TUBE TOP

Enjoy the white stuff without skis and poles, and for way less money, by snow tubing

By Samara Napolitan

The hills at Four Seasons Golf and Ski Center, 8012 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville, are still green despite the first, fleeting snowfall. But John Goodfellow, owner of the business for 40-plus years, is preparing for the transition into the winter season. One project he is wrapping up is the widening of the hill to add two more lanes to the snow tubing section. Increasing the number of lanes from eight to 10 this winter will accommodate the lengthy queues of snow tubers looking for simple and safe winter fun.

The origins of snow tubing date to the mid-1990s, a time when snowboarding was on the brink of passé, and the craze over skis parabolic in shape was dying down. Tubing chutes suddenly began to pop up in Pennsylvania and other neighboring states. Recognizing the potential for business, in 1996 the New York legislature eliminated a lift regulation preventing tubes to be connected to a towing line. That same year, Four Seasons became the first winter center in the state to provide snow tubing for those seeking snowy thrills at much less risk than skiing.

“It was something new and everybody could do it. Only 10 percent to 15 percent of the population can ski and snowboard,” says Goodfellow, himself a lifelong skier who enjoys tubing as well. When he isn’t busy operating the ski hill, he’ll hop on a tube and enjoy a ride.

Over the past 15 years, snow tubing has been quickly gaining popularity as a recreational winter activity. In fact, it makes up nearly 50 percent of Four Seasons’ business in the wintertime. Snow tubing is also a trendy social outing, from sororities to banks and fire departments to birthday parties. For the past three years, Goodfellow offered up the hill to the employees of Carrabba’s Italian Grill, located at 550 Towne Drive, Fayetteville, for their annual late-night winter party after the restaurant closes. Already almost every Saturday is booked for snow tubing parties for the 2011-2012 season.

So why is there a sudden attraction to riding in an oversized rubber doughnut down a slippery slope? It offers the thrill of sledding without successive arduous treks up the hill. The low amount of friction between the tube and the snow allows riders to reach considerable speeds without losing control. And it’s relatively inexpensive when compared to other winter sports because the equipment is included with the ticket. Four Seasons asks $23 for a full-day pass, $19 for three hours, $5 for one ride, and $16 for night tubing. This compares fairly with the ski and snowboard lift tickets at $22 for adult all-day passes and $17 for adult night passes plus equipment rental fees if customers don’t bring their own. Groups of 12 can pay $22 per person for a threehour pass, pizza, pop, and access to the party area. Private parties of upwards of 30 people are provided with catering.

A huge factor in the activity’s popularity is its accessibility to all ages with a variety of snow-related experience. Snow tubing is not difficult to do, and the most difficult part—going back up the hill—is taken care of already. Steering is as simple as shifting one’s weight. Anyone from age 4 to 104 can ride, as long as they’re above 42 inches in height. Goodfellow’s own father, who has since passed away, celebrated his 85th birthday by taking a ride down the tubing chute.

Handicapped individuals, with minimal assistance, can join in as well.

As for Four Seasons, they profit from their safe and efficient operations. The tow line is patrolled at both ends of the slope, and spotters positioned at the bottom of the hill ensure the chutes are clear before the next person can go down. This prevents collisions and injuries and is all included in the “safety package,” according to Goodfellow. “{Snow tube riders} start to get reckless, out of control, making jumps and things like that, and that’s when people get hurt. We always stress that safety is No. 1.”

Winter sports injuries often get a lot of attention at emergency rooms. More than 350,000 people were treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices and emergency rooms for winter sports-related injuries in 2009, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 2007, the CPSC reported 106,020 injuries from snow tubing, sledding and tobogganing.

Statistics duly noted, Four Seasons does not allow horseplay, human chains or more than one person per tube. Parents are often angry when they can’t ride with their toddlers. “But what hap-pens when the tube flips over and a 200pound adult lands on a 30-pound kid?”

Winter entertainment also arrives in the form of philanthropy at Four Seasons.

Goodfellow notes. To assuage annoyed parents, Four Seasons will adhere to a new state rule that allows two tubes to travel in the same lane simultaneously. Parents are always welcome to monitor their children from the lodge or the benches positioned outside.

As with all winter sports, weather conditions are vital in snow tubing. When Mother Nature is fickle, snow machines provide artificial fluff for the three-foot-high banks required between each lane as well as the chutes themselves. A bright, sunny day is favorable, but rainy drizzle does not deter scheduled parties, or holiday travelers who encounter weather conditions rarely seen in the South. “They don’t care how bad the weather is,” says Goodfellow. “It could be a whiteout and they’d still go out there and have fun.”

Last year the ski area partnered with the Foundation for AIDS Research to create a fundraiser and sledding race. Contestants were restricted to using cardboard, glue and tape to construct their sled. “They came up with some really fancy sleds last year,” says Goodfellow. With the help of 30 to 40 volunteers, the fundraiser earned $14,000 for the cause. This season the race will be held on Jan. 21 so college students can participate.

Snow tubing may be trendy, but it’s not Olympics event material—yet. Who knows?

If business keeps increasing—as it does at Four Seasons—tubing will become as much a fixture at winter resorts as skis and snowboards. “People are going to do what their friends are going to do,” says Goodfellow.

“Snow tubing is something everyone can do.”