SnowTalk - The ski blog

Blog moved (for now)

2006-02-23T23:29:00.000-08:00

I'm moved over (for now) to Glacier Views - the Jumbo Glacier Resort blog...

Please update your bookmarks!

A view of Torino

2006-02-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

While we're on the subject of the Olympics, here's a touristy video/slideshow of Torino:

Guay is in

2006-02-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

Eric Guay's declared himself fit to ract the Olympic Super G on Saturday.

Ouch

2006-02-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

Alison Forsyth, Canada's best medal hope in the women's technical events tore her ACL while training for the Olympic downhill at San Sicario, Italy, today.

Defending Olympic champion Carole Montillet-Carles of France also crashed during today's training session. Her crash was followed by a pretty nasty spill (see slideshow) by American gold medal contender Lindsey Kildow, who fortunately wasn't seriously injured.

Jennifer Heil

2006-02-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Canada's first Olympic champion. Notice her choice of skis. Cool.

Unfortunately...

2006-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

Eric Guay is out of the Olympics. He was easily one of the better medal hopes on the Canadian men's team...

Great ski trip writing

2006-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

From Powder Magazine: SoCal to SLC. This is the best ski road-trip intro I've seen in a while:

At 125 miles an hour, the Idaho state patrol car lifts and drifts, a cushion of air cupping its undercarriage, freaky speed-float like a pair of 223s running straight, high-desert Joshua trees flashing past the windows like stroboscopic prison bars. The Crown Vic is a full-on black-and-white cruiser, stripped of lights, decals, and shotgun rack…4.6 liters of V8…all four tires in various stages of balding—I’ve nicknamed them Rob Story, Les Anthony, Tom Bie, and, the one that’s bare as a baby’s bottom, Casimiro. I see the 70 mph limit, raise it a double nickel, and have Barstow in the rearview, Alta on the radar, Brian Head in between, a full tank of gas, forty-gig iPod, two Starbucks empties, and a Red Bull can shivering on the floor. Who says there’s no direction in my life? North’s a direction, right?

I'm back...

2006-01-20T15:36:00.000-08:00

...and Meier wins the Kitzbuehel Super G, just like old times.

It's his fifth victory in six attempts. Young Italian Peter Fill (not very Italian sounding eh?) was 0.05 of a second behind and claimed second place. Hannes Riechel of Austria was third. Top Canadian was Guay at thirteenth.

Rocca'in da slalom

2006-01-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Five wins in a row for Italy's Giorgio Rocca.

Mt. Baker closed

2006-01-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

Washington State's Mt. Baker is closed due to too much snow! Yes, apparently there is such a thing.

By late Friday afternoon, about 100 inches of snow had fallen at the ski area over five days - the area's heaviest five days of snowfall for at least 20 years...

Mt. Bachelor helmet cam

2006-01-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

[via omlb.com]

Ski-through toilet

2006-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah, right.

Grandi profile

2006-01-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

A profile of Thomas Grandi on the CBC.

Alpine touring equipment guide

2006-01-13T01:32:00.000-08:00

Looking at new touring gear for that trip to the Alps or the hinterlands of B.C.? Here's a handy guide from Skiing magazine.

The Haute Route

2006-01-13T01:22:00.000-08:00

Taking the Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland is a unique and incredible experience. According to Cosley & Houston Alpine Guides:

There are few places in the world where skiers can travel unencumbered, in the heart of the mountains, over high cols, hidden valleys, and immense glaciers. The complex system of huts in the Alps permits us to enjoy the skiing as only traveling light can. And the Haute Route, with its logical start and finish gives us a goal and a line to follow, both improbable and impressive. For all the times we have done this tour, we are continually fascinated by its endless variation. The changing snow, sky, and company bring a freshness to each passage.

This truly is the mountain experience at its best. To those of us in North America who are under the erroneous impression that the Alps are "paved over" or have "no wilderness", I can only encourage you to venture across the pond and seek out a competent guide who can show you around...

Skiing in the Alps

2006-01-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

An insightful post that is accompanied by some sharp photography by Jeremy Ginsberg, a former Jackson Hole ski instructor now working as a software engineer in Zurich.

Lawsuit over heli-skiing in Wyoming

2006-01-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

Environmental activist groups have have filed a lawsuit to stop heli-skiing in parts of Wyoming.

Triathletes on skis

2006-01-12T00:32:00.000-08:00

Now triathletes are championing the cross-training benefits of skiing.

Record early season skier visits in Colorado

2006-01-12T00:24:00.000-08:00

Over 3 million early season skier visits in Colorado. The state looks to be on pace for a record season. To put things in perspective, B.C. gets about 6 million skier visits over an entire season.

See this post about record December skier visits for B.C.'s Okanagan resorts and Utah as well.

