Winter, the outdoors, and fresh snow might be what you think of when the word skiing comes to mind. Times are changing. Snow Domes are popping up throughout the world to provide an indoor skiing environment perfect for year-round skiing or for areas that never see a flake of snow.
Just off the New Jersey Turnpike, the Meadowlands Sports Complex is undergoing major construction in order to house the first indoor ski resort in the United States. The 250,000 square foot ski area, Xanadu, will be open all year and will feature a 140 foot tall run. To an expert skier this may seem inadequate but for novice skiers this is the perfect way to learn. Indoor skiing is a great way for kids to learn the sport as well given that they won’t have to battle harsh winter conditions.
For those who don’t wish to enter the giant refrigerator, the Meadowlands facility also plans to become the largest retail and entertainment complex in the U.S. Instead of skiing you can test your luck at skydiving in the SkyVenture vertical wind tunnel or take to racing on the Formula One raceway. Most importantly don’t forget to checkout It’s Sugar!, where you can travel by bridge over a 30-foot chocolate waterfall.
Can’t wait to keep your skills tuned all year-round? This 2 billion dollar complex is set to open in late 2008.