Sex & Booze Free University’s snowsports Centre Faces Uncertain Future as Students Rally to Save Facility

Liberty University’s Snowflex Centre—one of the United States’ most distinctive year‑round ski and snowboard facilities—is facing potential closure, sparking a grassroots campaign from students, alumni and local riders determined to keep the slope alive. The synthetic‑surface complex, perched on Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg, has been a regional landmark since opening in 2009, offering skiing, snowboarding and tubing on a British‑designed Snowflex surface that mimics the feel of snow. Now, amid concerns about funding, maintenance costs and shifting university priorities, its future is in doubt.

A Unique Facility in American Snowsports

Snowflex is the only year‑round, full‑scale ski slope of its kind in the United States. Built using the same technology found in the UK and Europe, the centre includes a main slope, beginner areas, jumps, rails and a tubing run. For nearly two decades, it has served as:

• a training ground for Liberty’s ski and snowboard team

• a recreational hub for students

• a rare accessible venue for beginners in a region without natural ski terrain

• a community space for local families and riders

Its existence has allowed thousands of Virginians to learn to ski or snowboard without travelling to West Virginia or North Carolina. For Liberty athletes, it has been a competitive advantage: the university’s freestyle team has earned national titles thanks in part to year‑round training.

Although Liberty University owns and operates the centre, Snowflex serves a broader audience than the student population. Local skiers and snowboarders use it for practice, lessons and freestyle development, while families visit for tubing and other activities.

The centre’s year-round availability is particularly valuable in a region where natural snow is seasonal and often inconsistent. Virginia has no large western-style ski areas, and local resorts depend on suitable temperatures for snowmaking. Snowflex offers a controlled alternative in which the surface remains available even when outdoor snow conditions are poor.

Liberty has also used the facility as part of its student-recruitment and visitor programmes. Prospective students and families have been offered discounted passes that include equipment rental, skiing, snowboarding, tubing and trampolining. The centre is featured in campus activity schedules and major university weekends, underlining its role in the institution’s wider identity.

The facility also hosts camps for children. A 2026 Snowflex day camp offered instruction for participants aged five to 15, combining skiing and snowboarding coaching with tubing, trampolining and other campus activities.

Rumours of Closure

Concerns began circulating in late summer when students noticed reduced operating hours, postponed maintenance and reports that the university was evaluating the long‑term viability of the facility. Liberty has not issued a formal statement, but multiple student groups say staff have privately acknowledged that closure is being considered.

The reasons appear to be a combination of:

• rising maintenance costs for the Snowflex surface

• ageing infrastructure requiring significant investment

• shifting university budget priorities

• lower usage during off‑peak months

For many students, the possibility of losing the faciliity feels like losing a defining part of campus life.

It's fair to say that Liberty University is not without it's own controversies. Liberty University (LU), known simply as Liberty, is a conservative, private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns as Lynchburg Baptist College, Liberty is among the world's largest Christian universities and one of the largest private non-profit universities in the United States by total student enrollment.

The university requires undergraduate students to take three evangelical biblical studies classes. Its honor code, called the "Liberty Way", prohibits premarital sex, cohabitation, any kind of romantic relationship between members of the same sex, and alcohol use. It places a strong emphasis on creationism. Liberty University is perceived as a "bastion of the Christian right", playing a prominent role in Republican politics under Falwell and his son and successor Jerry Falwell Jr.; Falwell Jr. left in 2020 amid allegations of sexual and professional impropriety and was later sued by the university.[

The university has faced multiple controversies, including allegations of nepotism, sexual assault mismanagement, racial and LGBTQ discrimination, censorship, and regulatory violations, culminating in a $14 million Clery Act fine in 2024 for systemic underreporting of campus crimes

A Campaign Gains Momentum

In response, students and local riders have launched a “Save Snowflex” campaign, gathering signatures, organising awareness events and sharing testimonials about the slope’s impact. Alumni have joined in, highlighting how Snowflex shaped their university experience and athletic careers.

Key arguments from campaign organisers include:

• Accessibility: Snowflex provides affordable skiing and snowboarding to thousands who would otherwise never try the sport.

• Athletics: Liberty’s ski and snowboard team relies on year‑round training to remain competitive nationally.

• Community value: The slope attracts visitors from across Virginia, supporting local tourism and recreation.

• Identity: Snowflex is one of Liberty’s most recognisable and innovative facilities.

Students have also emphasised that Snowflex aligns with Liberty’s broader mission of offering distinctive campus experiences and fostering outdoor recreation. Looking at Liberty's no sex, drink or drugs policy students could certainly do with some experiences.....

The campaign’s social-media activity has already attracted more than 500 followers, while videos connected with the effort have generated more than 60,000 views. Those numbers suggest the debate extends beyond a small group of regular users and has reached a wider audience of people who learned to ski or snowboard, trained their skills or socialised at the centre.

Local Reaction

The Lynchburg community has responded strongly. Families who use the tubing slope, local snowboarders who rely on Snowflex for practice, and regional ski clubs have voiced support for keeping the facility open. For many, Snowflex is the only accessible snowsports venue within a two‑hour radius.

Regional ski industry observers note that Snowflex has played an important role in introducing new participants to skiing and snowboarding—something the industry has struggled with nationally. Its closure would remove one of the few year‑round entry points for beginners.

What Happens Next

Liberty University has not announced a timeline for its decision. The Save Snowflex campaign is urging the administration to consider alternative funding models, partnerships with ski brands, expanded programming or community‑supported operations.

The facility’s supporters argue that Snowflex is more than a recreational slope—it is a symbol of innovation, accessibility and year‑round mountain culture in a region without mountains. Whether that legacy continues will depend on the university’s next move.