Our ski society calls Bermuda home, however our members and supporters are scattered across the globe - with a number either in or from the UK, and from where I write in south Devon.

There is a story that connects the south coast of England to the island of Bermuda that some people may not know (it is not just limited to both areas having some truly stunning coastline).

In the summer of 1609, Admiral Sir George Somers set sail from Plymouth, Devon, bound for the struggling English colony at Jamestown, Virginia. A hurricane intervened. His flagship, the Sea Venture, was wrecked on the reefs of an uninhabited Atlantic island and in doing so, gave rise to the settlement of Bermuda. Somers was born just along the coast at Lyme Regis, a small Dorset town on the very edge of Devon, and today that town is formally twinned with St George's, Bermuda, in recognition of that extraordinary maritime bond. (I happened to discover this link myself when visiting Lyme Regis in the summer, sharing photographs with Grace via WhatsApp - a break from our usual excitable chatter about skiing, ski racing and the then upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.)

For South Devon, same as for Bermuda, the nearest real snow is several hours and an airline ticket away. However, in the UK we have access to an incredible and some innovative solution - the dry ski slope!

South Devon is, surprisingly, rather well served. Within reasonable reach are three established dry slope facilities in Plymouth, Torquay and Exeter.

Three slopes, one county, and a direct line of history running from this coastline to the island we call home. 

The Art of Skiing Without Snow: What Is a Dry Ski Slope?

"Dry" refers to an outdoor, artificial slope made from a surface that replicates the feel of snow. 

Two common surfaces in the UK are "Dendix" matting: a type of hexagonal upturned synthetic brushes (often with a water misting system to reduce friction), and Snowflex: a snow coloured plastic carpet type material. 

There are also indoor real-snow slopes dotted around the UK, housed in large refrigerated buildings.

No Mountains. No Snow. No Problem. Devon's Ski Access

Plymouth Snowsports Centre is home to the longest artificial slope in the South West. Torquay Alpine Ski Club (TASC) on the English Riviera, is one of the oldest artificial ski slopes in the UK. TASC offers structured lessons, race training and competition (more on this later) in a welcoming club environment. Lastly, we have Exeter & District Ski Club centrally located in the city, providing accessible sessions for all abilities, with a focus on technique development and beginner progression.

Forget the Alps... Start Here: The Case for Dry Slopes

Amongst some, they may have a bit of a bad rep. for the aficionados of "real snow"...however artificial slopes speak to the core values of the Bermuda Snow Society, in that skiing should not be the exclusive preserve of those who can afford frequent Alpine trips! That's particularly true for adult returners and those coming to ski later in life - something we feel strongly about.

Dry slopes make skiing genuinely accessible in ways that most snow holidays simply cannot.

For beginners:

• Cost - A session at a dry slope costs a fraction of a lift pass, travel, accommodation and equipment hire.

• Frequency - Skill development in any sport is built on repetition. A skier or boarder who visits the Alps once a year and supplements that with regular dry slope sessions (alongside other means of dry-land training, will progress meaningfully faster than one who skis only on snow. Any skill development here will be of benefit to the burgeoning skier, even roller skating, trail running and weight training is a boon to being "ski-ready"!)

• Confidence - For adult beginners especially, arriving on a snow holiday having never stood on skis is incredibly daunting. A dry slope can alleviate that initial wobble, turning slow ploughs into parallel, the discovery of edge control, the muscle memory and familiarity with equipment. The other element of many UK dry slopes are Park and Pipe features - which has leant to the incredible development of freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

• Year-round availability - Dry slopes don't have a season, aren't dependent on snow cover, winds or even daylight (they are often floodlit and for those of us working toward coaching qualifications or preparing for race season, that matters enormously.

Performance, Freestyle and Race Training:

For the more experienced among us and those seeking new challenges, dry slopes offer something different: an opportunity to sharpen technique, gain experience, and stay sharp when the mountains are out of reach.

Technical drills: although short, a consistent slope is ideal for repeating the same movements over and over; learning to carve, apply edge pressure, or drilling slalom gates.

For everyone:

There are no queues for the chairlift, no variable snow conditions, and no distractions from slope closures or the draw of the apres!

Lessons, Coaching and instant feedback: In a lesson format, the controllable environment of a dry slope lends itself well to structured analysis, so you can boost those skills in record time. It’s also a great format for video analysis.

Fitness and conditioning: For ski racing demands leg strength, balance, and core stability so regular dry slope sessions keep those physical systers active through the off-season in a way that gym training alone cannot replicate. Same for freestyle, slopestyle, moguls and other displines - it is possible to replicate the features of a park half pipes, moguls, jumps on Snowflex.

Qualification pathways: For those working toward teaching and coaching qualifications (in BASI, ISIA or other pathways), dry slopes provide the practice hours that examinations require, without necessitating multiple trips to resort and opening up this wonderful sport to more generations and people than ever before.

Competition: 

It's no secret that a lot of Team GB athletes learned to ski, board or race on dry slopes and there is a strong spirit of racing and competition across the UK and worldwide, starting from local club races, to national and international championships.

The Story That Connects Bermuda, Devon and Skiing

We are, admittedly, an unusual ski society. Based on a subtropical island with no mountains and no snow, we exist as proof that skiing is a spirit as much as a geography.

Sir George Somers left Devon's shores four centuries ago without knowing where he was going. He arrived somewhere extraordinary and built something lasting. We like to think there's something of that in our story too: a group of people who refuse to let the absence of obvious conditions stop them from doing something they love.