Snowflex® Slope announced for USA.

First Snowflex™ slope in the USA to be constructed at

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia

Briton Engineering Developments are pleased to announce the first major Snowflex® slope to be built in the USA. The slope will be built at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Liberty University’s 5,800-acre mountain will receive a monumental makeover in the coming months with the construction of the year-round ski slope to be named the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre.  Upon completion, the artificial snowsports slope will be the first in the U.S. surfaced with the award winning Snowflex® surface system. Liberty University and Briton will be working with the Discovery Channel to document this historic event which will broadcast several phases of the construction on a future episode of Daily Planet.

The view from Liberty’s 5,800 acre mountain

The idea of building a snow-free ski slope on Liberty Mountain began three years ago when the university investigated several ways it could use its mountain property to meet Liberty’s academic, financial and recruiting goals. In addition to giving students more recreational opportunities near campus, the slope will help establish skiing and snowboarding as LU club sports.

“When the LaHaye family donated the ice rink and student recreation centre at LU, Mrs. Beverly LaHaye stated that her goal was to give prospective students as many reasons as possible to choose LU over secular institutions,” stated Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.  “This state of the art ski slope has the same purpose and one hundred percent of the cost of the ski slope project is being funded by a charitable donation to the University”.  

Chancellor Falwell added: “Liberty University is also attempting to reconnect with its alumni. Our plan is to bring former students and their families back to Lynchburg for weekend visits so they can become reacquainted with the university. The Snowflex® ski slope will provide a unique form of entertainment for these families and help us attract more of them to Liberty for weekend visits.”    The slope will also be open to the public but students will be given first priority.

The snowsports area will consist of a main ski slope and a beginner’s slope totalling 3766m2 (about 40,537 sq ft). In addition to ski and snowboard instruction, the beginners slope will also be designed to accommodate tubing. Features on the main slope will include a big kicker, a tabletop, a 4m high quarter pipe and two grind rails. A ski lodge will also be installed, permitting parties and other special events. Construction is due to begin early September 2008 with an anticipated grand opening around the start of the New Year, 2009.

Scenes like this will soon be commonplace on Liberty Mountain

Terry Di Stasi, Briton’s Director of Business Development, added that Briton was delighted to be part of such impressive development and the slope would undoubtedly add to Liberty’s appeal to future students. Di Stasi added that this first project would be seen as a prominent showroom for Snowflex® throughout the USA.