More information has been unveiled on a new dry slope ski machine that has been installed at a location in Wiltshire, which InTheSnow first reported on back in July.
It transpires that the slope, which has opened today, is the brainchild of Nick Jenkins, Moonpig founder, former BBC Dragon’s Den Dragon and Wiltshire local.
He has had the machine imported and installed as a place for his family to enjoy skiing outside the snow season, but has opened his new facility to all, calling it the South Wilts Ski Club.
“I’m a very keen skier and I wanted to find somewhere for my daughter to practice between skiing holidays. I tried the Skieasy infinity slope in London myself and loved it, but it was always too busy to book and it was a 90 minute drive. I wondered if I could bring the concept to Wiltshire so in June last year, I started looking for a suitable building to base it in and now we are opening!” said Mr Jenkins.
Situated in a farmyard in the hamlet of Bapton, very near the junction of the A36 and the A303, between Warminster and Salisbury, the skiing machine, one of several in the UK and hundreds operating worldwide, works like a runner’s treadmill for skiers. It offers ski enthusiasts of all ages and skill-levels the chance to master their skiing technique – any time of year.
The slope can be adjusted from 13° to 22° with speeds ranging from 0 to 30 kph (18.6 mph) making it usable for absolute beginners as well as advanced skiers. Visitors will receive personalised one-on-one coaching from resident ski instructor Craig Philpott, who can also provide video playback of each session, allowing the student to observe and correct any unique habits in their technique.
South Wilts Ski Club offers sessions starting from 30-minutes. Sessions run from Wednesday – Sunday (Wed 12:00 – 20:00; Thu & Fri 11:00 – 18:00; Sat & Sun 10:00 until 17:00) and cost from £30 per person for 30 minutes in peak time and £18 per 30 minutes off-peak (when booking a block of six sessions). Ski boots, helmets, and skis are provided free of charge.
