By: Mike Mustiglione
Enjoy skiing? Head to the mall.
Big Snow has officially debuted. The 180,000-square-foot area, which features four rideable acres located within East Rutherford’s massive new American Dream mall, is reportedly the first indoor ski and snowboard area in North America.
Dress warm: the ambient temperature is kept at a brisk 28 degrees year round.
As its mall’s web site boasts, “Welcome to Big SNOW American Dream, North America’s first and only indoor, year-round, real-snow ski and snowboard resort. Big because it’s a big place and it’s big fun for everyone. I mean how can anyone not have fun at a place that is Winter, all year round? And SNOW because, well, we have lots of it. Even when there’s none outside. Enough snow for you to slide down forwards, sideways or backwards, skiing or snowboarding all day long. And when you factor in that every day here is picture perfect with freshly groomed snow, which makes it the best place to learn to ski or snowboard, in an indoor, temperature-controlled mountain, well … you’ve got yourself a recipe for awesome my friend. Big Snow. Two perfect words that equal one heck of a good time. Big Snow. Every day is a snow day.
“While the steel-trussed backdrop and still-unfinished faux-lodge facade fail to live up to the LED-powered hype of its winter fantasy-land renderings, the slope itself is ideal, said Anthony Melchiorri, a 54-year-old Travel Channel host and one of the first guests,” noted NorthJersey.com. “The slope is two escalator rides up from a parking lot. Wristband scanners are used to usher guests through the locker rooms, onto the slope and to the ski lift.”
Guest experiences at the 16 story, climate-controlled ski slope will include opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, introductory lessons, private coaching, children’s programs, snow play, corporate team building, private events and more, according to a release.
“Big SNOW American Dream, operated by New Jersey-based SNOW Operating, is the first facility of its kind within the United States and Canada. It offers a 160-foot vertical drop, a graduated degree of pitch ranging from 0% at the base to 26% at its steepest point and 1,000 feet of length for skiers of all ages and skill levels to take advantage of all serviced by 4 surface and aerial lifts. The center’s slopes will be filled with more than 5,500 tons of snow and shaped to an average snow depth of 2 feet throughout. Specially designed radiant cooling in the floor and snow melt systems will both maintain a perfect snow texture and reduce environmental impact at the center.
“We could not be more excited to be bringing Big SNOW to the public this December,” said Hugh Reynolds, vice president of marketing and sales, SNOW Operating. “Big SNOW is a game changer for skiing and snowboarding in the United States. The unprecedented access to year-round snow combined with the center’s unrivaled location and the overall appeal of American Dream will allow us to provide opportunities never before seen, and to move the needle on growing the sports in a big way. Our goal is to introduce more than a quarter million new skiers and snowboarders to the sports in the next year. It’s going to be truly amazing.”
