Skiing on the mountains is one of the few joys that winter brings. But sometimes, you don’t want to spend a few hours in the car to queue up amongst the madding crowd at the ski lifts for 30 minutes just to ski down the slope in 5. Plus, you’ll have to wrestle with the elements – from the bright sunshine that causes snow blindness to biting winds that lead to frozen fingers. How do we avoid this? Why, by embracing indoor skiing!
The benefits to indoor skiing include
1. Convenience: There are a number of indoor skiing venues within the 5th ring road so you don’t have to spend hours driving out to the slopes.
2. Less crowds: Again, because there are more indoor places than there are outdoor ski slopes in Beijing, it should be less crowded. That means you won’t be quite as stressed if you aren’t a seasoned pro, and you’re also less likely to get into an accident.
3. Controlled environment: This argument goes for all indoor sports – we eliminate the unpredictability of rain, excessive sunshine (especially on the ski slopes, that snow blindness really kicks in!), pollution, wind, etc… This definitely helps you stay more focused on the actual skiing.
Indoor skiing isn’t meant to replace the great outdoors. But it is a wonderful way to get more training and build up your stamina and skill for the real thing. This is especially true for kids! I threw my kid in the deep end when we embarked on our first ski trip last year, and he definitely heard some new swear words from mama’s mouth. I mean, have you ever tried to pick up a little person on skis, when you’re also on skis? It’s nigh impossible! So yes, I will embrace practicing at an indoor ski venue, until we are well and truly ready to hit the slopes once more.
We scouted around and vetted these indoor skiing spots in Beijing.
Arctic Fox Indoor Ski 北极狐室内滑雪馆 (Běijíhú shìnèi huáxuě guǎn)
Right on the boundary of the 5th ring road lies Arctic Fox Indoor Ski, or AFSKI, a professional ski training venue that specializes in coaching kids. Unfortunately, though, their classes are conducted exclusively in Mandarin. You can try both skiing and snowboarding at their facility for just RMB 88 on the weekdays, while prices go up to more than RMB 200 on the weekends. Their professional ski coaches also organize trips to outdoor ski slopes as part of their classes, though that comes at an extra cost. Their opening hours are from 11am-8pm on the weekdays, 10am-8pm on the weekends.
Address:
Pingfang Bridge Flagship Store
平房村48号小狼国际院内
Tel: 131 6185 6083
Upbeat Indoor Ski Club 阿比特室内滑雪俱乐部 （Ā bǐ tè shìnèi huáxuě jùlèbù)
Located east of downtown Beijing, this indoor ski venue is tucked away in what appears to be an industrial-looking area not far from the Antiques Furniture Street in Gaobeidian. It is a modest space, with just three slopes of varying degrees, which is perfect if you’re looking for a quiet place to practice and learn. A solo ticket that gives you all-day access is just RMB 99, while a 1 adult + 1 child ticket is RMB 168 and 2 adults + 1 child is RMB 238, as long as you book the tickets before 8pm the night prior. Tickets include equipment rental, and they offer both skis and snowboards. They seem quite kid-friendly from customer reviews on Dianping, and photos of the place show that they also sport a small trampoline for kids! Their opening hours are from 10am-8pm daily.
Address:
Jiacheng BBD No1. Cultural Industry Park, Gaobeidian
高碑店路半壁店1号文化产业园A703
SKINOW 雪乐山室内滑雪 （Xuě yàoshān shìnèi huáxuě）
By far one of the biggest names in the indoor ski business, SKINOW has a multitude of locations around Beijing, and at least three within Chaoyang District. The most convenient would probably be the one located at The Place in downtown Beijing. All their premises are large and spacious, with an extensive inventory of ski equipment. Their trial class prices are also extremely reasonable, starting from just RMB 60 for kids (3-7 years old), and up to RMB 130 for 1 adult + child. However, they only specialize in classes, so aside from the trial class, you’ll have to purchase a package (minimum 20) in order to gain access to the slopes.
Address:
The Place South Street
光华路甲9号世贸天阶南街F3
Tel: 400 030 4096
This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 November-December issue