Snow troubles in Sestriere

2006-01-12T00:13:00.000-08:00

While much of Europe has seen big snowfalls, usually snow-reliable Sestriere has not. Why is this important? Sestriere is home to the Olympic Downhill. Webcams here.

Riding the Flute at Whistler

2006-01-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

[via www.whistleroutfitters.com]

Speed limits in Grindewald...

2006-01-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

The Swiss resort of Grindewald has set a 30 km/h speed limit on one of its ski runs. See this post about a new Swiss ski police as well.

[via "The Snow Log" whose writer makes some good points on the issue.]

Jackson Hole - 8 feet of snow from last storm

2006-01-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

Big time snow at Jackson Hole. Snow depths are the second deepest in the 40 year history of the resort.

UPDATE: As noted earlier as well, B.C. is starting to look good too.

Kostner retires

2006-01-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

Italian ski star Isolde Kostner retires to have a baby.

Record snows all around the hemisphere

2006-01-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

Troops have been called out to deal with record snows in Japan. In China, nine days of blizzards have left more than 200,000 people stranded. Large parts of northern India have seen record low temperatures, and Europe has been getting hammered by major snowfalls and cold temperatures. Of course, isolated weather events aren't by themselves indicators of general climate trends, but they sure make for interesting "climate change" conversations over dinner... Heck, these guys are even calling for a new ice age!

Elevation = snow

2006-01-10T00:25:00.000-08:00

Why elevation matters. A good illustration of snow cover vis-a-vis elevation in the Tahoe area. Hopefully it will be just cold enough that the forecasted precipitation for B.C. will fall as snow at the lower elevations of resorts such as Whistler, Fernie, etc.

Big snow forecast for West coast

2006-01-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

Looks like snow, "measured in feet" is coming to the Pacific Northwest and southern B.C.

New Swiss ski police

2006-01-09T00:36:00.000-08:00

New Swiss ski police will be able to hand out huge fines (up to CAN $20,000) to drunks, yobs and hooligans (as described by the Telegraph) both at ski resorts and in the backcountry.

"We have put up signs warning people that they face fines if they go into danger zones. We are urging them to ski with their own safety and the safety of others in mind. The wardens usually have less to do in winter so using them to look out for rogue skiers is no problem."

So far in the Adelboden-Silleren area, 30 skiers have been fined between 200 and 400 Swiss Francs (£176) [$200-400 CAN] for dangerous behaviour.

Handing out huge fines is a draconian solution that is contrary to the "spirit" of the mountains in my view, but considering the actions of some of the "yobs" out there and the debate in parts of North America over whether or not taxpayers should fund the rescues of those who take irresponsible risks in the backcountry, it IS an interesting alternative.

Japanese ski pioneer passes on

2006-01-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

Keizo Miura, legendary Japanese ski pioneer, passed away at 101 years of age. He skied Mont Blanc's famous Vallee Blanche in 2003, when he was 99... His son was the first person to ski down Mt. Everest.

Four in a row

2006-01-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

Italy's Giorgio Rocca won his fourth consecutive World Cup slalom race in Adelboden, Switzerland. Canada's Mike Janyk did well to finish tenth.

UPDATE: Here's some insight on how the Italians are utilizing "home field advantage" for the upcoming Olympics...

Massive snow in Mammoth

2006-01-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Mammoth has received massive snowfall in the past week. Check out this "first hand report" from Powder Magazine.

Luxo ski gadgets

2006-01-06T00:46:00.000-08:00

Via Luxist.com, check out Hammacher Schlemmer's ultimate wannabe ski-racer gadget: a wrist ski speedometer.

These electronic ski goggles offer an interesting glimpse into the future as well...

Record skier visits for Sun Peaks

2006-01-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

Sun Peaks recorded its biggest December on record.

Overall skier visits are also up 4% year-to-date over last year and the resort experienced two record skier visit days on December 29th and 30th with over 6,200 guests enjoying the slopes.

UPDATE: Record bookings at Utah resorts as well. More here. Interesting quote: "A lot of people are looking for an alternative to Colorado."

UPDATE II: Big White too.

Notice the common trend here: increasing skiers wherever there is snow.

UPDATE III: On a somewhat related note, Jumbo Glacier Resort supporters have been displaying "It snows in Jumbo" stickers for a number of years now. I thought the slogan was quite lame originally, but reliable snow is a rather essential ingredient to the success of a ski resort, isn't it? Funny how that seems to be sometimes forgotten in the rhetoric of resort planners these days...

The business of skiing

2006-01-05T00:19:00.000-08:00

Ski area and ski lift advertising in New Zealand.

Skiing injuries

2006-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Happen to be looking for information on skiing injuries and statistics? Ski-injury.com is run by Dr. Mike Langran of Scotland and has more info than you'd ever need/want! Check out the "links" page as well. Dr. Langran also works for Cairngorm ski resort mentioned in this previous post.

