Why don't more hills put dry slopes in

they are fairly expensive and they would probably make more money on tubing.

Basically to make it profitable they would have to dump a huge amount of money to cover several trails, and also have to be close to a major population center, and even then they still may not make it

Sometimes money isn't the issue but the contract. My hill has to close by a certain time because of the contract they have with the forest service. Even if we have enough snow in July my hill will be closed.

It's very expensive to maintain and start off, and going small isn't an option because you have to have it cool enough to bring people in.

It's also hard to make it profitable, how much are you willing to pay to ride a tiny dry slope? 20$ maybe. Hard to pay off, and dry slopes are more a freestyle thing, which there is less of a crowd for and less money gross (family with kids will bring in more $). So it would make sense to impove on a family freindly aspect rather than dump money into a dry slope.

Just build your own! Summer setups help keep the ski fever down in the summer.

It's a question I have been wondering about. If the UK can manage to put these things everywhere, I can't see why they wouldn't work atMaj ski resorts. I just don't know enough about it. Look at liberty for example, they are EXTREMELY successful.

Quite frankly, their expensive, a pretty big liability, and don't make any money. While park skiers are local mountains "regulars" they don't usually pay the bills, they basically just keep things a float (especially since they usually all have season passes and don't buy food/rentals/lessons/ect). The money maker is the weekend warrior or once a year families that doesn't have any of their own shit and pay full price for tickets, rentals, lessons and food. Kids say all the time "I'd pay $10 a week to hit a summer set up and the mountain", but not only will $10 a week from all those kids not cover the cost, but after like 2 or 3 sessions those kids will be asking about cheaper deals and then stop coming. It just doesn't pay the bills. On top of all that, the summer is when those mountains get all their maintenance done, so they're busy with that and don't really have time to deal with dry slopes. It's a bummer, but it's a reality.

A big thing is that most local small hills will have a contract on how long they can stay open. Another thing is that at least for me, my hill has a lot of mountain biking trails and other people like to ride the chairlifts for the view or something so that uses the one only chairlift they can afford to run in the offseason.

They're super expensive. Most mountains won't risk messing with their core business unless they look at it as an amenity or if it would have a ridiculously awesome ROI (which it probably wouldn't).

I've tried to get one going multiple times over the last few years and upper management just wouldn't budge.

BWalmerQuite frankly, their expensive, a pretty big liability, and don't make any money. While park skiers are local mountains "regulars" they don't usually pay the bills, they basically just keep things a float (especially since they usually all have season passes and don't buy food/rentals/lessons/ect). The money maker is the weekend warrior or once a year families that doesn't have any of their own shit and pay full price for tickets, rentals, lessons and food. Kids say all the time "I'd pay $10 a week to hit a summer set up and the mountain", but not only will $10 a week from all those kids not cover the cost, but after like 2 or 3 sessions those kids will be asking about cheaper deals and then stop coming. It just doesn't pay the bills. On top of all that, the summer is when those mountains get all their maintenance done, so they're busy with that and don't really have time to deal with dry slopes. It's a bummer, but it's a reality.

this makes a lot of sense, I guess now that I think about it there would be only a small group of park rats using it

BWalmerQuite frankly, their expensive, a pretty big liability, and don't make any money. While park skiers are local mountains "regulars" they don't usually pay the bills, they basically just keep things a float (especially since they usually all have season passes and don't buy food/rentals/lessons/ect). The money maker is the weekend warrior or once a year families that doesn't have any of their own shit and pay full price for tickets, rentals, lessons and food. Kids say all the time "I'd pay $10 a week to hit a summer set up and the mountain", but not only will $10 a week from all those kids not cover the cost, but after like 2 or 3 sessions those kids will be asking about cheaper deals and then stop coming. It just doesn't pay the bills. On top of all that, the summer is when those mountains get all their maintenance done, so they're busy with that and don't really have time to deal with dry slopes. It's a bummer, but it's a reality.

Ok, are we talking about a summer set up with a few rails? Or are we talking about actual skiing? Big difference. I would love to see the books on Liberty. I am sure that they are recouping their investment, if it didn't work on paper, I highly doubt a school would dump that much money into something like that.

Adding the additional insurance alone probably wouldn't be profitable for most hills that have a real winter. The brits might be happy to pay to ski on dryslope because its all they got. But the average american or canadian will ski in the winter. And thats about it. Hell, most hills lose money in April and May even if they have the snow.

