[jimflamesfan]

This must be the rainiest year ever, because I think it was originally slated to open in January.

Really it seems like rain delayed a lot of projects. I think the bookstore was delayed because of rain too

Don't forget that although it didn't snow, it is nearly impossible to cut into 30 degree rock.

But can't you have nature work for you. Drill equally spaced holes...fill them with water...and let that 30 degree weather freeze it...and the expansion cuts the rocks for you!

[Cider Jim]

Finally an event for BJ (and other local LU alumni): http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=18495&MID=8893
Sorry, SCAR & Sly, you all are in the wrong zip code.

[BJWilliams]

We know CJ...

http://flamefans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13235

Sadly I must miss this one because I will be in Urbanna, VA working a wedding reception for a good friend of mine

[Rocketfan]

I just wanted to see what google would bring up with a search....ive never heard of the Ski channel??

A quote below from that article:

Surely there will be new tricks and their corresponding trick names whose genesis will be traced back to the dry hills (pun intended) of Liberty University. How about a Jesus Air, Nicodemus Flat Spin, Switch Judas 180, or a Mute Lazarus?





http://www.theskichannel.com/news/skine ... University[/quote]

[Hold My Own]

I had serious doubts about Snowflex....I had doubts about the surface being able to act like snow and all that stuff. I was wrong. It's a lot like skiing and it's just as fun. Once I made a few runs down the side I went on the jumps and they are intense enough to make your hands shake after you land.

It's really addicting, I will say that. Cant wait to go back

[Cider Jim]

I drove my Jeep up to the Snowflex facility today to jog the trail to the monogram. After the run, I went inside the lodge to look around. The lodge really gave me the impression that I was at Lake Tahoe or Yosemite: the place is amazing with its stuffed animals, leather furniture, flooring, & huge windows. And the view up there of the city is breathtaking. There were signs up there saying the slopes would be expanded in November 2009.

But according to the LU website, don't forget your gloves, long sleeves, & long pants--even in the summer--or you'll get a rug burn on the fabric if you fall.

“You need your skin covered. That means long pants, wind pants, or skiing shells … long-sleeve shirts, and gloves. This is needed year-round due to the rigidity of the synthetic surface,” said Lee Beaumont, director of auxiliary services for Liberty University.

http://www.liberty.edu/news/index.cfm?P ... 5&MID=9109

[SuperJon]

[kel varson]

ouch! Is that you?

[SuperJon]

I've never been that skinny in my life.

It's Bryson.

[Sly Fox]

Ouch!

[leftybaseball]

That is so cool! It's amazing what God can do!!!

You said it, sista. What's funny is all these big boys think you're nuts!@!!!!

[leftybaseball]

I've never been that skinny in my life.

It's Bryson.

There's always a day when you can roll over a new leaf. Whatever that means.

[leftybaseball]

I've never been that skinny in my life.

It's Bryson.

There's always a day when you can roll over a new leaf. Whatever that means.

Uh - oh, did the joker's little minion just get BANNNNNNED????????

[leftybaseball]

I've never been that skinny in my life.

It's Bryson.

There's always a day when you can roll over a new leaf. Whatever that means.

Uh - oh, did the joker's little minion just get BANNNNNNED????????

I vote for the ignore button so idiots can ignore me and I can stay safe with the top tier (if they can handle me).

[tinytim]

you know its bad when lefty just talks with himself on this!!!

[Hold My Own]

Oct 14...save the date....the first ever Flamefans intervention.....Lefty needs help

[ToTheLeft]

That's not me... That's ReKlef. I only have this one name right now. This clown, however, has like 6.

[Hold My Own]

That's not me... That's ReKlef. I only have this one name right now. This clown, however, has like 6.

Oh I know but his new name is Lefty baseball or something like that

[ToTheLeft]

Yeah, makes me ashamed of the left name.

[Cider Jim]

Going to the grand opening today was like being at a Flame Fans reunion: I saw BJ, HMO, Bryson, & Jdub. LU was shuttling people from TRBC, students were walking up from campus, and others were parking anywhere they could along the road. Also in attendance and speaking were the Lynchburg mayor, the Lieut. Governor of Virginia, and Senator Steve Newman, among others.

