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Vail Resorts have honoured Olympic Champion Lindsey Vonn, who moved to the resort in the late 1990s and has now won what the resort describes as, ‘Vail’s first ever gold medal’ by renaming a trail on Vail Mountain after Vonn. The expert “International” trail at Vail wa...s renamed “Lindsey’s” and the new trail sign is already up to greet skiers and snowboarders. “This trail is a fitting choice as it was the site of the women’s speed events during the World Alpine Ski Championships at Vail and Beaver Creek in 1989 and 1999. Additionally, the central location of the trail gives all guests at Vail easy access to ski or ride it like a champion throughout the winter season.” said a Vail statement. Vonn’s unprecedented success in the 2010 Olympic Games is one for the record books. Vonn was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the Downhill and also took home a bronze in the Super G. Her feats in alpine skiing comprise an impressive list: Two consecutive Overall World Cup titles, four World Cup discipline titles, four World Championship medals (including two gold), 31 World Cup wins (11 so far this season), 60 World Cup podium finishes (17 so far this season), and she currently leads the Overall World Cup standings this year. “We could not be prouder of Lindsey and her success at the Olympic Games.” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “‘Lindsey’s’ on Vail Mountain is a perfect location for her namesake trail. As a former race course for the best women ski racers in the world and a groomed black diamond favourite for our guests, it is where future champions and everyday skiers alike can be inspired by Lindsey’s success. We are excited to welcome Lindsey home to her new run.” While she was born in Burnsville, Minnesota in 1984 but spent her formative years on Vail Mountain, honing her racing skills in all alpine disciplines with the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, then went on to achieve success in major U.S. and international events such as the Junior Olympics, Junior Worlds, NorAms and Europa Cup before entering the International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup circuit. When she’s not rigorously training or garnering medals, Vonn makes a beeline for Vail’s legendary Back Bowls to free ski. She and former teammate/Olympian Thomas Vonn married in September 2007. When they’re not travelling on the road, the Vonns make their home at the Arrabelle at Vail Square, A RockResort in Vail, Colorado. Vonn fans can follow Lindsey through her ski racing career this past year via www.LindseyIsEpic.com. The site provides the most detailed background and insider’s view of Vonn’s endeavors this ski season including more than 25 webisodes and interviews with Vonn chronicling her successful ski career and season to date on the World Cup circuit. The weekly webisodes give fans an insightful perspective on Vonn’s dedication and drive to becoming a World Champion from preparing and training for World Cup events in her hometown Vail to pre-season ski fitness sessions in the gym and World Cup race footage as well other unique surprises about Lindsey, including being an owner of three cows and a goat.Source: Snow24

Panorama ski area in Canada’s British Columbia was sold for an undisclosed sum by former owners Intrawest recently. The centre has a number of new initiatives for this year including the new Showoff Terrain Park alongside the Mile 1 Quad. This new freestyle terrain ha...s quickly been rarted the biggest and best in the Rockies according the resort staff. The resort also greatly improved facilities for first-time skiers and riders by enlarging the novice ski area and installing the 135 metre long Red Carpet lift. In addition this year, intermediate and advanced riders are benefitting from extensive trail work. The expanse of Founders Ridge is now easier to reach and easier to ski. Ostrander Alley, Strobl Strasse, and McIntosh Way have been re-graded and it’s now an easy cruise to some of the best intermediate skiing available. Further up the mountain, Panorama has opened a formerly inaccessible area between View of 1000 Peaks and Stumbock’s. Deep powder turns, glades, and varied terrain now give skiers and riders a glimpse of what to expect in this new area; a potential that will be fully realized in coming years. Visitors will notice that the resort is really trying to offer them more value for the dollar. “For the folks here at Panorama, it’s essential that snow sports remain accessible to all”, said Marke Dickson, Marketing Manager. “We know that skiers and riders are looking for value, now more than ever, so we’ve worked hard to bundle popular activities with daily necessities; this means savings for our guests.” Offers include free breakfast for two each day, a free family activity, and additional discounts on lift tickets.Photo: http://www.panoramaresort.com | Source: Snow24

French Alps based ski rental company Ski Republic has reported its ski rental sales are up 34%, this season comparing winter 2008-9. UK customers represent 55% of turnover and around 50% of all bookings now being received online. The company launched its `two for one’ ...ski equipment rental model in December 2007. Ski Republic’s Gaël Brunhes said “Our challenge is to keep ahead of the competition with high quality equipment at keen prices. Competitors have responded by cutting prices, but so far they’re not offering like for like and Ski Republic are leading the way in affordable ski hire. All of this is good for consumers, of course, who previously had little choice but to buy in resort or via their ski tour operator.” “With our user-friendly online booking facility clients can now order their ski hire direct for collection in any one of our 33 Ski Republic shops throughout the French Alps and around half of all of our customers are now doing so.” Ski Republic claims that having had a monopoly for many years, resort hire shops are now having to examine their service and pricing levels, to the benefit of customers. They expect internet bookings to increase again for the 2010 / 11 season as consumers become more accepting of online booking for their ski equipment requirements.Photo: Rental skis (by: kawanet) | Source: Snow24

St Anton am Arlberg has a full range of events for the final weeks of the season after the Easter Holidays this April. The Intersport Spring Festival from the 9th to 11th April is now an integral part of St. Anton am Arlberg’s event calendar. During the event, some of ...Austria’s leading snow sportsmen and women will be displaying their expertise in a range of competitions. The Austrian Ski Instructors and Demo-Team Championships will also be a part of the Festival. New for this season the event is being staged on the resort’s Rendl ski slopes and can be accessed via the new central gondola lift to the area. Along with the Demo-Championships the Festival includes the Arlberg X-Ride Challenge and Giant Slalom will be taking place. For après-ski, “chilling” on Rendl-Beach is particularly popular. There are comfy sofas, tables and standing lamps nestled in the snow on the edge of the piste providing a welcoming if slightly surreal lounge atmosphere. „ “Kumm Oba“ is building a giant lounge there in the snow especially for the Festival. Whoever finds a spot here will have best views of the world class performances and front row seats for the live bands. After all the fun on the slopes, the party goes on in the Winterlounge in the snow at the Sundowner-Partys on Rendl-Beach and at the Intersport SpringFestival Party at ARLBERG-well.com on Saturday evening.Source: Snow24

