Oct 10 - LSERSA

THE
piste
Oct/Nov 2010
NOW
AVAILABLE
AT YOUR LOCAL
SKI SLOPE OR
SKI CLUB
THE MAGAZINE OF SNOWSPORT ENGLAND
£2.50
MONTGENÈVRE
MAXIMUM SNOW,
MEDITERRANEAN
SUNSHINE! p12-13
SÖLDEN
SWINGING SOLDEN OPENS
OCTOBER 2010 p15
WIN!
A pair of Atomic
Varioflex Skis pg 4
A copy of Where to Ski and
Snowboard 2011 pg 19
IN THIS ISSUE
Tickets to the London Ski and
Snowboard Show pg 22
CHEMMY MOVES TO ATOMIC pg4
BRITISH TELEMARK ACTIVITIES
CONTINUE APACE pg 5
BRITISH SKI+BOARD SHOW 10 pg 8
PLUS
SNOWSPORT ENGLANDS
CLUB & VOLUNTEER
AWARDS LAUNCHED
SNOWBOARDING
FRESHERS WEEK RETURNS pg20
FREESTYLE
Fostering, promoting and developing the interests of English skiers and snowboarders
06/09/2010
23:20
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8
FROM THE
EDITOR
Once again we are standing on the verge of another
winter season, as usual the season opens with the
traditional Ski & Snowboard Shows in London and
Birmingham followed by the London Freeze at
Battersea.
SPONSORS
We acknowledge our grateful
thanks to the following
organisations which provide us
with sponsorship or products.
For sponsorship opportunities
call 0121 501 2314
SPONSORS
Sport England; Inghams,
ExxonMobil, click4quote.com
ALPINE SKI TEAM SPONSORS
P&O Ferries; swyss; Leisureshack;
Ski Bartlett; wastelandski.com;
DFDS Seaways; Ski Out of the Blue;
Chill Factore
AFFILIATES
snowrental; skiweekends.com;
gear-zone.co.uk
ALPINE SKI TEAM SUPPLIERS
Helly Hansen; BeyondX; Sage
Physiotherapy; Gates; Holmenkol;
solutions4feet
SUPPLIERS
Marker; Carrs of Sheffield; John
Nike Leisuresport; Sharks Ski Club;
Ski Village; Swadlincote Ski &
Snowboard Centre; Head; Tyrolia;
Waymark Holidays; Atomic; Volkl;
Fischer; Rossignol;
ukskiersresource.co.uk; Salomon;
Tecnica
Already we have seen the launch of the Ski Holiday
brochures, like Christmas cards in the shops they
appear earlier each year. Tour Operators put their
programmes together and then we get an early taste
of what’s on offer, new resorts are added, new
challenges offered and for the early bookers, hopefully
some savings made.
So what can we expect this year, snow like the last
two winters would be very useful, particularly when
we are in our chosen resort. Many have completed
improvements/developments, such as new faster lifts
replacing some of the older relics of the past, enabling
us all to get to the top of the hill quicker and safer
and back onto the slopes where we would rather be
and snow cannon coverage to ensure, if a shortage of
the natural white stuff falling, that we can still ski
down a mountain.
What about equipment, as always hardware
improvements continue, many of the worlds ski and
snowboard manufacturers are either introducing new
equipment improvements or building on
improvements of the past couple of years, new
graphics, new ranges, technology never stops in its
quest to make us go faster, turn quicker, get more
enjoyment from our skiing experiences. Like
technology improvements from space into cars, we
gain from the technology used by the world’s top
skiers and boarders as the quest to win World Cup
races and titles starts again at the end of October in
Soelden, Austria.
Who will win one of the coverted titles this year,
for the last 2/3 years it has never been clear cut,
everybody has their favourites, and every year
newcomers burst onto the scene. Who will it be this
year? How will Britain’s Skiers and Boarders fare, now
under a new body, British Ski & Snowboarding, risen
from the ashes of Snowsport GB. Funding for our
athletes has always been indifferent, with the
economy as it is currently it will continue to be a
struggle. It’s a chicken and egg situation – ‘you don’t
get funding unless you win medals, but you don’t win
medals if you do not have the proper funding of
training programmes’. I know life is tough for many
out there, but come on let’s give our athletes the
backing and the funding they deserve. Many parents
and athletes have spent years and 1,000’s of pounds of
their hard earned cash to try and win for their
country, they deserve some support from us all now.
Right I am off my soapbox now, so what do we
have in this issue for you, competitions – win a set of
Atomic Varioflex 72’s skis, tickets to the London Ski &
Snowboard show at Olympia, copies of the new ‘Where
to ski and snowboard guide 2011’ plus all the latest
news.
Here’s to another great winter season. If you have
any ideas on what you would like to see in your ski
and snowboard magazine, drop me a line or email me
at the address below.
Barry Spouge
‘Piste magazine’, Countrywide Publications, 27
Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX
email: barry.spouge@snowsportengland.org.uk
Produced by Countrywide Publications (a division of Micropress Printers Ltd)
27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BX
Tel: 01986 834216 / Fax: 01986 834270 ISDN: 01986 874752
Published on behalf of Snowsport England
Tel: 0121 501 2314/Fax: 0121 585 6448
e-mail: barry.spouge@ snowsportengland.org.uk
Web: www.snowsportengland.org.uk
All editorial and advertisement copy should be sent to Countrywide Publications at the above address.
Correspondents: Snowboarding: Tom Allen; Freestyle: Martin Carr, Nordic: Iain Ballentine,
Telemark: Andrew Clarke.
Publishing Director: Barry Spouge, Tel: 01986 834216/ Mob: 07802 824120,
e-mail: barry.spouge@micropress.co.uk
Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd, Tel: 01986 834200
Opinions expressed by contributors in The Piste are not necessarily those held by the publisher or Snowsport England. No
part of this magazine may be reproduced without the specific written permission of the publisher. While every care is
taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in The Piste, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or
matters relating.
Cover Picture: Skiing in Montgenevre - Photo Barry Spouge.
the piste Oct/Nov 10 3
NEWS
on
Le
s
pr
ic
es
A
rc
s
40
%
SA
VE
PICTURED RIGHT: CHEMMY
ALCOTT WITH RUDI HUBER
(LEFT), AND ERIC WOLF
(RIGHT) OF ATOMIC.
ATOMIC are excited to announce the
signing of Britain’s No.1 female skier
Chemmy Alcott!
Chemmy competed in her third
Olympics, at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Winter Games. Again competing in all five
alpine disciplines (Downhill, Super G,
Giant Slalom, Super Combined and
Slalom) and equalled her best Olympic
placing after finishing 11th in the supercombined. She also acheived a further two
top 20 finishes, placing 13th in the
downhill and 20th in the Super G.
At the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter
Games, Chemmys 11th place finish was
the best Olympic performance by a British
female skier since 1986; she also achieved
a top twenty finish in the Super G.
