University of Virginia Library

Transcending Nature On A Pair Of Skis

By JESSICA SMITH

In our ever increasing age of
synthetic technology one more
recreational sport which
formerly depended on nature
to determine its season has
been commercialized into a
year-round enterprise.

With the use of poly-snow,
snow skiing may be enjoyed at
Charlottesville's Ski Land from
September through May
regardless of the weather.

Ski Land offers many
advantages for novices in the
art of skiing. For instance,
poly-snow virtually eliminates
the ever present threat of a
broken ankle, arm or leg.

According to Ski Area
Manager Jim Hanzlick, "In real
snow most of your breaks are
caused by your ski getting
caught in the snow after you
fall. On this you cannot get it
hooked into anything. So you
are practically accident free" –
a definite asset for beginners.

But poly-snow does not
convert a 600 foot slope into a
practice run for beginners only.
Mr. Hanzlick explained, "What
this thing is ideal for is one
learning to ski and for an
experienced skier to come up
and take a couple of runs just
to stay in practice."

Intermediate and advanced
skiers will not find Ski Land
challenging on a regular basis,
but for practice and improving
skiing techniques, it is
adequate.

Ski Land will provide a
convenient afternoon of skiing
for a reasonable price. The
glamour and excitement of a
snowy mountain ski resort is
sacrificed for a convenient
location and seasonal
availability. The entire Ski Land
complex occupies five acres.

The ski lodge as of now is
only a frame, but Mr. Henzlick
hopes vending machines and
benches for changing shoes will
be available for the opening.

When complete the lodge
promises to be the most
conventionally recognizable
gesture of this ski enterprise.
Not only will it include rooms
for ski rental and a snackbar,
but a large fireplace will
enhance the ski lodge
atmosphere during the winter
season at Ski Land.

Poly-snow "was originally
developed two years ago, but
nobody used it commercially
until this year."

Other than Charlottesville's
Ski Land, the only other
commercial ski area of this
type is in North Carolina.
Because of its limited use its
popularity is uncertain.
However, it has the potential
to expand skiing to a
nationally popular sport as
widely participated in as golf
and tennis.

Skiers will not have to wait
for months or travel hundreds
of miles for a couple of days of
good skiing; rather, skiing can
be enjoyed while on vacation
in Florida.

Mr. Henzlick explained,
"Poly-snow is made by
Monnto. It is an astroturf.
The product itself is changed a
little bit. The astroturf is a
much tighter matrix. This is
softer matrix. After we carpet
the entire slope with this
material, we fill it with little
pellets that are about .32 of an
inch in diameter. So what this
does is simulate corn snow. It
is colorless, odorless, and
tasteless."

Underneath the astroturf
carpets is a layer of sand six
inches thick which Mr.
Henzlick guarantees will
provide sufficient padding so
the unfortunate skiers who fall
will "bounce around and not
feel anything."

The entire surface will be
lubricated with a thin stream
of water to increase skiing
speed.

Ski Land promises to offer
"a new American method of
teaching; a combination of the

Austrian and the GLM
method... We will start
everybody on a 5 ft. ski but
progression will go quickly into
parallel skiing, without using
shorter skis. This makes it
easier if you are coming out for
just one time. What you learn
you can keep... It is more
mobile. Because I see more day
skiers here than week people."

Ski Land plans to expand
during the summer to include
two additional ski runs of 1000
feet and 700 feet if the
demand warrants the
investment. A ski jump is
under consideration if the
development continues to
expand.

Fashionably, skiers sport
various colors and styles of
down-lined ski jackets and
thick ski gloves. But all of this
may be changed with the
extension of the ski session to
12 months. Mr. Hanzlick
commented, "The only
restriction we will have is that
you will have to wear a shirt."