Enoki mushroom JFDRYSKI mat

The role of dry slope in skiing

1. Simulation:

People desire a dry ski mat, hoping it can perfectly imitate real snow, slide like it, and look like it. In fact, this requirement is unrealistic. First of all, as the name implies, the dry slope is physically solid, and the lubrication of the solid surface is not the same as that of liquids. For a solid to flow and produce a sliding feeling, it is the best state to become a liquid among the three states of matter. If a rock slides, it can only turn it into magma. Look at the volcanic eruptions in Iceland in the past two days. The lava flowed across the roads and fields.

Ice(snow), water, and water vapor are the three states of "water". The best lubrication effect is still liquid, but any form has significant advantages compared to other substances. Therefore, any effort to improve the plastic surface's lubrication to that of "water" is just an unfulfilled wish.

Enoki mushroom JFDRYSKI mat

MR. JF

The importance of consensus

Large refrigerators are not the only future for dry slopes, nor are they the reason why there are fewer of them. Its power, water, and high operating costs have been controversial. The dry slope experience needs to be optimized. The mushroom ski mats are not luxury materials. We must change our mindset to give the dry ski industry a bright future.

NEEDLE MUSHROOM MAT

original address

original address

large refrigerator

large refrigerator

My understanding of dry slope (Mr. JF)


The Dry slope cannot be positioned as an alpine ski resort. It is more like a teaching tool and training venue. Its significance lies in non-seasonal ski expansion and community-side teaching sports venues. No master will indulge in dry skiing all year round. This should never be compared to real snow, especially the experience, or even a snow dome.

According to my experience, the dry slope is very attractive to three major groups. The teams are huge and emerge endlessly.


First, the new generation of beginners

This is an endless stream of groups. Children are born every year with no knowledge of skiing. When they reach a certain age, their parents look for opportunities for coaches or parents to teach them skiing themselves. This demand has always existed.


Second, professional skiers or clubs need a platform to train and teach members. Whether in winter or all seasons, a dry slope is the best tool to meet this need. Nowadays, many government-led dry slopes in the UK are collectively rented by these groups and operated with difficulty (unfortunately, they do not have the conditions to research dry ski materials and dry slope equipment).


Third, professional ski teams train against the season. Now, more dry slopes, especially in the East, have begun to transform toward functionality, specialization, and miniaturization. They are not just a single mass skiing but even focus on a certain type of skiing. for example, bag jump, snowboard park, indoor gym style, etc.


We cannot sleep in history. Today's dry ski materials have made great progress and are very close to real snow, both in technology and practical use. It’s not that we don’t have good materials; our concepts need to change.

Design ideas of dry slopes

The dry ski resort is a tool platform. If there are no objections, there will be something to do next. This will break the traditional design ideas, and the result will be a completely different scene. Three roles appear on this platform: ① the operator responsible for the platform hardware; ② the organization or individual involved in teaching; ③ the beginner.


First, we cannot simply outline an administrative area on a floor plan, where the primary and intermediate regions are, or mark it with different colors like an absolute snow resort instead of paying targeted attention to the crowd.


Secondly, different areas and dry slopes have special requirements for those who use them. Skiers who cannot brake or control speed are prohibited from using all slopes freely. What kind of slope and width are suitable for snowboarding side slipping exercises? The designer (the person responsible for the platform) needs to consider the planning of the snow field from these perspectives.


Third, with the above two points, we have purposefully configured relevant equipment and methods to target these particular groups, making it a platform with unique functions and needs for teaching. For example:

  • A ride-and-slide device specializing in producing beginners who can brake (to eliminate torpedoes).
  • An anti-collision hanging wall for the end of a dry slope buffer zone (no severe consequences for beginners if they make a mistake).
  • A beginner slope specially used for snowboarding side slipping (particular slope for snowboarding teaching).
  • A straw-like floor-to-ceiling Airbag jump, multi-level Airbag jump facilities (ladders from land to air), and so on.


The above ideas effectively reflect the characteristics of dry ski resorts as a platform. Meet the needs of novices, instructors, and athletes one by one. However, the current traditional dry ski resorts need to reflect their professionalism. All efforts rely on skiers and coaches, and no mistakes are allowed. That is difficult to do, so too many incredible and unacceptable encounters will occur.

Riding-ski-tool (an essential configuration of the dry slope platform)

I saw a piece of news on Wikipedia. There is a dry ski resort. A child died because he could not brake and ran out of the buffer zone at high speed. This kind of attack is the most taboo in dry ski resorts. The final result is that the dry ski resort is permanently closed.


