What’s the Deal with Indoor Ski Facilities?

Around a decade ago, Dubai made headlines with the opening of Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area. More recently, China opened the largest indoor ski resort in history, comprising roughly 80,000 square meters of skiable area. Created by a climate-controlled environment with snowmaking, indoor ski resorts enable skiing and snowboarding accessibility regardless of the outdoor temperature.

Though the United States has yet to open an indoor ski facility (one is currently in progress down in Austin, Texas), there is another, more accessible and inexpensive option. Indoor Ski USA has created a snowless, mountainless alterative to indoor skiing. In utilizing a large revolving belt placed at an angle, a machine can easily replicate the motion of skiing—think of a surfable wave machine, but for skiing. Put simply, you don’t necessarily need access to a full, snow-filled indoor ski resort to maintain a ski habit. Within a few years, it may be as simple as heading to your local gym or recreation center.