The concept of Snowdomes

The concept of skiing indoors first became a commercial reality about twenty years ago.

The pressure was on at conventional ski resorts to provide more consistent snow coverage and this led to advances in snowmaking technology. The idea of creating snow indoors and keeping it cold enough for prolonged operation gradually became practical.

While accounts vary as to which was actually the first snowdome in the world, one that lays good claim to this title is Mt Thebarton in Adelaide, which added a year round snow slope to its existing ice rink.

Since that time dozens of indoor facilities have been developed around the world. Like any commercial venture, some have since disappeared while others have survived and are still operating successfully.

Over the years there have been many advances in snowmaking technology - fuelled by increasing demands of the traditional ski resorts - as well as advances in construction and insulation techniques.

This, coupled with the growing demand for more physical and challenging recreation activities has led to a recent resurgence in indoor skiing and new snowdomes are being developed each year.

Today, indoor skiing can range from small stand-alone facilities to massive multi-discipline complexes. And there are some pretty exciting developments still in the planning stage.