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FRANCE
Back door
FRANCE Tignes of
AUSTRIA Leogang
AUSTRIA
A winter paradise
RYDING HIGH Racer looks
future SWITZERLAND Eco-friendly Andermatt
ITALY
Alta Badia feast
RACING Wheels on fire CANADA A first for BC?
AMERICA Bring on the sub
HOLIDAY NEWS Bansko on top SALES & SERVICES
Crowd pleasers
UK SLOPE & CLUB NEWS ‘The Eagle’ opens new centre
Skier & Snowboarder Editor Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin caught up with four times Freeride World Champion Guerlain Chicherit (right) in Tignes. The adrenaline junkie, who also holds the record for becoming the first person to do a backflip in a car, outlined how he and his business partner are revolutionising the customer service skiers and snowboarders can expect when visiting the French resort. See story pages 12 & 13
After a few false dawns, the ski and snowboard holiday market has returned to some kind of normality after the pandemic, and tour operators report bookings have been flooding in.
The pent-up demand caused by the lack of ski and snowboarding opportunities and travel restrictions during Covid means we can’t wait to get back to the mountains, but there seems some confusion over what people are looking for.
Some ski specialists say that, despite the current cost of living crisis, skiers and snowboarders are using the money they have saved on not being able to go the mountains to treat themselves to a luxury trip this season.
Others believe the tightening of purse strings by those worried about the economy and rises in energy bills means people are being more budget conscious, which has seen an increase in demand for self-catering and ski-drive holidays.
Whatever your preference, it’s good to see the rise in bookings and you can find out what’s on offer in the Skier & Snowboarder magazine. On the following pages you’ll find a snapshot of what’s available, and there is more information as well as regularly updated news, events and special holiday offers on our website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Plus, make sure you sign up through the website to receive our regular email newsletter, which will alert you to these offers and other news.
We are pleased to welcome two new additions to our website coverage this season. Talented young British racers Robert and Charlotte Holmes will be providing regular insights into the world of ski racing from grass roots to the elite level.
And we have teamed up with DSUK (Disability Snowsport UK) to highlight the skiing and snowboarding opportunities available for people who have a lifelong condition, injury, or life-changing diagnosis. See their reports on our website.
Finally, don’t miss your chance to win some OGIO ski and snowboard luggage in our free to enter competition. Details on page 26 and on our website.
Gwent Police are treating a fire that damaged part of the Pontypool dry ski slope in Wales during August as criminal damage.
Pontypool, which has one of the longest slopes in Europe at 230m, normally opens to the public from October to April.
However, it was closed for the summer when the vandals struck, although private lessons were still available.
All the ski areas in Andorra will be available on one lift pass this winter, offering skiers and snowboarders more than 300km (190 miles) of slopes.
The Grandvalira Ski Pass is a culmination of the expansion and amalgamation of all of Andorra’s ski areas, which are sandwiched between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountain range.
Skiers and snowboarders are showing a preference for smaller chalets this season. Plus, more of them are opting for self-drive trips and longer stays.
These were some of the findings in the Consensio Chalets Luxury Ski Insights 2022 report. For more details, go to the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Vail Resorts, which operates more than 40 ski areas in the USA, Australia, Canada and Switzerland, has announced it is to limit the number of people allowed on the slopes at each of their North American resorts every day of the coming ski season.
A company statement said: “Lift tickets
will be limited every day, across every resort, during the 2022/23 season in order to preserve the guest experience.”
Switzerland’s Jungfrau ski region has tweaked its regional lift pass this winter to include Grindelwald-Wengen and the Mürren-Schilthorn on one pass.
The Jungfrau Winter Sport Pass also includes free descents on its adrenalinefuelled zip lines on First Mountain, the First Flyer and First Glider, and travel to and from Interlaken with the integration of the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB), including a direct connection to the Grindelwald Terminal.
* More details on all these stories, and regularly updated news throughout the season, can be found on the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
TO HIRE : www.precisionski rent.com www.ski-republic.com www freeride fr TO BUY : www precisionski co uk We love the mountains! Born & raised OVER A 100 SHOPS IN MORE THAN 60 SKI RESORTS IN FRANCE
George Jedenoff, the world’s oldest known living skier, celebrated his 105th birthday on 5 July, 2022.
The American began skiing more than 60 years ago in Utah. He was still skiing at various resorts such as Alta until the age of 103, but in the last few years George has had to find new places to ski, some of them closer to his home in California.
In an interview with Stanford Business School, from where he graduated more than 80 years ago, George explained: “I’ve been able to ski consistently for 61 years, including a few runs this year at Sugar Bowl, but I can no longer ski at my favourite resorts in Utah because I can’t handle the altitude.
“I still do my 45 minutes of exercise every morning to keep limber, and that helps my mind, too.”
A World Bank ‘loan grant’ of €70million will be used to create four new ski resorts in Pakistan, claims the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan has a large amount of mountainous terrain and spectacular scenery but has a long history of problematic ski resort developments.
Malam Jaba, in the Swat Valley, is currently the main ski centre having been rebuilt after being destroyed by the Taliban
A huge dry ski slope has opened near the western Ukranian city of Lviv despite the Russian invasion.
The slope, supplied by Skitrax, is part of the 5* Hotel Resort Emily and has been designed so that it can also be used in winter when the area on Vynnyky mountain is often snow-covered.
A Doppelmayr quad chairlift takes skiers and snowboarders to the top of the mountain, where they will find a large red lion. It is the mascot of the Ukrainian soccer club RUKH, whose owner also built the hotel and leisure complex.
A ski area in Vermont originally known as ‘Hill No. 6’ and more recently ‘Suicide Six’ has changed its name again to Saskadena Six because of concerns over mental health.
Local folklore is that the man who installed the original rope tow joked that ‘skiing the steep pitch would be suicide’, and the new name stuck. See full story on page 15.
Plans are in the pipeline to upgrade an existing ski area at Auli in the Indian Himalayas into what is being described as ‘a global winter sports destination’. The ski area is currently served by a 4km-long (2.5 miles) gondola lift, a chairlift and a drag lift.
Catered Chalets
– Morzine - Courchevel
Hotels in 40+ resorts 7 countries
family run to 5* luxury
What will hopefully be the first winter season without pandemic restrictions since 2018/19 is upon us, and British holiday companies are keen to attract skiers and snowboarders back to the pistes. Skier & Snowboarder magazine News Editor Patrick Thorne sifts through what’s on offer…
As the 2022/23 ski season gets underway there is some confusion. The biggest companies claim that despite a weak pound, summer travel chaos tales filling the media, a growing cost-of-living crisis, and now scare stories of lifts not running in the Alps due to energy costs (stories being strenuously denied by resorts), pent-up demand means bookings are at an ‘all-time high’.
Others are less upbeat, saying bookings are OK but not brilliant, and that there’s still some way to go to replace pandemic losses. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
A common theme for the past few seasons has been a claim that skiers and snowboarders are booking more upmarket accommodation, as a reward for missing out during lockdowns.
“Having not skied for a couple of seasons some clients are planning a better holiday than usual. This could mean they’re staying for longer or perhaps choosing a better hotel or a premium room type,” said Michael Bennett, boss of Ski Independence.
Special travel agency Sno.co.uk has seen a big jump in sales of Swiss ski holidays, which it put down to the country being more open during the pandemic. Crystal agrees, but says Italy is out-selling it, while Canadian bookings at Inghams have nearly doubled from pre-pandemic levels.
At least one tour operator hopes another pandemic trend, working from the Alps, might become mainstream with Pierre & Vacances offering a month-long stay in low season at a discounted rate for remote workers.
The UK’s largest ski holiday operator, Crystal, has added 1984 Winter Olympics venue Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ski area has been rebuilt and modernised since the Balkan Wars more than 25 years ago and Crystal says it will provide a new bargain destination in the cost-of-living crisis.
T he Aurora Zone is launching ‘Downhill Skiing and Northern Lights Adventures’ in Finland with holidays to the internationally little-known resorts of Saariselkä and Iso Syöte.
Staying in Scandinavia, for Ski Solutions Norway is one of the big expansions, with the company adding holidays to Hafjell, Norefjell, Kvitfjell and Hemsedal.
Snow Boomerang, run by a Romanian-born ski instructor who grew up in Australia, has launched in Poiana Brașov offering hi-tech ski teaching.
All-inclusive stalwart Club Med has been expanding and upgrading in recent years and this winter adds Kiroro Peak in Japan, while their Tignes and Val d’Isere villages have been renovated.
Inghams has announced the biggest number of new holiday options, adding 44 new chalets, hotels and apartment choices to their programme. Most are in Austria or France, but they are spread across 25 resorts with some in Switzerland and Canada and five new options each in Italy and Lapland.
At the time of writing, most ski nations are offering unrestricted access to Brits, vaccinated or not, with no need to provide proof. But a few countries still have some lingering rules. These may go, but it’s worth checking the position before you book.
This season is one when the traditional ski week Saturday transfer day scores a direct hit on key holiday weekends – Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are both Saturdays this December. Some operators are rearranging some or all of their holiday departures to avoid the clash, while others are sticking to Saturdays but saying that because of that demand is down and prices are lower than usual for New Year’s week.
The traditional chalet party has been hit by a catalogue of problems (employment law, Brexit, pandemic) meaning the market is going through a transition. The question you need to ask when booking is: Are you in a traditional catered chalet, or a chalet with no staff but hot food delivered, or food and drink supplied in your fridge for you to heat up, or perhaps a self-catering apartment they’re calling a chalet? You need to check!
