About Us

A volunteer run facility.  See our volunteers page.

Kendal Ski Club was formed in 1984 when a small enthusiastic group called a meeting at The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and put forward the idea of forming a club and building their own slope. Two hundred people each put in £10 to get things started. The members built their own slope and ski lodge on the side of the hill below Kendal Castle.

1984. Black and white photograph looking down the slope. Two men are climbing to the top, almost walking on tiptoe; pushing the fronts of their boots into the matting for grip. 1984. Black and white photograph looking up the slope. Two skiiers are climbing to the top with their skis and poles. 1984. Black and white photograph of a man skiing down the slope. 1984. Black and white photograph looking down the slope. Five skiers are slowly making their way back to the top of the slope with their equipment ready for another run.

In 1997 following a successful bid for a lottery grant, the slope was totally rebuilt using the then untried Snowflex matting system.

1997. Photograph of the site prior to work commencing. 1997. Photograph of the slope covered in the blue plastic that forms the waterproof base of the Snowflex system. 1997. Photograph of the opening day of the new Snowflex slope. Kendal Ski Club's Junior Development members cut the ribbon. 1997. Photograph of the opening day of the new Snowflex slope. A stream of young people are skiing down the slope.

In 2004 the slope was extended. This proved a tremendous success and the club's membership has grown to just under 1800 (July 2006) and we now offer an extensive range of ski classes.

2004. Photograph of a digger clearing trees adjacent to the slope prior to extending it. 2004. Photograph of a digger and dumper truck working on a steep section of the slope; about 1 in 2.5. 2004. Photograph looking down the slope showing an area of the original slope part way through being remodelled. 2004. Photograph looking up the slope showing the freshly gravelled area on the right hand side. Rolls of Snowflex are waiting to be laid. 2004. Photograph looking down the slope over the new area. The black covering is starting to take shape. 2004. Photograph showing the completed slope. There are different areas for practising on the different types of surface, including a quarter pipe, two kickers, waves and three rows of moguls.

Skiing used to be viewed as an elitist sport, but this has never been the case at Kendal. The club was formed with the principle of skiing for anyone who wants to have a go. This was, still is, and always will be, the foundation stone of the club. The only change has been to embrace Snowboarding into this ethos.

We are a purely voluntary organisation. The people who greet you in the lodge and take your money, hand out tokens and set up the equipment for you are all members who have volunteered, as are the ground staff, club officers and our highly-trained team of instructors.

All monies are ploughed back into the club facilities. We all do it because at whatever level of ability, we all love skiing. The club's aim is to encourage anyone who wants to, to come and learn to ski.

See also the Role of Honours list which is a list of all the past chairman from when the club opened back in 1984.