Australia could soon become home to the world's first rotating indoor snow tunnel — a groundbreaking project promising year-round skiing and snowboarding in urban settings.
The concept, called 'Snowtunnel', reimagines how skiers might experience snow sports. Instead of a long downhill slope, it uses a massive rotating cylinder coated in real snow that continuously moves beneath riders, theoretically creating an 'endless mountain.'
The tunnel would be 12.5m high and 16m long, offering more than 600 sq/m to ski on. The speed can be adjusted for different skill levels.
A proof-of-concept tunnel, measuring 10 metres in diameter, was completed last year and is being used for testing and demonstrations.
Developed by Australian entrepreneurs Darren Visser and Chris Northwood, the project aims to make snow sports accessible to millions of people who live too far from ski areas or can't rely on increasingly unpredictable snow seasons.
Snowtunnel's creators say the concept requires less land and energy than traditional indoor ski centres, with an estimated construction cost of AUD $20–25m per venue.
The first full-scale facility is planned for opening in 2027, with potential sites under consideration in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Visser said:
"We want to bring the mountains to the cities. Snowtunnel will let people ski, snowboard and play in real snow — any day of the year, regardless of the weather."
