Skiing enthusiasts in Bristol looking to hone their technique in between seasons are now able to visit new indoor facility an hour from the city. South Wilts Ski Club opens today (October 17) in the hamlet of Bapton, near the junction of the A36 and the A303, between Warminster and Salisbury. It is the first of its kind in the county.
The club is the brainchild of the millionaire founder of Moonpig, Nick Jenkins. The former Dragons’ Den star, who is a keen skier himself, was inspired to build the club in a former tractor barn to help his seven-year-old daughter improve in between ski holidays.
“I tried the Skieasy infinity slope in London myself and loved it, but it was always too busy to book and it was a 90 minute drive,” he said. “I wondered if I could bring the concept to Wiltshire.”
The project, which cost £300,000, took a year to secure planning permission and get set up.
Inside the club Mr Jenkins has installed a Dutch-made MaxxTracks slope of which there are only four in the UK. It can be adjusted from 13 to 22 degrees, with speeds ranging from 0 to 30 kilometres an hour (18.6mph).
“The surface is like a very well-groomed piste,” he explained. “It doesn’t compare with a dry ski slope. It looks like an inch-and-a-half of shag pile carpet, but slippery.”
According to the entrepreneur, one hour non-stop at full speed on the slope is the equivalent of skiing from the top of Everest to sea level. “At full tilt it is quite challenging. It is like doing a slalom so it’s quite a workout,” he said.
Only two people are allowed on the slope at a time, although groups of up to eight can book in one go. The club also has an on-site chalet-style clubhouse with free tea, coffee and biscuits.
Each booking is made on an exclusive basis with visitors receiving one-on-one coaching from in-house instructor Craig Philpott. Sessions are filmed – so skiers can fine-tune their technique – and ski boots, helmets and skis are provided free of charge. Visitors can bring their own equipment if they prefer – except for skis because of the risk of transferring wax onto the slope.
The venue does not yet offer snowboarding, although Mr Jenkins has not ruled it out for the future. “When we are confident we can offer that, we will,” he added.
South Wilts Ski Club opens today (October 17) offering sessions starting from 30-minutes. Sessions run from midday to 8pm on Wednesday; 11am to 6pm on Thursday and Friday; and 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
It costs from £30 per person for 30 minutes in peak time and £18 per 30 minutes off-peak (when booking a block of six sessions).