Industry News
The Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre, where the famous Olympic ski jumper “Eddie the Eagle” learned to ski, is now up for sale. Located in the Gloucester suburb of Matson, England, the owners have listed this 853-foot (260-meter) dry slope for $850,000 (£625,000).
The Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre first opened its slope in 1973. Its first surface was a plastic material called ‘ski mat’. The slope’s surface was later converted to Dendix, a plastic bristle material commonly used for dry slopes.
Today, the Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre has all the features of modern dry slopes. Flood lighting for night skiing, a sprinkler system for surface lubrication, and a lodge with a bar and shop have made Gloucester popular amongst skiers in the United Kingdom.
Now, the Centre turns its focus to finding its new owner. In an interview with BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Manager Cameron Singer said the current owner is selling the slope to focus on his other business venture.
“We’re hoping that we just move onto the new owners [and that] there will be no closure,” Singer told the BBC.
The ski slope is just a short drive from Cheltenham, where Michael David Edwards was born. Later nicknamed “Eddie the Eagle”, Edwards learned to ski on this dry slope and had hopes of becoming an Olympic ski racer, however, failed to qualify. He would go on to become the first ski jumper to represent Great Britain in the Olympics after competing in Calgary in 1988. Despite finishing in last place in his two events, Edwards won global fame with his iconic thick glasses and inspiring underdog story. Edwards’ journey reached an even wider audience through the 2016 film Eddie the Eagle, with popular actors Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton bringing Edwards’ rise to fame to the big screen.
Despite Edwards’ global celebrity status, he still remembers his beginnings at the Gloucester slope. “My Olympic journey started at Gloucester ski centre, so let’s hope it starts someone’s journey too,” Edwards commented on an Instagram post about the sale.