Business remains good for traditional chalet holiday providers, though, according to Le Ski boss Nick Morgan: “Overall bookings are excellent throughout the season, partly because we are one of the few operators left who offer the full package with catered chalets, flights and transfers, and are 100% ATOL bonded.”
Elizabeth Cahir of Megève-based Stanford Skiing, which has cut capacity this winter, agrees, adding that people hoping for last-minute offers in catered chalet accommodation could be disappointed. She said: “We’re already getting pretty full for our remaining chalet/hotel so anyone wanting to visit should book early, there won’t be much left last minute.”
Ski France is building on its ‘Chalet Holidays 2.0’ concept of having no chalet staff, which proved a success during the pandemic. Instead, you arrive to find your fridge and cupboards stocked with food and drink, and this looks like a good model for the future.
Another name in the chalet market is the OVO Network, a kind of Airbnb, which now represents more than 300 high-end chalets and apartments.
Peak Retreats is celebrating its 20th birthday by expanding to more than 75 French destinations. The company’s success has come from offering affordable holidays to less well-known villages connected to the larger ski areas. Their range now includes more famous resorts as well.
Le Ski and Skiworld are both celebrating 40th ski seasons, with the former now running more than 30 chalets and the latter now claiming they are the largest independent operator in the UK.
The travel firm Erna Low, a pioneer in the development of package holidays, celebrates 90 years since its founder first advertised ski holidays to Austria in The Times in 1932. Fittingly, the company is returning to offering holidays to Austria for 2022/23.
* A more detailed version of this roundup, plus other holiday news, is available on the Skier & Snowboarder website along with updates on special offers for this season. Go to: w ww.skierandsnowboarder.com
LES GETS: Wood-based ski passes in credit card style are being produced by Les Gets this season to reduce plastic consumption in the French resort.
VAL-D’ISÈRE : The French resort’s 39 slope groomers are now being powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel, which reduces CO2 emissions by 19%. The village will also have two new electric buses. Val-d’Isère aims to have 15 electric buses running between the village and its surrounding hamlets by 2025.
PALISADES TAHOE : The Californian resort claims it was the first in North America to ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. It now provides water stations around the mountain and village for skiers to refill their own bottles. Other initiatives include free electric car charging stations and the donation of uniforms from retired staff to those in need around the world.
TAOS: A new, fully electrically-powered piste basher, which will be used to prepare the slopes for skiers and snowboarders in Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, will be the first of its kind in North America.
ALIKATS : Morzine-based chalet operator AliKats has three new chalets using 100% green power and zero food waste. The initiatives are part of its aim to become carbon neutral.
SERRE CHEVALIER : Two hydro-electric turbines have been installed in the French resort, which is aiming to generate 30% of its energy needs from solar, wind and hydroelectric renewable sources by 2023.
Are you looking for a way of cutting the cost of your trip to the mountains without having to compromise on the amount of skiing and snowboarding there is on offer? Lisa Young found the answer in Orelle, which links into Les Trois Vallées through two of the fastest gondolas in the world
F or those in the know, Orelle is a back door to the massive Les Trois Vallées ski area that includes 600km of skiable terrain.
And that back door has opened even wider now the 3 Vallées Express has been replaced by the new Orelle gondola, along with the installation of a second Orelle-Caron gondola. Together they whisk skiers and snowboarders from Orelle to Cime Caron (3,195m) and then on to Val Thorens.
Hamlets which link with larger well known ski
areas have always been attractive to skiers and snowboarders, and amid the current cost of living crisis these traditional French villages will become even more popular.
This is because the prices charged for accommodation, and in bars and restaurants, are usually cheaper than staying in the larger neighbouring resorts.
Orelle is a collection of such hamlets situated between 880m and 1,200m in the Savoie Mont-Blanc
region, and they provide access to some of the best snow and quieter runs in this vast, snowcovered area.
It’s a shame you can’t ski all the way down to the hamlets, and the last gondola down is at 5pm, but the wide cruising slopes were a joy to ski when I visited last season.
One of the mountainside restaurants on the Orelle side is the Chalet Chinal Donat, a popular terraced restaurant that heaves with
people at lunchtime. They are attracted by the good budget-priced food, such as spaghetti bolognaise, and soups served from a self-service area.
At the base of the new gondola station is a bar called Les 4 Vallées where a shandy costs €3 and a small beer is €2.80. Further up the mountains you’ll pay a lot more for alcoholic drinks.
Accommodation in Orelle is limited compared to other areas. One of the main places to stay is the Residence Hameau des Eaux, a five-minute drive up a twisting road above the new gondola station. There is a free transfer bus from here to Orelle’s high-speed gondola every 20 minutes.
The Residence offers pet-friendly self-catering apartments, and there’s a decent restaurant that serves healthy portions of Savoie-styled mountain food to keep you fuelled.
Although the apartments are basic and ‘blingless’, they do offer a comfortable place to lay your head with all the amenities needed for a ski trip.
You can use your own linen and cleaning products (a bucket, broom and cloths are provided), but if you prefer you can pay extra for sheets, towels and a cleaning service on departure.
There’s a small supermarket with a good selection of food including fresh cheese, meat, vegetables and wine, among other things. Even the locals come here for their fresh veggies and fruit. The store’s owner buys them in Italy because, according to her, their produce is always bigger and tastier.
For a bit of excitement during your stay, try the zip line from the top of the Bouchet chairlift in Orelle (3,230m), from where you can whizz 1,300m
Apartments at the Residence Hameau des Eaux in Orelle can accommodate between two and eight people and are available from €329 a week. There are three small additional charges: €10 per person per stay for towels, and a linen fee of €15 for a double bed / €10 for a single bed. There is a final cleaning bill ranging from €40 to €80 depending on the apartment size.
A 3 Vallée adult lift pass can be bought in Orelle for £202/€241 for six days. (£41/€48.50 for a one-day adult pass).
A London City Airport to Chambéry flight operates four times a week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) from £67 per person and includes a generous free baggage allowance, complementary onboard drinks and snacks and your choice of seats. Flights can be booked at: www.ba.com/londoncity British Airways also fly to Geneva up to seven times a week from £63 per person. www.ba.com to the Funitel de Thorens in Val Thorens (3,000m). My stay in Orelle provided me with the best snow and quietest pistes in the area while still giving me access to the enormous Trois Vallées. It was certainly a more affordable place to go skiing, which can’t be a bad thing in a global financial crisis.
For more information on Orelle and the Les Trois Vallées ski area, go to: www.Orelle.net www.les3vallees.com
There is a new gondola in the Balme Ski Area. The existing gondola, which departs from the village of Le Tour, has been replaced by a new-generation Doppelmayr 10-seater panoramic gondola.
There is a bigger snow park at the top of Raverettes chairlift with new modules, rails and jumps. Plus, the 1000D, which starts from the summit of the Pointe de Nyon, provides a 1,000m run for skiers and snowboarders.
There is new picnic area on Grand Alpe at 2,191m in altitude at the foot of the zip line and overlooking the village of Saint Chaffrey/ Chantemerle.
The snow park has move from Belle Plagne to Montchavin-Les Coches. It can cater for beginners and those who want to discover new tricks.
A cable car has been transformed into a highaltitude restaurant in the La Giettaz area. It is called 1930, which represents the location’s altitude from where visitors get 360° views.
Arc 2000 is the latest village in Les Arcs to open a step-by-step progression area to help beginners move easily and safely through their skiing or snowboarding journey. There are now three progression areas across Les Arcs.
The Vallée Blanche chairlift has been replaced by a Télémix and the Super Venosc gondola has also been updated. There is a new green slope between Vallée Blanche and Pied-Moutet, making this part of the ski area more accessible.
More good news for parents as the resort is now offering free lift passes to children under eight.
* For more details on all these stories and other France news, go to the ‘France’ section of the Skier & Snowboarder website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
A local ski legend and a former banker are on a mission to change the face of Tignes – for the better. The duo gave Editor Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin a taste of the level of service skiers and snowboarders can now enjoy
In 1952, the original village of Tignes was lost forever when homes and businesses were covered by the new Lac du Chevril, created by a dam built to provide hydroelectric power, which skiers and snowboarders now pass on their way up to the ski area at 2,100m.
Not surprisingly, Tignes residents at the time were unhappy with the installation of the dam, as they were being forced out of their family homes, and a group of villagers formed a resistance-type movement.
The members sabotaged machinery and carried out other nefarious activities under the cover of darkness, but these attempts to disrupt and stop the work were ultimately unsuccessful. (The full story has been previously covered by the Skier & Snowboarder magazine).
Now, 70 years later, the current villages of Tignes – Le Lac, Val Claret and Les Brévières – are undergoing another major transformation, but this time the people behind it, one of whom is a local hero, hope that the changes will be more welcome.
This latest master plan has been dreamt up by former banker Nicolas Chatillon and four-times
World Champion freeride skier Guerlain Chicherit, who moved to Tignes from Paris with his mother when he was just two days old.
The two became friends when Nicolas was involved in the finance and sponsorship of Guerlain’s activities. While having a late-night drink together, they discovered both had the same vision when it came to the level of service skiers and snowboarders should receive during stays in mountain resorts.
It was not long before their nocturnal chat became a more serious discussion, after which –despite neither having a background in hospitality – they decided to form a partnership based on Nicolas’s business acumen and Guerlain’s famous name and aptitude for taking risks.
The pair launched a property development company called Les Etincelles. By attracting some major financial investors, many of them from Britain, the company has, incredibly, in the last four years already managed to acquire 70% of Tignes’ hotels as well as other properties, including restaurants and the former bowling alley. They turned the latter into The Strike, a nightclub and live music venue.