In North America there have been serious snowfalls on both East and West sides of the continent. On the East Coast the “snowicane” that paralyzed the region for nearly a week has set many ski areas up to be skiing well into Spring 2010. After ending February with nearl...y 2.4m (eight feet) of natural snowfall over five days Belleayre in New York state is primed for a monumental March. To the north Le Massif, an hour outside Québec City in Québec, Canada, reported 72cm (28 inches) of fresh snow too. On the western side of the continent nearly three feet (90cm) of snow has fallen at Beaver Creek and Vail, while Breckenridge received 28 inches (71cm); Heavenly, 25 inches (64cm), and Keystone was walloped with 20 inches (51cm). The heavens opened with 10 straight days of relentless snow in Colorado resorts and Pacific storms in the west.Photo: Whiteface Mountain, New York | Source: Skiinfo

There has been little fresh snowfall in the alps in recent days, according to Skiinfo and in some cases some unwanted warm temperatures and even rain. However in most cases the accumulated snow to date has led to pleasant ski conditions in Europe. To the north of the c...ontinent heavy snow has continued to fall over Scotland and Scandinavia, while in the East it has been unseasonably warm, leading to difficult conditions for skiers in Bulgaria. France  Although things have been quiet for the past three or four days, It snowed a lot last week in the French mountains with 13 powder alarms in the French Alps on Friday.  Le Grand Bornand was one of the big winners with 75cm (2.5 feet) of fresh snow accumulated over seven days.  Hubert Bon-Bétend Le Grand Bornand ski patrol chief told Skiinfo. “It had not snowed a lot in the beginning of the season but since early January, the resort has received regular snowfalls of 15 to 20cm. The snow coverage is very good with 100cm at 1200m and 170cm at 2300m. The snow depths are measured twice a day, once at 7:30am and again at 12:30. The avalanche risk is moderate now, but it was at maximum on Sunday because of mild temperatures. It was cold in the night from Sunday to Monday which helped stabilize the snow coverage. We trigger avalanches artificially when there’s 10-15cm of new snowfall when it is windy, otherwise we wait until 20cm. We now hope that the temperatures will not be too high so we can have a good end to the season."  Other big accumulations of 45- 52cm (18-21 inches) were reported by La Clusaz, Val Thorens and Alpe d'Huez. Chamonix - Mont-Blanc has the deepest snow in France with 4.2m (14 feet). Italy  Italy is reporting less favorable conditions with bad weather today, especially in the north and the centre of the country with warm temperatures bringing some unwanted rainfall this afternoon and more expected tomorrow. Unusually, conditions are better for skiing in Italy’s southern areas. There have been healthy snow accumulations over the past seven days at some resorts however, Courmayeur has had 75cm (2.5 feet) of new snow, Arabba - Marmolada 70cm – it continues to claim the deepest snow in Europe, with five metres (nearly 27 feet) accumulated, La Thuile has had 55cm (22 inches) and Bardonecchia 40cm (16 inches). Austria Austria got some new snow today with Sölden, Obertauern and the Ski Welt with Brixental, Söll and Elm getting 5cm (2 inches) each. Some snow had already been falling in St Anton am Arlberg, Hochfügen (both 5cm) and Saalbach Hinterglemm (10cm) yesterday. In mountainous areas more new snow is expected in the coming days. The biggest snow accumulations in the country in the past week has been at Zauchensee (30 cm/a foot) and Sölden (29 cm/11.5 inches). The snow depth in the latter has “climbed” up to 202cm (6.6 feet), with some new snow falling almost every day (Skiinfo’s Snowfinder expects 13 cm of new snow in Sölden for tomorrow). Flachau had 25cm (10 inches) of new snow in a week. Switerzland In Switzerland the latest powder alarms were issued last weekend with 30cm (a foot) in Nax as well as Champoussin. There’s been less new snow in the German speaking parts of the country but Engelberg Titlis and Lötschental are still on top of the list of biggest snow depths with 285 and 272cm (9-10 feet)of snow on their mountains. Germany In Germany up to 10cm (four inches) of new sn...

Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada, not only has the biggest lift-served vertical in North America, but uniquely in the world, they believe, they offer lift-served, cat or heli ski and board operations from a single resort base to their guests. This... winter the resort has launched the new Revelstoke Outdoors Centre (ROC), which brings together the industry’s top ski and boarding pros with guiding excellence all from a one-stop shop. Programs include avalanche skills courses, guided backcountry/slackcountry trips, cat or heliski preparation sessions and specialty education options. Also new this winter, Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing is expanding its programs to include more customized options, one of which is to fly directly from the Nelsen Lodge, at the base of the resort. The new luxury hotel features studio to four bedroom suites and guests can now walk out the door of their suite into their waiting A-Star helicopter.Photo: Revelstoke Mountain (by: Visions of Domino) | Source: Snow24

Cairngorm Mountain ski area above Aviemore in Scotland is attempting to set a world record for the largest number of kilted skiers/boarders skiing/boarding down a piste at once. The attempt will take place on Saturday 6th March at 11am and all money raised will be split... between Maggie’s Highland hospice and the local Badenoch and Strathspey Schools Skiing Programme. The centre is aiming to have 600 kilted skiers and snowboarders ski in a single consecutive line from the Ptarmigan Top Station at CairnGorm Mountain all the way down to car park level. Ian Whitaker, Chief Executive at CairnGorm Mountain said: “Snow conditions this winter are so fantastic at CairnGorm Mountain that staff wanted to celebrate the skiing from top to bottom in a memorable way that would also involve the public. So far this year we have held two torch light descents but the “CairnGorm in Kilts” world record attempt would be unique to Scotland and Scottish Skiing. We hope that our customers will embrace the fun and also know that they are raising money for two great local causes.” Participants should be competent intermediate / advanced skiers or snowboarders capable of skiing slowly and steadily from the top station down the Traverse, Coire Cas, Zig Zags and the lower slopes without stopping. (world record attempts require the line to be consecutive and a moving single line.) It is possible for non participants to make a donation to Maggie’s by visiting this link. In the event of poor weather on the 6th March the attempt will be made on Sunday 7th March (and again finally on the 13th March). Full updates and details will be posted on the CairnGorm Mountain web site.Source: Snow24

