What Is It?

Marketed as 'Virtual Snow', Snowflex, the newest slope surface available, endeavours to overcome problems associated with the artificial ski surfaces which predate it. The product is built up over four layers with the top layer a Mono Filament Fibre 'stitched' into the supporting carrier layer; laid on top of a shock absorbing layer, with an impervious membrane then a woven controlling layer on the base.

Number of Installations Worldwide: 35

Location of Installations: Denmark, Hong Kong, Lebanon, UK, France, Spain, USA

Country of Manufacture: West Yorkshire, England

User Comments:

-Agentvialli and my good self took a trip to Warmwell last Thursday and spent a good 3 hours mucking about in the snow on their Snowflex. It's the first time I've ever ridden the stuff and all I can say is that it was well worth the six hour round trip. The jump they have there are really good and the surface is almost a pleasure to fall on. – Duncan Worrell, SCU        

- "Softer to fall on than snow" - John Fleetham, former Managing Director of Sheffield Ski Village

- "I can see it's better just looking out of my window because people are learning quicker" - John Fleetham, former Managing Director of Sheffield Ski Village 

- "That's the brilliant thing about it, there is so much scope to give people different experiences" - John Larkin, Founder & Ex-Chairman Kendal Ski Club 

-  "If there is one word to summarise this product, it's FUN." - Brendan Furlong, Ski Club of Ireland.  April 1998 "It's fun, it's slippy and it' safe." - David Wardrop, Midlothian Ski Centre

- "If Snowflex® had been available 12 years ago, I would not have bothered with snow. This is fantastic." - Cor Mollin , proprietor of the two Belgian indoor snow centres

- “The repeat business has been unbelievable, tasters develop to plough II, plough II’s develop to plough III and they develop up to basic swings and even parallels, on a nursery slope!” - Steve Foulkes instructor, Rossendale Ski Centre.

- “It is amazing the variety of lessons you can do (on the nursery slope). We have seen more smiles coming off that nursery slope than we have ever seen before” - Sue Foulkes, instructor Rossendale Ski Centre

- “The key to the future of snowboarding is Snowflex. I mean you just wouldn’t dream of doing some of the things they are doing without Snowflex.” - Adrian Cairns, photographer and snowsports writer. 

- “This is like a new sport.” - The comment of  Reto Lamm and Terje Haakensen (world snowboard legends) when they visited Halifax and Sheffield summer 2001.

- “I think Aberdeen is the best slope in the country………………….. I hurt myself more on snow than I do on Snowflex®.” - Student Boarder - Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

- “If only some UK slopes had the courage to do this. Snowflex® is where it's at. Every town should have a Snowflex® slope. Safe, easy, fun and cheap compared to the real snow equivalent” – Duncan Worrell (aka Dunx) – SCUK

- “Snowflex is indeed brilliant! I was at the comp in Bearsden and the nicely shaped kicker and padded landing gave me the confidence to spend the day working on spins....and even after falling consistently for most of the day I was bruise free (something that doesn't happen to me very often) The progression of riders who get to use Snowflex regularly is amazing, it gives you the confidence to try new things without the injury worries that Dendix (the diamond shaped holey plastic) used to give. I'm just sad that the closest Snowflex slope to me is 180 miles away!” – Kat Miller, competitor in Westbeach Snowflex® Championships 2008

- “The Westbeach Snowflex® Freestyle Championship series has been a huge success and really highlighted how much the Briton Engineering designed and constructed Snowflex kickers have allowed UK riders to grow their bag of tricks. That riders hit an indoor dome maybe once a week, but ride their local Snowflex® slope three or four times a week is a real tribute to their accessibility”- Document Snowboard Magazine Dec 07

- “The Snowflex® slope at Nœux Les Mines, near Calais, is probably the best in the world, with a huge kicker, half pipe and rails – this slope is the stuff of dreams” -  Document Snowboard Magazine Nov  07

-   “A final note to all would be developers, build a slope like this and people will visit – it’s really that simple” - Russ Shea, Document Snowboard, Nov 06        

Particular Strengths:

Snowflex provides the two properties, which are both essential for the enjoyment of skiing and snowboarding.

Other Points To Consider:

• Out of approximately 50 ski surface inventions in the last 45 years Snowflex® is the closest replication of snow. It is the first invention developed by a snowsports company from the end users perspective. Previous synthetic materials were by-products from the brush, plastic or carpet industry.
• It is softer to fall on than hard pack snow and is therefore safer.
• It can be used all year round and located anywhere.
• It’s consistent, never needs grooming and requires very little maintenance compared with snow.
• It creates repeat business. It is very addictive because of rapid skill development.
• It enables outdoor use therefore less capital for buildings and very small energy demands. It has a low carbon footprint compared with a refrigerated building.
• Slopes can be built on land which might otherwise be unusable for building.
• Services the existing snowsports market.
• Encourages new users to snowsports.
• It's fun, it's slippy and it's safe.