Frank Baldwin stayed in Tignes as a guest of Les Etincelles. He flew from London Heathrow to Geneva with SWISS (www.swiss.com) and stayed at VoulezVous hotel (www.voulezvoushotel.com). Meals included lunch at Le Levanna and Hotel Montana, plus dinner at VoulezVous, Hotel Les Campanules and Tetras Lodge. For details of Les Etincelles accommodation, go to: www.etincelles.com
For details of the chalets available through the Carte Blanche Range, go to: www.carte-blanche.com
Nicolas explained: “We started in Tignes because of Guerlain’s connections, but we also have properties in Val d’Isère and Belle Plagne.
“We want to expand into at least nine resorts in France, and then maybe other countries. We will only consider resorts that guarantee at least 23 weeks of snow during the ski season, so we are not really interested in lower-lying ski areas.”
Despite both being French, the duo want their customer experience to be more like the personal service offered by family-run Austrian hotels.
Nicolas said: “We believe skiers and snowboarders in the future will not necessarily be on the pistes all day and so are looking for other experiences.”
Guerlain, who has a ski zone in Tignes named after him, added: “What we should offer and how it should be done is based on my own experiences – both good and bad – while travelling around the world during my freeride competition days and when I have been taking part in special events.”
One of their aims is to provide Tignes with its first 5* hotel, and an example of the level of service and atmosphere they have already begun to offer can be found at the new VoulezVous hotel (one of the latest additions to the Les Etincelles Collection) located in Tignes le Lac, 50m from the ski slopes and 200m from the nearest ski lift.
Let’s start with the ski room – or ski lounge as they like to call it – located on the ground floor, doing away with having to struggle up and down stairs to a basement.
Nicolas and Guerlain carried out a time and motion study that found it can take guests, especially those with young families, up to 45 minutes to get all their skis, snowboards and boots together ready for the slopes.
To overcome this, specialist staff at the VoulezVous will first fit you out with the right equipment based on your ability, and then every day will have everything waiting for you, cutting down the ‘getting ready’ time from 45 minutes to five minutes. At the end of your day, you leave your skis and snowboard in the rack outside the hotel, change your footwear in the ski lounge, and the staff will store your equipment away and have it ready again for the next day.
What other experiences will guests staying at VoulezVous have? To quote from its own website: “The hotel is designed as a place to explore your creative freedom and experience a whirlwind of emotions. Music, dancing, graphic arts, cinema and games are all available to explore in a perfectly curated and refined decor.”
Guerlain Chicherit started on the road to fame and fortune at around the age of 16. He was already a French champion at mogul skiing and taekwondo, and was unhappy when ordered by the governing bodies that he had to choose one or the other.
The 44 year old said: “Around the same time I was invited to join a freeride team which was being sponsored by Dynastar. I appeared in several of their videos, and all of a sudden they were being shown everywhere. This helped freeride really take off and my name was being attached to skis, clothing, glasses and other goods. So, there I was, at the age of only 16, making really good money.
“It also gave me the opportunity to compete in the new Freeride World Championships.”
His extreme runs saw him become the World Champion four times between 1999 and 2007. He may have won even more titles, but he signed a contract saying he would not ski competitively after taking on a new challenge – rally driving, which allowed him to continue to push himself to the limits.
Guerlain’s love of fast cars and motorbikes saw him get involved as a rallycross owner and/ or driver with various teams. He won the Dakar Challenge in 2005 and the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup in 2009.
One of his teams also took on world records in snow-covered environments, and in 2013 Guerlain became the first person to do a back flip in a car.
In 2014 he would have also set the record for the longest jump in a car, but after easily beating the necessary distance during a practice run he tried to jump even further the following day in front of the official recorders. His specially-adapted Mini crashed spectacularly and rolled over several times. The video of the crash went viral.
In more simple terms, the hotel is welcoming and attractive with pieces of contemporary art and interesting curios on display. Mouth-watering meals from an impressive menu of Italian and French gastronomy are served in the Il Savoia restaurant, and you can enjoy drinks and live music in the Icebreaker bar.
There are also spa treatments on offer –whirlpool bath, sauna, hammam, gym, and an infinity swimming pool with views out to the snowy mountains.
And don’t forget the karaoke rooms where, in the privacy of your own booth, which seats up to about
Guerlain said: “When my rescuers pulled me out of the car I was still high on adrenaline and shouted at them ‘Come on, let’s go again’. They had to calm me down and explain that the car was completely smashed up. Plus, I had also broken some bones and had a dislocated shoulder, but I didn’t even realise straightaway.”
His American wife Lauren Scyphers, an actor and former pageant queen, made it clear she was not a fan of his extreme lifestyle. So Guerlain found another release for his energies by launching a property company. He purchased and renovated a chalet in the Les Brévières area of Tignes. It is called Quézac, and the story goes that it is named after Guerlain’s dog which often accompanied him during his Freeride competition days, and every time the pet was there, he won.
The luxury chalet, which has seven bedrooms and can accommodate 12 adults and four children when full, can now be rented as part of Les Etincelles’ Carte Blanche range of properties. These provide high levels of comfort and a full concierge service. The chalets can be rented on a catered (B&B or half-board) or self-catered basis.
Quézac has already won a World Ski Award. It is perched on the side of a mountain above the River Isère and there are magnificent views from the terraces. Several of Guerlain’s trophies are on display, plus an impressive array of art and a unique Maserati motorbike. Similar bikes are a feature in many of the Les Etincelles chalets.
The cost depends on the time of the season, but a week’s stay starts at €25,000 and this provides guests with a dedicated team which includes a cook (breakfast and dinner), butler, housekeeper and driver. You also have access to your own pool, spa and games room.
six people on comfy sofas, you can choose your favourite singalongs from thousands of songs listed on a special electronic notepad.
Bar staff will come and serve you drinks in your booth, where the giant screens can also double as a private cinema.
The VoulezVous provides a taste of things to come in terms of the high level of service Nicolas and Guerlain are committed to providing skiers and snowboarders through Les Etincelles.
They are creating a unique experience that has already started to change the face of Tignes. And, who knows, one day they might take over the world.
Welcome to the ski resort with the longest name, says my host.
I had just arrived in Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, a region that, like its name, has grown over the years through lift connections which have created the Ski Circus – a vast ski and snowboard area that now straddles Salzburgerland and spills over into the Tirol.
Yet under the more succinct Saalfelden Leogang branding the focus is spread more evenly across some of the region’s further attractions.
Among them is the opportunity to savour a cuisine that can match any mountain food in Europe.
Let’s talk, firstly, about the winter lure of the extensive Ski Circus. There are the long blues and interesting reds, black runs, and for those who want a further adrenaline hit some high-quality off-piste terrain.
Each resort has great access to this ski area, with lifts that head up to high points of around 2,000m and can even take you all the way over to Zell am See and the Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun glacier, covering 400-plus km of piste overall.
The Ski Circus offers a range of circular routes from the 65km one-day challenge covering 32 lifts to the Saalbach circuit, including the Kohlmais slope
where the 1991 Slalom and Giant Slalom World Championships were held; the long runs of the Hinterglemm circuit; the scenery of the Leogang route; or the more challenging Tirol circuit.
Although I’m here to enjoy the immense skiing, you can’t help but be attracted by the cuisine of Saalfelden Leogang. It is not only delicious but has a big emphasis on locality.
Numerous organic farmers produce everything from cheese to meat, vegetables and salad as well as yogurts, jams and milk, plus awardwinning schnapps.
Top chef Andreas Herbst is from the family that runs the Hotel Riederalm, where I stayed. He champions the local producers by taking his guests on a
culinary journey through Saalfelden Leogang.
Seated in the hotel’s ‘dahoam’ restaurant with my fellow guests, I actually follow a map of the rail route across the region, metaphorically ‘stopping’ at various producers for each course.
At one stage, the dishes were even served aboard a small wooden locomotive and ranged from Arolla
Some of the dishes in the dahoam restaurant are served in wooden locomotives
The amazing cuisine on offer at Saalfelden Leogang is more than just a sideshow in Austria’s Ski Circus says Mark Nicholls
pine beef to goat ossobucco, local sturgeon, venison and Salzburger nockerl and other desserts, with wines to match.
The Riederalm at Leogang, with its marvellous spa area, is set beside the Leoganger Bergbahn lift offering a perfect ski-in ski-out location.
And it’s not just the food to savour. The wine cellar, dominated by a table-length ‘molecular’ chandelier and set somewhat incongruously on the third floor, is also a delight, where bottles are serenaded 24/7 by the music of Mozart.
“If the wine is happy then it is good to drink,” said the smiling sommelier, Fernando Fanaro, whose choice among the selection of 220 wines is considered, yet loyal to Austria.
“Around 75% of the wine is Austrian,” he explains. “We are known for white but there is good quality red wine, too, and that is something that has emerged over the last two decades.”
And there was more food to be enjoyed when I ventured on to the slopes the next day and headed over to Saalbach, the larger village of this resort area.
Lunch is at the AsitzBräu, a veritable ‘iceberg’ of a mountain restaurant with vast outdoor dining areas on sunny terraces above a labyrinth of further restaurants and tunnels.
Here you’ll be treated to glimpses of Austria past. Owner Sepp Altenberg is an ardent collector
of memorabilia – items include forges and tools; wrought iron pillars from Salzburg railway station; a vintage mousetrap collection; a wooden beam dating from 1605 from an ancient farmhouse; arable equipment; historic ice skates and skis; and numerous other quirks.