A new study by the University of California Davis has determined that creating a ski run by clearing trees and foliage manually but leaving the underlying eco-system otherwise intact is better than using heavy machinery to re-grade the slope. The findings are not just ...on environmental grounds, but also found that operating cost of machine-cut slopes were higher than those of slopes which had been left in a more natural state. The report authors believe that this makes the slopes more expensive to maintain to, offsetting and extra income that may be made by being able to open a machine cur slope a week or so earlier in the season as machine-cleared slopes require 20% less snow cover to be able to open. Ski slope grading by heavy machinery is worse for plant abundance and diversity, reduces soil depth and fertility, and promotes erosion. The study was compiled by UC Davis ecologist Jennifer Burt and professor of plant sciences Kevin Rice.Photo: Ski slope (by: josef kebrie) | Source: Snow24

Italy’s giant Dolomiti Superski Region (Cortina d'Ampezzo, Plan de Corones / Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Arabba - Marmolada) is the latest to publish its own iPhone app. The free-of-charge app is available to download from the iTunes store. The ap...p delivers the latest news from the region, and suggestions based on your location. Features include current weather conditions and three days of weather forecasts for your location. Snow information including snow depths, conditions and the number of slopes open. The app also allows users to plan a personalised journey on skis through the downloadable itineraries on skis or boards. Lonely iPhone Dolomiti Superski app users can also find friends for their holiday through a special ‘ dating’ section. The online Dolomites guide also has details of huts, gastronomy, landscapes, trails, webcams and events.Source: Snow24

Resorts across the United States have been receiving heavy snow over the past 48 hours, according to Skiinfo. Killington reported 28cm (11 inches) of new snow and neighbouring Vermont resort Mount Snow, 32 cm (13 inches). On the other side of the country Homewood in C...alifornia received 20cm (8 inches) of fresh powder yesterday while nearby Alpine Meadows had 33cm (13 inches) taking its base depth to 338cm (11feet). Colorado’s resorts have also been receiving a lot of fresh snow. None more so than Silverton Mountain with 120cm (48 inches) during a weekend storm. It snowed three inches (7.5cm) an hour much of the weekend which left some extremely deep powder snow skiing. Mt Washington in British Columbia has the deepest snow on the continent with 4.9m (16.3 feet).Photo: Buried skier at Silverton Mountain | Source: Skiinfo

Skiinfo reports that despite temperatures getting warmer in the Alps, heavy snow has been falling at many resorts in Europe. France  It has snowed a lot on all the French mountains in the past week, but it is the Southern Alps that have benefited most from the new snow.... 85cm (almost three feet) of snow fell, for example. in Puy Saint Vincent last week. Serre Chevalier received 71cm (2.4 feet) and Isola 2000 70cm. Olivier Saez chief operator of Puy Saint Vincent said, "The snow conditions are very good as we have had regular snowfalls since the end of December. The snow depth is 230cm on the upper slopes and 165cm on lower slopes. The 85 cm of fresh snow in the past week feel at a regular rate so were able to maintain the slopes without operating difficulties. The ski area is perfectly secure and the PIDA (Plan of Intervention Trigger Avalanche) is working. Avalanches are triggered using a CATEX - a cable which has explosives attached to trigger avalanches in zones where snow has accumulated. There is no risk to skiers who stay on the ski slopes, but we strongly advise against going off-piste because we have an avalanche risk of 4 /5." Chamonix - Mont-Blanc currently has the deepest snow in France with 405cm (13.5 feet). Other resorts including Alpe d’Huez and Flaine have more than 2.5m (8.3 feet). Italy Italy has also seen some big snowfalls in the past week with powder alarms issued for 24 hour falls as big as 50cm (20 inches), Courmayeur, La Thuile and Val Gardena issued alarms for 20cm. Limone Piemonte has received the most snow in Italy over the past 7 days with 110cm (nearly four feet) but Aprica and Arabba have both had a metre too. Arabba also has the country’s second deepest snow depth with 3.8m (13 feet) on the Marmolada glacier. The most is on the Presena glacier above Passo Tonale with 420cm (14 feet). Bormio has three metres (ten feet) of snow on upper slopes – the most of an Italian resort without a glacier. Austria Though snowfalls have been more moderate than a week ago in the German speaking ski areas of Europe, many important resorts in Austria have received respectable amounts of new snow in the past week days. Sölden got 33cm (11 inches), Axamer – Lizum above Innsbruck as well as Nassfeld and the Stubai valley had 30cm (a foot) each. Similar snowfalls took place in Monte Avena and Kleinwalsertal. Many more resorts like Ischgl, Söll or the glaciers of Pitztaler Gletscher and Hintertuxer Gletscher received at least 10-15cm (4-6 inches) of powder. A dozen Austrian resorts including Sölden and St Anton am Arlberg now have snow depths of around two metres (nearly 7 feet) or more on upper slopes. The Mölltaler Gletscher stays on top of the list with up to 350cm(nearly 12 feet). Switzerland In Switzerland, St Moritz has accumulated 40cm (16 inches) of new snow over the past seven days and now reports two metres of snow on top of the mountain. Saas Fee and Klosters both also reported snowfalls of 23cm (9 inches) in seven days, Andermatt and Engelberg Titlis received 20cm (8 inches). As in Austria the avalanche danger has lowered a little in Switzerland and is generally at the mid-range level of 2-3. Germany In Germany the ski resorts of Oberstdorf received the most fresh snow issuing powder alarms because of 20-25 cm snowfalls on Saturday. Lots of other resorts in the central uplands as well as in the Alps reported at least some new snow. Scandinavia Up in Scandinavia the ...

