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: www.liberty.edu/snowflex.
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