Here's an interesting page from the NSAA as well. It has basic facts on snowriding safety and it includes comparative statistics that surprisingly (to me at least) show swimming and bicycling to have significantly higher fatality rates than skiing.

High-tech resorts...

2006-01-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

Sunshine Village has implemented a fancy new IP-based network to handle transactions and data communications around the resort.

Ski resort planning 101

2006-01-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

How not to do it.

Jusimi

2006-01-04T00:57:00.000-08:00

Jusimi, a ski movie from 4 reel productions.

70 years of Poma

2006-01-04T00:50:00.000-08:00

2006 marks the 70th anniversary of the first installation of a Poma lift at Alpe d'Huez.

Big money for russian ski resort

2006-01-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

Russia is reportedly preparing to spend US $6.75 billion on Sochi if it wins the 2014 Winter Olympics. More on Sochi in this previous post.

Aspen's gondolas sold in 36 hours

2006-01-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

Aspen's Silver Queen gondola cars were sold in 36 hours last week. One out-of-town buyer picked up 85 of the 162 gondola cars that were sold. I wonder where they're headed...

Wyoming ski resort expansion

2006-01-02T23:19:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Forest Service has approved the expansion of the Snowy Range ski resort in Wyoming.

Happy 2006

2006-01-01T22:34:00.000-08:00

...and many happy turns.

Funicular revitalizes Scottish ski hill

2005-12-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

..while we're on the subject of railways and skiing: Cairngorm ski resort in Scotland installed a funicular in 2001 (not without the usual "controversy") and according to The Herald the lift has helped the small resort turn a profit, despite dismal snow years and the fact that it is not in a particularly attractive location for skiing. Cairngorm is now one of the top ten attractions in Scotland.

Alaska backcountry ski train

2005-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

A story about the ski train to backcountry Alaska in today's New York Times. The train runs from Seward to Grandview and brings revelers, snowriders and tourists deep into the Alaska backcountry.

"We won't come back"

2005-12-29T00:14:00.000-08:00

B.C. ski resorts can offer some of the best skiing in the world. However, many of them, including flagship Whistler Blackcomb are located at low elevations that can be prone to rain in the depth of winter. Such is the case right now.

Meteorologists say West Coast warm spells are quite common, but it's unfortunate that one hit during what is usually the most lucrative two weeks of the downhill ski season.

At Whistler, it has been soggy since well before Christmas.

But snow began falling on Whistler-Blackcomb Resort's alpine areas on Christmas Day as temperatures began to drop, leaving about seven centimetres of new snowfall as low as the mid-mountain areas by Boxing Day.

But some tourists didn't seem encouraged by the modest dusting of new snow.

George Mullen of England said he spent $20,000 to bring his family on a holiday that turned out to be sodden.

"We won't come back," Mullen said. "People are great and Canada has been wonderful, but the facilities – you've got to have snow.

"And we've had rain pretty much every day."

This is inexplicable in a province that is dotted with hundreds of high elevation peaks and glaciers and in my view it underscores the significance of Jumbo Glacier Resort for the future of skiing in B.C.

Jackson Hole Tram: Senator weighs in

2005-12-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

I've been following the Jackson Hole tram story for some time -- today, Senator Grant Larson, R-Jackson, weighed in. To summarize, he's not particularly keen on public funding for a replacement tram, although he's left the door open for it. He does think that the loss of the tram is an "image issue", a "tourist issue" and and "economic loss to the state", but the reporter notes that "Larson also said Teton County has not elected to enact a lodging tax, which could have helped boost marketing and advertising efforts to offset a drop in tourism if the tram is lost." Does the Senator really think that a glitzy marketing campaign can replace the Jackson Hole tram? Either the reporter is creatively paraphrasing or the Senator's joking, right?

Helmet cam video

2005-12-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

Hucking cliffs at Kirkwood with a helmet cam...

The state of the arc

2005-12-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here's another article on the evolution of ski technology. See this post on the origin of the "shaped" ski as well.

From Torino 2006 to the NFL

2005-12-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here's an amazing athlete who has a chance at winning Olympic gold in moguls skiing and being drafted to the NFL in the same year. Jeremy Bloom is a World Cup moguls champion who looks to be headed for the NFL.

UPDATE: Well, here's the other side of the coin (kind of): a story about a former NFL star learning how to ski.

Christmas 2005

2005-12-24T03:32:00.000-08:00

The Gift of Skiing by Warren Miller.

Merry Christmas!

Magic

2005-12-24T03:19:00.000-08:00

Judith A. Lindberg

It's in the snowflake skies of children's wishes.
It's in the music of children's laughter.
It's in the breathlessness of children's anticipation.
It's in the faith of children's embraces.

