Ski and Snowboard News, Deals, and Events

A snowhall is a giant fridge perfect for skiing all year round and you don't need mountains. Amnéville in France hosts the world's top artificial slope, 620 metres long, 35 metres wide, and a drop of 92 metres. With 15 snow canons and an ambient temperature of -3C° it is not just like the real thing - it is the real thing.

It is built on a disused coal tip 365 metres high and the steepness varies between 20 and 25 degrees. International teams from the top alpine ski countries, France Germany, Austrian, Italy and Switzerland all make the pilgrimage. The average snow cover is 60cm.

Artificial skiing is a growing phenomenon which started seriously around thirty years ago mainly with Dendix, a brush like material on which it is possible to ski a bit like the real thing. Unfortunately it is also as hard as nails and if you fall and catch a finger in the mesh you can end up in hospital.

Paul Pierret director of the Snowhall says, "We did not originally plan the slope for training top skiers but rather for the thousands of occasional visitors to the mountains who we knew had no where to go to get in a bit of practice". There is a toboggan run for the under 12s and bumps, pipes and jumps for snow boarders as well as a pizza restaurant overlooking the slope. But says Pierret "we now find that an increasing percentage of our takings come from top international teams training here and from competitions".

The world indoor European Skiing Championships are now likely to be a regular feature every November. The 2009 competition was teed off by Moroccan international skier Samir Azzimani just to remind everybody how untypical the site is and how you do not need snow or mountains to ski out of season.

The Snowhall originally opened in 2006 with a length of 500 metres. International skiers who found the wide steep slope great for technique training but complained it was not long enough for speed trials. So another 120 metres was added taking the Amnéville well clear of the previous much touted world leader at Dubai with its call to come and ski in the desert.

Amnéville's claim to be the top indoor ski run in the world is under challenge. The German AlpinCenter at Bottrop claims a few extra meters. The steepest slope is said to be 31 degrees at SnowFunPark at Wittenburg also in Germany. The prize for the largest indoor skiing area goes to Snowworld at Langraaf in very flat Holland, with 35,000 square metres of ski space. Not to be left out Chill Factore at Manchester in the UK claims its 100 metre wide slope is the widest in the world.

Jennifer de Bacco communications manager for Snowhall is unconcerned and says, "Yes there is an argument about it but the Germans who come here tell us that our ski run is much bigger and better for serious training. I haven't been to Germany with a tape measure but we note that the international teams still come here from all over Europe". As de Bacco points out Amnéville is not just a ski slope and has set itself up as a tourist centre in northern France with the idea of attracting visitors from nearby Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. There is a huge zoo, an Olympic standard swimming pool, and ice rink, as well concert halls, a tree park, and many other attractions. The ski slope, which is normally open every day, alone, attracts 250,000 visitors each year.

Never the less the battle of the dimensions rages and Amnéville will have to look to its laurels. Amongst a host of possible new sites three are planned in the Unites States at Meadowlands New Jersey, Westmoreland North Carolina, and of course Las Vegas. Perhaps the least expected project is the Ski Dome being planned by the Burgundy Ski Federation at prestigious Nuits Saint George, more usually associated with vintage wine than winter sports.

The Snowhall:-- www.snowhall.fr