Plans for a major ski resort in the Himalayas in India have suffered a new set back as the government have issued a cancellation notice for the plans, first launched with a wave of positive PR six years ago but bogged down for the past few years in legal arguments. The... Ski Village concept plan was first proposed back in 2004 by Alfred Ford, a member of the Ford Motors family and chairman of the Himalayan Ski Village project, was for a major ski resort close to the established tourism centre of Manali in the Indian Himalayas, which already has rudimentary ski facilities and world famous heli-skiing in the area. It was given the go ahead by the then government in late 2005 and a detailed project report submitted in March. 2007, detailing plans to construct 170 seven star rooms, 1000 four star rooms and 100 chalets on 93.1 hectares of land. The project was said to be the country’s largest tourism proposal with a value of $350m. The project has stalled following the election of a new government however, with claims and counter claims from the government and the developers that the project was unpopular/popular with locals people and that the developers hadn’t/had carried out adequate environmental assessments, among other things. Himalayan Ski Village are reported to be appealing the government cancellation notice.Photo: Himalayan Ski Village | Source: Snow24

The world's best skiers and snowboarders are battling it out again for the Freeride World Tour Championship title at four of the world's most prestigious ski resorts, and this month they’re due to make history at the third stage in Squaw Valley USA, by tackling the perm...anently closed Tram Face on February 27, 2010. The tour was due to have started on the Russian slopes of Sochi, the 2014 Winter Olympics venue, but this was cancelled due to bad weather. Instead the first two stages were held at stop number two on the tour, Chamonix - Mont-Blanc, France. At Squaw Valley USA, the only North American stop on the tour, competitors will attempt to “ride” the mythical Tram Face that has never before successfully opened for competition, as weather deterred the event (and first legal descent) from taking place in 2009. The stage is set for a second attempt to make history on the permanently closed terrain during Nissan Tram Face – Squaw Valley USA In Squaw Valley’s 60 years of operation, the steep rock face below Tower 1 of the Cable Car (known as the “Tram Face”) has remained strictly off-limits. Its steep and seemingly un-skiable pitch and permanent closure have made it a coveted line among the freeride set that calls the mountain home. This winter, during the Nissan Tram Face – Squaw Valley USA, February 27 – March 5, only the world’s top international skiers and snowboarders descend on the legendary resort in an attempt to stake their claim on the hairy terrain. Last year’s event was slated to be the first-ever Tram Face opening, but a massive snow storm moved the competition to Squaw’s Silverado bowl; pushing the first legal opening of the Tram Face to 2010. “The level among the riders has increased constantly since the first edition of the Tour. It is no longer enough to be a great skier to take part of the Tour. Physical and mental preparation, thorough inspection of the competition face, and top gear, are all important elements that has helped develop freeriding to a professional sport, becoming more and more known by the broad public,” says Freeride World Champion 2009 Aurélien Ducroz of France. A testament to Squaw Valley’s paramount terrain and Freeride training ground, 4 of the 9 US athletes invited to compete on the World Tour hale form Squaw Valley USA.. “The reason I strived so much to get on the Freeride World Tour is because there is no Olympics in extreme skiing. [The Freeride World Tour] is the end of the line right there . . . so for me, being able to compete on the tour is amazing, it’s definitely where the top athletes are today and where it’s going on,” says Tim Dutton, Squaw Valley freerider. The last stage of the tour is scheduled for Verbier on March 20th.Photo: Squaw Valley USA, Tram Face (by: D. Daher) | Source: Snow24

Seven hundred military athletes from 40 nations will face the snow of Val d’Aosta in Italy on March 20-25 to compete for the victory in the first Military World Winter Games. For six days, the whole valley will be marked by a brilliant display of uniforms from differen...t national army, navy and airforce staff that are competing in Nordic skiing, biathlon, downhill skiing, climbing and short track. Events will be staged in the villages of Brusson (for the biathlon), Cogne (Nordic ski races and ski orienteering), Courmayeur (climbing and short-track), Gressoney-Saint-Jean (women’s giant slalom and slalom), Flassin of Saint-Oyen (Alpine skiing), and Gressan (men’s slalom and giant slaom). The opening ceremony of the games takes place on March 20 at 5:00 pm in Aosta, where the delegations of nations will march, starting from Republic Square to Chamoux Square in the heart of the city. All award ceremonies will be held in Aosta at 6:00 pm. On March 25, the flame of this first edition of Military World Games winter will be extinguished.Photo: Courmayeur, Italy (by: tmesis) | Source: Snow24

A second new quad chairlift has been announced as being under construction in New Zealand ahead of the southern hemisphere’s 2010 season. Novices and families will benefit from new Express Chairlift at Granite Peak ski resort which accompanies a significant upgrade of ...the ‘Big Easy’ novice area. The Meadows double chairlift at Coronet Peak will be replaced with the new Leitner-Poma detachable quad chairlift which, for a number of reasons, will be the first of its kind to be installed in the Southern Hemisphere. The existing novice terrain is to be re-graded with a new link back to the lift and an additional beginner area will be created adjacent to the existing Magic Carpet conveyor lift. The new express quad chair includes a range of safety features, including an automatic loading carpet that takes skiers and riders to the load point making it super simple to get onto the chair. A first in the Southern Hemisphere, it also features an automated safety bar which descends over passengers as the chair leaves the lift terminal and rises prior to disembarking at the top. There is also a “kid stop” mechanism designed to ensure very young skiers don’t slip underneath the bar – it comes up between their legs to keep them in place. The new chairlift terminals will be located in approximately the same place but capacity will increase to a maximum of 2000 passengers per hour. The existing chair moves up to 1200 per hour. Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie said the improvements to novice and beginner facilities completely rounded out the Coronet Peak experience making it more fun than ever for beginners, novices and families. “This upgrade will exponentially improve the overall beginner and novice experience. Facilities for learners were really the last key areas we needed to work on to bring Coronet Peak up to true world-class standard. “The new chairlift will be safe and easy for children to ride without accompanying adults, which will free up parents to ski or ride the rest of the mountain if they wish. The new base area will also provide plenty of extra space making learning more fun for both first time and novice skiers/riders. We’re looking forward to welcoming all learners with a greatly improved dedicated area for fun in the snow. “ The 2010 improvements are part of a five-year multi-million dollar redevelopment programme which has elevated Coronet Peak to true international status. The redevelopment has included the installation of the six-seater Greengates lift, a massive snowmaking system and a stunning new base building which provides state-of-the-art facilities and magnificent views across the Wakatipu Basin. Located 20 minutes drive from central Queenstown, Granite Peak ski area is scheduled to open on Saturday 5 June.Photo: Snow Fields at Coronet Peak (by: kbcool) | Source: Snow24