The sky diver missed the slopes, but he got close, undid his parachute, and then skiied down the slope to a standing ovation. Lots of venders there selling everything from food & drinks to ski equipment and passes, some from as far away as WV.

[SuperJon]

It was cool to see what some of the pros could do and to talk to some of them and see what they thought of the stuff. The American guys thought it was awesome.

[01LUGrad]

Saw a 60 second report on WAVY-10 in Hampton Roads about LU and Snowflex last night. Pretty good. They only said "Jerry Falwell" one time.

[Sly Fox]

Expansion for USA's first SnowFlex slope
Posted Wednesday 2nd December 2009, 6:00 pm by Dunx

By now most of you will know that the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, Lynchburg, VA opened its doors on the 1st August 2009 and had its the Grand Opening of the 29th August 09. Not only was the Grand Opening spectacular but it was heralded a huge success!

However, what some of you may not know is that Liberty University were so thrilled with the response they had from students and locals alike and the high repeat visitor rate to the Snowflex centre, that they immediately commissioned the second phase of the project, increasing the skiable area from 3766m2 to 6478m2 (40,538 sqft to 69,730 sqft). And so Briton began the expansion on the 31st August 09 - just two days after the Grand Opening!

The expansion of the slope increased the length of the slope further up the mountain by 40m (130ft) and also widened the intermediate areas by 13m (43ft) all the way down the mountain making it more user friendly to those of us that are mere mortals and not just ski and snowboard hotshots.

Click Here for Full Story

[WinterIsComing]

Bump

Somehow we didn't make the list...oh you meant actually snow? It all makes sense now.

http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/st ... ges-skiers

Best colleges for skiers
The 10 best colleges in the U.S. for people who live to ski

By Griffin Post and Megan Michelson
ESPN.com

We get it: You want to get an education. But you want to ski while you're at it.

Ski School


The 10 best colleges in the U.S. for skiers.

Whether you're getting ready to apply to college or you feel like reliving the good ol' days when all you had to do was read books and go skiing, we've put together a list of our picks for the best colleges in the U.S. for people who live to ski. In compiling this list, we did not take into account academic stature, professor-to-student ratio or the quality of the food in the cafeteria. All we looked at was which universities have the best access to good skiing and a community of people who share that same passion.

University of Utah

Snowbird. Brighton. Alta. Park City. Solitude. If you're a student at the University of Utah, these resorts -- and the Wasatch backcountry -- are your playground. That must be why skiers such as Tom Wallisch, Suzanne Graham, Grete Eliassen and others have enrolled here. "When it comes to Ski U's, Utah has the best of all worlds," says ESPN Freeskiing contributor and University of Utah graduate John Symms. "It's about a half-hour's drive from first-class terrain parks and halfpipes in Park City and The Canyons, and the same distance from unbeatable powder and steeps in Brighton and Alta-Bird. A lot of the other colleges well-known for skiing are much farther away than that. And if you want to travel, the U is even closer than that to an international airport -- something you don't get in any other ski town."

Western State College of Colorado

From Western State, it's 30 minutes to Crested Butte and 50 minutes to Monarch Mountain. "Basically, students decide if they want to commute to skiing from Gunnison or commute to school from Crested Butte," says Derek Taylor, the editor of Powder magazine and a graduate of Western State, a place, he says, where it's not uncommon for professors to sport a goggle tan. "The valley is surrounded by federal land -- BLM, national forest, wilderness areas and even a national park, so in addition to the resorts, there are huge backcountry skiing opportunities." Pro skier Seth Morrison, sports agent Ken Perkins, photographer Flip McCririck and former Powder editor Keith Carlsen are among the school's ski industry alums.

University of Vermont

At the University of Vermont, students who ski have lots of options: Jay Peak, Killington, Sugarbush and Mad River Glen are all doable for day trips. The closest ski area to Burlington is Bolton Valley, where the UVM Outing club owns and rents a cabin on the access road. There's a reason the founders of Meathead Films -- graduates of UVM -- never left Burlington. "No other city has as much amazing terrain within a 1-2 hour drive," says Meathead co-founder Geoff McDonald. "The largest selection of microbrews in the country and a 60-40 women-to-men ratio also make UVM a skier's dream come true."

