The innovative, green future of skiing

As ski resorts around the world grapple with the effects of climate change, dry slope skiing may be the green answer to the sport’s future.

Slipping into a wood-heated hot tub at CopenHot, an outdoor Nordic spa in Copenhagen’s hip, industrial Refshaleøen neighbourhood, I gazed across the Øresund strait towards one of the city’s most striking landmarks, CopenHill. The swoop-shaped building was once an incineration plant but it’s now topped with an urban park – a man-made mountain in an otherwise flat city. Although it was August and a sunny 22C, I was surprised to see skiers careening down the sloped greenspace atop the facility.
Designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, CopenHill features hiking trails, a rock-climbing wall and a rooftop cafe. But the landmark’s most interesting attraction is 400m-long ski piste created through a synthetic surface called Neveplast that mimics hard-packed snow by using concentric conical stems to provide grip. Since opening in 2019, some 10,000 residents and tourists eager to learn how to dry slope ski or board descend on this former plant every year – including thrill-seekers like Ellen Dansgaard, who perform ski and snowboarding tricks during Friday Night Freestyle rail jams for skiers and snowboarders.
“I moved to Copenhagen for my studies in 2021 because it’s the only place in Denmark where I could ski [year-round], and the rail jams really bring the community together,” says Dansgaard, who skis at CopenHill three times a week and competes in freestyle events across the country. “If you’ve skied on hard-packed snow, that’s what dry slope feels like. The best part is you can ski all year and practice your skills.”