Unofficial Fact: It sucks being a skier over the summer. Yes I bike and hike in the off season, but nothing compares to being on a snow-covered mountain…. Until now. I made the journey to the Lemon Lodge Ski Bar in Colorado Springs to give their SkyTechSport ski simulator a whirl. After trying out the Olympic-caliber ski simulator, I can whole-heartedly say that I want one.
I certainly felt a little odd parking my car in the middle of Colorado Springs and grabbing my ski boots while wearing shorts. Once I stepped through the threshold of the Lemon Lodge, I no-longer felt out of place. Ski paraphernalia loaded the walls, and front-and-center stood the simulator. After my PSIA-certified instructor adjusted the bindings, I was ready to go.
There definitely is a bit of a mental block getting on the machine for the first time. It was initially hard to trust, but after a few minutes it became very intuitive. I went from looking like Bambi on ice to an actual skier in my 20 minute session. 20 minutes might not sound like a long time, but you would be surprised how tiring it was! 20 minutes on the simulator is equal to about a half day on the slopes, and I believe it based on how sore I was two days later.
As far as how it compared to actually skiing, I would say it is pretty darn close. Driving as hard as I could immediately translated on the large screen that projected my faux-slopes in front of me. Getting on edge was no problem and had very clear impacts on my turns. There is room on the machine for some forward-backward movement, which further enhanced the real-ski feeling. I chose to do a course at Beaver Creek, and it looked just like the real Birds of Prey run (down to the individual trees and the views of the other chairlifts).
There were only a few aspects where the simulator couldn’t replicate real skiing. Since this machine is used by professional racers, it relies almost exclusively on carving through turns. While this is super beneficial for training, you lose the ability to change turn shapes by flat-basing or slarving. The skis are set shoulder-width apart and remain parallel to the ground while exclusively pointing forward, which forces your brain to adapt to the stance you are in. There is no room for individuality, which will feel unnatural to us regular Joes and freeriders.
Overall, my negatives are nit-picky and focused on the faux-skiing sensation. As far as a training device, I see why this is used by professionals! The ski simulator really mimics carving, and the immediate feedback is life-like. As an added training bonus, my instructor was able to give me in-the-moment statistics on my edge angles for each foot when turning in both directions (pinpointing my weaker leg and direction).
Even though professionals and expert skiers use this simulator for training, it’s surprisingly beginner-friendly as well. It is a great method to force someone to ski parallel and really understand what a carve feels like. The risk of falling as a skier is minimal (though there are handrails on the front and back as well as netting on the sides to help catch someone if they do lose balance). I did watch a snowboarder try it and fall twice on his heel edge, so the risk of falling is definitely greater for snowboarding. Lemon Lodge offers a monthly ski school program for all ages and abilities, further demonstrating how applicable this machine is to any skier or snowboarder.
I had the opportunity to meet Matthew, one of the owners of Lemon Lodge. He told me that even though he had been skiing his entire life, his best season ever was immediately following a summer of using this simulator. Having tried the simulator, I believe it! It works all the same muscles and triggers your muscle memory, and I imagine it would eliminate the early season fears of getting back on skis. If I lived closer to Colorado Springs, I would visit the Lemon Lodge weekly to help stay ski-ready all summer long.
So, after all of my rambling, who is the ski simulator for? Literally anyone. Beginner skiers and snowboarders can learn fundamental skills in a safe environment, while experts can get some real training in. The experience can be as serious or as fun as you make it. When you complete a course, everyone rings a cowbell like you just won a World Cup race. First-timers even get their own commemorative cowbell. Wine-cocktails are boozy and delicious, so the après scene is just as simulated as the skiing. I really had a great time, and I would recommend the Lemon Lodge Ski Bar to anyone in the area!
Photos and Video Courtesy of skiingsolo