Food is traditional Austrian mountain fare, with burgers and wiener schnitzel.
The following day saw me ski to Hinterglemm and on to Fieberbrunn, pausing for lunch at the Wieseralm. With a glass of pink Champagne to welcome diners, it specialises in succulent steaks, but there’s also fish and spinach dumplings, for example, as well as king prawns and oysters shipped in fresh every day.
While in the region, I can also recommend eating at the Hut Essen in Priesteregg, where you can cook your meat at the table on a ‘hot iron hat’.
Visit Siegfried Herzog’s still and sample a range of his award-winning schnapps, from traditional pear, blood orange, apricot, or pine cone to my personal favourite, hazelnut.
One thing I did learn is that schnapps is a drink to be savoured, releasing the aromas, inhaling the flavour, and then sipping rather than the ‘down-inone’ approach.
There are numerous other winter activities in Saalfelden Leogang, from cross-country skiing and ski touring to snow-shoeing, tobogganing and winter walks.
Accommodation: Mark Nicholls stayed at the four-star Hotel Riederalm, which has easy ski-in ski-out access to the ski and snowboard area, superb restaurants, magnificent rooms and a sumptuous spa. www.riederalm.com
Ski season/lift pass: The ski season runs from late November to mid-April. A six-day peakseason adult ski pass costs €302 and covers more than 270km of piste in the Ski Circus . Transport: regular flights from the UK to Salzburg (70km from Saalfelden), Innsbruck (130km) and Munich (150km), plus good rail links to Saalfelden and Leogang. For more information visit: www.saalfelden-leogang.com/en
OBERTAUERN: The 15th Gamsleiten Criterion, Austria’s largest treasure hunt in the snow, will take place in Obertauern from 13 to 16 April 2023. Participants dig in the snow to find treasures, accompanied by music. The main prize is a car and there are more than 30 other treasures to find.
ALPBACHTAL WILDSCHÖNAU: As part of the ski area’s 10th anniversary, the Hornlift 2000 is being upgraded to a detachable six-seater chairlift with weather protection hoods and heated seats. At the top, skiers and snowboarders will find a new ‘Top of Alpbachtal’ observation tower.
PITZTAL: A new futuristic-looking Gletscherexpress funicular connects the Mittelberg valley station with the 2,840m-high mountain station on the Pitztal Glacier.
AXAMER LIZUM: A new, faster 10-seater gondola in two sections has replaced the Schönboden and Hoadl I+II chairlifts.
ISCHGL: The Furglerblick is a new eight-person gondola which will provide faster and easier access to a larger off-piste area, and a new blue run.
SEEFELD: Hotel Klosterbräu has further modernised its historic monastery rooms to include an in-house brewery.
With a choice of so many places to dine out on the locally-grown produce in the region, it’s easy to let the skiing slip a little. But make no mistake, there’s no shortage of terrain in the Saalfelden Leogang, and a list of things to do as long as the name itself.
SKI ARLBERG: The Ski Arlberg app makes it easier for skiers and snowboarders to navigate their way around the slopes. Simply enter your starting point, stops and destination to receive suggestions for the best routes.
Can’t wait to hit the slopes again this winter? We can’t either! Austria’s XXL resort Ski amadé is all ready to welcome you in the upcoming season and invites you to dive right into the full Alpine experience.
Home to the highest mountain in the region, the Dachstein (2,699m), it guarantees perfect skiing conditions throughout the winter. And plenty of other fun activities, too. No matter if you travel solo, with your significant other, your family or friends, we promise your stay will be a memorable one!
Ski amadé offers a whooping 760km of slopes, 270 modern lifts, 356 perfectly groomed runs, 260 mountain huts and 60 ski schools in its five joint resorts Salzburger Sportwelt, Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig and Großarltal, making it not only one of the largest ski regions in Austria but in the whole of Europe. And the best thing about it? You get access to all of it with just one single ski pass. Try out a new piste, lift, or even resort every day of your stay!
And it’s not just the classic skiing that attracts so many guests to the Austrian resort every year. Ski amadé also features 10 snow parks and 13 fun slopes and trails for different skill levels as well as countless options for freeriders and 28 toboggan runs.
Are you eager to try out something new or master your skills together with a pro? Book a ski course, a ski tour or a freeride coaching sessions. Your equipment is available at one of the 16 rental outlets.
Or how about mountain yoga? Night tobogganing? Instagram-worthy photo stops? Check out Ski amadé’s SENSATIONS (listed on the website) and start your bucket list even before you head off.
Then, there’s the food. In Ski amadé, the perfect pit stop is just as important as the freshly groomed slope. No matter if you head to a rustic hut on the way down to the valley or a more modern restaurant after a long day on the pistes, you will be welcomed with open arms and the best of traditional Austrian cuisine.
Choose from specialties such as Kaiserschmarren, Cheese Spaetzle and Schnitzel, all prepared using high-quality local produce from the area. For those wanting to combine skiing with culinary delights, there’s even designated Enjoyment Ski Routes throughout the five regions of the resort, revealing the best places to stop along the way.
Skiwelt amadé is also home to the highest farmers’ market in the Alps. And if you are in the area from 11 to 18 March 2023, there’s a chance to enjoy the ‘Ski and Wine Enjoyment Week’ taking place across the resort which is solely dedicated to, you guessed it, food and drinks.
Imagine watching your little ones taking their first turns in the snow, a day out in a fun park playing interactive games, before sharing a huge portion of Kaiserschmarren at a rustic mountain hut.
Ski holidays with the whole family are fun and memorable for everyone and Ski amadé will help you turn them into a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.
And thanks to the many attractive offers and packages, including Junior Weekend Discounts, ski passes for young families, and Easter specials, they won’t break the bank. Looking for a family-friendly hotel with a kid’s menu, entertainment programme and cribs? Ski amadé has you covered, too.
Before you start planning your days out and about, one important question remains: ‘Where in Ski amadé should you best base yourself?’ While all five resorts are stunning, they all have their very own character and selling points.
The Salzburger Sportwelt, which has three new cable cars for the 2022/23 season, unites seven holiday resorts, including Flachau and Wagrain-Kleinarl.
Schladming-Dachstein, which is a great base for skiing and snowboarding, has an added attraction for those with a weak spot for yoga. 30-minute sessions take place in a stunning mountain setting right by the slopes.
Gastein is a mecca for foodies with six toque chefs creating a seasonal menu for selected mountain huts, served throughout the winter season.
Hochkönig is a family-paradise with 120km of slopes and 34 lifts suitable for all ages and skill levels.
Finally, Großarltal caters to everyone from kids to the elderly and offers special interest package deal such as the Ladies Week. For more information go to: www.skiamade.com/en
British slalom skier and Winter Olympian Dave ‘The Rocket’ Ryding made history last season by becoming the first GB skier to win a World Cup race. Lisa Young met up with Dave on the slopes of Obergurgl in Austria’s Tirol region. In a one-on-one interview, she spoke to ‘The Rocket’ about what he does when he is not skiing, his Beijing Olympic experience, wedding bells, ski racing future, his café, and life after skiing
Let’s start at the beginning… where are you from?
I’m from north-west England, from a little village called Tarleton, near Preston in Lancashire, where I now live with my wife, Mandy. I grew up in a little village called Bretherton, next to Tarleton. We moved to Tarleton about five years ago. We have a place there, and that’s where we’ve chosen to live.
How old were you when you started skiing?
I started at Pendle Ski slope on plastic when I was six and a half years old. I really didn’t do much snow skiing until I was 13 years old, and that was through doing well in a dry slope race. As a result, the organisers took us away for a week’s skiing on snow. It was called the English School’s Team and that trip opened my eyes to the real world of ski racing. I later joined the Kandahar Ski Club.
I understand your wedding plans were postponed due to Covid?
Mandy, my fiancée, and I were supposed to get married in May three years ago, on the terrace of the Hohe Mut Alm, next to the slopes in Obergurgl. Instead, we got married in the UK in May this year, 40 minutes away from our home.
Did you have to separate your marriage plans from focusing on the Olympics, and did it affect your training?
Thankfully, I didn’t have to lift a finger in the whole wedding planning. Mandy (Dirkzwager) is from the Netherlands and she moved over to the UK about five years ago. She is very understanding of my situation because she was an Alpine downhill ski racer, too, and knows and understands the lifestyle and the strain it can put on you. I am so
focused when I’m training and racing that I almost don’t have the energy to do anything else.
During the Olympics, were you able to stay in contact with your family?
We had WhatsApp and FaceTime, and they also had social media for the athletes, you could use all of it to stay in touch. We didn’t have Instagram because I don’t think they have it in China.
I hear you bought a café?
Yes. A few years ago we took on a café in our village. We just jumped straight in and had to quickly learn about running the business. I had no clue at the start, but Mandy had some experience in hospitality back in the Netherlands and so we thought why not give it a go?
The café is in a building called Boskins. It contains the word ‘ski’, so we word-play with the name. Running the café has really given me an understanding and a feeling for what life after skiing will be like. I wanted to learn because you hear about many athletes who struggle to come to terms with normal life after skiing.
What else might you do after your skiing career? Do you see yourself going into presenting, perhaps?
I don’t know. I think I have a face for radio (he laughs). I’m fortunate enough now as I can finish skiing and not rush into something. I want to do something I really like, and I really like skiing, so it’s more than likely I will stay involved in some capacity. I will think about that when I retire from skiing, not now, because when I get an idea in my head I want to go for it instantly. I can’t do that yet because I’m still racing, and for sure one more year. I’m certain there will be lots of things I can do.