Jasper’s Marmot Basin ski area in Alberta, Canada has recently been awarded the ‘Best Longest New Lift’ title by Ski Canada Magazine. There may not have been many contenders in Canada this year, with few new lifts added but nonetheless the award recognises the significa...nce of the massive new ski lift project and the vast improvement it has made to the ski area. The new Canadian Rockies Express gets skiers and riders to the top of the upper slopes in less than half the time it took previously and has significantly changed the way the mountain is skied. Ski Canada also awarded Marmot Basin with ‘Best Off The Mark’ for their earliest opening ever, November 11, 2009. This season Marmot Basin has been setting new attendance records, with record snowfall, the area’s new lift and a new and much bigger terrain park all contributing to the successful season so far that has surpassed expectations. “We knew we had a winning season on our hands with the installation of our new high speed quad chair but the skier turnout this season has been phenomenal”, said Brian Rode, Marmot’s VP of Marketing. “Marketing a ski area is a whole lot easier when conditions are this good and you have the biggest new chairlift in North America” With three months still left in Marmot Basin’s long season, skiers and boarders have plenty of time to take advantage of the near perfect ski conditions and try out the new chairlift at Marmot Basin.Photo: Canadian Rockies Express at Marmot Basin (by: sunnyfunnyyellow) | Source: Snow24

A drunken man is reported to have stolen an ambulance that had been called to the Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Wisconsin, last Monday. The man, who is reported to have been from the Chicago area and drunk at the time, jumped in to the ambulance, which had its ...engine running, and drove it around the ski area parking lot. The ambulance had medics treating an injured skier in the back at the time. Local police are reported to have managed to get in to the vehicle and arrest the 24 year old man concerned.Photo: Tyrol Basin ski area (by: mntrb) | Source: Snow24

Innergex, the company operating the new hydro-electric power plant at Whistler Blackcomb, which will meet 100% of the resort’s energy needs, has announced that it has started commercial operation of its Fitzsimmons Creek power plant, located between Whistler and Blackco...mb mountains. Fitzsimmons Creek’s installed capacity is 7.5 MW and its estimated yearly energy output is 33,000 MW-hr, equivalent to the annual power consumed by Whistler Blackcomb ski area. Michel Letellier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Innergex said, “BC Hydro must be congratulated for its Standing Offer Program, which allows fully permitted small renewable energy projects to move forward to the construction phase, as was the case with Fitzsimmons Creek. This program, well planned and well managed, encourages independent producers to invest in renewable energy projects, which helps the province attain its environmental policy objectives”. According to Whistler Blackcomb’s Arthur DeJong, Mountain Planning and Environment Resource Manager, “The Fitzsimmons renewable energy power facility is a success story built on perseverance, purpose, and community partnership.” An agreement with the Government of Canada has also been signed for Fitzsimmons Creek through the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power Program, which will provide an incentive of $10 per MW-hr of electricity produced over the first ten years of commercial operation. “The ecoENERGY Program has already made possible the development of renewable energy projects which might not have been possible otherwise. We encourage the Government of Canada to continue supporting renewable energy,” explains Michel Construction of Fitzsimmons Creek began in July 2008 and was completed in January 2010 ahead of schedule and within budget ($33.2 million).Photo: Whistler Mountain (by: Steve Rogers) | Source: Snow24

Despite the fluctuating weather conditions in Vancouver for the Olympic Games, most of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is reporting great ski conditions according to Skiinfo.   Mount Washington, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic training site close to the Games sites is c...urrently leading the world with the greatest reported snow accumulation of 4.6m (15.3 feet) to date. Mount Washington also had the most snow in the past week with nearly 90cm (three feet) more. In the US all 50 states reported snow lying at some point on their terrain during Valentine’s day. with fresh snow right across North America, it’s the US and Canada that have seen the most fresh snow of the past seven days anywhere in the world. Falls have been particularly heavy on the West coast and while there has been rain at lower elevations causing major headaches for Olympic organisers, Whistler Blackcomb has actually seen some of the most snow in the world in the past week with 68cm (2.3 feet) accumulated on middle and upper elevations. Other western resorts reporting big falls include Jackson Hole, Vail, Big Sky, Breckenridge and in Alaska, Alyeska, all of which have received more than 60cm (two feet). There’s been snow on the east too, with the excellent ski area of Sutton in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, for example, receiving more than 40cm over the weekend. Cold weather has also allowed for snowmaking at many resorts in the East.Photo: Alyeska, Alaska (by: Jeffrey Beall) | Source: Skiinfo

