Alpine-X Brings Skiing Legend Onboard To Build Indoor Ski Resort In Lorton

LORTON, VA — Alpine-X, developer of a $225 million indoor snow sports resort in Lorton, has teamed up with a consulting firm co-founded by Bode Miller, the winningest men's alpine ski racer in U.S. history and legend of the sport.

The company’s equity partnership with Miller’s firm, M BAR W Enterprises LLC aims to further Alpine-X's core message of "Snowsports for Everyone" and democratize snowsports with a focus on inclusivity.

Miller will be joining Alpine-X as chief innovation officer. He is known for 33 World Cup individual victories, two overall World Cup titles, four World Ski world championships, and six Olympic medals. He retired in 2017 from ski racing.

"Alpine-X is advancing a creative, visionary, and inclusive approach to indoor snowsports, and I'm proud to have the opportunity to work with this world-class team," Miller said in a statement Wednesday.

Miller co-founded M BAR W Enterprises with Andy Wirth, a ski industry veteran who has more than 30 years working within the ski resort and private equity sectors. He will join Alpine-X as a strategic adviser.

Alpine-X is currently developing its flagship resort, "Alpine-X at Fairfax Peak," in Lorton, projected to open in early 2025. When completed, it will offer a wide range of experiences, both within the snow dome and throughout other areas of the resort.

The Fairfax Peak proposal would involve the construction of a 450,000-square-foot ski facility, a new hotel and restaurants, a “mountain coaster” and more on the site of the old Lorton landfill. Alpine-X is expected to submit a set of designs to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors by early 2022 as part of the regulatory review process.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an interim agreement in November 2020 to work with Alpine-X on designing an indoor snow sports facility that will meet the requirements of the county. Some county supervisors have questioned the facility's projected massive use of energy to operate the indoor complex and how the facility will affect traffic in the Lorton area.

With Fairfax Peak in Lorton as its template, Alpine-X is aiming to expand into more than 20 other North American markets. The United States has an estimated 9.2 million active skiers and snowboarders, a market that would be much larger if the sport were more accessible, according to the company.

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