“This is great news for us; Chemmy
joins an already strong UK team,
including Ed Drake, TJ Baldwin, Max
Moss and Imogen Taylor, to name a few.
Chemmy is a great ambassador for our
brand moving forwards, she has achieved
some great results in her career to date,
and we look forward to working with her
to help break her existing records” said
Jason Summerfield, Manager of ATOMIC
UK.
Chemmy joining the ATOMIC TEAM
reinforces the fact that we have the
strongest athletes in the UK. We are proud
to work with such a focussed and
successful group of competitors, and look
forward to seeing the podiums littered
with red and white skis for the 2010/11
race season.
Le Coeur d’Or
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Great value newly built MGM self-catering apartments
including private pool, sauna, steamroom and spa
WIN A PAIR
OF ATOMIC
VARIOFLEX 72’S
WIN!
(RETAIL PRICE £650.00)
in our free to enter competition
All you have to do is answer a simple
question:
peak retreats
UIFGSFODIBMQTTQFDJBMJTU
peakretreats.co.uk/Bourg
call 0844 576 0173
Which British female skier has recently signed
to Atomic for this seasons World Cup Ski series?
Pic for illustration purposes only.
CHEMMY
ALCOTT
BRITAIN’S
NO.1
SKIER
MOVES TO
ATOMIC
1.Maria Smith 2. Chemmy Alcott 3. Linda Ruggles
Circle the name you believe is the correct answer, cut
out and complete the entry form and send to:
Atomic Skis Competition, Piste magazine,
Countrywide Publications, 27 Norwich Road,
Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX.
Entries to reach us no later than 30 October 2010.
Name............................................................................................
Address........................................................................................
...............................................................Postcode.......................
The winner will be the first correct entry picked from all entries received.
4 the piste Oct/Nov 10
NEWS
BRITISH
TELEMARK ACTIVITIES
CONTINUE APACE
REPORT BY ANDREW CLARKE
GILLINGS
BACK IN
TRAINING
Following an excellent 8th place finish at the
Winter Olympic Games in February, Zoe Gillings,
Britain’s No 1 snow sports athlete returned
back to full time training at the English
Institute of Sport (EIS) in Bath on Monday
following 6 weeks of rehabilitation and key hole
surgery on her left knee which she injured in the
semi final of the Olympic Games. Zoe
commented, “I’m really happy I’m back in the
gym full time. I ended up damaging the cartilage
and stretching the ligament in my knee and had
to have surgery but at least I injured this during
the Olympics and not the competition before!
The operation went really well and my knee is
nearly back to normal.”
Zoe’s 8th place at the Games was the highest
finish position of all of the British snow sports
athletes representing Great Britain in
Vancouver, Zoe continued, “Looking back, I’m
disappointed with my 8th place finish, the
injury didn’t help but I have beaten all of the
best snowboard cross (SBX) athletes in the
world in the last 6 months in one competition or
another so I knew I could do it. I did all I could
on the day though so I have no regrets.”
Its not all been rehabilitation for Zoe though,
she has been invited to attend several corporate
events with her sponsors BMW, British Airways
and Pokerstars as her role as Brand
ambassador. Zoe Commented, “The last few
weeks have been great, I attended a BMW
experience driving day at Oulton Park race
circuit, drove loads of different BMW’s and
they were thrilling to drive, they really are the
ultimate driving machine! I was then whisked
away to the Pokerstars “Snow fest” event in
Austria where I got to meet skiing legend
Alberto Tomba and Tennis star Boris Becker
during filming.”
Zoe’s first competition of the 2010/11 season
will be in Telluride, USA, on the 15th December.
“My knee is better, I’m back in the gym, I cant
wait to compete in December and I’m really
looking forward to getting back on snow”
commented Zoe.
Zoe has now revamped her social media sites
to provide up to the minute information on her
latest movements.
TWITTER Name: Zoegillings
http://twitter.com/zoegillings
FACEBOOK Name: Zgsnowboarder
http://www.facebook.com/zgsnowboarder
FACEBOOK Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zoe-Gillings
-Professional-SnowboardAthlete/14804332829
Recently we completed some Team
Building in the South West. Since our last
missive, mid season, we have been
concentrating on keeping in shape for the
forthcoming season and trying to source
vital sponsorship - not as easy as it
sounds.
Fully conscious that you have not heard
from us in a while here is a quick
summary of what has been going on. We
had some fantastic results from last year’s
team with Chris Stewart taking the crown
from Andrew Clarke at the British in
Austria. Jack Harvard Taylor started to
come into his own towards the end of the
season and even gave the old, and not so
bold but definitely bald(ing), Chris Wotton
a run for his money – Chris once again had
a fantastic season. Congratulations to
Chris’s son, 10 yr old Ollie, who followed
in his father’s footsteps and entered the
Championships for a bit of experience; he
certainly turned a few heads.
The team was behind organising the
first ever GBR hosted Telemark World Cup
in Rauris, Austria which went down so
well that we were asked to host a WC
again next January! On the WC circuit the
team acquitted themselves well. Of
particular note Stewart went from
strength to strength and is one to watch
for the future. On for a top 20 finish at La
Plagne’s night Sprint event Stewart was
sitting in a comfortable 17th after the first
run – sadly his 2nd run was not as good as
his first but he still recorded a credible
27th. Sarah Hannibal certainly showed
significant signs of improvement and
recorded some good solid top 20 results
with her best in Keystone where she was
12th in the Sprint. Harvard Taylor’s
season’s best was 28th in an epic 4 minute
Classic race at the WC finals. Clarke’s
season best was 27th and Wotton recorded
a 25th in Spain.
Our affiliations with Bangor
University’s Institute for Psychology of
Elite Performance continue as they try
desperately to get inside our psyche’s and
improve our overall performance for
which we are very grateful.
We continue to search for sponsors and
despite a very fortuitous 09/10 season
with Mercedes supplying the team with 4
vehicles from their 4MATIC range and
Esporta Health and Fitness providing
complimentary health club memberships
we still have been unable to secure much
needed financial support. Athletes are
still funding their own competition at all
levels often meaning they must work
through the off-season which does not
allow them to train on snow. Nevertheless
we are confident that there is someone out
there that can see the merit in supporting
our athletes to give them the opportunity
to really reach their true potential.
At the recent FIS Congress in Antalya the
team’s captain, Clarke, was voted by the
Council as the next FIS Telemark Chairman,
he chaired the first committee meeting in
Zurich in September. Clarke’s aspiration is
to lay the foundation for Telemark to
become an Olympic discipline by 2018. On
the team front he has been forced to bow
out from competing this season owing to
work commitments (namely an imminent
deployment to Afghanistan) and so Wotton
as vice captain prepares to run the team
this season.
All is looking rosy for 2010/11 with some
raw talent showing keen interest in
becoming the next best thing on two skis –
we have had a tub load of requests from
young alpine skiers who have decided that
there is more to life than a fixed heel! We
hope to welcome some new females to our
ranks for next season following the team’s
selection at Hintertux at the end of this
month.