In Europe Chamonix, France, Passo Tonale, Italy and the continent’s most southerly major resort, Sierra Nevada on the Spanish Mediterranean coast each have around 4m of accumulated snow. There has been much less snow in Europe this week than last, but that is expected ...to change in the next few days with more snow coming, and in any case conditions are generally excellent because of the accumulations already there. There has been limited fresh snowfall in the Alps over the past five days, but that is expected to change in the next few days and the first few powder alarms for 20cm (8 inches) of new snow in the past 24 hours have been issued this morning by several Swiss resorts. Austria On Thursday last week heavy snowfalls of up to 60cm (two feet) were reported from Austria. Since then the high avalanche risk has been lowering again (though still considerable in some regions like Tirol or Steiermark) and today lucky skiers and boarders across the country are enjoying good skiing conditions with sunny slopes in many places. Last Thursday brought 30 powder alarms to Austria. The biggest snowfalls took place in Carinthia where 60cm (two feet) was reported from smaller resorts like Flattnitz or Petzen. Bad Kleinkirchheim and Dachstein West also had 20-30cm in 24 hours. The Mölltaler Gletscher has the most snow in the country at 3.5m (nearly 12 feet), with St Anton am Arlberg second with 240cm (eight feet). Switzerland In Switzerland the most snow was reported from Eigenthal with 90cm (three feet) in seven days. Beatenberg also had 60cm (two feet). Bigger resorts like Laax, Saas Fee, Zermatt and Davos usually had 8-15cm (3-6 inches) during the week. Today there’s a dozen Swiss resorts reporting snow depths of two metres or more, including Saas Fee, St Moritz and Laax. Engelberg Titlis is on top of the list with 255cm (8.5 feet). Germany In Germany many resorts have seen 20-35cm of new snow in seven days. The resorts in the uplands of the East, Southeast and the Centre were reporting bigger snowfalls than the German Alps. Grasgehren and Oberstdorf - Nebelhorn in the Allgäu both have 190cm (over six feet) of snow on their upper slopes though and the top snow depth is at the Zugspitzplatt with 205cm (6.5 feet). France Elsewhere in the Alps it has been ‘quiet’ for new snowfall in France and Italy, although Serre Chevalier has reported 12cm (five inches) of new snow so far today, and Chamonix - Mont-Blanc continues to have some of the deepest snow depths in Europe, with more than 3.8m (Nearly 13 feet) lying on upper slopes. Italy In Italy more snow is expected in the coming days. Arabba has had the most snow in the country for the past seven days with 45cm accumulated and it has some of the deepest snow in the country too, although the glacier at Passo Tonale continues to boast the deepest snow depth in Europe with 4.2m (14 feet). Spain In Spain it's snowing again in Madrid and the novelty of that is wearing off after multiple snowfalls in the Spanish capital. It’s good news for skiers wanting to visit the nearby ski hills too and has increased business at the city’s indoor snow centre as people think more about winter sports. More snowfall is expected through the remainder of the week in Spanish ski resorts. Sierra Nevada to the south is now reporting up to four metres (13.3 feet) of snow on its upper slopes (the deepest snow in Spain and close to the deepest in the world) and has 99 km o...

The online publication Ski Rebel Magazine has published a story on how the current 2010 Games came to happen in Whistler Blackcomb, based on an interview in the late 1990s by Ski Rebel’s Frederick Wallace with the man who ‘discovered’ Whistler 50 years ago. In 1960, wh...en Franz Wilhelmsen climbed up Franz’s run to reach the summit of Whistler Mountain, there was an outlandish claim that it would someday host the Winter Olympics. Even though the founding father of the well established North American resort isn’t around to see his dream become reality, he’ll be looking down with a big grin. It was in April 1997, five years after a near fatal fall on Blackcomb Mountain that Wilhelmsen agreed to go back up the mountain to share his story of passion and determination, with a young Frederick Wallace who was preparing to move from the resort. “We were at the top of the mountain when the larger than life figure turned to ask ‘‘why would you ever want to leave God’s country? Look at this place,” said Wilhelmsen. “We couldn’t see a thing from the top of Whistler Mountain. But it didn’t matter, because when the clouds cleared and the sun poked its way through to reveal Whistler’s majestic beauty, Wilhelmsen grinned at me and said, ‘‘You’ll come back, I can see it in your eyes’‘. The Norwegian business man had immigrated to Canada in 1941 and made his way to Vancouver to develop Fisherman’s Cove. The storied visionary brought up some experts from the International Ski Federation (FIS) in 1960 to search for a suitable area to host the winter Olympics. The idea was to host the 1968 Winter Games in British Columbia. After running reconnaissance by helicopter and then by foot they spotted a mountain 110 kilometres north of Vancouver without utilities or roads. After rounding up the funds from eight investors to complete a site survey they determined London Mountain (eventually renamed for its whistling marmots) had the best potential for an Olympic venue anywhere up the British Columbia coast. 2,300 shares were sold at $500 a piece to fund a gondola, lifts and a small cabin for skiers. Today, that money would barely buy a grooming machine with attachments. The Garibaldi Lift Company (GLC) quickly galvanized Vancouverites when it opened in February 1966. It wasn’t uncommon to see lift lines of a couple of hours to get up the mountain. What made Whistler the go-to location? At the start, it was for the rugged fishing retreats and wilderness; however with time the skiing and its abundance of snow and world-class terrain has put it on the same level as the bigger known resorts of Vail, Zermatt, Val d'Isère, and other ski mammoths in the Alps. Getting the necessary approvals to build the mountain proved to be of exceptional challenge. ‘‘When I look back at the struggles we had leading up to the permission (to build), now it’s funny. We kept on fighting a political debate and this whole thing came before elections. Today, you’d never be able to get the authorizations, you’d have 2,000 people against the mountain development,’’ Wilhelmsen said. Wilhelmsen recounted that the mountain was a huge catalyst for the province’s tourism industry and revenue generator. There is no private company that can claim the spin-offs that the Garibaldi Lift Co. and Whistler can. &l...

