50 adults and £13.50 juniors. Open practice is £16.00 adults and £12.00 juniors for 90 minutes, so the freestyle session is a double winner.
Bracknell's brand new park slope is close to completion, but there is no date as yet.
Snowflex® to be part of £100m HD One tourist village for stadium.
Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield today unveiled a major development expected to create more than 720 jobs and turn Huddersfield into a top tourist destination.
They have announced plans for a £100m-plus scheme to put the Galpharm at the hub of a major leisure and commercial complex designed to attract visitors to Huddersfield and help it compete with attractions in Leeds and Manchester.
The ambitious scheme will include building 9,500m2 Snowflex® ski slope facility, two nightclubs, a casino and bingo hall, a music venue, a pool hall and a 10-pin bowling alley. The new proposals also include 144 apartments, 21 restaurants, cafés and bars, a 150-bedroom hotel, a convenience store and sports shop, an estate and travel agency, office space and a multi-storey car park with 1,754 spaces.
The ski slope would be built against the slope of Kilner Bank, avoiding the need for a towering, free-standing structure.
Stadium managing director Ralph Rimmer said a planning application for the scheme would be submitted this month, in July 2008.
Work is planned to begin by the end of next year and is due to be carried out over 40 months in four phases.
Mr Rimmer stressed: "The stadium operates 12 months of the year and remains the heartbeat of the complex. The work will be done in phases, to avoid disrupting the work of the stadium."
The stadium and current attractions on site would all remain in operation throughout the work.
Mr Rimmer said the development scheme, named HD One, aimed to turn Huddersfield into a leisure destination for people living outside the town and surrounding districts.
"This is an attempt to bring in new and interesting things to the town. We have tried to be innovative and make it an attractive proposition for everyone. This scheme also goes some way to helping the local authority meet its targets for jobs and investment in the Kirklees Strategic Economic Zone, which centres on the Leeds Road corridor."
Mr Rimmer said the scheme had its origins four years ago when the Kirklees Stadium Development Company Limited (KSDL) began considering ways to upgrade the stadium and make greater use of the 54-acre site.
He said: "The stadium was ground-breaking when it was built in 1994 and it has added massively to the Kirklees area in general. The KSDL board are keen to do something ground-breaking once again."
He said the new development would complement existing attractions, including the Stadium Health and Fitness Centre and the neighbouring Odeon multiplex cinema.
The development was welcomed by Councillor Robert Light, leader of Kirklees Council. He said: "This is a great proposal which will further enhance the position of Huddersfield in the region and link the Leeds Road stadium complex to the town. The development will offer facilities not presently in Huddersfield and help to widen the appeal of the area beyond the traditional area.
"This will help develop… the stadium as a key leisure facility."
Terry Di Stasi, Briton’s Director of Business Development, added that Briton were delighted to be part of such prestigious development, particularly as it was on their doorstep and would be seen as a prominent showroom for Snowflex®.
The construction of the new Perma-snow Surface Extreme Boarding Park is now well under way at the Bracknell Ski & Snowboard Centre. Check out their photos of the slope under development.
Briton recognised as true innovators.
Innovative snowsports company Briton Engineering Developments is celebrating two more awards since winning the distinguished NatWest International Business of the Year award in November last year.
At Yorkshire Forward’s prestigious “Innovator 08” awards held at Leeds City Hall on 5 March 2008, the company scooped the top award of “Global Innovator" which recognises technical and commercial excellence on the worldwide stage.
Jim Farmery, Head of Innovation at Yorkshire Forward explains; “The winners of the Innovators/08 are those people and companies who have taken a different approach to business and incorporated new ideas and new ways of working…….and demonstrate their commitment to being a leader in their field”.
Snow sport experts Briton Engineering based in Holmfirth won the award for Global Innovation, supported by UK Trade and Industry, for re-engineering their snow sports surfacing product specifically for international roll-out, taking into account changing international weather, and making it scaleable to suit local markets.
Brian Thomas, Managing Director said; “We are delighted to win this award in recognition of our achievements, but we are on the first step of a journey – we still have a long way to go. From our experience, success is all about looking at new markets; otherwise you won’t do very well at all.”
Former politician Michael Portillo hosted the evening and presented the winners with their awards.
On the same evening but at another award ceremony at Church House Conference Centre, Westminster, London, Briton were again recognised by Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, an organisation funded by the Government's Technology Strategy Board, which named it as the Best Partnership for North East England for 2008.
Dr John Sweeney, an expert in polymer mechanics, was one of the team who set up tests to find an improved shock-pad foam for Briton’s Snowflex® surface system.
He said: "As a result, a much improved material was identified, which is now used in all new installations ………The new, low-maintenance technology in the system brings many benefits, including increasing the range of potential sites across the globe."
Nice article about learning to snowboard on Halifax's SnowFlex slope.
Chatham dryslope is pleased to announce it has a new box. It’s been something they’ve wanted to build for ages, but have been too lazy (so they say). So finally Dave Jackson (Ollie Jackson’s Dad) built them one.
A nice shinny new C-Box. It’ll be out along side an assortment of other rails every week at Chatham on Thursday nights 7 – 10pm.
If you would like a say on the slope set ups at Chatham every week then join the Chatham Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7641610851
Alex Spence
Woodsy
Students at Liberty University, a Baptist Fundamental institution founded in 1971 by the televangelist Jerry Falwell, are not allowed to watch R-rated movies, drink alcohol or dance. But soon their campus in Lynchburg, Virginia will feature year-round Snowflex skiing and snowboarding slopes.