We are very buoyant and looking
forward to what lies ahead and hope that
the new British Ski and Snowboard
governing body take our commitment to the
sport seriously enough to fully integrate us
into their future plans.
DO YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED - are
you a competent alpine racer in search of
another goal? Do you aspire to be world
class with real opportunities to get podium
places? NO previous telemark experience is
necessary just drop us a line at
enquiries@gbtelemark.co.uk or check us out
at www.gbtelemark.co.uk
the piste Oct/Nov 10 5
NEWS
ATOMIC UK RACE CAMPS
GO FROM STRENGTH
TO STRENGTH
FOLLOWING THE UNRIVALLED SUCCESS OF
LAST YEARS “ATOMIC AMBITION RACE CAMP”
THE UK’S NO.1 SKI COMPANY CONTINUED TO
SHOW ITS COMMITMENT TO THE
DEVELOPING UK RACE SCENE BY FURTHERING
ITS SUPPORT AS TITLE SPONSOR OF THE
AMBITION RACE CAMPS FOR THIS SUMMER.
Run under the guidance of staff from
Ambition Racing, and with support from
Level Gloves, futur-3 clothing, Ski Bartlett
and Snow & Rock, the Atomic Team GB skiers
and staff took part in two sell out camps at
The Snow Centre Hemel, from 26th – 30th
July, and Suffolk Ski Centre, Ipswich, from
the 9th – 13th August.
Each week-long race camp was open to 32
athletes of varying ages, who were able to
take advantage of the first class coaching
supplied by staff from Ambition Racing.
Throughout the week the on-slope program
was supplemented with numerous off-slope
activities and opportunities, including photoshoots and signings with members of the
British Ski Team, motivational talks from
Atomic UK World Cup athletes, custom boot
fitting from Solutions 4 feet and fitness
testing with Atomic athletes from the British
Junior Team.
With skiers travelling from Edinburgh,
Manchester, Llandudno, Bristol and one
trainee even flying in from Sweden to take
part in the camps, the organisers from
Atomic & Ambition Racing ensured there was
something on offer for everyone. Atomic stars
of the past, present and future stopped by,
with Finlay Mickel, Chemmy Alcott, TJ
Baldwin and Ed Drake all visiting the camp
and taking part in interviews that can now be
seen online at both
www.youtube.com/Atomicuktv and
www.ambitionracing.co.uk. Also online are
some of the professional photos taken of the
camps, which attracted a variety of press
coverage throughout the weeks.
Each of the camp trainees took home a
variety of products supplied by the event
sponsors, including limited edition futur-3
Atomic t-shirts, Level gloves and beanies,
Colmar caps and lanyards and exclusive
equipment deals from Atomic, courteousy of
Snow & Rock, Ski Bartletts and Solutions 4
feet.
NEW STORE FOR FILARINSKIS
Filarinskis has moved from Havant, to a
new superstore in Bosham, West Sussex.
Moving just 6 miles down the road from
their old store, they now boast over 10,000
sq ft of showroom, that is packed full of
the latest top brands, offering the very best
in innovation and technology.
You no longer have to worry about
finding a parking space, as they have free
car parking right outside, with more than
enough spaces for their customers.
Visit them today and speak to one of
their fully trained and expert technicians.
Whatever your choice of adrenaline packed
activity, be it skiing, snowboarding,
walking or kayaking, they have the right
gear for you. Telephone 01243 575041 or
visit the website at www.filarinskis.com
(See the advertisement on page 13).
6 the piste Oct/Nov 10
NEW CHAIRLIFTS FOR PRALOGNAN
Pralognan La Vanoise in the French Savoie region will see
one of the biggest infrastructure upgrades in the country
this winter when the resort installs new quad and sixseater chairlifts.
Pralognan will replace the old Edelweiss chair with a
high speed detachable six-seat lift and the double
Chaberne chair with the new POMA built quad.
These two lifts, which run in succession from the
valley floor, the new six-seater first, provide the only
alternative route up to the ski are to the cable car from
the village and so the increased speed and capacity on
the route will be a great benefit.
Pralognan is one of a group of about eight smaller
French ski resorts in the Alps with ski areas that are
operated by the Labellemontagne group.
It is a traditional, quiet mountain village set among fir
and spruce trees at the gate of Vanoise national park,
close to Courchevel and La Plagne.
There’s good off-piste on Les Pariettes and right up to
the 3855m high Pointe de la Grande Casse from which
descents of nearly 2500m are possible.
NEWS
WEEKENDS AND SHORT
BREAK HOLIDAYS
Skiweekends, the leading provider of
weekend and short break holidays, with 26
years of experience offering holidays in
France, Switzerland and Italy. ATOL
Bonded Flight packages start from £299
including flight, transfer and
accommodation and Coach weeks and
weekends from just £199, all backed by
ABTA.
With appeal to everyone, from Students
to Surgeons, they have many multi-trippers,
groups up to 100 and last year 7% of the
guests were single travellers. With this in
mind Skiweekends are launching a new
community to encourage ski and meet, it
works fantastically in their Club hotels and
on the coaches.
During October an all new booking
engine will make the website easier to use
and give the user even more flexibility.
Ski and Save - Year on year ski pack
prices have been reduced. With prices of lift
passes reduced by £5-25, and ski hire
reduced by 10-15%. Taking this into account
the average holiday price has gone up by
less than £10
Learn to ski/board taster weekends Ski/board 3 days including pass, equipment
and lessons from £399 (TBC), Half Board by
coach. Ski/board 4 days including pass,
equipment and lessons from £539 (TBC),
Half board by flight 13th December, 13th &
20th January, 17th & 24th March.
Maximum 6 in a group with English
instructors with Meribel pass.
The Flight Programme consists of Packaged weekends to Champagny giving
great access to La Plagne and beyond. More
flexibility, arrive Thursday or Friday return
Sunday or Monday, stay 2 to 4 nights. Fly to
Geneva on the flight you want from 16 UK
airports. Build your own flight breaks 2-14
days, including flights, transfers or hire car
and hotel or apartment.
Coach Programme - Due to ever
increasing popularity of the great value
coach packages, they have expanded the
resort choices adding Morzine and La
Plagne (Champagny) to Brides and
Chamonix. This makes the whole of the
Portes du Soliel and Ski Paradis available
by coach. Ski 8 day weeks to 3 Valleys and
Ski Paradis, leaves Friday night and get’s
back a week Sunday, Half Board from £379
(average £447) and Self catering from £232
(average £311). Morzine boasts Skiweekends
fits Club chalet in the centre of town.
New Coaches - All the coaches are now
top end Mercedes and brand new this year,
including two new extra long coaches built
to their own specification for greater
comfort, together these are well over a
million pounds worth of coaches, it is the
newest coach fleet of any operator to the
Alps. Eurotunnel - they only use the tunnel
which saves over an hour on the coach
compared to other operators.
