The Innova-ski© articifial ski slope concept

Introduction

Since long time now people have been looking for practise snow sports near their homes, all year long. Solution was to create artificial ski slope.


To create artificial ski slopes, first solutions were made of extruded plastic tiles, but quickly the injection moulded tiles were used, which present more grip and turning capabilities than the old ones. Nowaday, many dry snow sports slopes use plastic surfacing. Nevertheless, these kind of solutions do not offer realistic sensations as offered by real snow.


Afterwards, others technologies were developed, like brushed surfacing, but present several significant problems too, beginning by a significant safety issue for users.


Based on this two main issues "how to increase grip keeping a high level of safety for users", so in other words how to combine qualities of both brushed and plastic materials, Innova-ski has researched for a new surfacing solution keeping the main advantages of both materials and increasing the maintainability significantly.


In just few words, this solution allows to reduce insurance costs due to higher risks with brushed materials and reduce times and cost for maintenance... How?

Innovations

The main advantages of this new patented surface are :

  • It is safe because base and filaments are made of plastic (no metal on the surface)
  • Flexible (there are different versions of the base)
  • Ease of installation (pieces are fixed together with separate clips)
  • Separate clips made of plastic (no staples or metal wire on the surface, to keep high level of safety and increase maintainability)
  • Easy maintenance (just replace the damaged piece without removing any other piece)
  • Improved skiing characteristics- better edge control
  • Due to homogenous filling, les shocks on the knees
  • Dimension of one piece (600x900mm, 6,5Kg/piece) is easy to manipulate
  • Different colours available (default white).
Example of default version
Default version of the surfacing product Default version of the surfacing product
Different versions, joined together with clips®
version details

Put safety forward

Tests have been done to increase the safety: catching fingers in the holes, falling on to the surface, etc.


It appears that the product is as safe as snow (you can not catch fingers in to the mat more than on snow and it is not harder than falling over them than falling on a natural ski slope). Tests have showed that it is even softer falling on this surfacing material than on natural snow sports slopes with icy patches especially in the morning when the slopes are freezed.

  • Due to the high density of the filaments, shocks are absorbed when falling over
  • Filaments give enough resistance to support skies but are not strong (stiff) enough to catch fingers or thumbs (the filaments will bend and hands or fingers will slide over or through the filaments)
  • The holes in the base of the mat for drainage are too small to catch hands and fingers
  • No metal (staples, metal wire or brush strips) so that this kind of injuries due to this are no longer happens
  • Base and filaments both made of plastic
  • The filaments are trimmed, due to this they are less abrasive
  • The voids between each mat are very small (5mm), this is to small to catch hands and fingers
  • Speed control is really easy.
No metal use, filaments tested when falling over
No metal used

Please note that the wear of long trousers, long sleeved top, gloves and helmets are always recommended, as on natural snow sports slopes.

Made in Belgium

Research and product is made in Belgium.