Southport inventor creating a white Christmas for his community
One young inventor and his passion for skiing and chemistry made it possible – Magnus Kearney has turned his backyard into a neighborhood ski slope.
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Despite the relatively warm Christmas on Monday, fresh snowfall hit one Southport backyard.
One young inventor and his passion for skiing and chemistry made it possible – Magnus Kearney has turned his backyard into a neighborhood ski slope.
“In below-freezing weather, you can combine high-pressure water and air, and the water particles can nucleate and turn into snow,” said Kearney.
He made it possible by using a product called “Snow at Home” and what he learned from his science education at Gould Academy in Maine.
Kearney also constructed a rope tow to help skiers get back uphill without getting too tired.
“The first prototype was with an electric scooter. This one, I put together after that one broke, and it’s doing a lot better,” said Kearney.
The rope-tow, and Kearney’s other additions like, lights and jumps, make it a full course.
“I was bored, and I wanted something to do, so I wanted to ski. I’m kind of a builder and engineer, so I kind of have that mind to build new stuff and explore,” said Kearney.
Kearney has already installed lights for night skiing, along with rails and jumps in his backyard – the newest addition is his snow machine.
“The snow is so unpredictable with global warming, so now we have this here,” said skier Reid Smith. “We can use it whenever we want.”
“It makes me happy that all these kids get to enjoy it with me,” said Kearney.
Kearney says he’d like to use his passion for building as an architect or to become a full-time snowmaker.
