Industry News
The Town of Castle Rock, CO is 30 minutes from Downtown Denver, 45 minutes from Colorado Springs, and 2 hours from Breckenridge. Despite this residents are hoping to be able to ski year round in Castle Rock. A joint venture between the Town and P3 advisors is planning to build a snow sports park using Snowflex® skiing surface. Ultimately, the plan includes:
- Downhill Mountain bike course
- 15,000 – 25,000 square foot lodge
- 107,000 square foot Snowflex® skiing surface, including:
- Cornice drop off at the top of the slope
- 3 jumps: big air, medium jump and table top
- Mogul/bump field
- Intermediate areas: blue/green/red/black runs
- Bunny slope
- Tubing run
- Counter slope
- Depending on land constraints: half/quarter pipe, hip and spine, and/or rail park depending
The plan has been in the works for years and has generally been supported by residents. Artificial snowparks have gained popularity in parts of Europe, but there are currently only a few in the U.S. The city hopes to become more family friendly as well as create a year-round Winter Sports hub for the south Denver area.
“I think it’s a great compliment to the skiing that we already have here in Colorado.”– Mayor Paul Donahue
With unpredictable winters and less and less summer skiing each year, Castle Rock, CO could become an important destination for professional and amateur skiers and boarders in the Denver area. It will be interesting to see if the Popularity of “Snowparks” grows in the U.S.