Sierra Nevada College

Lake Tahoe's Sierra Nevada College, located in Incline Village, Nev., offers a one-of-a-kind ski business and resort management program, which allows students to earn a business administration degree with a focus in ski area management. "We have a master-planning course where students actually design their own ski resort," says Tim Cohee, director of the program. "We give them a budget, a certain size parameter and they have to build to a certain capacity per day." All that, and the school has easy access to more than a dozen ski areas -- including nearby Diamond Peak, Northstar, Mount Rose, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

University of Colorado at Boulder

A lot of pro skiers have chosen to hit the books at CU Boulder, including Meg Olenick, Nick Martini and Matt Walker. Campus is a mere 30 minutes from Eldora (Boulder's local ski hill) and backcountry skiing in the Indian Peaks, and an hour-plus to the ski areas in Colorado's Front Range. On weekends, students and faculty can ride the ski bus roundtrip from campus to Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail or Arapahoe Basin for $15. "CU Boulder is a perfect place for someone to go to school who loves to ski because it is only an hour and a half away from some of the best resorts in Colorado," says Olenick, who recently graduated. "There is a large population of people who ski and snowboard, so if you don't have a car, it is easy to find someone to carpool with."
Simon EvansBetween study sessions at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

University of Alaska at Anchorage

While Alyeska's summit elevation of less than 4,000 feet might not impress too many Westerners, its 2,500 vertical feet of lift-accessed terrain and 643 inches of annual snowfall sure will. The University of Alaska at Anchorage isn't exactly slopeside -- it's about a 45-minute drive away -- but it still beats most college commutes. There's no shortage of backcountry (after all, it is Alaska) and as an added bonus, instead of going to Cancun for spring break, students can make the five-hour trek to Thompson Pass for Tailgate Alaska, a rite of passage of its own.

Western Washington University

With another La Niña on her way, students at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., might be doing more powder skiing than studying this winter. But such is life when you go to school less than two hours from Mount Baker (where a college season pass costs $620) and not much farther from Whistler, British Columbia. For rookies to backcountry skiing, the university's Outdoor Center rents AT skis and skins for $15 a day and a beacon/shovel/probe for $8 a day. "WWU is a great school, and its engineering program is as good as it gets, especially if you're into developing composite cars or skis -- I built my own carbon fiber skis while in school," says ski photographer and WWU alum Grant Gunderson. "It took me seven years to get a four-year degree in engineering, but I did earn the equivalent of a Ph.D. in powder skiing."

Middlebury College

Here's all you need to know: Vermont's Middlebury College owns its own ski area, the Middlebury Snowbowl, where a student day lift ticket costs just $34 and the tree skiing is worth much more than that. There's a free shuttle that delivers students from campus to the Snowbowl during the winter, and in the month of January, students take only one class (translation: more time for skiing). Midyear graduates, called Febs, graduate by skiing down the Snowbowl in caps and gowns. "As a place to pursue an education that combines a stellar academic experience with skiing and other outdoor adventures in your backyard, Middlebury College is unmatched," says Geoff Curtis, Marker/Volkl's vice president of marketing and a Middlebury grad.

Montana State University

Oh, the tough decisions that face an MSU student: Bridger Bowl, Big Sky or class? Well, if it's a powder day, that's a no-brainer. "Many professors adhere to the 10-inch rule -- it's OK to miss class, granted you're doing all right in school, if it snows over 10 inches," says professional skier and MSU alum Lynsey Dyer. "There is amazing mountain biking, kayaking and skiing minutes from campus." Plus, the town of Bozeman has a thriving winter sports culture of its own, with everything from snowmobiling to skijouring.

University of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire, located in Durham, N.H., might not be the East Coast's closest school to skiing -- Loon Mountain is two hours away, Maine's Sunday River is two and a half hours -- but the skiers there are some of the most enthusiastic around. Case in point: The school's Ski and Board Club is the largest registered club team on campus. And it charters buses to take students to the nearby ski areas on the weekend.