The magic of Christmas is here...
In the childlike wonder of us all.

2006 ski mountaineering championships

2005-12-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

The 2006 ski mountaineering championships are in Cuneo, Italy, located south-west of Torino. It is interesting to note the close collaboration between ski resorts and mountaineers in Europe. Note that one of the title sponsors of the mountaineering championsips is FISI (the Italian ski federation) and that the events are staged from ski resorts.

In North America, ski mountaineers, and dilettante ski tourers in particular, tend to take an adversarial view or express knee-jerk antagonism towards ski resorts. It is a form of snobbery that is counterproductive and is not in the spirit of the alpinists that preceded us. This is especially true when considering the fact that the great majority of us were introduced to the mountains by way of ski lifts. Access to the mountains is a wonderful gift and ski resorts play a pivotol role in providing that.

Iran - marketing to Arab skiers

2005-12-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

Iran is trying to attract Arab skiers to its resorts. Skiing: an outlet for freedom (see previous post) and now peace?

While Dubai's ski resort has been constructed in an area three times bigger than a football field, Iran is trying to attract Arab skiers to its beautiful ski resorts.

"The low cost of skiing in Iran in comparison with the European countries is the main advantage of coming to Iran for skiing. In addition, skiers will have the opportunity to enjoy the natural cold weather of Iran, something which they are deprived of in Dubai," said Saeed Moradi, director of Tourism Association of Public Sport Federation.

Dubai tourists go to its entertainment park, "Dubai Ski", which is covered with artificial snow and has a cold weather, to escape the terribly hot weather of Dubai city for a while.

This is also another example of how skiing is a universally engaging but ultimately supply-driven sport. Who could've imagined marketing skiing to Arabs from the Arabian peninsula only ten years ago?

"Pineapple express" in southern BC

2005-12-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, the joys of living on the "wet coast"... The mostly low-elevation ski areas in southwestern B.C. are being hit hard by the "pineapple express" -- a warm, rainy weather pattern that sometimes affects the B.C. coast... More here. Whistler has experienced temperature inversions (a relatively normal occurrence at this time of year) as well.

Grandi 2nd!

2005-12-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

Grandi came in 2nd in the slalom today just behind Italy's Giorgio Rocca. American Ted Ligety was third. Rocca is undefeated in slalom this season. This is his third straight victory. Impressive.

Thomas Grandi 3rd

2005-12-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

Thomas Grandi, Canada's best technical skier came in third at the Kranjska Gora giant slalom in Slovenia. This podium finish came exactly a year to the day of Grandi's last World Cup victory. Benjamin Raich of Austria won the race and Italy's Max Blardone finished second. The Italians, especially Rocca and Blardone, have been strong this year.

Widening demographics of skiing (3): beginner lessons

2005-12-21T00:46:00.000-08:00

CNN reports that there is a booming business in beginner ski lessons in the U.S. Here's an extract:.

For the five ski areas owned by Vail Resorts, total skier visits were up 5.3 percent in fiscal year 2005 from the previous year and ski school revenues were up 9.8 percent to $63.8 million in those two years.

The numbers suggest that a program started by NSAA four years ago to help beginners become full-fledged snowriders is paying off. That program urged resorts to offer discounts to first-timers for repeat visits after research showed that beginners who took three lessons were much more likely to stick with the sport.

See also "widening demographics" posts one, and two. They touch upon the increasing racial diversity of skiers and snowboarders. This is turning into a series!

Russia too!

2005-12-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Krasnaya Polyana, Russia's new Chamonix. See also Sochi's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. There's even a British Columbia connection here.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria is being marketed as Europe's up-and-coming ski destination for budget-conscious adventurers.

New resort for Swiss Alps

2005-12-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

An Egyptian businessman is planning on building a new luxury ski resort in ...Andermatt!

The plan would more than double the number of existing beds in Andermatt and elevate it from one of the smallest tourist areas in the Alps to a mid-size Swiss resort. Big enough, in Sawiris's words, to make it attractive for international tour operators.

Sawiris's arrival on the scene could not have come at a better time. Andermatt has been losing skilled jobs as a key employer, the Swiss army, reduces its presence in the alpine region.

And even though the village boasts challenging skiing at an altitude that guarantees excellent snow conditions, its tourist industry has not been able to compensate for the job losses.

As I've noted in previous posts, there are now numerous new ski resort initiatives in the works -- in locations stretching from the Kootenays, to India, South Korea, China and Bulgaria (and let's not forget Dubai as well!)

Andermatt, Switzerland

2005-12-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Andermatt is a picturesque and authentic Swiss alpine village located at the crossroads of the Alps near the Gotthard pass. It is one of the hidden ski gems of the Alps. Its ski areas named Gemsstock, Nätschen and Winterhorn/Realp provide access to 130 kilometres of prepared runs via 25 lifts.