The latest in the growing list of iPhone applications comes from the Austrian Tourist office who have launched the new iSki Austria app which provides the latest snow and weather reports, many ski resort maps, “and much more.” The free-of-charge iPhone application also ...highlights the closest ski resorts to where you are. The app also allows contact with other users via chat. The application can be downloaded directly from the iTunes Store: iSki Austria for the iPhone. For all other mobile devices with in-built browsers, users can download this iSki mobile version: iSki Austria for Mobiles. A web version pc users is another option available: iSki Austria Web.Source: Snow24

Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand is currently installing a fourth chairlift in phase one of an expansion project which will increase the resort’s boundaries and the number of intermediate and advanced runs on offer. This means Cardrona will now have more chairlifts... than any other South Island mountain. The Valley View quad will extend the resort’s terrain from the bottom of the Whitestar lift down to the Speed Straight section of the access road. The former Captains Quad lift’s new position will mean Cardrona’s lift-serviced vertical will increase by 250 metres and the ski area will grow to a total size of 345 hectares. An additional car park will be built for season pass holders for easy and quick access on to the lift, when in operation. The new Valley View Quad will increase Cardrona’s lift-serviced vertical to a total of 600 metres which will enable the resort to build a FIS homologated downhill course named “Goldrush”. As part of this development a 40 metre tunnel is being installed to allow uninterrupted access from the Captains Express to the bottom of the Whitestar Express. “It is very rewarding to be able to open up new terrain for Cardrona customers to enjoy,” said Cardrona sales and marketing manager, Nadia Ellis. “This development has been in the pipelines for a few years so it’s really great to see phase one underway.” Phase two will continue next summer with the installation of extensive snowmaking in the Valley View area to ensure top to bottom skiing throughout the season. Further groundwork will also be carried out to develop trails in the area. For more information you can check out Cardrona's website.Photo: Cardrona Alpine Resort plans | Source: Snow24

The Finnish based company Amer Sports which owns iconic ski brands Atomic and Salomon reported a 36.6 million Euro profit in the final quarter of 2009, more than double the figure for the same quarter in 2008. Over the whole year, which the company described as the wor...st for more than 10 years, Amer's overall profit fell 8 percent to 31 million Euros, and sales dropped from 1.57 to 1.53 billion. Sales of winter equipment were up slightly on 2008 to 329 million Euros, with sales up 7% in Europe and the Middle East but down 14% in North and South America. "Ski apparel continued to grow and Salomon strengthened its position on the market." said an Amer Sports statement. Amer was once Finland's largest cigarette maker but switched entirely to sports equipment retailing in 2004.Photo: Atomic skis (by: Anders Ljungberg) | Source: Snow24

A new website has been launched with the aim of answering the question, “Can skiing and responsible tourism go hand in hand?” The site considers the impact of component parts of a ski holiday, including the pistes, artificial snow production, ski lifts and off piste sk...iing, and site founder Veronica Tonge, a consultant specialising in Responsible Tourism and project management with the particular area of expertise of responsible tourism for winter sports, goes on to answer whether she believes they can be part of a responsible skiing holiday. In addition to this analysis, there is an overview of options for getting to the destination and then all the resort factors; such as the transport, après ski and accommodation, are reviewed with case studies and ideas for both the industry and skiers. Veronica Tonge said, “Skiing has been the saviour of many a mountain community, however it’s important to both acknowledge that the environment has sometimes been damaged and that there is a risk to skiing posed by climate change. This is the only website that examines the entire ski holiday in the context of responsible tourism; which is minimising any negative impacts to the environment, whilst maximising the benefits to the local economy and ensuring you have a better holiday." Written by a skier, for skiers, the website is broken down into several informative sections and “How to be a Responsible Skier” gives a range of tips to help skiers plan a more memorable holiday that go beyond the usual, “reuse towels and don’t litter.” “Responsible skiing is not about easing your guilt and is not just concerned with CO2 emissions. It’s about engaging with the mountain destination, enjoying a range of winter activities in beautiful surroundings, and having a fun and memorable stay, but not at the cost of the environment or the local population. And we all want that.” said Veronica Tonge.Photo: Snowmaking (by: Leo-setä) | Source: Snow24

Cairngorm Mountain in Scotland had the unusual problem of having too much snow in the first half of January, which led to a huge community effort to ‘dig out’ key parts of the ski area including access roads, lifts and the summit restaurant so that skiers could reach th...e slopes, closed by too much snow. The Managing Director of nearby Tomatin Whisky Distillery, Tom McCulloch, was so impressed by the team effort that went into the snow clearing over the week from January 12th to 17th that he commissioned forty eight bottles of finest blend Scotch Whisky, named Big “D” , to mark the team’s efforts. The commemorative bottles have now been presented to CairnGorm staff and organizations who took part in the massive dig out operation by Graham Nicolson, Tomatin’s Regional Sales Manager. Every bottle is individually numbered and contains a blended Scotch whisky of Highland blend. “I was talking to Dr Mike Langran, who is often on the hill assisting ski patrol at CairnGorm Mountain and gained an insight into just what efforts were being made to get the ski road and train ready to receive the public. It was a team effort on a huge scale involving paid employees as well as volunteers and contractors and it reminded me of the sense of community which is very much part of Tomatin Distillery’s heritage - one worth acknowledging and celebrating”. said Mr McCulloch. “This generous and unexpected gesture from Tomatin is hugely appreciated by all of us who work at CairnGorm Mountain.” said Ian Whitaker, Chief Executive at CairnGorm Mountain Ltd. “Like employees at the distillery, many of CairnGorm’s staff have made a lifestyle choice to work in this environment and it is a way of life for many of them. Running a ski centre on a Scottish mountain side presents huge challenges at times and it is not often that the effort that goes into getting lifts and tows up and running is so publicly recognized. I would personally like to thank all the staff, volunteers and contractors who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in these past few weeks and to Tomatin for recognising those efforts with this gesture.”. As well as staff form CairnGorm Mountain, volunteers from local businesses including; The Ski School, G2 Outdoor Activity, Cairngorm Mountains Rescue Team were assisted by local contractors, Jerry Job and Allan Munro Construction who provided heavy plant to assist with snow moving.Source: Snow24