How did your connection with the Gurgls –Obergurgl and Hochgurgl – develop?
Obergurgl is like my winter home. When I need to train or relax I come here. It’s a big advantage for me. I don’t live out here, I don’t have a local slope, I don’t have a local anything, but it’s essential I have a
training base. I started a partnership with Gurgl six years ago. I love the area and we work well together. I get a lot of support from the locals, especially when I’m away racing, they give me an extra lift.
Do you find that you get that ‘lift’ more from Austrians than the British?
The skiing community is Britain is very supportive, but obviously skiing is not a mainstream sport in the UK. I like going home and being left to myself, but more and more, and especially with the win in Kitzbühel and being a flag bearer at the Winter Olympics 2022, I’m becoming better known. In Austria they love ski racing, it’s a passion here. There is a real buzz in a resort when people recognise you, it’s cool, I really like it. But I also like going home, where I can walk down the street unnoticed.
What was it like being an Olympic flag bearer and team captain at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games?
The whole thing was surreal! I never dreamt I’d have the honour of carrying the flag for Britain at the Olympics, and doing it alongside Eve Muirhead (skip of the British Olympic Curling team) was even cooler. It’s even better doing something like that with someone else and who you already know. We used to train at the same gym in Stirling because my coach lived up there at the time.
Do you think there is enough support and funding for snowsports in the UK?
Although we now have some snow domes, learning on plastic is what most people do in the UK, which gives people an experience of skiing and snowboarding. We must capitalise on this more than we do.
I do think some things
need restructuring to make this route even more accessible.
I raced on plastic until I was 21 years old. I’m not saying people should do the same, but it is a feasible pathway that works. Ten years ago it was just me and my coach and a tiny budget, that was it. Now I have a team, which means I am not at such a disadvantage when it comes to some of the other nations.
I was paying a lot of it myself, and the federation gave me a small budget. Fortunately, my coach was young and motivated and he sacrificed a lot for us to get a decent programme out of peanuts, basically.
One thing I would say, after my win in Kitzbühel in January and my podium placing in Garmisch, is that the federation must capitalise now. They must get more sponsors and go to the mainstream and make it happen, because I’ve kind of done my bit for them, and if they can’t do it now then I would seriously question what is going on, because now we’ve had the full exposure of winning at Kitzbühel.
Some would argue that skiing is much more accessible now. Do you agree?
It’s so much easier to get to the mountains than it was 20 or 30 years ago. There are cheap flights and affordable apartments, and you can stay where you want. People need to understand how easily accessible it is to get to the mountains. It’s not a millionaire’s club any more. Look at me and where I came from, I didn’t come from money, my mum was a hairdresser and my dad used to work on a market and retrained to support me and my sister.
How about new sponsors since your success? Do you have companies knocking at your door?
I wouldn’t say knocking at my door, but there are companies who want to join the list of those who already support me – Fischer skis, Obergurl, Fusalp clothing, Zanier gloves. They want to be involved because I’m on TV and broadcasting their products around the world, and hopefully I do it well.
A sustainability project to reduce the carbon footprint of the Andermatt Holiday Region in the Ursern Valley is a big step in the right direction says Iain Martin
There are few resorts where you can spend all day exploring steep and deep backcountry without even touching a piste, yet also drop into a Michelin-star restaurant for lunch.
But you can in Andermatt – a resort that has been through a remarkable renaissance in the 15 years since astute Egyptian investor Samih Sawaris first saw the potential of this sleepy Swiss village.
Flanked by mountain passes, and at the foot of the Gotthard Pass, Andermatt had its first golden age in the 19th century, when horse-drawn carriages brought visitors as distinguished as Queen Victoria to its picturesque streets.
That belle epoque ended when the Gotthard Tunnel opened in 1882, bypassing Andermatt by rail and turning a once bustling resort into an effective dead end.
A revival of sorts came when the Swiss Army established a training base there three years later, but few things turn tourists away faster than the sound of bullets in a firing range. When the soldiers departed more than 100 years on, in 2004, Andermatt’s future seemed bleak.
Yet thanks to Sawaris, the resort was put back
in the limelight again. More than CHF 1.3billion has been invested in a vision to restore the pride of this rugged valley, surrounded by dramatic granite cliffs.
Plus, a recent agreement involving Vail Resorts, which has taken a 55% stake in Andermatt Swiss Alps AG (ASA), came with a confirmation that a further CHF 149million is being invested into the Andermatt-Sedrun sports area.
ASA has also earmarked additional investments of CHF 350million into its core business of real estate, hospitality and infrastructure over the next three to five years.
A cluster of stylish hotels and apartments, on the site of the old military shooting range, is steadily expanding, with each new development bought up almost as soon as they go on sale.
This growth has been driven by overseas buyers. Andermatt is unique in Switzerland in that it has a large-scale exemption from the restrictive Lex Koller act, which prevents property being bought by foreigners.
Owners such as former Manchester United Manager Louis van Gaal have been drawn in by the tempting combination of skiing in winter and golf in summer, with equally easy access from Zurich and Milan. Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola has also been sighted on the award-winning golf course.
Is it inevitable that such growth comes with horrific environmental costs? Not so, according to the resort’s developers, Andermatt Swiss Alps (ASA), and a closer examination suggests that this is more than mere ‘greenwash’.
In a concerted effort to reduce their carbon footprint, the company launched ‘Andermatt Responsible’, a sustainability project supported by the environmental group Protect Our Winters Switzerland and accredited by Switzerland Tourism’s ‘Swisstainable’ label.
Between 50-70% of the carbon cost of a ski holiday from the UK is generated by travel, so an important first step was the opening of a new
A faster, detachable six-seater chairlift with weather protection hood is has replaced the fixed chairlift in La Pasay in the Bruson sector of the 4 Valleys, and the La Pasay snack bar has been renovated and extended. The venue will now be able to seat 80 people inside and 68 on the terrace. An indoor picnic area will also be available for skiers and snowboarders.
A fifth terrain park is being added this winter. The new ‘Free60’ Natural Snow Park is located between Crap Sogn Gion and Plaun and will feature ramps, rails, bridges, pillows and pale jams made of wood and covered naturally with snow. A new Collons lift will replace the old Matze T-bar and Theytaz 1 drag lifts. The 32-year-old La Pasay fixed-grip triple is also being upgraded to a new high-speed six-seater with weather protection hood.
A new Matterhorn Alpine Crossing between Zermatt and Cervinia in Italy is due to be completed early in 2023.
Iain Martin stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen in Andermatt, travelling by train with Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) and TGV Lyria (www.tgv-lyria.com).
Gütsch by Markus Neff (www guetsch.com) was awarded a Michelin Star in 2021.
For more information on Andermatt, go to: www.andermatt-sedrun-disentis.ch
A new direct train service has been launched between Zurich Airport and Interlaken, reducing the time it takes to reach the Jungfrau region. Interlaken is the gateway to resorts such as Grindelwald and Wengen.
The Jungfrau, Grindelwald-Wengen and Mürren-Schilthorn ski passes are being replaced by one ski pass which covers the whole Jungfrau Ski Region. It is also valid for the Bernese Oberland Railway, which connects to the Grindelwald Terminal and Interlaken.
state-of-the-art railway station in 2019. Andermatt is only 90 minutes from Zurich airport by train, but there’s no need to fly as the resort can easily be reached by rail from London in just 10 hours.
A free electric bus efficiently shuttles guests from the station around the village, which itself is powered 100% from renewable sources.
Hydroelectric power and the wind turbines at Gütsch and the Gotthard Pass produce around 30 million kilowatt hours per year, more than enough to cover the demand for the whole valley, including the operation of the ski lifts.
All ASA properties are built to Minergie standards, a Swiss quality label for low-energyconsumption buildings. This means they are fuel-efficient, with exceptionally low levels of heat recovery.
This low-impact approach is further helped by the fact that all heating is supplied from a wood chip-fired power plant fuelled by local trees.
Even the heat generated from computer servers is captured and reused to warm buildings. Lots of resorts talk a good game about sustainability, but in Andermatt it’s more than just hot air.
A new 3km black piste running between Cabane and Pillon in the Pierres Pointes sector is opening this season.
Foodies will be well catered for in Alta Badia with the return of the region’s A Taste for Skiing programme.
Renowned chefs will again partner with mountain huts to offer a signature dish throughout the season, each dish paired with a South Tyrol wine
A Gourmet Skisafari is set to take place on 10 December 2022, the ski area’s opening day of the season, when visitors can ski and snowboard between mountain huts to enjoy tasting plates and local wine.
Plus, the popular Sommelier on the Slopes programme includes eight new dates this season.
Skiers and snowboarders are accompanied by a guide and an expert sommelier between mountain huts for tastings of fine South Tyrolean wines. The first tastings are on the 13 December and will continue throughout the 2022/23 season.
The Breakfast with Powder Snow experience provides a memorable way to start the day. Skiers
and snowboarders take a snowcat up the mountains before the lifts open to enjoy a gourmet breakfast at Las Vegas Lodge, before a descent on perfectly groomed slopes.
The Wine Skisafari is one of Alta Badia’s most popular end of season celebrations, when a selection of 60 different South Tyrol wines can be sampled at four mountain huts to the backdrop of live music. The date for this season is 26 March 2023.
Details on how to book for these events can be found on the Alta Badia website: www.altabadia.org
Elsewhere in this South Tyrol ski area there are two new hotels to enjoy.