The first phase of the project, scheduled to be in place by next summer, includes a $500,000 ski lift and a Snowflex slope. At a total cost of $3 million, it is expected to be the most expensive part of the plan. Over the next few years, an additional $2 million will be spent on other features including downhill bike trails.
Financing through a local bank will pay for the project, but that admission fees charged to the public would eventually pay for the park’s construction costs.
The University hopes the new facilities will help in the effort to boost current student numbers from 10,400 students to a target 25,000 students.
The new slope at Bellahouston is officially opened for business.
The slope is split into two distinct lines, with a permanent rookie slide box and two interchangeable rail points on the left hand line.
On the right there is a kicker and table top, with a set of rail points a couple of feet beyond the kicker. Both lines merge at the bottom allowing access to the quarter pipe.
All of the old rails have had a new topsheet of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) added to them, along with points to anchor them on the new slope. Riders will have the choice of 5m box, 2m slide box, rainbow rail, up-flat rail and 3m double coping street rail, which will be regularly changed by the centre.
Non members with their own gear can ride the slope for unlimited time for £7 for adults and £6 juniors. SCUK members receive a 10% discount to use the slope - just show them your membership card.
The centre is normally closed to non-members during the day, however the new slope will remain open to non members during the Christmas holidays. All users need to be up to a minimum standard level 4 snowboarders or advanced skiers to use this slope without supervision and all slope users need their own helmet.
The best advice is, if you're unsure about anything phone and check on 0141 427 4991.
Glasgow Ski & Snowboard Centre Club
16 Dumbreck Road
Bellahouston Park
Glasgow
G41 5BW
T: 0141 427 4991
E: info@ski-glasgow.org
Normal opening hours
Mon - Thur: 9.30am to 11pm
Fri: 9.30am to 6pm
Sat: 9.30am to 5pm
Sun: 9.30am to 9pm
Festive opening hours
22nd, 23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st Dec : 9.30am - 5pm 26th, 27th, 28th, 2nd, 3rd, 4th : 9.30 am - 10 pm
Sat 5th Jan returns to normal opening hours.
[Thanks to Steve McKenna [SCUK:steviemc] for words and pictures]
Kicker
Slide Box
Rookie Slide Box
Up Flat Rail
Briton Engineering Developments
celebrate worldwide success!
Briton Engineering Developments is celebrating its success in winning the much sought after "NatWest Bank International Business of the Year" award.
Key to Briton’s success has been the company’s expansion into European and US markets and the generation of major enquiries in regions that traditionally do not have a snowsports market.
Having recently supplied its award winning Snowflex® system to Olympic training facilities in Park City, Utah and Lake Placid, New York, Briton have gone on to design and refurbish the prestigious Loisinord Stadt de Glise in Nœux Les Mines, France and are currently constructing a new Snowflex® Urban Snowsports Centre in Valladolid, Spain. Other major international projects that Briton is involved in include the prestigious Bearfire Resort in Dallas, Texas and Liberty University in Virginia.
Terry Di Stasi, Briton’s Director of Business Development, attended the ceremony, held at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield and collected the award on behalf of the company. Presented in front of 350 local business and community leaders, the title is yet another tribute for Briton, who is regularly lauded in the UK snowsports and national press for their market leading surface system.
Di Stasi added: “I’m surprised at receiving this award in the face of stiff competition from some excellent companies, but I’m also very, very proud. We have moved on a long way since we started making portable ski lifts for artificial slopes in 1979 and now we have work all over the world. I can’t begin to describe how it feels to know that our efforts have been rewarded".
Briton currently has serious enquiries at various stages of development from the USA, Republic of South Africa, Georgia, Sweden, Denmark, Mexico, Spain and New Zealand.
For the last seven weeks or so there have been various murmurings going on behind the scenes at Bellahouston. To put it bluntly, their tow track subsided the day before the tow was due to be installed.
Since then, there have been various meetings between Bella and the Contractor. The Contractor has accepted all responsibility and taken it back from the centre.
Things are back on track (sic) now and Bella don't mind making it public knowledge, especially as they're not to blame.
Check out the full spiel and some photos on our be-kilted bretheren at I Love Legion.
Briton Engineering Developments Limited is pleased to announce two major events over the coming weeks. Firstly the final of the 2007 Westbeach Snowflex freestyle championships takes place at the 11,500 sq. metres Stadt de Glise in Noeux-les-Mines, France. This promises to be an exceptional event with around 100 competitors expected from all over Europe. For more details, visit the website.
The following weekend is the annual Metro ski and snowboard show at London's Olympia in Kensington. As with 2006, Snowflex will once again be installed on both the skills slope and Acid drop half pipe. However this year will have a mini rail park too. Beginners will be able to carve or plough their first turns on the world's most advanced synthetic snowsports surface and give themselves a taste for the winter ahead. They will also be treated to the technical prowess of skiers and boarders at the other end of the skill spectrum - get a sample of last year's action here.
Sheffield Ski Village is now recruiting for our busy winter season and are looking for staff to assist in a variety of roles, both seasonal and part time positions are available. All information is online at www.sheffieldskivillage.co.uk/content/jobs/current.htm
View all 326 headlines for General Dryslope News.
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