Heavy snow across North America, dubbed ‘Snowmaggeddon’ by media, has resulted in travel chaos, but has also seen the country’s highest accumulated snow depth at Kirkwood in California overtake Europe’s deepest non-glacier accumulation for the season to date at Chamonix... - Mont-Blanc, both a few centimeters over four metres (13.3 feet). Not every part of North America is experiencing great snow cover, unfortunately one of the few losers in the current snowy forecast is 2010 Winter Olympic snowboarding and freestyle skiing venue Cypress Mountain, close to Vancouver, which is battling with warm weather and a resulting lack of snow. Whistler Blackcomb, further north, has declared itself Games ready. There have been snowfalls at most resorts, particularly on the US West Coast in California and further north in Alaska, where Alyeska has had the biggest snowfall in the world over the past 7 days – 107cm or 3.6 feet. Other resorts across the West have had big falls of 2-3 feet, although the snow hasn’t been quite as abundant in Colorado and other ski areas in the Rockies, although most have had good falls there too.  More unusually large falls have been reported in South eastern US states like Virginia where ski areas have reported 50cm (20 inch) accumulations an there have been similar large falls in other southern US states to the west like Arizona and New Mexico.  Whistler Blackcomb, host venue for the men's and women's alpine skiing competitions, will athletes training on the Olympic courses from today. The first alpine competition is the Men's Downhill on February 13th, the first day of Games competition. "International Olympic Committee delegates recently skied the course and were very pleased with the results," says Tim Gayda, Vice President of Sport for the Olympic organisers VANOC. "From the beginning of the season, VANOC and Whistler Blackcomb crews have worked hard together to prepare the courses to create a very dense base of snow that involved a massive snowmaking effort. Add to that the incredible amount of natural snow that has fallen in Whistler this season, and we're now ready to deliver an Olympic-class alpine skiing venue that will live up to the reputation that the renowned Dave Murray Downhill course holds the world over. We look forward to debuting the spectacular new woman's course on Franz's Run. We're in to the home stretch on our final preparations." Deep snow at Whistler Blackcomb is not unusual, but reaching the average annual snowfall (10.13 metres/ 33 feet) this early is truly unique. Since snow reporting began in the 1979/80 season, this is the first time that Whistler Blackcomb has received this much snow by the end of January. The prior record was set in 2006/07 when 945 centimetres or 31 feet of snow fell by January 31. The news is not so good at Cypress Mountain, the Olympic venue for snowboarding and freestyle events, is continuing to battle to be Games Ready however, although Olympic organisers insist it will be. Cypress is close to Vancouver which has been unseasonably warm all year and most of the snow at resort level has melted. The venue has been using hay bales to build structures like the half pipe and has been trucking in snow to cover them, rather damaging the ‘green’ reputation the Games have been striving for. With no good news on lowering temperatures as the Games get closer the organisers are now using a Sikorsky S64 Skycran...

Conditions have quietened a little after heavy snow at the end of last week which means conditions are generally excellent across most of the continent.  However avalanche danger is high in many areas off piste, with Italy suffering a number of deaths, leading to the po...ssible introduction of legislation to levy large fines for those who ski or board in areas with an avalanche danger warning and of imprisonment for people who also set off avalanches.  Greater death tolls were reported in Iran (8 people) and India (17 soldiers) after extreme weather conditions brought heavy snow followed by strong winds creating unstable conditions.  France It has snowed a lot on the French mountains throughout the past week, with the heaviest snow leading up to the weekend. The snow is continuing today and is expected to continue for the next few days. Up to 60cm (2 feet) has been reported over the last week with resorts like Méribel, La Plagne and Le Grand Bornand all reporting big falls. The Vosges region, one of the lower mountain area for ski resorts in the country has received a particularly notable covering of up to 50cm (20 inches) at 1,200m. At Gerardmer, one of the region’s leading ski areas, Fabrice Clair, manager of the resort, told Skiinfo: "It has snowed more than 50cm on one day, greatly increased the snow depth which had been very thin at the beginning of winter. It’s now 1.2m (4 feet) in place thanks to artificial snow, but there is an average layer of natural snow from 50 to 60cm over the entire ski area." Across France as a whole Chamonix - Mont-Blanc has the top snow depth of 4m (13.3 feet) with Oz-en-Oisans and Vaujany below Alpe d’Huez at 3.2m (10.6 feet), Flaine and La Clusaz have 2.9m. Switzerland Switzerland also witnessed snowfalls last weekend. Arosa and Klosters in Grisons were among those issuing powder alarms on Saturday. Even more snow fell in the Valais with Champoussin receiving 60 cm (two feet) in only 48 hours. The resort issued just another powder alarm this morning because of a further 30cm (one foot) snowfall, as did its neighbour in the giant Portes du Soleil ski region, Morgins. The Swiss WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF expects 10-20 cm of new snow for Switzerland’s’ northern slopes and for Lower Valais this afternoon – but also “widespread considerable avalanche danger”. The deepest snow depths in Switzerland are at Lötschental and Engelberg Titlis with 262cm/245cm (8-9 feet) respectively . Andermatt, Saas Fee, Laax and St Moritz each have two metres or more. All of them had some new snow in the last week. Austria Austria too has had a lot of fresh snow in the past week. Martha Schultz of the Mölltaler Gletscher lift compay told Skiinfo the ski resort had 40cm (16 inches) of new snow last weekend so there were “very good conditions” on the slopes. “But please don’t ignore the current avalanche situation,” she added. On Sunday 30cm (a foot) of new snow in 24 hours had caused a powder alarm for the glacier, which currently has the greatest snow depth in Austria – three and a half metres *12 feet). Willi Krüger of Pitztaler Gletscherbahnen told Skiinfo, “On the Pitztal Gletscher the snow cover, which was already great, was topped by 30cm of fresh snow in 48 hours at the weekend. You can only call this ideal conditions”. Sölden got 27 cm of new snow last week. They have a ...