DES MOINES, Iowa — Thrill seekers of all ages headed out to the slopes of Sleepy Hollow Sports Park over the weekend.
Six hundred feet of fun opened up to the public. The newest Snow Flex attraction is already breaking world records.
“It’s awesome it is,” Melvin Woods, Sleepy Hollow visitor, said. “It’s just such a thrill of just not knowing what to expect when you finally stop but that’s what it’s like coming down. Just a burst of energy.”
The new addition to the sports park provides year-round fun for the whole family and there’s no snow or sub-zero temperatures required.
“We can’t rely on Mother Nature anymore. We used to get dependable snow in certain times of the year, so we knew we would be open for Christmas day,” Jeff Condon, Polk County Conservation Leisure Service Manager, said. “But now without that predictability of the weather, we’ve kind of taken it into our own hands and put this up.”
Snowflex totals over 50,000 square feet long and is now the largest all-weather tubing experience in the world. It is designed for speed and safety. The synthetic snow substitute and a bit of water sends the tubes soaring.
“You’ll get going between 30 to 36 miles per hour on the tubes. we do have some rollers built into the hill. They are meant to feel like zero gravity,” Cade Jones, Operations Manager at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, said.
The only time you’re on the hill is when you’re sliding down it. The three-million-dollar improvement plan also includes funding to build a new lift.
“I think it’s going to be a great space for the kids to come hang out that’s nice and safe and that is also surrounded by wonderful nature,” Melissa Little, Sleepy Hollow visitor, said.
Coming up this July, they’ll open the space to skiers and snowboarders every Wednesday night.
You can buy tickets by going to Sleepy Hollow Sports Park website.
Renovations to the park aren’t quite done yet. The next project will include adding a pond with a walking path.