The Movi Family Aparthotel, located in the centre of Corvara, is, as the name suggests, family orientated. It has apartments that sleep from two to five people, an aqua fun world for kids, indoor softplay, an adult-only wellness centre and a holiday programme to suit children aged up to 16.
Plus, a rooftop terrace and bar with superb views of Mount Sassongher.
The new boutique hotel Badia Hill, in Badia, has its own restaurant, bar, rooftop swimming pool, sauna and hamman. The 33 rooms, which have a mountain view of the Dolomites and their own private balcony, can sleep from two to four people.
On the mountain, the Ütia Crëp de Munt, an historic hut, is reopening with a new look. It was originally built in 1953 by Germano Costner, one of 16 brothers and sisters, and became famous for serving delicious fried eggs with bacon on roast potatoes, along with a signature hot alcoholic drink, ‘Gamsmilch’ (Chamois milk, a secret family recipe prepared with a generous portion of egg liquer).
The Ütia Crëp de Munt mountain hut is on the Sellaronda ski run. It will be open daily for lunch and dinner throughout winter on Tuesday nights, when guests can ski or snowboard – or snowshoe – to the hut in time to take in the sunset from the terrace.
VAL DI FASSA: Skiers and snowboarders arriving at the top of the Alba-Col dei Rossi lift from Alba di Canazei to Pecolin in Val di Fassa, part of the Dolomiti Superski region, will be greeted by a sculpture of the ‘Signora di Dolèda’.
The 3.5 metres (12 foot) attraction, created by artist Andrea Dorigatti, has been installed 2,382m up on a rock spur at Col dei Rossi.
Local Ladin legend has it that Signora di Dolèda used to live at the top of the mountain, and the sculpture has been created so that it moves in the wind and glistens in the sun.
CORTINA: The Granfondo Dobbiaco-Cortina, a classic ski marathon that is one of the biggest races in Italy, is being held in Cortina on 4-5 February 2023.
Racers, using classic technique, compete on a 42km route along the old rail tracks of the Dolomites, built during the First World War and disused in 1962.
The cross-country event started in 1977, and in 2007 the Granfondo added a skating technique race. The two races take place on different days, which allows long-distance enthusiasts to participate in both races.
COURMAYEUR: Keeping the Courmayeur cable car open in the evenings during the ski season enables visitors to enjoy an apéritif and an excellent dinner at
a high altitude. So, there’s time to admire the sunset sinking on Mont Blanc before making a run back to the resort.
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO: A new Cinque su Sette (Five out of Seven) weekly pass that is being promoted allows visitors in Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo and Folgarida-Marilleva, to ski for five days and dedicate two days to other top experiences in the area, including any that require use of the lifts.
* For more Italian ski and snowboard news, go to the ‘Italy’ section of the Skier & Snowboarder website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Former Belgian World Cup downhiller Frederik Van Buynder has found another way to feed his need for speed – on two wheels in Val-d’Isère. Mark Nicholls reports…
Frederik Van Buynder has always had a passion for speed and snow. As a downhill racer he competed on the FIS World Cup circuit for Belgium for seven years with a number of Top 30 finishes, including 18th place in the combined in the Hahnenkamm in K itzbühel in 2010 and finishes of 25th and 30th in the Lauberhorn in Wengen.
Today, it’s two wheels rather than two skis that deliver the adrenaline rush. As well as competing in the emerging sport of fat biking, Frederik also runs WattsUp, offering electric fat-biking tours over snow trails around the Val-d’Isère ski region in France.
Frederik raced in the Belgian National team, and in the individual Downhill, Super-G and Combined,
until a knee injury in 2015 brought that to a halt, dashing his ambitions of a place at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia in 2018.
He began visiting Val-d’Isère as a 14 year old with his family 20 years ago to ski, and later raced trained in the resort. To keep costs low, he even camped throughout the winter on the outskirts of the village.
The Skier & Snowboarder magazine has teamed up with OGIO, the premium active lifestyle company, to offer readers the chance to win one of the technical and attractive pieces of ski and snowboard luggage from its new Snowflake range.
We have three bags to give away – a wheel ski/snowboard bag, a Convoy 630 backpack, and a ski/snowboard boot bag.
To enter the competition for a chance to win one of these great prizes, go to the Skier & Snowboarder website at:
www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Click on the competition page. Answer the question and email it to us with your details. The closing date for entries is Friday, 25 November 2022.
To see more examples of this year’s OGIO range of luggage, visit the equipment section on the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website.
Between 2004 and 2013, he won 20 national Belgium titles in all events, including first place in 2005, 2007-2011, and 2013 in the downhill.
But he adds: “The most important races in my career are my world cup results, but what I’m most proud of is my crystal globe for 2nd place in the overall FIS-CIT World Cup.”
Cycling, however, has always been a passion, and one he used as a training technique while skiing competitively.
“There are similarities for speed, anticipation, turns and pressure; it has a lot to do with skiing and there is a link between both sports,” he explained.
“There is the adrenaline, the need to find the right line, the best path in a race, and the right spot to brake.”
With WattsUp e-fat bike tours, groups have a choice of tours.
“Sometimes it is on roads, sometimes on single tracks and through the villages themselves,
or along groomed routes,” said Frederik.
“We can tailor trips to suit groups and riders of all levels. We teach them the technique of riding electric fat bikes and help them to improve and adapt to the conditions.”
Fat bikes are effectively off-road bikes with over-sized tyres that allow for riding on soft and unstable terrain such as snow, sand and mud.
Frederik now competes on fat bikes as part of the Maxx team.
“I have always had a passion for speed, my top speed on a fat-bike is 89kmh,” he said.
Generally, the WattsUp tours are at a more modest pace and one of the alternative activities available in Val-d’Isère during the winter, alongside ski touring, snow-shoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing and dog-sledding.
I set off with Frederik one afternoon for a ride towards Ferney, past some of the oldest houses and scenic parts of the region, and along mountain
Mark Nicholls stayed at the Chalet-Hotel Ducs de Savoie with Inghams, which offer seven nights at the hotel from £1,089 for the 2022-23 season, including flights and transfers. www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays Resort information: www.valdisere.com e-Fat bikes: WattsUp – www.valdisere.com/en/ file/watts-up-fatbike-2
tracks and roads.
Of course, skiing is the great lure, with 150km of piste in Val-d’Isère, plus a further 150km with the link to Tignes.
Within the Tignes Val-d’Isère ski area – a threehour transfer from Geneva – there are 159 slopes with 60 per cent above 2,200m in a resort where 42 per cent of guests are from the UK.
Alongside the regular winter activities, there is Val Aventure’s treetop challenge with four different routes in the Rogoney forest area featuring zip wires and net beams.
And if you really want to chill out, try ice floating in the Ouillette Lake, where you can slip into the frozen lake, in a dry suit, to float in the ice.
* For more photos and details of Fat Biking tours in Val-d’Isère, go to the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
The Skier & Snowboarder magazine has joined forces with British ski racers Robert and Charlotte Holmes to provide readers with a more comprehensive coverage of the ski racing scene.
The brother and sister team (right) will be supplying regular news and views on training and racing from grass roots level up to the UK’s elite athletes. Their reports will appear in the racing section of the Skier & Snowboarder website: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
The siblings started racing with the Pendle Ski Club in Lancashire – the same place as Olympian and World Cup race winner Dave Ryding – and both were later invited to become members of the Team Evolution Race Programme in Austria.
During their childhood days Robert and Charlotte won an impressive array of British titles. This led to Robert being selected as a member of the GB Children’s Team to compete in the Czech Republic and the ESSKIA ISF Team in L’Aquila, Italy, and Chamrousse, France.
His progression into FIS racing has seen Robert participate in the 2020 Youth Olympic Games and the Europa Cup. The 18 year old is now focused on representing Great Britain at more international races, with the ultimate goal of competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Charlotte’s first race on snow was in 2015 in Scotland when, aged 10, she came first in her age category. The following year she attended the English Alpine Championships in Bormio, Italy, and in 2017 she returned to take victory in the U12 girl’s category.
More success led to 17-year-old Charlotte joining the GB Under-21 Alpine Team, and she recently became the 2022 Junior British Alpine Ski Champion.
* Look out for Robert and Charlotte’s reports in the racing section on the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Proposals for an all season round resort near Chilliwack in British Columbia, which includes gondolas up to a ski and snowboard area, were well received when the plans were outlined at the Mountain Planet conference in France earlier this year.
Representatives from Bridal Veil Mountain Resort (BVMR) accepted an invitation to attend the Mountain Planet conference. They told delegates that the resort would become the first in Canada to be co-owned and managed with First Nations.
Mountain Planet claims to be the world’s largest conference for mountain development and is held every two years. It brings together more than 23,000 professionals from 67 countries and 900 brands to explore a wide range of issues and ideas.
Participants include resort operators, national ski associations, destination marketing organisations, equipment manufacturers, service providers and government ministries.
BVMR is currently in the Expression of Interest
(EOI) stage and is working closely with BC’s Mountain Resorts Branch.
The resort would be located in in S’ólh Téméxw, which is the traditional and unceded lands of the Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley. Therefore, plans are being jointly designed and developed by the Stó:lō First Nations in partnership with BVMR.
Executive Vice President Jeff Wilson said: “Mountain Planet provided a unique opportunity for us to further build project awareness, connect with potential vendors and learn more about the European market and tourists/skiers for whom authentic indigenous experiences are a high priority.
