Have you ever been out on the snow and thought, “man, I really wish I could do this in a tunnel that was constantly spinning around me”? No? Well you soon might have the opportunity to do just that!
The Snowtunnel is a 33 foot-in-diameter spinning tunnel that simulates skiing, snowboarding, and any other sliding-on-snow-sport with real, made-from-frozen-water snow. You’re pulled up the side with the ration of the tunnel and can slide back down on whatever device you desire.
Starting as a concept in 1999, Snowtunnel was founded as a company in 2022. But work has been going into the project for decades. It uses traditional snowmaking methods and temperature control to create a dry, man-made powder experience wherever it needs to be set up.
The company foresees a whole load of possible experiences within the device, including your basic skiing and snowboarding, a learning platform for beginners to get their feet moving on some snow, full blown mogul training, a multi-experience three-platform stage, cross country skiing & hiking training, and a simple slowed-down snow lay experience.
No special snowboards or skis are required, no building dedicated solely to riding inside, just a willingness to try a few things out and a decent amount of space to set the thing up (around 300 square feet of dedicated space for a single Snowtunnel). Also, according to their website, it costs around that of a “cold beer” to run for an hour, depending on the cost of electricity where you set it up.
The Snowtunnel is currently just in its prototype phase, and can’t be ridden by the public. But, if you own an entertainment center or are just plain old rich, you can contact the company about installing one through sales@snowtunnel.com.
I hope I’ll be able to ride the Snowtunnel some day. Obviously it’s not going to feel exactly like real skiing, but it looks pretty sweet and I’m intrigued.
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Image Credit: Snowtunnel Technology via Facebook