Whether you’re a ski enthusiast who’s keen to prep for heading back to the snow, or you’re just getting started, Ski Tech indoor skiing centre at Wong Chuk Hang brings the slopes to HK with its state-of-the-art simulator. We asked the team what to expect from a visit.
#1 TECHNOLOGY
The skiing simulator at Ski Tech originated in Germany and works by tracking every movement of your skis or snowboard. Multiple built-in sensors map parameters such as the position of your skis on the slope, and your speed, energy and edging angles. You can apply the same ski/snowboard techniques that you use on snow on the simulator with realistic slope conditions to train your muscles and improve your riding.
#2 VISUALS
As you fly down the virtual slopes, you can follow a range of different on-screen ski and slalom areas – even some Winter Olympic Slalom Racing Tracks such as Pyeongchang and Sochi, to get a feel of racing at the Olympics!
#3 BEGINNERS
The professional equipment is used by the US Ski Team, but it’s also great for absolute beginners or those who haven’t skied for a while. They can get themselves familiar with basic techniques while having an enjoyable and safe skiing experience.
#4 KIDS
A lot of young skiers and snowboarders join the fun, too. Children over seven years of age (with a minimum weight of 25kg) are welcome to join ski training sessions, while snowboard training is limited to kids over the age of 10.
#5 IMPROVING
If you’re an intermediate or advanced skier or snowboarder, the simulator is perfect for practicing alpine carving and progressing your riding with better understanding of balancing, edging angles, posture (including upper and lower body separation for skiers), rotation movement and more, under different snow conditions. It’ll all help build up your muscle memory to prepare for your next ski trip in real life!
#6 EQUIPMENT
For a comfortable session, wear sportswear and bring along your own ski socks (or long socks). Ski Tech has ski and snowboard boots available for use, but you can also bring your own boots if you wish.
#7 INTRODUCTION
For your first session, the instructors will introduce the machines, teach you how to put on your ski boots properly (if needed), and teach safety rules. They’ll then do some warm-ups and on-floor exercises to prepare you for the simulator.
#8 INSTRUCTION
For each training session, certified ski and snowboard instructors provide one-on-one professional training advice and ensure everything is safe. They’ll also set different levels of difficulty and provide relevant movement analysis according to your particular level and progression.
#9 WORKOUT
Apart from giving those dearly-missed skiing vibes, Ski Tech is also a great cardio workout. You can log onto a mobile app and collect all the data generated during your training sessions or races; it shows how many kilometres you travelled, how many total turns you made, and how many calories you burnt.
#10 TEMPERATURE
This isn’t one of those fake snow places with artificial freezing temps. In fact, it’s a room-temperature setting with regular air-conditioning – an ideal environment for taking your skiing or snowboarding to the next level!
Room 922-923, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang
2177 0008 | info@skitech.com.hk | skitech.com.hk
This article first appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