He added that as a commitment to Stó:lō cultural, traditional, and land stewardship, BVMR also investigated cutting edge ideas and technologies other operators are using to bolster their environmental sustainability and proactively address any future challenges of climate change.
BVMR President Robert Wilson also attended the Canada West Ski Areas Association’s (CWSAA)
annual Spring Meeting in Lake Louise, Alberta, which attracted representatives from 117 ski areas. The meeting tackled a wide range of issues facing Canada’s ski industry, including safety, risk management, sustainable market growth and people and talent development.
If approved, the next step in BVMR’s application process would be the submission of a Formal Proposal with additional studies and details related to the proposed resort concept, potential impacts, benefits and overall feasibility.
For more information, visit: www.bridalveilmountainresort.ca
When people talk about ‘doing a season’ in a ski area, the normal jobs that spring to mind are ski or snowboard instructor, lift worker, holiday rep or hotel and bar work.
But Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada, was advertising a slightly more unusual vacancy in the summer. The Mount Baldy ski area was on the lookout for a ‘goat master’.
The arsonist who started a fire that made the Northstar quad chairlift at Kimberley Ski Resort inoperable on the second day of last season remains at large despite the offer of a $100,000 reward for information.
In more positive news, repairs are almost complete and the lift will be back up and running for this winter ski season.
Kimberley Alpine Resort and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) said the reward would be given to anyone providing information which would identify the person or people responsible for starting the attack on the property.
The fire was started in the control building on the main lift at Kimberley Ski Resort in British Columbia, Canada, on 18 December
2021 and destroyed electrical equipment on the Northstar quad, which meant it could not be used. The blaze was tackled by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Kimberley Fire Department, who then, with the police, investigated the cause of the blaze.
Kimberley Ski Resort Vice-President Matt Mosteller said the arson attack had affected the whole community and was a blow to tourism in the area.
In a statement to the local media, he said: “It has been absolutely horrible to the community and devastating for our small businesses who depend on the visitor economy during the winter.”
“ It’s considered nothing less than an outright attack on our community.”
The work entailed caring for a herd of around 30 goats who form part of the maintenance programme on the shrubbery and grass which covers the ski runs.
According to the job ad, the nine-week contract involved getting the herd of goats to different areas of the mountain, cleaning their pens, keeping an eye on the health of the herd, and ‘other duties’ as required.
The job description also came with a warning that the goat master may encounter lurking wolves, coyotes, lynx and bears, although these confrontations were said to be very rare.
* For more details on these stories and other up-to-date news, go to the ‘Canada’ section of the Skier & Snowboarder website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
An iconic red tram cable car cabin in Snowbird, which was to be replaced with a new blue version this season, has received a ‘stay of execution’ – but skiers and snowboarders will not be able to use it.
The decision to keep the original cabin running on the same cable tram lines as the new cabin was made when one of the replacement cabins was damaged beyond repair after being dropped from a crane during installation, because of an equipment malfunction.
The old red cabin will be kept on the lift this season to act as a counterbalance to the surviving new one, which will be in use after being installed successfully.
“While you will also see the original red tram, it is not open for guests. The old controls do not operate with the new system, so it will only serve as a counterweight to the Blue Tram,” explained a statement from the American resort.
First opened in 1971, Snowbird’s Aerial Tram takes passengers on a 10-minute ride along a 1.6-mile cable up 2,900 vertical feet to the top of Hidden Peak.
The original cabins have been in operation for more than 50 years, and the resort estimates they had travelled about 794,994 miles up and down the cables in that time.
Cabin manufacturer Doppelmayr says a replacement second blue cabin will be built and installed in time for the start of winter 2023-24.
An historic Vermont ski area, whose name raised concerns over mental health, has been rebranded as Saskadena Six.
Saskadena translates to ‘Standing Mountain’ from the ancient dialect of Abenaki and, said a resort spokesperson, was chosen as a tribute to the area’s history and community.
The ski area, previously known as Suicide Six, is not internationally well known, but the resort lays claim to the fact it was where the first rope tow in North America was installed in 1934.
The ski area announced it was ‘retiring’ the Suicide Six name during the summer.
A statement said: “Our resort team embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health and shares the growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name.
“The feelings that the word ‘suicide’ evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community.
“The Suicide Six Ski Area has an enduring legacy spanning nearly nine decades, and it is vital that the name better represents and celebrates what makes it a beloved and vibrant part of this community.
“Though some may find the change difficult, we
stand by our conviction that this evolution is warranted for an iconic treasure and, more importantly, necessary to continue its rich history of inclusion and accessibility.”
The name change is the latest for US ski areas, with the resort formerly known as Squaw Valley in California changing its name to the Palisades Tahoe after deciding the word ‘squaw’ can be interpreted as a racial slur.
There is a similar move to rename the Big Squaw Mountain ski area in Maine to Big Moose Mountain.
Two of the main lifts at Mammoth Mountain in California are being upgraded in time for winter 2023/24. Canyon Express (Chair 16) at Canyon Lodge and Broadway Express (Chair 1) at Main Lodge will be upgraded to high-speed six-pack chairlifts.
The new lifts are part of a $344million spend by the Alterra Group across its resorts. It is one five large-scale projects also including work at Steamboat in Colorado, Palisades Tahoe in California, Deer Valley Resort in Utah and Crystal Mountain in Washington.
The snowboard used in the James Bond movie ‘A View to a Kill’ has been donated to the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail by the estate of Tom Sims, one of Roger Moore’s stunt doubles.
The scene when Bond takes one of the sleds from a snowmobile and starts to snowboard on it is regarded as the first time snowboarding appeared in a mainstream film, and was credited with helping to popularise the sport.
The new cabins have floor-to-ceiling glass, glass panels in the floor to view below, and a viewing platform on the roof. These have been installed in Europe at ski areas including the Dachstein Glacier in Austria and at Tignes in France, but is a first for the North American ski area.Bansko in Bulgaria is the most Googled place for skiing and snowboarding worldwide according to a study carried out by the website money.co.uk, an online financial products comparison service.
Researchers compiled a list of more than 1,100 resorts in 11 different countries and analysed search information based on financial data.
Bansko, located in Pirin National Park, has become popular with Brits looking for an inexpensive value-for-money destination, but the UK does not top the list for online searches.
These come from Israel, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.
Chris Rand, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Bulgarian specialists Balkan Holidays, said: “I am not surprised Bansko came out on top in this
study. All of the Bulgarian resorts we go to offer great value for money, and improvements over the last couple of decades mean they can now compete with their European counterparts.”
The study by money.co.uk found the second most searched for resort is America’s Aspen, third is Austria’s Obertauern, fourth Zermatt in Switzerland, and fifth Whistler in Canada.
PEAK RETREATS: Children visiting Le Grand Bornand in France can learn how to build an igloo and enjoy a snack inside once it’s built. The activity, organised through the ESF (French ski school), is open to 6–12 year olds. They can try this every Tuesday and Thursday from December to March.
La Rosière has new family-friendly après ski activities, Snakegliss – special sledges linked together – and Yooner Downhill – a type of
luge – which offer alternative ways to get down the mountain.
V IP SKI: Mont Blanc Helicopters and the ESF in Les Arcs have teamed up with VIP to offer a new ski safari service. It gives guests access to Les Arcs, Val-d’Isère-Tignes, The Three Valleys, and Paradiski.
TRAVELSKI: More packages have been added to the Travelski Express train programme, and it now includes the popular resorts of Val Thorens, Courchevel and La Rosière. Package deals start at £646 pp for a week, which includes return direct Eurostar train travel, accommodation, local area lift pass and transfers to/from accommodation.
FRIENDSHIP TRAVEL: Solo holiday specialist Friendship Travel is offering an exclusive
seven-night house party in Chalet Ruby, located in the French resort of Les Deux Alpes. Packages are based on half board with breakfast, afternoon tea, and three-course dinner with wine on five nights. Five ski or snowboard lessons are included in the package.
S KI HAME: For skiers and snowboarders looking for a short break trip to France, Ski Hame is offering flexible arrival and departure dates at Chalet Pavot in La Tania. The chalet is one of four available in The Three Valleys through the company.
SKI DAZZLE: Concerns over Covid have seen a resurgence in skiers and snowboarders opting to drive themselves to the mountains. Chalet specialist Ski Dazzle, based in the French resort of La Tania, has produced a comprehensive checklist
on its website www.ski-dazzle.com for people considering the ski-drive option this season.
SKI FRANCE: Résidence Les Épinettes in Vaujany, which offers accommodation options from studios to three-bedroom apartments, has been added to the range offered by Ski France. Guests have the use of a pool and spa area. A week’s stay costs from only £261 for a self-catered studio apartment sleeping two people.
SKI MABEY: A selection of new once-in-a-lifetime trips to Japan are available through Ski Mabey this season.
Hosted road trips include a Hokkaido off-piste powder chaser through multiple smaller Japanese ski resorts, and a Central Hokkaido backcountry ski tour for skiers and boarders looking to maximise
THE BOUTIQUE CHALET COMPANY: The catered Chalet Goldilocks (sleeping 10-12) and self-catered Penthouse Mathilde (sleeping nine), both in Morzine, France, have been added to the luxury accommodation available through The Boutique Chalet Company this season.