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Yeah I'm pretty sure liberty university actually loses money on snowflex. But because they have so many students who pay for online classes, they're able to keep it running.

MinggYeah I'm pretty sure liberty university actually loses money on snowflex. But because they have so many students who pay for online classes, they're able to keep it running.

How do you know this? Have you seen their financials?
Schools are not generally down to spend their money on something if they end up losing money on it.

speedinHow do you know this? Have you seen their financials?
Schools are not generally down to spend their money on something if they end up losing money on it.

I know people who work there. I was told a man donated money to have something ski/snowboard related made and so they built Snowflex. What happened after that idk but I was told they don't much make money and sometimes actually lose money.

Lot's of mountains have summer activities such as golf, mountain biking, music festivals, craft beer festivals, etc... Those make more money than a summer slope for sure. The hills around here at least die down the last month of winter.. Once is stops snowing and people start thinking about spring, people stop going skiing. Then, all you have is the season pass holders going. So, if you can't get people to early spring ski, barely anyone is going to show up in the summer.

If it is not close to the city then people will probably not go. Not to many people will drive 2 hours to go hit a couple rails and small jumps. My hill has a lot of attractions that run in the summer too.

FirmWormAre they to expensive or something cause i know my local hill would make tons if they put in a dry slope with some features for summer, I'm sure a lot of other smaller resorts could do the same and I'm just wondering if there is a specific reason as to why there are no hills around with dry slopes in cause I want to ski and I am sad about not skiing

They're super expensive and they don't make much money. I think liberty's was pretty much a donation for the most part and money generated keeps it running but I don't think that place turns much of a profit even if any.

You know how at the end of the season there are mountains with several trails in great shape no bare spots but they still close? It's not because the skiing isn't good, just that the last few weeks of the season the traffic drops off massively. People don't have snow in their yards and they stop caring about skiing and start getting ready for summer sports. The only people at the hill are the pass holders for the most part. Mountains make money off the families who go there, buy 4 multi day lift tickets, buy food in the lodge, rentals, lessons etc.

Even a small dedicated park dry slope is tough. You really have to be in the right place and have the right budget. A couple of places are trying though. Ski ward just got one going. I think the big plus there is they have an air bag with a dendex or whatever in run so you can rock out a jump. Even then people find things to bitch about.

There was one in buffalo that went under. Mountains are trying to make things sick for their customers but at the end of the day it's a business and it needs to be run like that. You don't want to bankrupt your mountain trying to please a small % of people who might not even come out and use it.


Words and things and stuff/

speedinOk, are we talking about a summer set up with a few rails? Or are we talking about actual skiing? Big difference. I would love to see the books on Liberty. I am sure that they are recouping their investment, if it didn't work on paper, I highly doubt a school would dump that much money into something like that.

Both.

Those "money maker" people I was talking about don't ski on snowflex...they don't even ski in the spring for the most part. If there's no snow in their yard they assume they can't ski.

BWalmerThose "money maker" people I was talking about don't ski on snowflex...they don't even ski in the spring for the most part. If there's no snow in their yard they assume they can't ski.

Exactly/ Once the snow melts from their yard in the spring they move on to other sport. In the summer they don't even care about skiing.

louie.miragsLot's of mountains have summer activities such as golf, mountain biking, music festivals, craft beer festivals, etc... Those make more money than a summer slope for sure.

Great point, here in Barrie, Ontario there are lots of small hills and a couple big ones, they all have stuff going on and are still making money, just seema like a bit of cash could be made with a dry slope, but I guess they are pretty expensive and no one would really use it

FirmWormGreat point, here in Barrie, Ontario there are lots of small hills and a couple big ones, they all have stuff going on and are still making money, just seema like a bit of cash could be made with a dry slope, but I guess they are pretty expensive and no one would really use it

It's more about risk analysis. You have other mtn bike programs, disc golf, small music festivals, adventure courses etc to look at when thinking about your mountain. Dry slope kind of send it into the risky area where it's unproven. In 07 or 08 I went on a road trip(probably the craziest I've ever been on) to whaleback nh to ride there little setup. That said I don't think they're getting rich from that.

For the most part the summer is about staying afloat and the winter is about making money. Most places aren't banking on their summer activities but it's just a little bit here and there to keep them going till the snow falls. Things that require little investment have much less risk. A ballin dryslope could work depending on the location, and a ton of other factors, but it's a big risk.

Ski areas have been going under almost every season. It's just a risk most places won't/can't take.