Year-round skiing

2005-12-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

While we await the final approvals for Jumbo Glacier Resort, check out National Geographic's feature on where to go in order to ski year-round. It's easy to criticise these kinds of lists, but including Blackcomb's small Horstman Glacier as a place to summer ski is highly questionable when compared to the offerings available in Europe. See this article from Seattle's PI for an overview of Europe's summer skiing.
Note that Zermatt's main summer run is 4 miles long! Italy's historic Passo Stelvio is a ski resort that is open only in summer and is home to the famous Pirovano ski school -- known as the "university of skiing".

Canada's alpine resurgence?

2005-12-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

Emily Brydon and Francois Bourque each won a World Cup bronze medal Sunday. Brydon's medal came in the Super G at Val d'Isere France, while Bourque medalled in the G.S. at Val Gardena, Italy. While none of Canada's skiers are superstars yet, the depth of the Canadian team across all disciplines and sexes is perhaps as good as it's been since the 1970s. It is finally resembling that of a bona-fide alpine nation. Congrats to all.

Iran - skiing freedom

2005-12-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

Skiing and riding are liberating, yes? Well, in despotic Iran, ski slopes offer a last resort from oppression.

Mt. Tremblant on strike...

2005-12-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

As often seems to be the case with labour issues, the phrase "only in Quebec" applies here: ski resort on strike. Union workers at Mt. Tremblant have decided to use the Christmas holidays in order bargain for a 15% wage increase.

Unionized workers at Mont Tremblant have walked off the job, nearly shutting operations during the popular Laurentian ski resort's busiest season.
With 41 centimetres of newly fallen snow on the ground, 1,500 employees decided yesterday to extend the 24-hour strike they began at midnight Friday to protest against what they called the slow pace of contract talks.
The decision is devastating for the entire region, Lyne Lortie, communications director for Station Mont Tremblant, said last night.

Apparently, wages for some comparable jobs are less than in Montreal, "The average salary for a front-desk clerk is $13.85 an hour, Jean Lortie said. That's at least $2 an hour less than she would make working in a Montreal hotel, but the cost of living around the ski resort is higher than in the city, he said". Apparently, living in a ski resort doesn't bring the same financial rewards as living in a big city. hmmm.

Winning Guay

2005-12-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

Not one, but TWO World Cup podium finishes for Erik Guay at Val Gardena. He won silver in yesterday's Super G and bronze in today's downhill.

Red Bull copilot: Darren Rahlves

2005-12-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

redbullcopilot.com captures Darren Rahlves, his mind, his gear, and his racing with interactive multi-cam views. A super slick promotional site.
[via skimag.com]

Top 10 N.A. ski schools

2005-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

The top ten according to skimag.com.

Iron woman

2005-12-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

A record 403 World Cup starts for Germany's Martina Ertl.

Novelty: Mt. Washington Cog Ski Train

2005-12-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

The Mount Washington (NH) Cog Ski Train is back in operation and provides access to about 1,100 feet vertical. The cog-driven train first operated in 1869. According to USA Today (as noted in this previous post):

Mt. Washington, N.H., is a key part of the Appalachian Trail, the highest peak in the Northeast and the site of the famous Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference, but it is most famous, or infamous, for having the "worst weather in the world." While only reaching 6,643-feet, less than half the height of the bigger peaks of the Rockies (let alone the Andes or Himalayas), its unique location as the highest point in the middle of the Gulf Stream creates unrivalled weather anomalies. The highest wind speed ever recorded on the surface of the earth, 231mph, was atop Mt. Washington. It snows every month of the year, and hikers have been killed by hypothermia in every month, even in the middle of New England's hot and humid summers. Hurricane force winds can be found on average more than one out of four days, and winter temperatures regularly drop below –40 — without wind chill!

So what's to like? Tuckerman Ravine is the epicenter of eastern backcountry skiing, and despite hosting more than 100 avalanches a year, it is a famous rite of passage for locals, who climb for about two hours with skis on their back to make one of the descents down Tuckerman's steep headwall. From April to late May, the snowpack, which averages 55 feet, stabilizes and warmer weather sets in, making this prime skiing season here, without lifts, tickets or facilities. On the other side of Mt. Washington, the famous cog railway, a summer fixture for decades, just began winter operations for the first time last year, and skiers have been riding it up for the sheer bragging rights of the descent. Though the trail down alongside the tracks is boring compared with Tuckerman, it is the first time there has ever been motorized skier access to the peak.

Red calling Seattle

2005-12-15T00:59:00.000-08:00

Red Mountain is targeting Seattle area skiers and riders.

