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In a stunt that could come straight from a James Bond movie, professional skydiver Jim McCormick will parachute jump from an airplane over Candlers Mountain on Saturday, and, if all goes as planned, land on Liberty University’s Snowflex ski slope.
The feat is part of an all-day celebration marking the grand opening of the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, a synthetic ski slope more than three years in the making that opened Aug. 1.
“It’s been such a long road. It’s nice to see it come to fruition,” said Lee Beaumont, director of auxiliary services, who has been involved with the project since its infancy.
“I really want to see these pros to see what they can do.”
The gates open at 10:30 a.m. for tours, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. with a lineup of speakers that includes Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., Snowflex inventor Brian Thomas and professional snowboarder JJ Johnson.
The day’s climax is a freestyle exhibition from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. that will feature more than 20 professional skiers and snowboarders from the United States and England.
From 3:30 p.m. to midnight, the slopes will be open to the public for skiing, snowboarding and tubing.
The roughly $4 million ski slope project, which includes a ski lodge and other improvements, is the first of its kind to be fully built in North America. It has drawn attention from international media, including a documentary in progress by the Discovery Channel.
Unlike resorts that rely on cool temperatures for natural or manmade snow, Snowflex will be open year-round. The slopes are made from a high-tech, carpet-like surface designed to simulate snow.
The site includes a ski lodge with rental services, a “bunny slope” for beginners and a main slope of 500 feet with separate lanes for general skiing, boarding and freestyle.
The university plans to extend the slope to the top of the mountain by November, Beaumont said. Two tubing runs are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
If you’re going
Long sleeves and long pants are recommended for skiing and snowboarding; guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and government issued ID is required. For more information: http://www.liberty.edu/snowflex.
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Reader Reactions
I dare say that if this snowflex had been built anywhere else there would not be so much controversy. Are we not in a recession? Is it not a good thing that in this time we are seeing signs of growth in Lynchburg? My opinion is that such a small clearing of trees compared to the planned communities and shopping centers we build to accomodate our growing community seems a very small offering compared to the impact potential. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t know of too many people searching “bald spot Lynchburg VA” for vacations online. In a recession I would think one would be willing to overlook the fact that it was built by a university that they obviously have a sincere distaste for and look to the positive considerations such as increase in consumer spending and opportunity for increased area sales in both our big and small businesses by persons that would have never stepped foot in Lynchburg, VA. were it not for the snowflex center provided to us by Liberty University. Like it or not area businesses rely on the fall college season from this university and other surrounding area colleges, but then that was the basis of my opening statment. I doubt seriously that this would have been a controversial build had been built by another, say more secular school of origin…but that’s just one persons opinion.
It looks dumb!
My bad- the Eastern side of Lynchburg. Yeah, a storm made by God created the bald spot. And for those of who appreciate AND enjoy activity in the mountains (including the many trails on Candler’s and others)don’t have to have a Snowflex center to enjoy creation - do we really?
“If you have not been to the Western side of Lynchburg, Virginia recently…“
You lost me from the start. Candlers mountain is clearly on the eastern edge of Lynchburg.
By the way, Candler’s Mtn. is on the Southeast side of Lynchburg.
My WV comment is regarding mining- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaintop_removal_mining
The funniest thing about the original post is the reference to the “Bald Spot.“ For those who’ve been around a while, the “Bald Spot” was created by a forest fire back in the early 80’s, and was in itself, a pretty ugly scar along the small range of mountains. those of us who appreciate AND enjoy activity in the mountains appreciate Liberty’s 60+ miles of well maintained and marked trails they have created along Candler’s Mtn. and the adjoining hills.
LOL!!! This is a joke right? I guess Wintergreen is REALLY gonna burn, or Massanhutten, Snowshow….maybe even Whitetail?
Guess you have never lived in a house, just a tent in an already naturally cleared area (I would hate to think you destroyed any grass, trees, insects, bird’s home, bees nest). What a travesty!!!
WOW…....just WOW
“If you have not been to the Western side of Lynchburg, Virginia recently…“
Go to West VA, where your flowery rhetoric REALLY applies.
Wildridge writes “While Liberty University is well within their legal right to do what they want with their private property, we ponder the wisdom of destroying a unique corner of creation nasquerading as an aide to spread the message of Jesus”. Wildridge, its been a long, long time since the majority of people in Lynchburg truly believed that anything done on Candler’s Mtn (or Liberty Mtn as newcomers chose to call it)was done to spread the message of Jesus. The language of the Falwell crowd is, and has been for a terribly long time, the language of mamon.
If you have not been to the Western side of Lynchburg, Virginia recently, you would be forgiven for not recognizing what you see there today. In the past the rolling peaks of Candler’s Mountain cradled that corner of Lynchburg, serving as a constant reminder that the things of man such as cities and monuments are but temporal totems to ourselves among the eternal landscape that is creation.
Today Candler’s Mountain is home to a state of the art, sophisticated technological emulation of the Creator’s work. Where there was once a mountain there is now the Liberty Snowflex Centre. Gone is the bald spot so many have climbed to in the past- a place where, surrounded by God’s creation on one side and man’s creation on the other, one could ponder our place in the world. In its place is a multi-million dollar, ultimate, extreme year round ski slope built by Liberty University for the purported purposes of aiding in “training young champions for Christ.” While Liberty University is well within their legal right to do what they want with their private property, we ponder the wisdom of destroying a unique corner of creation nasquerading as an aide to spread the message of Jesus. We see Creation as something that is beyond such terms as legal and private, something to be tended and cared for and not exploited for simple worldly gain.
This is an invitation to join us in coming together on August 29th, 2009 to bear witness to the desecration of Candler’s Mountain. This is a non denominational, non violent, peaceful mourning for the destruction of part of God’s creation. A chance to add a voice to the chorus of people of all faiths that say that destroying mountains is not how the Creator meant for us to steward them; to say that millions of dollars spent by people of faith could perhaps be better spent on God’s people and the creation we have been entrusted with; a chance to say that there are better outdoor recreation experiences that may serve to bring us closer to God than the rented gear, artificial lighting and faux slopes the Snowflex Centre will offer to entertain us with.
If you are interested in being part of this bearing witness, please respond to the following email address:
themountainsspeakofGod@gmail.com
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