Vaughan (ON), Canada – Toronto skiers and riders worrying about losing the first third of the ski season this winter can breathe a sigh of relief, now that year-round freeride skiing and snowboarding will soon be available in the metro area.
Now that all of the necessary financing has been secured, Axis Freestyle Academy will open Canada’s first all-year indoor dry slope this spring alongside Hwy. 400 at Bass Pro Mills Dr. in Vaughan. The 20,000-square foot facility will be equipped with custom high performance trampolines, a variety of jumps and rails, foam pits, a gym and yoga studio. The facility will be designed with all athlete levels in mind, from the beginner riders who have the ambition to ride in the terrain park to advanced riders training for competition.
Coaches will also offer ski and snowboard lessons, and jam competitions will be hosted at the new facility.
Brits, and even Liberty University students in Virginia are already well familiar with dry slope technology. It’s been used in Europe for over 50 years. It’s a plastic surface, somewhat like Astroturf, that allows skis and snowboards to glide and carve much like they do on real snow. Contrary to its name, dry slope materials are often misted with water to enhance their glide. Axis Freestyle Academy’s new facility in Ontario will be dry slope’s first foray into Canada, allowing snowboarders and freeriders in the Greater Toronto Area to perfect their hits throughout the off-season.
And expect the set-up to be changed often.
“Many people assume dryslope’s permanent features as stunting creativity, but nothing could be further from the truth,” Axis Freestyle Academy says. “Our facility will have a wide array of features that can be arranged in an endless amount of combinations, keepin’ it fresh to challenge all riders at any level.”