Skiplex brought a fresh approach to learning skiing and snowboarding in England, operating three indoor centres in Reading (Woodley), Basingstoke and Chiswick from 2011 onwards. Each venue used revolving slope machines manufactured by Maxx Tracks – a brand with over 100 installations worldwide – which worked like a treadmill on a gradient, moving the surface beneath the skier rather than requiring a long downhill run. The slope angle could be adjusted between 2 and 20 degrees and the speed between 0 and 20 mph, giving instructors precise control over difficulty. Skiplex entered liquidation in July 2017, closing all three UK centres.
Unlike a conventional dry ski slope or real-snow slope, a Skiplex machine kept skiers stationary while the Astroturf carpet surface revolved continuously beneath them. An instructor controlled both speed and incline via remote control, making it possible to set exactly the right challenge for each session. Two slopes ran side by side at each centre, accommodating up to three skiers at once. The Reading and Basingstoke slopes measured 9.5 metres long by 5 metres wide; the Chiswick slope was slightly smaller at 7.5 by 5 metres. The compact footprint meant the centres could be housed in ordinary commercial premises, making indoor skiing accessible in town and suburban locations across southern England.
Skiplex catered for a wide range of visitors and groups:
Lessons were structured as a one-hour booking window with 30 minutes of actual slope time, split into two 15-minute sessions. All instruction was included in the session price, and the personalised pace of teaching was a frequently praised aspect of the experience.
Skiplex opened its first centre in Chiswick in October 2011, followed by Reading (Woodley) in December 2012 and Basingstoke in July 2013. A fourth site planned for Bristol was never built. The Basingstoke location was later taken over by Snozone and rebranded as Skizone before Skiplex itself went into liquidation in 2017. The company also supported a charitable slope installation at Tedworth House for Help for Heroes.
Skiplex went into liquidation in July 2017, closing its three UK centres in Reading, Basingstoke and Chiswick. Before the formal announcement the company had stopped accepting online bookings and was only taking telephone and in-person reservations. Several parties expressed interest in acquiring individual machines or venues, but the Skiplex brand itself did not continue trading.
No. All Skiplex venues closed when the company entered liquidation in 2017. The Basingstoke site had already been taken over by Snozone (rebranded Skizone) before the final closure. Similar revolving-slope facilities operate at other venues in the UK, including Chel-ski in London.
The slopes were manufactured by Maxx Tracks, an international supplier with over 100 installations worldwide. The continuously revolving Astroturf surface replicated the feel of skiing down a real piste; speed and angle were adjusted remotely by the instructor throughout each session, allowing the difficulty to be tailored to each individual skier in real time.
Yes. The adjustable speed and gradient made the slope appropriate for all abilities, from people who had never skied before through to experienced racers working on technique. Qualified instructors were included in every session and lessons were structured around personalised progression rather than a fixed class pace.
Skiplex actively catered for children, offering kids' birthday parties, school group visits and summer holiday camps across its centres. The controlled indoor environment, qualified supervision and adjustable slope settings made it a popular choice for families wanting to introduce younger skiers to the sport without travelling to a mountain resort.
The Skiplex newsletter kept subscribers informed about package offers, member discounts, new session types and news from across the three centres. It was the main channel through which the company announced pricing promotions and seasonal programmes for both skiing and snowboarding.
This travel and activity newsletter listing is part of the Catalink archive and may no longer be available to order. The information above describes Skiplex, the UK indoor ski slope operator that traded between 2011 and 2017. For current details on similar indoor ski facilities in the UK, search for the company's last known website or current operators in your area.
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