Bode Miller wants to talk doping

2005-12-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Bode Miller out on a limb: he wants FIS to start talking about doping. His approach is unorthodox.

Mainstream ski experiences

2005-12-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ten must-ski experiences according to USA Today.

Greg Hill going for Guinness

2005-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

Revelstoke's well-known endurance skier Greg Hill is going to attempt a Guinness record for the most human-powered vertical feet skied in a day. He will make the attempt at the 24 Hours of Sunlight event at Colorado's Sunlight Mountain Resort.

Buck Hill: fostering champions in the land of lakes

2005-12-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

A 310 foot bunny hill in Minnesota is producing champion alpine skiers: Austrian Erich Sailer has turned the Buck Hill Ski Racing Club into one of the most successful ski racing programs in North America.

Over the years, more than 25 college scholarships have been awarded to Buck Hill Ski racers to major colleges and universities in the United States. Hundreds of local and national races have been won by Buck Hill racers. At the Junior Olympics and previous Junior Nationals, a total of 42 gold medals, 34 silver medals, and 22 bronze medals have been won by our racers. Cory Carlson, Lori Greeley, Susan Holes, Mike Meleski, Biere Marceau, Joe Levins, Tim Hanson, Kristina Koznick, Martina Sailer, and Tasha Nelson were or currently are on the US Ski Team. Over 100 FIS races were won by Buck Hill team members over the last 26 years.

This is truly a remarkable story. So how does the local mainstream rag report on the story? They question the club's "elitism" because high-level competitive ski racing can get expensive, particularly when compared to high-school ski racing programs.

The Star-Tribune: ever-striving for mediocrity. How lame.

UPDATE: Of course, B.C.'s Red Mountain Racers also have a remarkable history of success. But the fact that we have mountains in B.C., while Minnesota is so, well, flat, makes Buck Hill that much more intriguing...

Ultimate skiing book

2005-12-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

Skiing Around the World by Jimmy Petterson is a 440 page work that visits an incredible range of ski locations around the world. Petterson is perhaps the ultimate ski travel writer. His book covers 47 countries and close to 200 ski areas. The book is published by Sweden's Zetterqvist Publishing Company. More here.

A mini ice-age for Europe?

2005-12-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

According to an article in the New Scientist:

The ocean current that gives western Europe its relatively balmy climate is stuttering, raising fears that it might fail entirely and plunge the continent into a mini ice age.

The BBC picks up on the story here.

[via snowheads.com]

Gulmarg India – The world's highest gondola

2005-12-13T00:54:00.000-08:00

The recently completed Gulmarg gondola in India is the world's highest. The Poma lift's bottom elevation is 3,930 metres (12,894 feet) and its top elevation is 4,390 metres (14,402 feet).

Skiing in Gulmarg is making a comeback. The area has been on the frontlines of the on-again off-again war with Pakistan. Outside Magazine had a feature on the horrors of this high alpine frontier.

Check out my earlier post about a major new ski resort in the Dhauladhar Mountains of India as well.

Sella Ronda in the Italian Dolomites

2005-12-13T00:33:00.000-08:00

Skiing the famous Sella Ronda in the Italian Dolomites. A 40 km (25 mile) trek of lift-accessible bliss -- like a cold day in heaven indeed. We can only dream of that kind of access on this side of the pond.

Grandi 4th

2005-12-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thomas Grandi finished fourth in today's slalom race won by Italy's Giorgio Rocca in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

"Kaiser" says slow down

2005-12-12T00:42:00.000-08:00

Austrian skiing legend Franz Klammer believes that skiing has become too fast.

bestskiweather.com

2005-12-12T00:23:00.000-08:00

An essential resource for last minute ski trip planners.

Conditions at Whistler

2005-12-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

Snowtalker ventured up to Whistler for some turns on Saturday. Relatively sparse crowds (thank you Christmas shoppers!) and a temperature inversion made for spring-like conditions in-between the odd early season rock garden. All-in-all above average early season snowriding...

Swiss winner disqualified

2005-12-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

Didier Defago of Switzerland was disqualified after winning the Val d'Isère super combined race today.

It seems his riser plates were 0.1 mm too high... More here.

Conditions at Lake Louise

2005-12-11T23:22:00.000-08:00

George Koch has a good post on early season conditions at Lake Louise. The Summit platter is open. 'Nuff said.

Guay and Miller tie for seventh in Val d'Isère

2005-12-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

Canuck Erik Guay and American Bode Miller tied for seventh at the historic World Cup downhill in Val d'Isère France on Saturday. 2005 marks the 50th year of World Cup racing in Val d'Isère. Manual Osborne-Paradis qualified for the Olympics, finishing 12th.

The CBC's take is here.