[alum82]

Just to provide a "fair and balanced" perspective, WIC, check this out:

http://www.libertychampion.com/2011/11/ ... -snowflex/

http://www.slopefillers.com/ski-resort- ... e-traffic/

Every Ski Resort Website Ranked by Visitor Traffic Rank
November 7th, 2011


These numbers are pulled from Compete’s public API. These numbers are not visitor totals but rather traffic rankings: Google is #1, Facebook is #2, Yahoo! is #3, etc. Note that some of these resorts or areas are lumped in with related resorts (Boyne Mountain / Highlands), another organization like a university (Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center) or a National Park (Badget Pass) which gives them a higher traffic rank because these metrics are established based on domains, not individual pages or directories. If your site does not appear on the list, it might simply mean that your traffic volume is outside of the range that Compete actively tracks…or I missed your site somehow. Check Compete to see if your rankings show up, and if they do, let me know.

1) Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre – 6,966
http://www.liberty.edu/snowflex/

2) Dartmouth Skiway – 8,346
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~skiway/

3) Buckhorn Ski and Snowboard Club – 21,490
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/buckhorn/

4) Badger Pass – 28,069
http://www.yosemitepark.com/badgerpass.aspx

5) Middlebury College Snow Bowl – 30,677
http://www.middlebury.edu/about/facilities/snow_bowl

6) Boyne Highlands Resort – 38,034
http://www.boyne.com/BoyneHighlands/index.html

7) Boyne Mountain – 38,034
http://www.boyne.com/BoyneMountain/index.html

8) Seven Springs Mountain Resort – 43,673
http://www.7springs.com/

9) Massanutten Ski Resort – 44,392
http://www.massresort.com/

10) Vail Ski Resort – 51,500
http://www.vail.com/

11) Mammoth – 52,295
http://www.mammothmountain.com/

12) Killington Ski Resort – 53,202
http://www.killington.com

13) Breckenridge Ski Resort – 53,520
http://www.breckenridge.com/

14) Snowbird – 57,680
http://www.snowbird.com/

15) Jackson Hole – 59,871
http://jacksonhole.com/

16) Steamboat Ski Resort – 63,900
http://www.steamboat.com/

17) The Homestead – 65,170
http://www.thehomestead.com/

18) Winter Park Resort – 66,861
http://www.winterparkresort.com

19) Wintergreen Resort – 68,145
http://www.wintergreenresort.com/

20) Squaw Valley – 69,426
http://www.squaw.com/

21) Keystone Resort – 70,507
http://www.keystoneresort.com/

22) Park City Mountain Resort – 71,140
http://www.parkcitymountain.com

23) Whispering Pines ski resort – 76,673
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ehpeters/

24) Whistler Blackcomb – 79,983
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/

25) Copper Mountain Resort – 80,994
http://coppercolorado.com/

26) Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area – 83,239
http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/h ... -area.aspx

27) Heavenly Ski Resort – 83,434
http://www.skiheavenly.com/

28) Crystal Mountain – 84,448
http://www.crystalmountainresort.com/

29) Ober Gatlinburg – 85,370
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/

30) Wachusett Mountain – 87,431
http://www.wachusett.com/

31) Northstar at Tahoe – 88,535
http://www.northstarattahoe.com/

32) Hunter Mountain – 88,637
http://www.huntermtn.com/

33) Aspen/Snowmass – 88,995
http://www.aspensnowmass.com/

34) Beaver Creek Resort – 92,167
http://www.beavercreek.com/

35) Sun Valley – 93,345
http://www.sunvalley.com/

36) Snowshoe Mountain – 93,577
http://www.snowshoemtn.com/index.htm

37) Loon Mountain – 94,173
http://www.loonmtn.com/

38) Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa – 96,897
http://www.crystalmountain.com/

39) Loveland Ski Area – 97,979
http://www.skiloveland.com/

40) Timberline – 98,217
http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

41) Camelback Ski Area – 99,581
http://www.skicamelback.com/

42) The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva Resort – 99,854
http://www.grandgeneva.com/

