An indoor ski resort in New Jersey is being used for something a little different this week.
Nexen Tire is hosting a winter driving event inside Big SNOW American Dream, giving drivers the chance to test an all-weather tire on real snow in September.
The company’s Winter Ride N’ Drive is taking place Sept. 22 and 23 at the East Rutherford facility, which normally provides year-round skiing and snowboarding just outside New York City. Nexen has created a specially prepared snow course inside Big SNOW to demonstrate vehicle control and traction before sending participants outside for a second test on public roads.
“This is your event hub for everything you’ll need during the Ride N’ Drive—from schedules and testing details to event updates and Nexen Tire contacts. Get ready to go from snow to dry pavement as you put the N’Blue 4Season 2 to the test in two completely different driving environments. Snow testing in September? Let’s drive.” -Nexen Tires
The event centers around Nexen’s N’Blue 4 Season 2 all-weather tire.
The tire carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, meaning it has met standardized performance requirements for severe snow conditions. Nexen markets it as a year-round tire intended to provide better winter capability than a conventional all-season tire without requiring drivers to switch to a dedicated winter set.
Nexen says the indoor course gives participants a controlled environment to experience acceleration, braking and vehicle control on snow. Outside the building, participants switch to local roads around American Dream to evaluate the same tire under normal pavement conditions.
The company is also conducting a traction demonstration explaining how tires are evaluated for the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake designation. For media participants, the snow and street driving took place Tuesday. A separate customer group is running through the same program Wednesday.
Big SNOW Can Make Winter Happen Anytime
There aren’t many places in North America where a tire company can schedule a snow test for September and not worry about the forecast.
Big SNOW bills itself as North America’s first and only indoor, real-snow, year-round ski and snowboard resort. The facility contains about 4 acres of skiable terrain with a 160-foot vertical drop and maintains an indoor temperature around 28 degrees.
Its snow center covers roughly 180,000 square feet, including about 150,000 square feet of slopes. The facility normally operates year round with a quad chairlift and three surface lifts for skiers and snowboarders. The same predictable conditions that allow people to ski throughout the summer also make the building useful for testing products designed for winter.