*Note to CBC: there's no such thing as "personal-best times" in skiing since every race and every run is unique. It would be nice if our national broadcaster could find someone with a clue about skiing to cover the World Cup... Being the "great white north" n'all!

Historic photos of Whistler Blackcomb

2005-12-11T00:08:00.000-08:00

A flash presentation of "historical" photographs from Whistler Blackcomb.

[via WBSKI]

Lou Dawson on backcountry access

2005-12-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

Backcountry skiing legend Lou Dawson has some salient observations on land use and shared access:

As I’ve always said, if skiers want snowmobiles restricted, we’ll end up being shut out of certain areas in return. And here was the proof. Because of this (and a number of other reasons), I happen to think that dividing up public land for various winter user groups is frequently a bad idea. It might be necessary on Vail Pass, but should be done with extreme caution rather than the ra ra approach that seems to be common these days among the anti snowmobile crowd. As an aside, it’s interesting to note that there are vastly more snowmobilers than skiers using the non-wilderness Vail Pass area. And more, that the majority of backcountry skiers using Vail Pass are probably traveling to and from the Shrine Mountain Inn, which is a privately owned commercial endeavor. Nonetheless, a large area of public land has been designated as snowmobile restricted so a relativly small number of backcountry skiers and Shrine Mountain’s customers can have the requisite human powered experience. We should feel privileged that our fairly small user group has so much political power, and that the Forest Service would do so much to support a commercial hut operation.

An ode to skiing in N.A.

2005-12-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

An ode to skiing in North America from the U.K.'s Independent newspaper. A major factor? "Tension" -- or lack thereof...

UPDATE: A nice article on Vancouver as well!

Vail ticket prices

2005-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

Vail has raised its ticket prices to $81 U.S.!! Is it an indicator of demand? A (very) good reason to ski elsewhere? Or is it the ol' "perception of quality" marketing scheme?

Dave Philipps has an explanation and some revealing facts.

Sounds ridiculous right? Who can afford that much cash and also be foolish enough to pay full price? Well, not many.
Vail estimates only 15% of skiers pay full ticket window price.
The rest either get "ski and stay" deals that can knock a daily price down below $50 or get in on early season four-pack and season pass deals that can knock it down to $30 or less.
Smart Front Rangers tend to snap up these last two items. How can you pass up a season pass for $350 or less? Just use it 12 times and you're skiing at about $30 a day! Ski 100 days (ah, to dream) and you're skiing for less than the price of a grande mocha. But can you get in that many days?
There's the rub: The average season pass holder in Colorado, according to Vail, only skis seven days. That works out to $50 a day. Big savings over the $81 price at the ticket window, but not nearly as good a deal as a four-pack.

Vail pass info here.

Utah

2005-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

As we all know, it's been dumping snow in much of N.A. in the past couple of weeks. Utah is getting more than its fair share -- Snowbird has gotten over 7 feet in the past week. It might be time to check out the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour!

Incidentally, while much of the west suffered from poor snowfalls last season, Utah didn't, and it broke its all-time skier visits record. Tell me where the snow is, and I'll tell ya where the riders are!

Hart Skis

2005-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

Remember Hart Skis? Looks like they're making a comeback.

Exum Mountain Guides - The house of rock

2005-12-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Althoug a bit dated (April 2004), Outside Magazine has an interesting and compelling feature on Exum Mountain Guides. Exum is based in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park and is the U.S.'s premier mountaineering service.

Cantankerous, colorful, and roiled by clashing personalities, this eclectic confederacy of dirtbags, freebooters, and aristocrats represents the crowning ambition of working guides all across America. Thanks to an invite-only policy, however, it's considerably easier to break through the doors of an Ivy League university than to get tapped by Exum—an honor generally reserved for those who combine exceptional achievements (first ascents, new routes, exploratory trips overseas) with the patience and poise necessary to chaperone couch potatoes out of their comfort zones and up into challenging vertical terrain.

Exum Mountain Guides is a private corporation that holds the longest unbroken climbing concession in any American national park. Since its founding in 1929 by Paul Petzoldt, a pioneering young Tetons guide from Idaho, it has grown from a tiny mom-and-pop operation that barely generated enough cash to cover the owner's bus fare home each fall to a flourishing business that runs a mountaineering school and leads more than two dozen established climbs in the Tetons each summer, plus expeditions throughout Wyoming's Wind River Range.

Canadian skiers training indoors in Germany?

2005-12-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Considering the abundant snow and mountain peaks in Canada, it is somewhat bizarre to learn that Canadian skiers spent October training in an indoor ski facility in Germany! The opportunity to literally train 24 hours a day in a controlled environment can be beneficial -- but surely there is better racing value in training in variable, real-world conditions rather than in what is essentially a ski gymnasium! If we had year-round facilities such as Jumbo Glacier Resort, would we be spending money to send our athletes overseas to train in indoor facilities in the middle of Germany? I don't think so.