What Is It?

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 11

Location of Installations: Italy, Hungary, Greece, South Korea. 

Future Plans: Neveplast   will soon  have two slopes in UAE and 1 ski slope in Hungary.

Events: Neveplast has more than 250 summer tubing installation in the whole world, as well as  than 200 installations of artificial ski slopes for events.

Country of Manufacture: Italy

Particular Strengths:  Very good side grip, only 10% inclination required for snowplough, works with less water.

Other Points To Consider:  They offer excellent customer service!

Astro Gelande

What Is It?

Astrogelande is the name given for what was originally a US product, called
Polysnow, developed by Monsanto. It is a moulded plastic product, designed
to be used as a matrix system holding polypropylene beads. It is attached by
staples in the ground and has a foam backing.

Monsanto sold the rights to Polysnow to Astroturf Japan, then a division of
Mitsubishi, in the 1970s who remarketed it as Astrogelande. Astrogelande
remains the dominant artificial ski slope surface in the Japan - Korea
region to this day.

Number of Installations Worldwide: 150+

Location of Installations: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, UK

Country of Manufacture: Japan

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

"As with other injection moulded surfaces the backing is not very UV stable
and it wears out fairly quickly."

Curver

What Is It?

Number of Installations Worldwide: 50+

Location of Installations: Belgium, Holland, UK

Country of Manufacture: Holland / Netherlands

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

"Noisy in use."

"Plastic becomes brittle in sun, needs frequent replacing."

Dendix

What Is It?

The original artificial surface material. Uses PVC brush like bristles
sticking up from a stainless steel mesh. The edges of skis and boards cut
in to the bristles. Normally used with a water misting system to enhance
the slipperiness of the surface.

Number of Installations Worldwide: More than 150

Location of Installations: Canada, China, Denmark, Iran, Korea, Mexico,
Poland, Russia, UK, USA

Country of Manufacture: UK

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

"Long lasting - have stood the test of time."

"Easier to install - the rigid nature of Dendix makes it one of the easier
surfaces to lay on less even slopes."

Other Points To Consider:

"Less flexible to use for mogul and terrain forms than carpet type slopes."

"Painful to fall on."

"One of the more expensive surfaces, but long lasting with little
maintenance required."

Everslide

What Is It?

Number of Installations Worldwide: 100+

Location of Installations: Finland

Country of Manufacture: Finland

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

Permasnow

What Is It?

Carpet style surface product not to be confused with the early version of
indoor snow of the same name but without the hyphen.

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 5.

Location of Installations: USA

Country of Manufacture: USA

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

Powderpak

What Is It?

Carpet type surface available in three thicknesses, but typically one and a
half inches (6cm). The material is covered with a dense, non-directional
pile embedded with medical-quality polymer plastic granules that resemble
sugar. Once wet, the affect is for ski edges to work against it like Spring
snow, according to the manufacturer.

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 10.

Location of Installations: Mexico, Puerto Rico, UK, USA

Country of Manufacture: USA

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

"Easy to use - just unroll and go."

"One of the more affordable surfaces."

"Easy to create terrain park features with."

"Not painful to fall on."

"Good for both temporary and permanent events."

Other Points To Consider:

Powderpack (Tufglide)

What Is It?

A clone product of the original US PowderPak, manufactured and distributed
by an entirely separate company - Snow Business UK Limited.

Available in 2cm short pile, 2.6cm long pile or Tufglide toboggan surface.

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 10.

Location of Installations: Denmark, South Africa, UK

Country of Manufacture: UK

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

SkiTech

What Is It?

A clone product of Dendix, manufactured and distributed by an entirely
separate company. Latest version subtitled Matt 2000

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 4.

Location of Installations: UK

Country of Manufacture: UK

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

Ski-Trax

What Is It?

Number of Installations Worldwide: Approximately 10.

Location of Installations: USA, New Zealand

Country of Manufacture: New Zealand

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider:

SnowSun

What Is It?

Snowsun produces a wide variety of eight injection moulded plastic surfaces
to suit all types of usage; ranging from a diamond shaped bristle matrix to
a thinner carpet.


Number of Installations Worldwide: 1.

Location of Installations: Italy

Country of Manufacture: Italy

User Comments:

Particular Strengths:

Other Points To Consider: