International Sports Village indoor ski centre planned for Cardiff

Plans for a snow centre in the heart of Cardiff Bay are finally set to move forward, we can reveal. Cardiff council will next month ask developers to register their interest in building a real-snow ski slope at the International Sports Village (ISV). With plans for a new ice stadium set to be submitted next month, the snow facility is seen as the next piece of the jigsaw at the waterfront site.

The growing number of indoor snow centres in the UK makes it possible for Brits to get around a perennial problem that faced us when we bought our ski equipment – testing it first.

We had the choice of buying abroad in a ski resort where we could test it but not easily return it to the shop if there was a problem, or of buying at our local ski shop but not really testing it until we got to the Alps and then had little come back if there was a problem.

Organizers in Europe plan to take skiing indoors next month, when Olympic slalom champion Benjamin Raich will face French rival Jean-Baptiste Grange and other challengers in a new European championship.

Organizers from Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy revealed plans yesterday to hold slalom races for men and women on an indoor slalom course in Amnéville, France, on Nov. 7.

Organizers said they have registered 80 skiers from 12 nations.

Skiing in North Texas?  Snow/Sport Entertainment Ltd. has announced that they are starting a $70 million dollar project entitled the ”Texas Alps”. The Alps is part of a 250,000 square foot facility near the Grapevine Mills Shopping Mall and the venture would have the ski slope, an indoor ice climbing wall and a luge track.

The UK may only be a 2 hour flight from the Alps but once the snow has melted in popular resorts like Val D’Isere and Zermatt, the residents of London usually resign themselves to putting their ski and snowboard equipment into storage for a few months and turning their attentions to other pursuits until the next winter season comes around. Not that running, cycling, rowing or playing tennis aren’t great fun, especially when the sun is shining, but for a committed winter sports fan, the prospect of eight months or more without any snow action can be pretty demoralising.

With temperatures hovering around the forties and many UAE residents planning to take shelter indoors from the scorching heat, Ski Dubai is gearing up to offer a cool summer to its visitors. The only snow experience in the region that can be enjoyed throughout the year is offering a number of exciting activities for the next three months catering to all ages.

Developers of a multimillion pound ski centre say they are considering pulling the scheme out of High Wycombe because of council “bureaucracy”. Plans to put a new real snow indoor ski centre and ice rink, which would cost more than £10m, on the site of the former Wycombe Summit slopes were turned down by councillors in April.

Well, not quite but there is snow on the ground and skiers and snowboarders have been out enjoying it. 80 tonnes of snow was laying on the ground in Kelvingrove Park today. It was though made at the nearby SNO! zone, the indoor snow centre at Braehead, and was brought over in 4 lorry loads.