Coach is still the greenest ski option,
emitting 6 times less Co2 than flying and
50% less than train. In reality this is easily
beaten with the new coaches and exceeds
the load factors used in government
calculations.
You can add a pick-up from anywhere in
the UK for just £30 return.
Call them on 08444 060600 or go to the
website at: www.skiweekends.com
THE UK SKI HOLIDAY MARKET
WILL RECOVER FROM ITS
WOES NEXT WINTER
ACCORDING TO THE CRYSTAL SKI INDUSTRY REPORT 2010.
The recession and capacity cuts meant the
ski market fell by 11% last season – which
followed a tumble of more than 13% in the
previous year.
The number of skiers travelling abroad
slipped from over 1.06m in 2008/9 to just
under 1m in 2009/10.
However, the report finds ‘strong
evidence’ of ski companies increasing the
numbers of properties for next winter so
there will be more holidays on sale.
Despite continuing concerns about the
economy, there are ‘positive signs’, thanks to
the strengthening of sterling and resorts
working harder to attract business.
Mathew Prior, managing director of TUIowned Crystal, said: ‘We predict that
2010/11 will be a turning point and firmly
believe that growth will return to the
market.’
The planned capacity cuts meant the tour
operator sector fell 10% last winter to
534,600 skiers.
The independent travel sector shrunk by
13% to 285,000, with some budget carriers
reducing services and passengers taking
fewer holidays or switching to cheaper
packages.
The top seven operators’ market share
represents just over 84% of the total tour
operator market.
Crystal Ski strengthened its market
leadership last season to 28% despite
significant reduction in chalet beds, while.
First Choice and Thomson saw market shares
reduced as a result of capacity
reductions, but TUI Ski remains market
leader with a 37% share.
SKIING
CHAMPION
SUPPORTS
EXTREME
TEA CAMPAIGN
Durham born, professional skier and skicross champion, Emily Sarsfield, has been
unveiled as an ambassador for the
Extreme Tea campaign.
As a supporter of the Royal National
Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Emily is
embracing the Extreme Tea initiative by
Lifeboat Tea – the brew that raises vital
funds for the charity, which is entirely
funded through donations. The campaign
celebrates ordinary people that do
extraordinary things, such as the brave,
volunteer RNLI crew.
As the first British female skier ever to
win the skiing Europa Cup race, 27 year
old Emily’s no stranger to ‘extreme’
challenges. In fact, her next big challenges
will be the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in
Russia, ongoing efforts to place in the
world’s top 10 for ski-cross and learning
to surf.
Emily said of her involvement with
Lifeboat Tea: “The RNLI does an essential
job in protecting people enjoying the sea
for sport or recreation. I relish a
challenge, but what the brave volunteers
do to protect others is truly admirable. I
look forward to helping raise awareness
of the simple message ‘drink tea, save
lives’.”
Lifeboat Tea is inviting people to follow
Emily (and a team of ambitious
ambassadors) and share their own
Extreme Tea photos via the Lifeboat Tea
website (www.lifeboattea.co.uk/extreme),
Facebook and Twitter. Emily will also be
giving updates through her personal
website (www.emilysarsfield.com).
Lifeboat Tea costs £2.09rrp and is
available from leading supermarkets, such
as Waitrose and selected Tesco and Asda.
It is also available in RNLI shops.
the piste Oct/Nov 10 7
EVENT DETAILS
The British Ski &
Board Show 2010
EXCITING NEW
FEATURES AT THIS
YEARS BRITISH SKI
AND BOARD SHOW
This year’s British Ski and Board Show
returns to Birmingham’s NEC from Friday
29th to Sunday 31st October with some
exciting new features. As well as the
breathtaking Big Air Freestyle display team
and the popular skills slope, visitors can
also enjoy the Surfanic Fashion Show and a
Winter Film Festival.
Surfanic will showcase its latest range of
winter clothing for skiers and boarders as
well as revealing two new brands to the UK –
Australian designer Rojo and from New
Zealand Groovstar. Both offer a stunning
range of urban outerwear. The Surfanic
Fashion Show will take place on the main
stage three times throughout the day.
The Winter Film Festival will bring the
latest releases to the show, premiering the
8 the piste Oct/Nov 10
DATES: Fri 29th, Sat
30th and Sun
31st October 2010
VENUE: Hall 12, Na
tional Exhibition
Centre (Nec), Birming
ham, B40 1nt
BOOKING LINE: 084
4 581 0734
WEBSITE:
www.britishskiandbo
ardshow.co.uk
TICKET PRICES:
Plus £1.50 charged by
the booking agent
per transaction
OPENING TIMES: 12p
m until 8pm Fri,
10am until
6pm Sat & Sun
CAR PARK: £7 in adv
ance when booked
with tickets.
latest skiing and snowboarding movies and
documentaries. There will even be popcorn on
hand to add to the cinematic feel.
Holiday companies, tour operators and
independent owners will offer exclusive show
deals to resorts all over Europe, America,
Canada and far off destinations such as India
and Japan. Over 130 exhibitors will reveal this
season’s trends and innovations with new
product launches as well as all the kit needed
from leading manufacturers such as new skis,
boards, boots and bindings, etc.
In the Talk Theatre, visitors can get expert
advice on everything from travelling and
fitness to driving and surviving avalanches by
attending one of many workshops and
seminars hosted by special guests and winter
sport experts.
Ski Club members can enjoy a dedicated
VIP lounge as well as free entrance into a
competition to win a seven night holiday for
two including flights to the beautiful Aosta
Valley.
The British Ski and Board Show,
sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, is open
from 12noon until 8pm on Friday and 10am
until 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets
are now on sale and prices range from as
little as £6.50 for adults when purchased in
advance and child tickets costing £2.50 each
throughout the show.
For more information, the latest updates
or to book tickets, visit
www.britishskiandboardshow.co.uk or
telephone the booking line on
0844 581 0734
NEWS
NEW
EDITION
OF GUIDEBOOK
IS OUT – AND
ITS BETTER
THAN EVER!
WHERE TO SKI AND
SNOWBOARD 2011 - THE
DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE
1,000 BEST WINTER SPORTS
RESORTS IN THE WORLD
Where to Ski and Snowboard is
Britain’s only annual ski resort
guidebook; its brand
new, completely revised 2011
edition is on sale now.
At the heart of Where to Ski
and Snowboard are 580 pages
devoted to detailed description
and evaluation of over 400
resorts (in around 120 areas) in
the Alps, North America,
Pyrenees, eastern Europe,
Scandinavia, Japan and
Scotland. The book is revised
throughout, as always, but
developments this year are
focused on coverage of goodvalue resorts – there are new or
extended chapters on resorts in
Austria, Italy, the French
Pyrenees, Spain and Slovenia.
Continuing the value theme,
the unique Resort Price Index
(RPI) survey introduced last year
has been updated and extended,
and now covers all major resorts
in the book.
