Indoor ski slope and apparatus for making snow thereon

An indoor skiing facility comprising a thermally insulated superstructure;

• a support tower vertically positioned within said superstructure;
• elevator means within said support tower;
• a plurality of main support structural members secured to the top of said support tower and extending radially therefrom;
• a plurality of ramp support beams radially extending from and helically arrayed about said support tower;
• a plurality of curved ski ramp joists helically arrayed about said support tower to rest upon said ramp support beams in consecutive helical alignment to provide overlap between helically aligned joists;
• means to maintain said joists in shiftable overlapped alignment;
• means to vertically shift said ramp support beams to selectively change the inclination of selected ski ramp joists;
• and means to sheath said ski ramp joists to provide a ramp to support a layer of artificial snow.

An indoor skiing facility comprising a vertical support tower;

• a ramp positioned around and supported by said support tower;
• tracks on opposite sides of said ramp and extending parallel with said ramp;
• a self-propelled snow-making module adapted to be selectively propelled on said tracks, said module comprising a top member and side members;
• means to cool the interior of said module;
• means to make artificial snow in the cooled interior of said module;
• means to adjust said side members to the contour of said ramp;
• and means to permit said module to move along a curved portion of said tracks without stressing said module.

An indoor skiing facility comprising:

• a vertical support tower;
• a helical ski ramp positioned about said vertical support tower;
• a thermally insulated containment building encasing said vertical support tower and said helical ski ramp;
• and means to transport skiiers from the base to the top of said helical ski ramp.