Tag Archive for: Buck Hill

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (July 22)

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Industry Leader Interview, Artificial Snow Trending, Cycling In The OC.

Ride down to the ocean after you ride up from the beach. Credit: Pat McCloskey

Ride down to the ocean after you ride up from the beach.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

Summer is at its height, and it’s really hot in North America.  Our readers continue to do their summer activities on the water, trails and roads; thanks for letting us know how you’re doing.  We are officially noting that the start of Autumn is nine weeks away.

This week, we start our new Snow Sport Leader interview series with a Q&A with Earl Saline, the director of educational programming for the National Ski Area Association.  He offers his views on the issues facing the resort industry, where senior snow sports enthusiasts fit in the picture, and his own career in the snow business.  We’ll be following other industry leaders throughout the season.  Stay tuned.

Construction for Buck Hill's summer snow hill should be starting about now. (July 2016) Credit: Buck Hill

Construction for Buck Hill’s summer snow hill should be starting about now. (July 2016)
Credit: Buck Hill

We also read with growing interest about yet another artificial ski hill experiment.  Well, its more than an experiment.  Buck Hill, MN, is installing a slick surface that reportedly imitates the gliding of snow on its hill this summer.  Curious that we are seeing a number of these attempts to extend the season growing in number this year.

Finally, we hear from Pat McCloskey and his Cycling Series report from the Orange County coast.  He tells of the Laguna Wilderness where you can engage miles of trails in the coastal range overlooking the sea.  Very cool.  Thanks, Pat for your cycling reports.  Anyone else have a fav place to spin?

Next week, we have a very special event.  We will be announcing our list of Trail Masters, those SeniorsSkiing.com readers who report they have skied their age in the 2015-16 season.  Skiing your age means you’ve been out on the slopes (or trails) a number of days that equals or exceeds your age.  It’s an impressive list, and we have some great ideas for our Trail Masters.

Once again, thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away!

 

mikemaginn

Artificial Snow Doesn’t Melt

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Summer Skiing At Buckhill, MN, Is About To Happen.

Construction for Buck Hill's summer snow hill should be starting about now. (July 2016) Credit: Buck Hill

Construction for Buck Hill’s summer snow hill should be starting about now. (July 2016)
Credit: Buck Hill

We’ve seen how ventures into summer and indoor skiing have become a growing trend in the ski industry.  From a business angle, it makes sense: extend the season, create activity at the ski facility, keep lessons going and get people involved.  It may also make sense from a climate change angle.  If the winters and snowfall in different regions remain as variable as they have in recent years, then thinking of changing the sport’s paradigm from real to artificial snow. Perhaps this is the future of skiing.

Buck Hill, MN, is installing artificial snow hills this summer to extend the season and provide visitors an opportunity to ski 365 days a year. The surface is made by Neveplast, an Italian company that has created a sliding surface it says is the same as snow without the need for cold or water.  Here’s a video of Buck Hill’s testing the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuFDsui4D_o

 

Looks interesting.  Have you tried this?  Would you? Is this the direction skiing is going?  Has to go?