The editors manage to
combine comprehensive and
detailed information with
unrivalled ease of use. A key
feature for the 30-plus most
important resorts is the book’s
revolutionary piste maps, each
printed over a double-page
spread with key aspects of the
mountains clearly highlighted.
These highlights might include,
for example, the editors’
favourite runs, the best areas for
easy cruising or tough mogul
runs, where to find the best
snow, the top mountain
restaurants or crucial new lifts
that make a big difference.
Each major resort chapter
features photos carefully chosen
to convey the character of the
place and a clear, accessible
layout, with the merits of each
resort summarised in various
ways – star, overall summaries,
specific plus and minus points,
and hardhitting verdicts on the
slopes and the village from many
different points of view.
Whether you are a beginner
mainly interested in the nursery
slopes and the ski school, a
powder-snow expert looking for
guidance to the best off-piste
terrain, a jibber searching for the
top terrain parks or a night-owl
looking for lively après-ski, you’ll
find a clear assessment of each
resort to help you. And if the
choice seems bewildering, you
can start with the book’s 22
ready-made shortlists of resorts,
or a comprehensive comparative
chart containing 10 star ratings
for 105 major resorts.
The editors attach great
importance to making each
annual edition as up to date as
possible. “We use all the
available hi-tech methods to cut
the production time of the book,
so that we can go to press as late
as possible but still publish in
early September,” explains coeditor Chris Gill. “This year, we
feature well over 100 major
resort improvements such as
new fast lifts, extra snowmaking
and smart new hotels.”
The book’s other great
strength is less obvious: its
dedication to giving
uncompromisingly honest and
impartial assessments of the
resorts. The two editors are
famous for telling it like it is, and
always take a strong consumerist
line. “This isn’t surprising,”
explains Chris Gill. “We both
learned our craft at Consumers’
Association – where Dave was
editor of Which? magazine and I
was editor of Holiday Which?
and then The Good Skiing Guide.”
Dave is now executive editor of
Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard,
Britain’s leading snowsports
magazine.
Where to Ski and Snowboard
2011 is published by
NortonWood Publishing, price
£18.99. The book is available
from all good bookshops, many
equipment shops and online at a
heavily discounted price at
www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.c
om/the-book/
NEWS IN BRIEF
SNOW+ROCK TO OPEN IN
THE WEST COUNTRY
Snow+Rock are opening their latest superstore at Bishops Court
Retail Park, Exeter. This brand new store with 10,000sq feet of
retail space will open in December 2010 and brings our extensive
ranges of specialist products to a new audience in the West
Country.
This prime location is just off junction 30 of the M5 and only
10 minutes from Exeter city centre giving easy access for
customers, with ample free parking adding to the convenience
for transporting bulky items. To make shopping as easy as
possible we will be open seven days a week and most bank
holidays plus extended hours at peak times.
Staff will all be trained to offer the best possible service in
specialist markets including ski boot fitting, custom foot-bed
moulding as well as the usual high levels of product knowledge
from end users who really understand the customers’ needs.
Our Exeter store has been specially designed to offer
maximum space for merchandising all product categories within
Snow+Rock along with a ski workshop.
The shop will open just in time for the ski and snowboard
season and the Christmas rush. Look out for some excellent
launch offers and promotions planned for the opening.
Kevin Young, Head of Marketing says, "We have been looking
for the right site in the Exeter area for many years and Bishops
Court immediately stood out as the best option for our spacious
superstore concept to serve our existing and new customers in
the West Country”
ATOMIC PARTNER WITH INTERSKI
Atomic have announced that they are now the official partner
with Interski for the next three years, supplying all rental
equipment to the well established and largest tour operator in
the Aosta valley.
After extensive testing the team at Interski have found that
the performance and quality of the Atomic product range is
second to none.
Over the course of 27 years and 250,000 clients Interski has
established itself as the UK's market leader for schools and
college skiing. Interski boasts an enviable client base and an
unrivalled reputation.
From the hub of the company's UK office to the slopes of the
Aosta Valley, Interski thrives on success.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for Atomic, and the UK team
are really looking forward to working alongside Interski and
building a long term partnership" said Jason Summerfield UK
manager for Atomic.
NEW GONDOLA IN
SAALBACH HINTERGLEMM
Saalbach Hinterglemmm Leogang in Austria, one of the
country’s largest resorts with 200 kilometres of piste and 55
modern lifts, will add a new gondola this winter.
The T-bar lift located near to the Funpark will be
dramatically upgraded through replacement by a modern eight
person gondola with heated seats and the capacity to transport
2,800 people per hour with the total length of the lift being
doubled. The top station will be situated above the ‘Gerstreit’
reservoir. As well as the lift construction, the floodlit piste and
night park will also be expanded and enhanced.
The resort has also spent another 2.3 million Euros on new
snowmaking equipment and oin reshaping several pistes. 90% of
the huge area now has snowmaking cover.
Another improvement is a new year-round ‘Treetop Path’
located at the end of the Saalbach Hinterglemm valley. Believed
to be unique in the world the kilometre long path loops around
the foresty, incorporating a 200 metre long hanging bridge,
approximately 40 metres high.
In the last 10 years Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang has
invested over 204 million Euro.
the piste Oct/Nov 10 9
NEWS
CRYSTAL SKI OPENS THE FIRST OF THREE
‘INFO-POD’ AT INDOOR SNOW CENTRES
On 5th August, Crystal Ski opened its first
information point in an indoor snow centre in
the UK. Chill Factore indoor snow centre in
Manchester is the first of three, with more
Crystal Ski ‘pods’ to open in other locations
in the coming months. The move is part of a
wider strategy to develop information points
around where skiers and snowboarders are.
Customers will also be able to book holidays,
take advantage of exclusive offers in addition
to gather information to help them plan their
next ski or snowboard holiday.
‘We are increasing our presence in indoor
snow centres across the UK to be available
for potential customers to ask questions and
book with us. These ‘pods’ should provide
value to customers and will support the travel
agents in the area”, said managing director
Mathew Prior.
For the opening, Crystal Ski is offering free
annual memberships to the Manchester Chill
Factore worth £100 per person and £50 off per
person for bookings made. Additionally,
everyone visiting can enter the competition to
win a week’s ski holiday for two to Austria
including lift pass and equipment.
The ‘pod’ will be open 7 days a week to late
in the evening.
SOUTH AMERICAN CUP SKI CROSS
SUCCESS FOR SARSFIELD AND WHELAN
Two South American Cup Ski Cross races took
place recently in Chapelco, Argentina where
British Ski Cross Team members Emily
Sarsfield, 27 and Peter Whelan, 21 competed
in a field which included members of the
Canadian Olympic Ski Cross Team. The first
race was postponed due to high winds,
making the next day a tough two-race day.
