Companies
These companies have worked on indoor snow centre projects around the world.
Please scroll down for the different categories – click on company name to reach their website.
- Architects
- Indoor Snow Centre Designers
- Lift Manufacturers and Suppliers
- Refrigeration Systems
- Ski Holidays
- Slope Maintenance
- Snowmaking Systems
Architects
Faulkner Browns have been involved in the creation of indoor snow centres since the early years, establishing a division dedicated to their design in 1994. Over the past three decades the company has worked on the design of most indoor snow centres in the UK including the 2007 Chill Factore and most recently the (yet to be built) Snoasis in Swindon.
Indoor Snow Centre Designers
“Unlimited Snow provides the best solutions for all imaginable snow & ice leisure experiences with its creations and is known for its innovative and original concepts. Its snow-how is based on the experiences gained from many existing projects and continuous research and development.”
Lift Manufacturers and Suppliers
(Indoor lift operation is typically more intensive than outdoor with lifts running year-round, for long hours each day in sub-zero temperatures – so reliable operation is vital).
The world’s leading lift manufacturer has supplied many lifts for indoor snow centres over the past three decades including the first indoor chairlifts.
Sunkid have installed conveyor lifts at dozens of indoor snow centres around the world, including the twin conveyor lift, each 150 metres long, at the world’s largest indoor snow centre in Harbin, China. Installed in 2018 this was the first to also feature a motorised handrail.
Refrigeration Systems
The CTC Group have worked for many decades on refrigerated buildings and have been involved in indoor snow centres for many years. The company is headquartered in Canada but has a long-established base in China. Although a specialist in ice and refrigeration it can manage entire indoor snow centre projects from concept and design through to construction.
Ski Holidays
For travel to ski resorts once skills have been mastered indoors, SNO is one of the leading travel agents offering holidays to a wide range of ski resorts for all types of skier and boarder.
Slope Maintenance
Getting the large tractors in to indoor snow centres can sometimes be quite an operation – a large crane was required to load one in to Big Snow in the USA when it opened in late 2019. Indoor slope groomers also need to have low or no emissions to avoid polluting the indoor air.
Prinoth Husyk E-Motion
In 2022, Prinoth launched the world’s first electric snow groomer. The emission-free Husyk E-Motion is now on use on ski slopesa round the word and is even more powerful than the diesel model. The electric motor delivers 245 hp and an instant torque of 1,000 Nm. With a runtime of up to three hours, most cross-country trails and smaller slopes are groomed before the 208 kWh battery needs to be recharged, also making it a great choice for indoor snow centres.
Kässbohrer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of slope grooming tractors with a range known as Pisten Bully. This includes the all-electric zero-emission Pisten Bully 100 E. The first Pisten Bully to be used in a skiing hall was a PistenBully 130 with a special particulate filter system. Current models are available with engines in accordance with the Euro 5 exhaust gas standard and are extremely low-pollution
Snowmaking Systems
Snowmaking indoors is very different to snowmaking outdoors – among the many difference are the high humidity. A number of companies are specialists in this type of snowmaking.
TechnoAlpin have grown in to one of the world’s leading snowmaking companies at conventional ski areas and is now a world leader for indoor snow too. Their indoor snow division not only supplies snow for indoor ski and snow-entertainment centres but also for any other purpose including retail, industrial testing and even snow rooms for spas in luxury hotels.
One of the pioneers of indoor snow centres and active in the indoor snow industry for four decades. Australia-based and currently specialising in all-weather snowmaking systems.
US-based but operating worldwide SnowMagic, Inc. have been producing temperature independent snow since 1993, delivering what they have trademarked “Wintertainment” to all sorts of locations regardless of climate or time of year.
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