The wet British winters and summers have left us all itching for alternatives to walking in the rain.
Photo Credit: Marina
What else can we do?
Dry slope skiing has long been popular in the United Kingdom as well as further afield. Indoor ice rinks have been popping up around the country for years; but there is a whole new breed of venue on the market that simulates not only the speed of the slopes, but also the attractions of a sun kissed beach.
A new totally new concept is that of turning these venues into a group event. Specialist companies can organise activities for not only you and your nearest and dearest, but also for parties, corporate events and team building exercises. Taking the idea to a whole new level, they can set up a number of winter and summer sporting challenges at any venue, as long as it has the capacity.
With a variety of options on offer, companies such as these are bound to have something in their portfolio to suit your needs. The city wave is a giant in door waterslide that can be set in the surroundings of a balmy beach, while for the little ones, a mini sized feature adorned with cartoon characters will offer the youngest participant the chance to learn to slide on skis or steer a toboggan.
Of course these things come at a price, but are well worth the money. All the organiser has to do is arrange a venue and make a phone call, the companies do the rest. With the weather constantly washing out our more traditional activities, companies looking to carry out team challenges and courses would do far worse than look to these created environment options.
Can I do it?
For the individual, a quick look online will tell you if there is a winter or summer sport options near you, as these venues may also be open to the public on certain days. No need to rack up the credit card to take the kids skiing and find they don’t like it, pop along to a dry slope experience and let them try the ropes there first.
Of course it isn’t really the same, but it does offer an alternative and with the prospect of another dismal summer ahead, hopefully, a few cities will decide to set these venues up for their locals so that there is something for them to do.
Jaye Staddon is a freelance writer and used creative leisure as a guide for this piece.
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