April 14, 2021

Ski at Home UK

Ski at Home. Protect UK Slopes. Save the Scene.

The unimaginable just happened in the UK… a whole winter without skiing!  

This month, up and down the country, sprinklers and Poma lifts will fire-up once again as the UK’s artificial and real snow slopes finally reopen. We’re itching to go skiing and you should be too!  

Planks is on a mission to get British skiers back on the bristles. We’ve compiled a list of the UK’s best slopes and freestyle sessions and shared some of our on-slope highlights. From sculpted Snowflex perfection to that real snow feeling, there’s something for everyone in good ol’ Blighty. 

It’s time to make up for missed turns; buy a lift ticket, drag a buddy (or two) to a park session and support the UK’s treasured ski facilities.

Here’s our round-up: 

🌱 = Dryslope    ❄️ = Indoor Snow

🌱 Warmwell Snowsports Centre (Dorset) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿    

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

One of the UK's best kept secrets. Hidden in the depths of Dorset, on the grounds of a holiday park, the Dorest Snowsports Centre has one of the best Snowflex kickers and quarter pipes in the UK and a cracking little scene.

Arguably the best Snowflex kicker in England. There's always a friendly greeting from the staff and locals.

29th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday - 6:30pm - 10pm. Open practice at other times too.

£20 per session.

● Permanent kicker

● Permanent quarterpipe

● Permanent tabletop jump

● Bibby stalls at the top

● The famous flat down rail

● Yellow gas pipe

● Flat slide box

● Small portable wedges

● Small C-rail

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🌱 Snowtrax (Dorset) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

Resurfaced with Proslope in 2011, with a slope that extends onto the roof of the facility, Snowtrax is one of a kind. Well run events, a stocked shop and a slope setup with a mix of permanent features and drag-on rails are the reason Snowtrax has a good scene.

Snowtrax is the only slope in the UK covered with Proslope, a revolutionary new surface that combines the ski-abilty of Dendix with the fall-friendliness of Snowflex... and it's fast!

29th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

Friday & Saturday - 7:30pm - 9:30pm.

£15.95 (adults) / £13.95 (U16) per session.

Their park set ups are designed to cater for all abilities. With a fixed hip/table top at bottom of slope, then completely movable ramps, boxes and (shotgun/rainbow/C) rails. They can drag out whatever they like for each session.

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🌱 Calshot (Hampshire) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

An indoor Snowflex slope with a selection of jumps and rail features.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

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🌱 Chatham Snowsports Centre (Kent) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

A fully Dendix slope that provides a selection of rails and jumps on their weekly freestyle sessions 7.00pm – 9.00pm.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

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❄️ The Snow Centre (Hemel Hempstead) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

Due to its proximity to the nation's capital, Hemel's freestyle nights are packed. Arrive early to hit the features before they're reduced to lumps of sugary snow by the hundreds of skiers that make the weekly pilgrimage.

Freestyle nights are vibing! Two button lifts keep the queues to a minimum. The park set-up can be a little hit and miss, but it's real snow!

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

Thursday 5.30pm – 9.30pm.

£34 (juniors) / £39 (adults) per 2hr session.

The park set-up varies from week to week.

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🌱 Gloucester Ski & Snowboard Centre (Gloucestershire) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

A small Snowflex freestyle section with a permanent box, tabletop jump and quarterpipe.

28th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

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❄️ SnoZone (Milton Keynes) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

Consistent weekly park set-ups and big rail features.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

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🌱 Llangrannog Ski Centre (Llandysul) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

The only dry-slope in Wales with a permanent freestyle slope, featuring a small Playgrass jump.

TBC - CLOSED

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🌱 Norfolk Snowsports (Norfolk) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

The flattest county in England has a dry-slope... and it's banging. A permanent Snowflex kicker and quarter pipe mean there's always something good to ski. The slope's layout allows for some interesting lines too. Enjoy the sunny Norfolk weather!

Permanent Snowflex freestyle slope with a cheeky hipped transfer out of the quarter. Snowflex moguls... if you're into that kind of thing.

29th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

Thursday 8pm - 9.30pm & Saturday 6.30pm - 8pm.

Must have a current annual membership + £12 per session.

The kicker and quarter are the stars of the show. On freestyle nights the permanent features are supplemented with rails and boxes.

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❄️ SnowDome (Tamworth) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

The UK's original indoor real snow slope. It might be the oldest indoor slope, but it's still the most progressive. Our experience of "Tamland" is buzzing events, a consistently good park setup and one of the healthiest freeski scenes in the UK.

It's all about the fast laps at Tamworth! Its regularly changing, and well prepared, park setups are always fun to ski. Don't miss the permanent, Snowflex quarter pipe.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

Tuesday 7pm - 11pm.