* More details on these stories and other holiday news are available on the Skier & Snowboarder website, along with updates on special offers for this season. Go to: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
Schöffel (www.schoeffel.com) has a large range of men’s and women’s jackets available this season. Pictured is an example of the women’s Cobalt ski jacket from the Avons collection, available from Ellis Brigham. www.ellis-brigham.com
Artilect’s base-layers are the first step in their A/Sys layering system, created to maximise performance and body comfort. They use NuYarn technology which results in merino garments which are 35% more stretchy, 53% less air permeable (so warmer), 50% more durable, have a 5 x faster drying time and use 30% fewer raw materials than traditional merino products. www.artilect.studio
Salomon is celebrating 75 years in skiing with their new Blue Fire collection starring their S/Race skis. The S/Race GS and S/Race SL12 both offer stellar on-piste performance. Flexible polymer pads lurk within a titanium sheet making the ski smooth into an arc and easier to release at the end. www.salomon.com
It’s rare to see the introduction of a new alpine boot brand with a completely fresh look. Ski maker Kastle is launching its K series of boots with new designs from the sole upwards, and based on input from their rapidly growing world cup team of athletes. www.kaestle.com
Tyrolia’s Protector bindings are the first mass market bindings to offer the potential for significant reductions in ACL Injuries. Unique heelpiece technology senses dangerous loads allowing the boot to move sideways, shifting the pivot point away from the toe. Underpinned by research from the University of Innsbruck, it has the potential to be game changing. www.tyrolia.com
OOSC brings fun and colour back to the mountains in an eco-friendly, sustainable way. Eye-catching designs fused with recycled, waterproof and breathable technical fabrics is the core concept behind the brand. OOSC provide a contemporary alternative to modern ski and snowboard attire with a retro twist. www.oosc-clothing.com
Skier & Snowboarder magazine Equipment Editor Chris Exall highlights some of this season’s new-to-market models which will make us (and everyone else) stop and take notice…
Sand Aire House, New Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4AY
Tel: 01539 734701
Email: info@skiequipmentuk.co.uk Web: www.skiequipmentuk.co.uk
Ski boot fitting and ski/board servicing experts. Ski boot spare parts specialists. Technician training courses.
The Old Mill, Battlebridge, Essex, SS11 8TR
Tel: 01268 768282
Email: info@skee-tex.co.uk Web: www.skee-tex.co.uk
Specialist snowsports shop, established over 70 years. Experienced boot fitters, full service workshop. Main dealers for Dahu, Salomon, Rossignol, Head, Armada, Picture, Hestra, Scott, Olang to name a few.
Snowtogs 429/431 Millbrook Road, Southampton, SO15 0HX Tel: 02380 773925
Email: info@snowtogs.co.uk Web: www.skishops.co.uk
Snow Togs Southampton. One of the oldest family run ski shops in the country.. established in 1969. Well known for our custom ski boot fi@ng with boots from the worlds best brands. We have a full ski workshop on site providing servicing and binding fi@ng. We also stock a massive range of helmets and goggles and loads of other essenBal accessories. NEW for 2021.. we now have an onsite booking system for custom boot fi@ng appointments. Please see our website www.skishops.co.uk
Snow Togs Southampton. One of the oldest family run ski shops in the country.. established in 1969.
Well known for our custom ski boot fitting with boots from the worlds best brands. We have a full ski workshop on site providing servicing and binding fitting. We also stock a massive range of helmets and goggles and loads of other essential accessories. NEW for 2021.. we now have an onsite booking system for custom boot fitting appointments. Please see our website for more details.
The Old Methodist Church Market Street, Adlington, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 4HE Tel: 01257 483999
Email: sales@rivingtonalpine.co.uk Web: www.rivingtonalpine.co.uk
Specialist ski boot fitting, modification and footbed manufacture. All major brands stocked and all levels of skier welcome. Free parking outside. Call for an appointment.
Tallington Lakes Pro Shop Barholm Road, Tallington, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 4RJ Tel: 01778 347000
Email: sales@tallingtonlakesproshop.com Web: www.tallingtonlakesproshop.com
Est 1975. An independent ski and snowboard retailer, with years of experience, including custom ski boot fitting service. Large selection of quality clothing and hardware from quality brands. On-site dry ski slope and equipment servicing workshop. Free delivery with online orders over £100.
Love & Piste Alberts Barn, 33 Costock Rd, East Leake, Loughborough, LE12 6LY Tel: 01509 853944
Email: sales@loveandpiste.co.uk Web: www.loveandpiste.co.uk
Captains Cabin Sevenoaks 113/115 St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3PE Tel: 01732 464463
Email: sales@theski-shop.co.uk Web: www.theski-shop.co.uk
Fantastic choice of ski clothing and equipment. All major brands stocked. Professional boot fitting service, hire and workshop repair.
Independent Local Skiwear Specialist for 20 years `catering for the whole family; clothing, helmets, goggles, sunglasses & luggage. Brands inc; BUFF, CMP, Coolcasc, CRAFT, FIVE Seasons, Hestra, Killtec, Manbi, Oakley, Protest, Reusch, Rossignol, Salice, Snokart, Steiner, Uvex, Weedo. Shop online or in our East Leake store where we have an inhouse Coffee Shop and large free parking area. Follow us on Instagram @ loveandpisteand Facebook.
Finches Emporium 25-27 Perry Vale, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2NE Tel: 0208 699 6768 Web: www.finchesemporium.com
Finches Emporium is a family run business established since 1947. Our main departments are ski, snowboard, cycle and skateboard with everything you might need for your sport as well as experienced workshops in each discipline.
LONDON Profeet Ski Boot Lab 867-869 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5HP Tel: 020 7736 0046
Email: info@profeet.co.uk Web: www.profeet.co.uk/skiing
Profeet are ski boot specialists – extensive selection for all foot shapes and skiing abilities. The latest, alpine, freeride and touring models. By appointment custom fitting with custom ski insoles, custom liners and boot heaters. Comprehensive comfort guarantee.
Banks of Perth 29 St John Street, Perth, PH1 5SH
Tel: 01738 624928
Email: enquiries@banksofperth.co.uk Web: www.banksofperth.co.uk
Large range of equipment plus junior and adult ski clothing. Specialists in boot fitting and custom insoles.
Suffolk Ski Centre, Bourne Hill, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8NQ
Tel: 01473 487 474
Email: info@activesnowsports.com Web: www.activesnowsports.com
Custom boot fitting, service and repair, skis, snowboards, boots,clothing and much more.
Whittington Hall, Whittington Lane, Whittington, Worcestershire, WR5 2ZX
Email: hello@oosc-clothing.com Web: w ww.oosc-clothing.com
OOSC bring fun and colour back to the mountains, in an eco-friendly, sustainable way. Epic designs fused with recycled and technical fabrics provide a contemporary alternative ski and snowboard attire.
Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards officially opened the new Tarka Leisure Centre in Barnstaple recently. It includes Devon’s first endless ski slope for indoor skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing.
Eddie, who became a popular celebrity after his efforts at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, cut the ribbon at an opening ceremony earlier this year and then headed straight for the ‘endless’ ski slope to try it out.
Eddie said: “The endless ski slope is such a great idea. It looks a bit like a giant treadmill, but for skiing and snowboarding.
“When I started on my Olympic dream, I was fortunate that my hometown of Cheltenham wasn’t too far from a dry ski slope.
“So, having this facility as part of an amazing new leisure centre here in Barnstaple will hopefully inspire people to give skiing and snowboarding a go,
whether that’s just for fun or making a career from winter sports.”
The new centre, which brings all of the town’s leisure facilities on to one site on Seven Brethren, is being run by Lex Leisure and is owned by North Devon Council.
The Scottish-based Angus Ski Club, which had been in existence for 50 years, announced it was closing down earlier this year.
Members of the organisation, which was affiliated to Snowsport Scotland, met regularly at Scottish ski areas and dry slopes such as Condor near Arbroath where members could ski together or get tuition from the club’s own instructors.
The club’s website has already been shut down, and an announcement on its Facebook page said: “I regret to inform all our followers and supporters that a decision was made at the AGM/EGM on 26 April 2022 to dissolve Angus Ski Club.
“It was a sad day for the committee and members but was an inevitable outcome. We can only look back at the considerable contributions made by the club and its instructors over the many years of its existence (50 years) with some pride.”
Angus Ski Club still had £3,343.47 in funds when the decision to close it down was made, and this amount has been donated to Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK), which sent a letter of thanks to the club.
The North Staffs Ski Club season got underway in early September and members can look forward to a full calendar of events and slope sessions at the Kidsgrove Ski Centre in Stoke-on-Trent.
Freestyle Fridays are now being held once a month between 7pm and 9pm and are open to members (free) and non-members (Juniors £10, Adults £10) of all ages and abilities.
Club members Robert Savage and Mia Brookes have been busy during the summer and recorded some impressive results while training and competing at various championships.
During August, Mia, aged 15, was training with her coach in Australia where she also won a Big Air and Slopestyle competition at the Australian Championships.
Closer to home, 11-year-old Rob came second in his age group at the Welsh Championships and third in the English Championships. Both events were held at the Chill Factore in Manchester.
For more details on membership, club sessions and events, go to: www.ski-kidsgrove.co.uk
Sandown Sports is again hosting it special Ladies’ Ski Morning at the slope located in the heart of Esher, Surrey.
They are held every Wednesday morning between 10am and 12noon for two hours of skiing with a qualified instructor and a coffee and cake break in the middle.
It’s an informal and relaxed session for ladies who like to ski, chat and have coffee. To reserve your space, please call 01372 467132 (option 2).
For more information on Ladies’ Ski Morning, visit: www.sandownsports.co.uk/ski/ladies-morning
* Please note, basic ski skills are required.
* For more UK Slope & Club News, go to the special section on the Skier & Snowboarder magazine website at: www.skierandsnowboarder.com