43) Big Sky – 100,904
http://www.bigskyresort.com/

44) Sunday River – 105,552
http://www.sundayriver.com

45) Mount Bachelor – 112,625
http://www.mtbachelor.com/

46) Sugarloaf – 116,789
http://www.sugarloaf.com

47) Eaglecrest – 117,051
http://www.juneau.org/ecrestftp/

48) Bretton Woods – 117,967
http://brettonwoods.com/

49) Smugglers Notch – 118,922
http://www.smuggs.com/

50) Stratton Mountain Resort – 118,997
http://www.stratton.com/index.htm

51) Crested Butte Mountain Resort – 121,879
http://www.skicb.com/

52) Okemo Mountain – 124,830
http://www.okemo.com

53) The Summit at Snoqualmie – 129,483
http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/

54) Shawnee Mountain Ski Area – 130,245
http://www.shawneemt.com

55) Alta – 131,652
http://alta.com/

56) Bear Creek Mountain Resort – 131,729
http://www.bcmountainresort.com

57) Bear Mountain – 135,358
http://www.bearmountain.com

58) Sugarbush Resort – 136,915
http://www.sugarbush.com/

59) Mount Snow – 137,354
http://www.mountsnow.com/

60) Telluride Ski Resort – 137,533
http://tellurideskiresort.com

61) Eldora Mountain Resort – 141,746
http://www.eldora.com/

62) Durango Mountain Resort – 142,489
http://www.durangomountainresort.com/

63) Schweitzer Mountain – 142,519
http://www.schweitzer.com/

64) Arapahoe Basin – 142,617
http://www.arapahoebasin.com/

65) The Homestead – 143,453
http://www.thehomesteadresort.com/

66) Peek n Peak – 144,718
http://www.pknpk.com/

67) Treetops Resort – 145,689
http://www.treetops.com/

68) Kirkwood – 147,067
http://www.kirkwood.com/

69) Attitash Mountain Resort – 147,312
http://www.attitash.com/

70) Alpine Meadows – 148,269
http://www.skialpine.com/

71) Timber Ridge Ski Area – 150,019
http://www.timberridgeresort.com/

72) Deer Valley – 152,475
http://www.deervalley.com/

73) Stevens Pass Ski Area – 156,251
http://www.stevenspass.com/

74) Mount Hood Meadows – 158,731
http://www.skihood.com/

75) Sandia Peak – 164,288
http://www.sandiapeak.com/

76) Snowbasin – 165,174
http://www.snowbasin.com/

77) Liberty Mountain Resort – 165,585
http://www.skiliberty.com

78) Brighton – 166,783
http://www.brightonresort.com/

79) Chestnut Mountain Resort – 169,278
http://www.chestnutmtn.com/

80) Shanty Creek Resorts – 171,010
http://www.shantycreek.com/

81) Wisp Ski Resort – 174,434
http://www.wispresort.com/

82) Spirit Mountain – 178,603
http://www.spiritmt.com/

83) Blue Mountain Ski Area – 179,247
http://www.skibluemt.com/SkiBlue/index.aspx

84) Jay Peak Resort – 185,996
http://www.jaypeakresort.com/

85) Howelsen Ski Area – 189,111
http://steamboatsprings.net/departments ... l_ski_area

86) Sundance – 193,904
http://www.sundanceresort.com/

87) Greek Peak – 195,033
http://www.greekpeak.net/

88) Ski Beech – 195,067
http://www.skibeech.com/

89) Cranmore Mountain Resort – 195,479
http://www.cranmore.com/

90) Mountain Creek – 196,164
http://www.mountaincreek.com/

91) Whitefish Mountain Resort – 197,928
http://skiwhitefish.com/

92) Canaan Valley Resort – 198,434
http://www.canaanresort.com/

93) Mount Sunapee Resort – 199,328
http://www.mountsunapee.com

94) Sugar Mountain – 200,234
http://www.skisugar.com/

95) The Balsams Wilderness – 204,735
http://thebalsams.com/

96) Stowe Mountain Resort – 204,939
http://www.stowe.com/

97) Wolf Creek Ski Area – 205,071
http://www.wolfcreekski.com/

98) Waterville Valley Resort – 206,501
http://www.waterville.com/

99) Cataloochee Ski Area – 208,208
http://www.cataloochee.com/

100) Angel Fire Resort – 209,354
http://www.angelfireresort.com/