£39 per 3hr session.

Varied and progressive – something for everyone.

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🌱 Stoke Ski Centre (Stoke-on-Trent) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

A bastion of freeskiing in the midlands, Stoke-on-Trent has a strong scene and runs a great freestyle night. Its Dendix take-offs and Playgrass landings offer a good combination of fast takeoffs and forgiving landings. It's possible that Stoke has the largest selection of rails in the UK.

A huge variety of rails. A new Playgrass quarter pipe and big Dendix kicker with a Playgrass landing.

29th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

Friday 7pm - 9pm.

£16 per session.

● Permanent kicker

● Permanent quarter pipe

● Multiple rails and boxes

● Permanent waves & moguls

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🌱 Kidsgrove (Stoke-on-Trent) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

Although it's changed a lot in the last 30 years, club-run Kidsgrove is where a young Jim Adlington (Plank's founder) made his first skiing turns. A few years ago the old Dendix was ripped up and replaced with Playgrass. It can get a little sticky when it's dry, so be selective.

The club vibes are strong at Kidsgrove. It has a freestyle slope with permanent kicker and rail installations.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

Monday to Thursday 7pm - 9pm, Saturday 2pm - 5pm and Sunday 1pm - 5pm.

£10 (juniors) / £15 (adults) per session.

Dedicated freestyle slope with a mix of rails, boxes and jumps which can be used by anyone meeting the basic requirements and wearing a helmet. No helmet hire.

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❄️ Chill Factore (Manchester) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

The longest indoor snow slope in the UK and the closest slope to Manchester's city centre. Even though the freestyle set-ups are sometimes limited, there is a strong scene of keen shredders.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

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🌱 Ski Rossendale (Lancashire) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

A small Snowflex slope with a permanent kicker and rail feature.

28th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

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🌱 Halifax (West Yorkshire) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

Halifax has become a breeding ground to some of the country's best skiers. Dropping into the kicker for the first time is a little hair-raising, but you sure can boost! The legendary Pennines precipitation keeps the slope nice and fast.

Halifax was one of the UK's first Snowflex slopes. Its permanent kicker is a national treasure!

31st March 2021 - NOW OPEN

Monday to Thursday 7pm - 9pm, Saturday 2pm - 5pm and Sunday 1pm - 5pm.

£10 (juniors) / £15 (adults) per session.

● 3 drop-ins

● Permanent small kicker

● Permanent big kicker

● Permanent 1/4 pipe

● Permanent tabletop

● Various moveable boxes and rails

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❄️ SnoZone (Yorkshire) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

Consistent weekly park set-ups and good vibes.

12th April 2021 - NOW OPEN

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🌱 Kendal (Cumbria) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

Hidden away behind a housing estate in Kendal, Cumbria, this unusually green Snowflex slope is small, but fast and fun. It features a berm/quarterpipe, with two small wedge jumps.

28th March 2021 - NOW OPEN

1st May 2021 - CLOSED

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🌱 Midlothian Snowsports Centre (Edinburgh) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

This dry-slope is so HUGE it's a ski resort in its own right. The permanent freestyle slope has been out of action for a few years now... but it's back with a bang. They've recently installed a new Snowflex freestyle slope and it's rad!

28th April 2021 - CLOSED

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❄️ SnowFactor (Glasgow) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

The only indoor snow slope in Scotland, featuring super creative set-ups.

TBC - CLOSED

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🌱 Glasgow Ski & Snowboard Centre (Glasgow) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

A permanent Snowflex freestyle slope, featuring a small jump and tabletop, a quarterpipe, then a selection of rails and boxes.

26th April 2021 - NOW CLOSED

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🌱 Bearsden (Glasgow) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Highlights
  • Opening Date
  • Freestyle Sessions
  • Set-up

There's a reason that Scotland is home to a number of the UK's most talented kicker shredders. Scotland's weather combines with Bearsden's well-shaped transitions and Snowflex surface to create the ultimate airtime training spot.

Small but perfectly formed. A perfect jump with a well-matched in-run and a nice steep landing leads into a big quarter with a transition that holds speed. What more do you want?

26th April 2021 - NOW CLOSED

Monday to Friday 09.30 – 16.00.

£15 (juniors & students) / £20 (adults) per 2hr session.

● Big jump drop-in

● Permanent tabletop

● Permanent big kicker

● Permanent quarterpipe

● Various moveable boxes and rails

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🌱 Aberdeen Snowsports Centre 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • Planks Summary
  • Opening Date

The home of freeski legend Kirsty Muir. This is a great Snowflex slope in the heart of Aberdeen, with a permanent jump and quarterpipe, alongside a good selection of box and rail features.

26th April 2021 - NOW CLOSED

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Written by Row Emery

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