These races were the third and fourth of the
2011 season and in glorious sunshine and
warm temperatures, Sarsfield finished 3rd
and 4th in the ladies and Whelan finished 1st
and 2nd in the mens. Both athletes carry over
their strong finishes from the 2010 season
where Sarsfield won the Val Thorens ladies
Ski Cross Europa Cup and Whelan finished
5th in the mens.
Since the disappointment of missing out
on the Olympics due to a serious knee injury
in 2009 Sarsfield has continued to improve
race on race.
"To finish 3rd and 4th in a field with
Canadian Olympians (Kelsey) Serwa (5th in
the Vancouver Winter Olympics) and
(Danielle) Poleschuk (19th in the Vancouver
Winter Olympic) is a great feeling
particularly following on from my Europa
Cup win in Val Thorens back in March.
"After such a difficult 2010 missing out on
the Olympics, I can't wait for the start of the
2011 world cup season in December, but in
the mean time I have a few things to work on
which will improve my race technique."
Whelan only broke into the British Ski
Cross Team back in January and has
continued to grow in stature since.
"It was an amazing day and a good start
for the 2011 season beating Davey (Barr) (6th
in the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games).
"The results today have given me
confidence for the upcoming world cup
season." Peter said after the race.
The Ski Cross World Cup kicks off on 18th
December in Innichen/San Candido Italy
where Sarsfield and Whelan will be
competing for the British Team.
Results:
Mens Final - Race 1
1. Peter Whelan GBR
2. Davey Barr CAN
3. Stanislas Rey CAN
Mens Final - Race 2
1. David Duncan CAN
2. Peter Whelan GBR
3. Nick Zoricic CAN
Ladies Final - Race 1
1. Kelsey Serwa CAN
2. Danielle Poleschuk CAN
3. Emily Sarsfield GBR
Ladies Final - Race 2
1. Kelsey Serwa CAN
2. Danielle Poleschuk CAN
3. Marielle Thompson CAN
4. Emily Sarsfield GBR
SERRE CHEVALIER
ADDS NEW SIX
SEATER CHAIRLIFT
Upgrades at Serre Chevalier will continue
this season with a new six-seater chairlift to
improve the ski experience in the Villeneuve
and Monêtier sectors.
The new lift is the latest of several added
following the ski area's take over by the
Compagnie des Alpes which operates many of
France's largest ski areas.
The company is also spending on
increased snowmaking facilities in the
Chantemerle sector which should take the
resort's tally past 500 snow guns mark and
possibly past the third-of-all-250km-of10 the piste Oct/Nov 10
terrain covered mark (last season it was on
31%).
The company is also spending on
increased snowmaking facilities in the
Chantemerle sector which should take the
resort's tally past 500 snow guns mark and
possibly past the third-of-all-250km-ofterrain covered mark (last season it was on
31%).
ISCHGL UNVEILS
EIGHT-MILLION EURO
DESIGNER CHAIRLIFT
The highest peak in the ski network at the
top Tirolean resort of Ischgl will be
served by a new luxury six-seater
‘designer’ chairlift this winter.
The chairs and sleek top and bottom
stations have been designed to be
pleasing on the eye as well as ultrafunctional – and the chairs will have
heated seats as well as orange-tinted
weather bubbles.
The new eight-million euro Lange
Wand chairlift will run from the
Höllenkar Valley, a little above the
Höllboden restaurant, up to the
Greitspitz, Ischgl’s top station at 2,872metres – the lift gaining more than
600-metres vertical. The lift will carry
2,400 people an hour, with a journey time
of 5.6 minutes and will open up easy
access from the Höllenkar area to the
superb challenging runs that drop down
from the Greitspitz.
"The Lange Wand chairlift will be eyecatching, with each chair having a
striking black frame, and the lift stations
will complement the fabulous
surrounding scenery," said Ischgl Tourist
Director Andreas Steibl. "It will be a
spectacular addition to one of the most
modern and innovative lift systems in the
Alps."
On the Samnaun side of the Ischgl
network, across the border in
Switzerland, the nearly 20-year-old
Muller chairlift in the Alp Bella area will
be replaced with a new six-seater
detachable chair with comfortable
leather upholstery and weather bubbles.
In total, twenty-million euros is being
spent this summer improving and
refining the Ischgl/Samnaun linked area.
This includes the new lifts, new snowmaking machines, increasing the
coverage to 70 per cent of the entire
network, expansion of avalanche safety
equipment, new staff facilities and
garaging for snow groomers.
More information on Ischgl at
www.paznaun-ischgl.com
RESORT
REVIEW
BY BARRY SPOUGE
MONTGENÈVRE
MAXIMUM
MAXIMUM SNOW
SNOW COVERAGE
COVERAGE
AND
AND MEDITERRANEAN
MEDITERRANEAN SUNSHINE!
SUNSHINE!
AT 1,860M HIGH, MONTGENÈVRE
IS A CHARMING VILLAGE RESORT
OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS, IDEALLY
LOCATED ON A PASS, CLOSE TO
THE ITALIAN BORDER.
M
ontgenèvre is part of the Provence
Alpes Côte d'Azur region and
remains as such easily accessible
from the South. It is also one of the most
accessible skiing resorts of the Southern Alps
coming from the North. Looking at the
quality of its transportation
infrastructures, notably in Italy, the crossborder pass of Montgenèvre is easy to get to,
thanks to the Motorway Chambéry/Modane
and the Fréjus Alpine Tunnel nearby as well
as the Italian train station of Oulx only 15km
away (Paris-Oulx in 4h 30min with the
TGV/Express train).
It offers 2 skiable sides, Le Chalvet and
Les Gondrans. Thanks to its geographical
location, it benefits from a maximum snow
coverage and the fantastic sunshine of
the Mediterranean climate (300 sunny days a
year) plenty of sunshine to enjoy going
downhill. Down its slopes, larch trees or pine
trees with beautiful fragrances or
12 the piste Oct/Nov 10
magnificent hilly slopes offering a fantastic
panoramic view on the Oisans, Queyras
massif valleys and of course Italy.
It is the only skiing resort linked to the
skiing areas which hosted the Olympic and
paralympic games of Turin 2006 (Sestrières,
Sauze d’Oulx and San Sicario).
From the 2700 m high summits, the ski
runs take you, one after another, from one
side of the mountain to the other, crossing
over a huge skiing area of 400 km of FrancoItalian slopes with a fantastic variety of
breathtaking landscapes, leading to the
villages, either in a sporty or in a more
relaxed way.
The Montgenèvre pistes are serviced every
night until they are perfect to suit everyone,
and natural slopes are also there for offpiste lovers.
We chose this year to travel by car, lots of
Brits do this every year, for us it was around
a 12 hour trip from door to door, we decided
to break the journey and stay overnight enroute and arriving mid afternoon the next
day. It was a good journey, using the tunnel
with its 30 minute crossing and stopping
regularly for a coffee break etc.