Imagine being a one-on-one coach with his back to the hillside, assisting beginners in sliding down the hillside and teaching them how to brake. I evaluate first this as the overuse of materials and a waste of resources. Second, the efficiency is too low. It is conceivable to deal with a busload of students instead of individuals. In addition, if you are starting from scratch, if the car is moving and you don’t know where the brake pad is, you will naturally feel panicked. Many people have just started to ski and give up skiing for life after falling a few times, whether on real snow or a dry slope. This is the meaning of riding-ski. Only when every beginner is aware of braking and controlling the speed can accidents in dry ski resorts be minimized and a higher conversion rate be achieved. In the dry ski resort I run, there has not been a fatal accident in the past ten years. The riding-ski tool is so practical that Dry ski resort owners have become strongly dependent on it.


Different from the positioning of real snow resorts, when a large number of uncontrollable beginners appear in dry ski resorts, once a major accident occurs, the impact on dry ski resorts will be vast and fatal.

JF Dryski Four Seasons Ski Resort

Xindu JF Dryski Four Seasons Ski Resort is located in Xindu Jianfeng Sports Park in Chengdu. The dry ski resort was built in early 2017. It is the largest dry ski resort in Southwest China, invested in and built by JF Dryski. The foundation of the ski resort is built with durable galvanized wheel-buckle scaffolding. The ski resort rises from the ground and is structured into a pyramid shape. The dry snow material in the ski resort adopts the world’s most advanced Enoki mushroom dry ski mats (fourth generation) and is equipped with the safest special protective equipment. The construction area of ​​the ski resort is about 20,000 square meters, and the snow track area is about 13,000 square meters. The highest point is 27 meters above the ground, and the longest snow track is 178 meters.


My Life in the UK (Part 1)

My Life in the UK (Part 1)

How should I repay the country that sparked my fascination with dry skiing materials?

I arrived in Bournemouth in July 1989, and after a few months, I moved to London. My passion for skiing developed in the UK, and my first encounter with dry skiing was at a facility in the southern suburbs of London, where they used a triangular-shaped comb-like dry ski material called Diamond Mat. The straw on this dry ski surface was thick and hard, making it quite painful when it came into contact with the body during falls. It was easy to get injured, to the extent that during the first three lessons of the six-course series, the coach spent a lot of time teaching students how to fall and how to protect themselves. Every student was required to develop the instinctive habit of curling up and crossing their hands over their chest when falling. During the learning process, I had a very unpleasant experience with dry ski materials. Skiing didn't feel like an enjoyable activity until I later skied on real snow.


The dry ski mat in the photo is the earliest version in the UK, representing the first generation of dry skiing in the country. Due to its tendency to break easily, especially causing intense pain when skiers made contact with the surface after a fall, it had very poor safety. Shortly after, I discovered a new variety of dry ski mats, which had changed from a comb-like design to a brush-like one. I considered it a significant improvement at the time, as the pain after falling was reduced, and the appearance was much more appealing. I believe this must be the new generation of dry ski mats in the UK.

My Life in the UK (Part 2)

My Life in the UK (Part 2)

I can't bear to see the slopes disappear one by one for various reasons.

I visited the most influential dry ski slope in the UK in 2011, but it was completely abandoned the following year due to a fire. The design of this ski slope was meticulous, and I won't go into details. I skied on the professional slope and the adjacent Z-shaped slope a few times and felt it was quite good. It was as if I could still smell the scent left by skilled skiers in the UK. There were very few people that day, and although the equipment was old, I could still ski. The dry ski slopes had two types of dry ski surfaces, Dendix and Snowflex. I also noticed many safety hazards in various places (according to my requests). I always believed that dry ski slopes in the UK are too geared towards experienced skiers, similar to drivers with licenses who find complex road conditions not a problem. However, for a novice driver, it's a different story. The original intention of dry ski slopes should be for teaching, targeting beginners with zero experience. There are many uncontrollable factors, placing higher demands on the safety of the equipment compared to real snow slopes. The story of Sheffield Ski Village can be found on Wikipedia, and it is said to have received larger investments and has grand plans for the future.


During the 1970s, when I lived in the UK, there were over 260 dry ski slopes. However, nowadays, it's challenging to find even 60 of them. What forces could rejuvenate dry skiing in the UK and make UK dry ski great again.