Tomorrow will see two more LEGO® Friends sets released, each with a snowy theme. Joining a similar set from LEGO City is another place to pop on some skis and take to the piste. After a relaxing night under the stars in a Holiday Igloo, the folks of Heartlake City can embark on a snowy adventure on the slopes. To conclude my reviews of the LEGO Friends sets, here’s a closer look at the Holiday Ski Slope and Café set.
Product Details
Set Name: Holiday Ski Slope and Café | Set Number: 41756 | Pieces: 980 | Theme: Friends
RRP: £749.99/$79.99/84.99€ | Number of Bags: Bags x 6 | Instructions: 1 x Paper booklets + Builder App | Stickers: Sheet x 1 | Characters: Liann, Zac and Aron plus snow fox
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & General Retail
The slope is created from two sections that are connected together to create a larger slope. As most natural slopes are built into a mountain they often offer a far more ‘twisty turny’ downhill run, which is partly recreated thanks to this one being two sections. Although each of the sections are different sizes, the actual slope is created in the same way on both. A panel of flat tiles clips into the surroundings, which allows it to sit at an angle. The join is then covered by a couple of smaller slope plates. It’s a simple technique but one which works really well. The slopes also feature a couple of jumper plates which you can connect a transparent peg, to then add a snowboard. The surrounding area of the slope is decorated with natural elements such as trees, rocks and layers of snow. But there are also modern details thanks to the café built into the slopes mountain. The best of these is a snowboard bench.
The café building features plenty of detail both inside and out. The exterior is mostly traditional with wooden panels and stone-lined walls. But these then jazzed up with colourful signs. Some of these feature nods to LEGO brands found in other sets such as the Fresh Market and bubble gum signs. The stairs are quite unusual as well, a series of steps are connected on top of each other, with a stud on the underside acting as a buffer for each so they form a spiral stairway.
The exterior may not be overly spacious but it’s still fairly detailed. The room on the upper floor features a workshop for repairing ski equipment. Below is the café side of things, this is more a refreshment kiosk than a café. Here you’ll find a till counter and a rather cool chiller cabinet. Both spaces are quite tricky to get to but the detail they include is quite nice.
There are three characters included in the set and they all offer something unique. Liann and Zac are part of the main cast, with both featured in unique ski gear. They both include the option to replace their hair with helmets. They are joined by a random resident of Heartlake City Aaron. This is a character who requires the crutches, which are recreated from the handle piece of a paint roller. All characters have sports equipment to help them enjoy the snow. Liann and Zac have snowboards, with the ski equipment also available. Aaron has a specially adapted device that combines a mini-doll wheelchair shell, minus the wheels, which are replaced with skis.
Overall
The Holiday Ski Slope is an obvious companion piece for the Igloo Holiday adventure set, although there is no direct connection just that they are themed around the same thing. It also offers a similar experience to the ski-themed LEGO City set, but whereas the LEGO City Ski Slope offers a modern sports attraction, the Friends Ski Slope is a much more traditional-looking place, thanks to the wooden trim and snow-topped trees. This also makes it a fun set to build and the slopes have been nicely incorporated into the overall build. There are a few bricks used to connect things like trees which are exposed and look a little out of place but the detail they provide certainly outweighs their use. It’s also another great set that could be incorporated into festive-themed displays.
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The LEGO Group provided this set for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