It is a haven for beginners and
intermediates, advanced skiers are not left
RESORT
FACTS
Village he
ight: 1,85
0m
Ski Runs
(Montgen
evre 65km
)
Easy
28
Intermed
iate
38
Difficult
14
Terrain P
arks
2
out though, with a number of Black runs
throughout the Milky Way. You can upgrade
from the local pass to a full pass which
includes the Milky Way, with this you have no
problems finding excellent runs, of the Blue,
Red and Black type.
The centre of the village has retained its
charm with all the usual French style
buildings restaurants and excellent
traditional bars. The local house wines are
generally excellent so don’t move to the more
expensive bottles until you have tried them.
Bars stock a range of imported drinks such as
Guinness and Gordon’s gin but the local
brands are better value and taste pretty good
too. Visit any of the bars at the bottom of the
piste for fabulous après ski deals, 2 for 1 and
cocktails at half price.
One particular place to visit is the English
speaking Graal bar with its themed evenings
and a fabulous atmosphere plus if you want
to catch up on the footy back home Sky
Sports.
Montgenevre has a great range of
restaurants and reasonably priced,
particularly if you go for the ‘Dish of the
Day’, but watch out on the mountain for
costly lunches. The village has a range of
excellent supermarkets for making up your own
lunches or if you are in a chalet talk to chalet hosts
about packed lunches.
Set like a British seaside resort, with the slopes
one side of the road and the hotels, bars, shops,
Hotels and Chalets on the other side, the slopes are
very easy to get too, a free ski bus (with your lift pass)
runs throughout the village. Then you are straight on
to a lift and up, up and away, for our trip the snow
was fantastic and we soon got into the swing of it,
locally on the first day. Beginners are well catered for
on gentle nursery slopes, intermediates are spoilt for
choice in the local area. Popular descents include a
wide piste from Les Anges and Le Querelay and the
long cruising red from Le Chalvet at 2,680m. Nearby
Claviere is close (covered by the local lift pass) with
many fabulous runs for all grades.
If you are an advanced skier I would suggest you
get extensions to the local lift pass which allows you
to ski over into the Milky Way (giving you 400kms of
piste). You can ski over to Italy for lunch, we did this
to San Sicario, which has some great skiing and well
worth the trip. Three of our party of four were on new
Atomic skis, so we spent a little time allowing them to
get used to the change. That did not take long though
and we were soon making the most of the excellent
runs around San Sicario.
A word of warning if you are aiming to go into the
Milky way, always make sure you know what times
the lifts close, don’t get yourself stranded and an
expensive taxi home. We reckoned that you could
possibly get as far as Sauze D’Oulx safely there and
back in the day allowing some time for skiing some of
the resorts on the way. Sestriere we reckoned was a
step too far.
Our impression was that Montgenevre was an
excellent resort for using as a base for skiing either
side of the border, pistes well groomed and marked,
and on our week the snow was just fabulous. The
weather was mixed, some days a bit misty but some
where the sun shone brightly on the superb scenery
and the skiing was excellent.
All in all I would give it 10 out of 10.
We stayed in a Crystal chalet (Chalet Etoile des
Neiges) run by a great bunch Chris, Johny and some
extra help from Ellen, they looked after us very well
and the cakes when we arrived back each day were
yummy. We shared the chalet with a group from
Scotland, uncanny really as the Five Nations Rugby
was on and on one evening England were playing , yes
you guessed it, Scotland.
To maintain good relations we decided which bar
we were going to, thinking we knew where the Scots
were heading, would you believe it – it was the same
bar. They kept a low profile for the whole game.
On returning to the chalet obviously there was a
lot of ‘good natured’ banter, but they were a great
bunch and fun was had by all.
So how would I rate the resort and the area, out of
20 I would give it 19, for the area, the conditions, the
pistes and enjoyment.
Snowboarders can find plenty to go at in the Milky
Way circuit, Freeriders can enjoy powder in Le
Chalvet bowl and freestylers have loads of natural
terrain to launch off, plus the ultra-modern
snowpark. Beginners also have a huge choice with
plenty of blues and reds.
Cross Country. Montgenevre has around 25kms of
Cross Country trails.
For details of holidays to Montgenevre:
Crystal Ski – Reservations 0871 231 2256.
Website – www.crystalski.co.uk
Resort direct:
www.montgenevre.com/accueil.html?L=4
the piste Oct/Nov 10 13
British Ski & Board Show
29-31 October 2010 / NEC Birmingham
MekbZd½j
oek
hWj^[h
X[ia__d]5
FREE ON
ENTRY
Big Air Action… World Class Athletes
their only UK appearance
Fashion Show Arena
Ski & Boarding Tuition
Film Festival
Ice Climbing
ACTION PACKED DAY OUT
Technical Camp
Talk Theatre Arena
Over 130 Exhibitors
Off Piste Skiing
Ellis Brigham s 2 Seasons s Surfanic s North Face
Atomic s Head s Dynastar s Dynamic s Austria s France s
Italy s Switzerland s USA s Canada s India s Japan
Resort Jobs
Ski & Boot Clinic
…and many more
Ski Clubs Awards
Ski Fitness
£
SAVE HUNDREDS ’s
OFF YOUR SKI TRIP
Discounted Holidays
Clothing & Equipment Bargains
Resort Information
Tickets
Visit the show
SAVE MONEY
Tickets available on the door or in advance
www.britishskiandboardshow.co.uk
5
£
E
V
A
Sspecial price
Friday
RESORT
SÖLDEN
FEATURE
SNOW GALORE & PURE FUN
IN ÖTZTAL'S RENOWNED SKIERS PARADISE THE WINTER TERM ALREADY HAS THREE SEASONS MADE TO
MEASURE FOR EARLY WINTER FANS, PASSIONATE ENDURANCE SPORTSMEN AND APRÈS-SKI AFICIONADOS.
T
he glacier slopes in the upper Ötztal,
towering high above the skiers village,
offer perfect snow conditions already
in September. The two glaciers are linked by a
road tunnel and a separate skiers tunnel.
Therefore Sölden boasts the only
interconnected glacier ski area in the Alps. 36
kilometers of immaculate slopes and 10
mountain lifts with an hourly capacity of
20,000 persons guarantee unlimited skiing
fun for all ages and preferences.
Swinging Sölden
A free ski and snowboard equipment test of
several top brands is available on the
occasion of the official glacier season kickoff: "Maxxx Mountain Glacier Start“ from 08
to 10 October 2009. DJ shows and live acts,
fun contests and entertaining nightlife events
in the village's bars and pubs are scheduled
as well.
Even more fun and entertainment is
waiting at the traditional Men's and Women's
Ski World Cup Opening in late October.
Holders of a valid ski pass enjoy free
admission to the races in the standing area.
On 23 October the race season will be opened
by the Women's Giant Slalom while the Men's
Giant Slalom is scheduled one day later.
