Artificial ski grass has become increasingly popular for enabling skiing and snowboarding in locations without natural snow. It simulates real snow conditions on dry slopes, allowing visitors to practice these sports. This overview explores artificial ski slopes and introduces the new ProSnow® artificial ski grass.
What is an artificial ski slope?
An artificial ski slope, or dry slope, uses specialized materials to replicate snow, allowing skiing and snowboarding without natural mountains. This enables year-round practice for enthusiasts, especially in countries like the Netherlands and the UK, where natural slopes are scarce. Companies such as Dendix, Skitraxx, and Neveplast have developed various artificial surfaces, ranging from molded plastic to upturned bristles.
Different artificial surfaces
What are the differences? Well, these are mainly present in the materials used for the slope and the ski surface grip. Also, the slipperiness of the slope, the safety of the end users, and the durability of the ski matting. For instance, since 1961, Dendix has developed ski matting in a hexagonal pattern by using strips of bristles. Although it was a remarkable invention at the time, the slope provided little impact protection for users. It even damaged ski and snowboard equipment. In an attempt to improve conditions on the Dendix slopes, people started lubricating slopes with water. Yet, while concerns about the safety, costs, and quality of the slopes arose, slope operators started searching for better alternatives.
Different approaches to creating ski surfaces were developed by the German manufacturer Skitraxx and the Italian manufacturer Neveplast. The 2-pin system of Skitraxx, for instance, features a fast glide and improved grip for carving turns. Before the placement of the ski matting, a fleece is placed as a subsurface to which the SlopeTrax are attached with special twisted pegs. Different pin heights create a low-friction artificial ski surface that causes less damage to equipment and requires no lubricant. Moreover, since 1999, Neveplast has been manufacturing the NP30 ski surface that uses a concentric arrangement of conical stems. This type of ski matting does not require lubricant and provides skiers with maximum safety and satisfying side grip. Over the years, the safety, durability, and quality of artificial dry slopes have been enhanced by numerous firms.
Why are ski simulators beneficial?
Obviously, skiing or snowboarding on a dry slope is a proper equivalent to descending the real mountain slopes. In fact, it is a great solution for those who do not have a mountain range on their doorstep.
Yet artificial ski grass is used not only for dry slopes but also for indoor ski slopes that offer a different perspective on snow sports. Indoor ski training can offer unique advantages in comparison to dry slopes that are worth addressing:
Adjustable angle and speed
Making the indoor ski simulator suitable for all ages and skill levels.
Constant circumstances
No ice, no cold, no bumps; the circumstances are supreme.
Year-round availability
Simulators are not weather-dependent, so you can practice whenever you want.
Exciting features
Interactive slalom projections bring new dimensions to skiing.
Track progress
Video playback options help to spot imperfections
Instructor guidance
A certified instructor provides accurate feedback from close distance.
How to maintain artificial ski grass?
When you are managing or planning to open your own snow sports center by investing in ski simulators, please take the following into account. All indoor ski simulators are covered with a fine layer of artificial ski grass that requires and deserves the right treatment! Since the ski carpet is valuable, it is essential to maximize the product longevity of the artificial ski grass. First, we highly recommend investing in the right model skis and snowboards that visitors will use on your ski simulators. Acquiring the right equipment is important because the type of base underneath the skis and snowboards will determine the lifetime of your artificial ski grass. What are the right type of skis?
What gear to use on a ski simulator?
First things first, our advice is to supply skis and snowboards to your customers, as this is usually the best way to control the experience when riding a SkiMachine simulator. Second, the best type of skis to use are rental skis because of their durability, adjustability, and hard base that works best with artificial ski grass. Another advantage of using rental skis is that instructors can monitor the gear’s condition, and blisters that can damage the artificial ski surface can be avoided.
Extruded vs sintered bases for skis and snowboards
To provide more in-depth information about the preferred equipment, there are two types of bases used for skis and snowboards: extruded and sintered. For the extruded base, polyethylene pellets are melted together at an extremely high temperature. This results in a base that is completely non-porous. Therefore, the base is more difficult to wax, more durable, and cheaper to maintain. The sintered base is created by using the same resources; the pellets are not melted together, but are crushed together under great force. This results in a base that is porous and better at retaining wax. Since the friction heat from skiing on artificial ski grass increases during training sessions, the wax underneath the skis will melt. Therefore, we recommend using rental skis as they are more resistant to heat from friction, optimizing the durability of both your skiing gear and artificial ski grass.
How to moisten ski grass?
In addition to using the right gear, it is essential to maintain your artificial ski grass as well as possible. Try to keep your simulator as clean as possible to prevent damage, optimize the skiing conditions for your visitors, and extend the lifetime of your rental equipment. Please do not use any chemical lubricants to moisten your ski grass, as this will most certainly harm your artificial ski grass in a severe way. Instead, moisten your ski track with water, which is sufficient to keep things running smoothly and appropriately!
Need more information?
The new ProSnow® artificial ski grass
The new ProSnow® Artificial Dry Slope Ski Grass is a synthetic artificial ski turf material for an infinite dry slope that offers a feeling similar to real snow. What differentiates ProSnow® artificial ski grass from regular artificial ski grass types is that several different low-friction fibers are woven into a stable base section that covers the dry slope and mimics the effect of snow. As we cannot emphasize enough, a good quality top layer is crucial for your ski simulator. Our ProSnow® ski carpet has a high fiber density and offers gliding and grip just like real snow. The synthetic ski surface on your revolving dry slope can be used by alpine skiers and, in reverse mode, by cross-country athletes or mountain bikers.
To provide your visitors with the best possible experience, you need a freshly groomed ski slope. This will allow visitors to ski and snowboard without worrying about anything. Therefore, it is rather important that your artificial ski grass is placed correctly, as imperfections on your infinite dry slope must be prevented at all costs. At SkiMachine, we have a team of experts waiting to fit your ski grass. We will cut it to size and lay it at a time that will not interfere with your operating times.
As time goes by, the artificial ski grass on your ski simulator will naturally start to wear out, but don’t worry! Our team is always on hand to replace your existing surface with our long-lasting ProSnow® Artificial Dry Slope Ski Grass.
Contact SkiMachine
With numerous positive reactions from clients, our ski simulators are proven to be a guaranteed crowd magnet and a solution to increase customer satisfaction in a unique and fun way. 100+ SkiMachines installations worldwide and over 25 years of experience have allowed us to create a wealth and know-how in creating the highest quality indoor simulators in the industry. We are more than happy to provide you with professional input and additional information about our products at any time!
