There was some pressure from my base camp at home to do a good job on today’s assignment at Axis Freestyle. My husband, Storey Badger, was a competitive downhill skier and coach for the Ontario Women’s Alpine Ski Team.
I walked into Axis, Canada’s first all-in-one, year-round dry slope freestyle training facility for skiing and snowboarding, and was met by two of the three owners, Alex Ching and Simon Chang.
This is a fantastic facility for those snowboard and freestyle ski enthusiasts to hone their skills during the summer months or in the winter when they’re unable to get on a hill outside of Toronto. It’s also the perfect place to learn for beginners and toddlers.
I’m introduced to my instructor for the day, Karen Chan, and then pop my skis on. I am excited to try the dry slope and compare it to the real snowy deal.
It also feels great to be on skis again after a long summer and before the snow even flies.
The carpet, which is watered and soaped down each day, feels and looks much like hardpack eastern Ontario snow.
The workout really kicks in while I’m hiking up the hill with my skis on my shoulders — there are no magic carpets here.
The slope itself is comparable to a bunny hill, and I don’t want to get too much speed on it or I’ll find myself feet up in the reception area.
There’s a halfway point on the slope that makes it the perfect place to teach little ones or beginners to ski or snowboard.
Apart from the dry slope, participants can also do a yoga class or trampoline workout.
“We’ve specifically designed the trampoline zone to simulate on-snow scenarios while also giving the area parkour-like obstacles,” says Ching.
The trampoline setup allows skiers and boarders to learn how to master their tricks in a safe environment.
Soon, the team at Axis plans to provide a class structure with specific topics to work on each week with a coach. But for now, it is more of an open gym format where participants can use the slope and the trampolines as they like.
The 20,000-square-foot facility is equipped with 5,000 square feet of dry slope, custom high-performance trampolines, a variety of jumps and rails, foam pits, yoga studio and multi-purpose room.
From learning backflips to mastering corks, Axis Freestyle is not only a facility but also a centre of positive vibes.
I’m most looking forward to bringing my son, Bode (age three), to try out snowboarding. He’s already been skiing, of course, since he was 18 months old.