Ski World

We don’t have mountains in Brown County, but the hills are steep enough to give skiers a thrill at Ski World. The resort offers a variety of winter activities for people of all ages and abilities and attracts thousands of people to the area every year.

Southern Indiana is not known for big snowfalls, but Ski World’s sophisticated snow guns produce all the snow necessary for good skiing. Natural snow is really just decoration.

Phyllis Riskey, owner of Ski World since 1988, said her late husband Bill and her son Robert designed much of the snowmaking equipment. “Bill looked to the future. Our snow guns are probably the best ones around. He designed them. We have patents on them.”

Ski resorts in the Midwest are called “hatcheries.” Phyllis explained, “Just like a chicken ranch or farm they hatch them and send them all over. If you go east or west and you ask, ‘Where did you learn to ski?’ they will come up with a ski area somewhere in the Midwest.”

Ski World trains the beginners. They even offer free beginner lessons several times a day. These startup lessons teach skiers how to fall down and get up, stop, and make it up the rope tow. After they practice and get comfortable skiers can take a more advanced lesson with a group or one-on-one with an instructor. The employees at Ski World strongly encourage people to take the free beginner lessons. Learning the basics from an experienced skier can prevent accidents.

If you like the excitement of speeding down the slopes but have a fear of falling down you can always stay on the ground and slide down on an inner tube.

Tubing is the fastest growing activity at Ski World. The number of participants has doubled every year since tubing started four years ago. Last year over 7,000 tubers made it down the hill. Anyone five years of age or older can use the tubes. The only requirement is that you must be able to go down the hill by yourself.

Snowboarding is another activity that has grown in popularity over the years. Eight years ago there were 20 snowboards for rent and the number has since grown to 150.

“We do a lot of snowboarding,” said Phyllis. “We leave it [the slopes] open for both skiers and boarders. There is a designated area called ‘The Boarder’ where they can make their jumps.”

Last year was a stellar season for all Ski World winter activities. It was the second best season on record and one of the longest timeframes—starting on the 8th of December and running through the end of February. It was also the first season after the passing of Bill Riskey. You might recall seeing those “Thank You, Bill” messages on the signboard.

The Riskeys made many improvements and changes to the complex over the years. They were always looking to the future for what they could do with the business.

Phyllis said Bill was always brimming with ideas. “He would be out there bulldozing or grooming and he was always thinking of what can we do to make it better. No matter what it was in his life—anything that he tackled—he said, ‘It has to be made better.’”

Bill designed the 400-seat theatre that now features the Pine Box Theatre.

He and Robert brainstormed together to create Petty’s Plunge, the steepest slope in the Midwest.

They reworked the hills in recent years to improve the movement from hill to hill and trail to trail. The new flow between areas is a feature not offered at most ski resorts

Other improvements include:

• A new lift
• The Tubing Hill
• A cafeteria with windows facing the slopes
• A second maintenance building
• Campsites, including some winterized sites

This year Phyllis and Robert decided to concentrate on fixing up the place. They have done a lot of cleanup and painting. They remodeled the lounge and added a deck in the front.

Phyllis has been in the ski business since 1967. She and Bill met at a ski resort in Brighton, Michigan. Phyllis started out frying hamburgers for $1 an hour when they needed some help in the kitchen and later became their food service manager. Bill became a stockholder of the resort. Bill was in the ski business in one form or another for at least 55 of his 73 years.

Phyllis and Bill came to Brown County in 1980 because a friend of theirs, Ron Long, was considering opening up a ski area across from the Little Nashville Opry and asked for their advice. They told Long that the hills were all wrong and weren’t facing North. He ignored their advice and created Long Mountain. It lasted one season.

At that time Ski World, originally known as Brown County Slopes, had been sold to shareholders as Nashville Alps. Then in 1981 Ski World took it over.

Phyllis had always dreamed of owning her own ski resort, so when the opportunity to buy out the major stockholder in Ski World came about, Bill made her dream come true.

Shortly after purchasing the business they developed some summer attractions. They put in go carts, bumper cars, bumper boats, bank shot basketball, and the water wars. The first few years were very successful but the competition with elaborate go cart tracks around the Indianapolis area dropped their attendance. They sold the equipment including the Alpine slide in 1998.

This past summer Ski World had a Hill Climb put on by Scooter Mania. For the third year, 32 motorcycle racers climbed up the Plunge. The event lasted about six hours and attracted around 2,000 spectators.

Upcoming events this winter season include:

• January 20—“June in January Fling”
(Wear your best summer hat and win prizes!)

• February 2 and 3—“Ski Race at Noon”

• February 9 and 10—“2nd Annual Snow Box
Derby” Sponsored by Bloomington Parks and
Recreation. There is a $2 charge per person for
spectators at the Tube Hill. You can sign up for
rules and regulations by calling 812-349-3700.

• February 14—“Valentines Day”
(Wear your brightest red heart)

• February 17—“Junior Cup Race”
(18 year olds or younger)

• March 3—“Spring Fling” Snow or no snow—
rain or shine! (Wear a costume)

Ski World has Midnight Madness skiing every Friday and Saturday nights. Student nights are Thursdays and Sundays.

Ski World is located four miles west of Nashville on State Road 46.

For more information about Ski World you can visit their web site at <www.skiworldindiana.com>. For a snow report call 812-988-6693. You can reach the office at 812-988-6638.