In the midst of selling his Greendale-based manufacturing company The Kinetic Co. Inc., Jared Masters stumbled upon an Instagram post that would set the course for his next career move. It showed someone using a downhill ski and snowboard simulator machine at a ski store in Vancouver.
An avid skier, Masters was immediately intrigued. He tracked down the maker, SkyTechSport, and in July 2020 he flew out to Los Angeles to visit the company’s headquarters. At the time, there were only a couple of simulators in the U.S. and they were privately owned. The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team has since become SkyTech’s largest customer.
The following November, Masters opened Urban Slopes at N35 W23770 Capitol Drive in Pewaukee as the first business to offer the interactive experience to the public. The 4,800-square-foot space looks like a ski lodge, complete with a fireplace and bar serving beer and wine. But instead of a snow-covered ski hill, there are four, 20-foot-wide SkyTechSport simulators available for individual and group bookings as well as private parties.
“Whether you’re a beginner skier or an advanced skier, it’s different, it’s fun, and it’s warm – we’re not 20 below zero,” said Masters, who expects business to pick up once the outdoor ski season winds down.
Later this year, he plans to expand Urban Slopes into a market where outdoor snow skiing doesn’t exist: Florida.
