tags:
indoor skiing
A rendering of "Fairfax Peak," a proposed indoor ski resort in northern Virginia. Alpine-X graphic.
SnowWorld N.V., the Dutch company behind SnowWorld Landgraaf and SnowWorld Zoetermeer, has proposed an indoor slope and accompanying resort in Lorton, Virginia, near Washington D.C. The company, which already operates several large indoor ski resorts in Europe, is hoping to break into the American market.
Built on a Fairfax County landfill, the 1,700 foot-long slope would be accompanied by a hotel, event center, and multiple dining and drinking establishments. The proposal, a redacted version of which is available here, has yet to be approved. Once approved, initial construction is expected to take between a year and 18 months, with further development planned for up to seven years.
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While indoor ski slopes have yet to compete with real mountains in terms of snow quality and terrain, the ability to ski (in some capacity) year-round is jealousy-inducing indeed.