Skiing & Winter Sports

How does Ski-Trac work? Beneath a stadium-size dome spins a 50-meter-wide snow-covered disk tilted at an angle to create a sloped surface. As you plunge down, the disk spins in an opposite direction beneath your skis. Once you hit the slope’s bottom, you simply stop and ride the “hill” back to the top. No more lift lines!

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And no need to fret over stale snow. The disk rotates in and out of a -15[degrees]C (5[degrees]F) snow-making chamber for blasts of flesh powder. Meanwhile, the temperature in the main ski slope stays a comfy 10[degrees]C (50[degrees]F).

Still just a working model, Ski-Trac could debut in Wales or Australia as early as 2005. But, first, Ferris has to perfect the machine’s electromagnetic levitation system, which supports and propels the snow deck. “The ski slope will literally float on a magnetic field,” he says.

Magnetic fields around a magnet exert a pushing or pulling force on other objects. According to laws of physics, opposite poles of a magnet–where forces are strongest–attract each other, while like poles repel. Electromagnetic copper coils beneath Ski-Trac’s steel snow deck will repel the deck, and cause it to float 15 millimeters above the coils. An intricate series of magnets and sensors will then spin the deck in a clockwise direction.

If you think this idea sounds complex–and costly–you’re right. An hour of skiing will cost $20, but, hey, you won’t waste a single minute standing in line.