[via www.snow365.com]

While on the subject of snowdomes...

2005-12-07T12:42:00.001-08:00

www.snow365.com is a site that stays on top of snowdome developments and news from around the world. Skipressworld has a summary of snow365.com's comprehensive 2005 guide (published in April).

Dubai Snowdome now open

2005-12-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Dubai Snowdome is now open. See this BBC report and photographs as well as this earlier post, here.

Courchevel Altiport

2005-12-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is possibly the coolest airport in the world. It is located amidst the ski runs of Courchevel and has a 12 to 18 percent grade! Its bottom altitude is 6,370 ft (1,940 m) and top is 6,580 ft (2,005 m). More pictures here.

Courchevel is one of the resorts that make up the 3 vallées ski area in France. The 3 vallées has 200 ski lifts, over 600 km of ski runs, an uphill capacity of 260,000 skiers/hour, 1,500 ski instructors, 1,500 snow guns, and 2,500 hectares of groomed runs. It makes Whistler Blackcomb (with its 30 lifts) look puny in comparison.

Widening demographics of skiing: the Swiss now luring Chinese skiers

2005-12-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

As I noted in a an earlier post, the demographics of skiing seems set to explode. There are new resort developments and skiing facilities in places such as Dubai, India, Korea and China. The Swiss, however, are striving to maintain a leadership position in the world of skiing and ski resorts.

According to the Globe and Mail, Switzerland Tourism is launching a campaign aimed at wooing Chinese skiers. They are expecting a sharp increase in the number of Chinese tourists.

The Swiss are organizing a competition with qualifying races on Chinese slopes, backed by a brochure in Chinese showing basic skiing techniques. The final of the "China Race" will be held on Mount Titlis in central Switzerland for the Chinese New Year in February.

Skiing is "a very popular sport in China and carries a high degree of prestige," Swiss Tourism chief Juerg Schmid said.

During 2004, Chinese tourists accounted for 240,000 overnight stays in Switzerland and the tourism board is aiming to exceed the 300,000 mark this winter season.

Xinhua reports that China and Switzerland will hold a "joint" skiing competition and notes that "more than 3 million people in China take part in skiing every year, and the number has been increasing by 30 percent annually, making China a big target market for world's skiing resort nations."

30 percent annual increases in the number of skiers is impressive.

Keep winter cool

2005-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Keep Winter Cool is an effort by the U.S. NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) to address global warming. It's a bit of a propoganda tool but it provides a good overview of what some U.S. resorts are doing in order to improve sustainability. For example:

In Utah, The Canyons is using solar powered lighting. The Canyons, Deer Valley and Park City are all participating in Utah Power's Blue Sky Program and are purchasing green wind power for their operations. The resorts will also audit energy use and improve energy efficiency.

In Wyoming, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort powers two of its chairlifts, Moose Creek and Union Pass, with wind power.

Keystone Resort purchases 16,500 kilowatt-hours of renewable wind power per month, the maximum amount available from the local utility. The resort's River Run Information Center is powered by a solar energy system and relies heavily on natural light rather than electric lights during the day.

Vail Mountain buys 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year of wind energy to power the Wildwood Express Lift, eliminating 300 tons of global warming pollution.

How Glaciers are formed

2005-12-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Glaciers are formed over time by successive snowfall accumulations that are compacted and compressed to the point where a thick mass of ice is formed.

SwissEduc.ch - Glaciers online is an excellent website that provides a good overview of glaciers coupled with fantastic photography from around the world.

This photo is from SwissEduc.ch and shows:

Climbers ascending Weissmies (4023 m) in the Swiss Alps are dwarfed by the crevasse they have just crossed. The crevasse wall clearly shows the accumulation layering, the most prominent of which bound a year's accumulation of snow. The yellowish layers mark deposits of Saharan dust which is commonly transported by wind over central Europe.

Although this is (slightly!) off-topic for a ski blog, the impact of the Sahara and its dust is truly amazing. Glaciers, apparently, are dust makers too -- "As they grind their way along the stony terrain, they produce prodigious amounts of rock flour." According to the same article:

Dust provides one of the most critical influences on Earth's climate, some scientists say. In some cases, dust particles serve as nuclei for condensing raindrops, but in others, those particles stifle precipitation. Dust cools Earth by blocking sunlight from reaching the ground but absorbs some of the sunlight and so warms the atmosphere directly. Although dust's cooling effect on Earth seems to predominate today, high amounts of dust ironically may have triggered the ends of the ice ages.

Closer to home, I've been told that the soot and debris from the 2003 forest fires in British Columbia had a noticeable negative impact on some of B.C.'s lower elevation glaciers, including Blackcomb Glacier.