Indoor Skiing - Ways of Making Indoor Snow
Snow domes are getting more and more prevalent around the world while more and more ways of snowmaking are getting introduced and developed. In this section, we will look at the various methods of making Indoor Snow:
Permasnow
Is a snow-like substance made by mixing some chemicals and water. This was invented by Alf Bucceri of Australia. Mt. TheBarton used Permasnow when it first opened. However, Permasnow didn't have much success at that time so a Japanese company bought its exclusive rights.
Acer Snowmec
The Acer Snowmec system of indoor snow making used extensively all over the World uses special snowmakers which make snow up to minus 3 degrees C.
The Acer Snowmec system was used at:
- Telford World of Snow UK
- Snow World Batam (Near Singapore)
- White Shark Snopwland Taiwan
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- Penang Malaysia
- Milton Keynes UK
- Madrid Spain
- Castleford UK
There are two more Acer Snowmec projects under construction at present (Oct 04):
- Mall of the Emirates Snow Centre Dubai
- Xscape Braehead Scotland.
Sloping Ice Rink
This is done by producing a refrigerated grid which is similar to the one used in ice rinks. But if the surface is kept smooth in ice rinks for ice skating, a different technique is done in a Sloping Ice Rink. Here, ice crystals are allowed to form and scrape the surface in order to have a soft Snow surface of around 15mm deep. After using Permasnow, Mt. TheBarton used Sloping Ice Rink. Other Snow domes in Europe, Telford dome for instance, also used this system.
Since a Sloping Ice Rink produces a very hard surface underneath the thin layer of ice flakes and ice crystals, some Ski pros in Snow domes have expressed that this system may not be very safe when it is not used very carefully.
Ice Grinding
Is an inexpensive system of grinding down ice and dumping it inside a large refrigerator. Generally, this system produces a not-so-good snow quality since the product is regarded as "not very snow-like".
Polarsnow
Is pioneered by Polar, a company from Australia. Compared to other previous systems, Polarsnow became the most successful. To make Snow, the Polar company makes use of compressed air, water, and nitrogen in liquid form operating at a temperature setting of -196ºC. This system has the ability to produce realistic Snow and though this system can be used in domes, Polarsnow can be produced without refrigeration at up to +50ºC. Likewise, the Snow created by this system is denser. Thus, it lasts longer compared to those in other systems.
Polarsnow was first used at the Skidome Nicky Broos in Ruchpen in Holland last 1995, and new Snow domes in The Netherlands, some Asian countries, and South Africa will soon make use of this system.
There are other plans and ideas regarding Snowmaking technology. Since Snow domes are growing like mushrooms nowadays, people are formulating new and improved ways of making Indoor Snow. The important thing is, whatever system is used, the Snowmaking industry has its hopes of finding ways to produce Snow which can offer an excellent Ski area for enthusiasts.
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