Sports arena of superlatives
The opening of the Sölden and Hochsölden
winter ski area is expected for 21 November
2010. Skiers and snowboarders can choose
from no less than 148 kilometers of perfectly
groomed slopes for all levels and abilities, 34
mountain lifts with absolutely no lift lines
and an hourly capacity of up to 70,000
persons. Of course, snow is also guaranteed
between 1,350 and 3,340 meters above sea
level from October through May – thanks to a
top modern snow making system covering
some 80 percent of all slopes.
Sölden has another unique attraction:
Three mountain peaks beyond 3,000 meters
which are easily accessibly on skis Gaislachkogl (3,058 m),
Tiefenbachkogl (3,250 m) and Schwarze
Schneide (3,340 m). A tour of all three
summits called "BIG3" can be made on one
day. This spectacular "BIG3 Rally" starts at
the base terminal of Giggijoch mountain
gondola and ends at the base terminal of
Gaislachkogl mountain gondola. A truly
challenging experience: In four hours you
conquer 50 kilometers of slopes, 10,000
meters of difference in altitude while
enjoying three awe-inspiring panoramic
views of the Alpine scenery from the "BIG3"
viewing platforms.
For more information go to:
www.oetztal.com Photographs supplied by:
Ötztal Tourismus, Gemeindestraße 4 6450
Sölden Austria, T +43 (0) 57200 0 F +43 (0)
57200 201
EUROSTAR DIRECT SKI SERVICES
TO THE FRENCH ALPS ON SALE
- FIRST DIRECT DAY SERVICE LAUNCHES ON 19 DECEMBER 2010
- FARES START FROM JUST £149 RETURN
- SEATS SELLING FAST
Eurostar, the high speed passenger train
linking the UK with the Continent, has opened
ticket sales for its popular direct day ski
services from St Pancras International and
Ashford International to the French Alps.
Return fares start from £149. Book online
www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.
Eurostar provides weekly direct services
calling at Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne and
Bourg St Maurice.
Eurostar’s direct ski services offer easy ac-
cess to a variety of top ski destinations in
the French Alps such as Courchevel, La
Plagne, Tignes, Meribel, Les Arcs. This allows skiers to choose a resort which exactly
matches their needs. Eurostar stations are
located a short bus ride from the resorts
avoiding lengthy transfers to and from the
airport. For added convenience, an extra
item of luggage on top of the normal luggage
allowance - such as a pair of skis or a snowboard - can be taken onboard at no extra
The day ski timetables for the 2009-2010 ski season will be as follows:
Direct daytime service
Weekly Saturday service
Train 9092 (1)
London St Pancras International
Ashford International
Moutiers
Aime La Plagne
Bourg St Maurice
10:00
10:47
17:30
18:02
18:20
Weekly Saturday service
Train 9095 (2)*
Bourg St Maurice
Aime La Plagne
Moutiers
Ashford International
London St Pancras Intl
10:04
10:45
15:36
16:11
cost and without the need to wait at airport
baggage reclaim.
Travelling by Eurostar to the French Alps
is the obvious choice for skiers who are
looking to minimise their carbon footprint.
Research commissioned by Eurostar has
shown that a Eurostar journey to Bourg St
Maurice generates 14kg of CO2 per passenger. By comparison, a typical return flight
from London to Geneva[1] emits 147.8kg of
CO2 per passenger.
Return fares start from £149 standard
class. Travellers can indulge themselves on
their way to and from the slopes by travelling Standard Premier, enjoying roomier accommodation and meals and drinks served
at their seat from just £229 return.
Tickets are available from
www.eurostar.com or by calling
08432 186 186.
(1) Runs from Sunday 19 December 2010 to Saturday 9
April 2011. The first day outbound train will run on
Sunday due to Christmas falling on a Saturday.
Services will then resume on Saturdays as normal,
starting from Saturday 01 January.
(2) Runs from Sunday 2 January 2011 to Saturday 16
April 2011. The first day inbound train will run on
Sunday due to New Year falling on a Saturday. Services
will then resume on Saturdays as normal, starting
from Saturday 8 January 2011. * There is no stop at
Aime La Plagne on the inbound service.
the piste Oct/Nov 10 15
CEO
SNOWSPORT ENGLAND
UPDATE
UPDATE
SNOWSPORT
ENGLAND
OFFICE GIRLS
DO RACE
FOR LIFE
The Snowsport England office staff did their
bit for Cancer Research on a hot and sunny
day in the beautiful setting of Himley Hall.
2,000 women set off at 11a.m. for the 5K
run. The weather started cool but by the time
the afternoon arrived it was getting pretty
hot. Everyone was running, jogging or
walking for someone who had lost their life
to this horrid disease whether it was a relative, friend or friend of a friend. The atmosphere was brilliant and we are looking
forward to doing it all again next year!
Altogether the staff raised over £700 for
Cancer Research. Be prepared to give generously next year! Ideas for fancy dress in
2011 would be welcome too!
SNOWSPORT ENGLAND CLUB
AND VOLUNTEER AWARDS 2010
Nominations are now open for the
Snowsport England Club and Volunteer
Awards 2010. Please note the deadline for
nominations is Tuesday 12th October 2010 at
5pm. The annual Snowsport England Club
and Volunteer Awards will be presented on
Saturday 30th October at the 2010 British
Ski + Board Show at the NEC, Birmingham.
This is an opportunity to say thank you and
to recognise the many volunteers who do so
much for Snowsports across all the
disciplines and the enjoyment and
achievement many people who taking part in
this great sport receive.
Nominations are open for each of the
categories below. These Awards are for
clubs and their volunteer – Coaches will
have been recognised at the Coaching
Conference held at the Chill Factore on 18th
– 19th September, 2010. Nomination forms
and information on how to complete and
return the nominations can be downloaded
from the Snowsport England website.
www.snowsportengland.org.uk Please note
the deadline for nominations is Friday 1st
October at 5pm.
Recreational Club of the Year 2010
Recreational Club of the Year will be
awarded to the club that provides a
comprehensive range of activities for its
members and supports the development of
players, instructors/coaches and volunteers
of all ages and abilities and can demonstrate
achievements and successes. The club must
also have active links with the local
community, show a commitment to being
inclusive and safeguarding
children/vulnerable adults where
appropriate.
Competitive Club of the Year 2010
Competitive Club of the Year will be
awarded to the club that provides a
comprehensive range of activities,
competitions and events for its members
16 the piste Oct/Nov 10
and supports the development of quality
athletes of all ages through a recognised
athlete pathway, demonstrating
achievements and successes. Strong
instructor/coach development should be
identified along with the support and
development it provides for its volunteers
and quality events and competitions the
club organises. The club shows a
commitment to being inclusive and
safeguarding children/vulnerable adults
where appropriate.
Volunteer of the Year 2010
The Volunteer of the Year Award will be
presented to a volunteer who has made a
significant contribution to their
sport/club/school in roles like - a club
officer, committee member, fundraiser,
administrator or official. The volunteer must
also show a level of commitment towards
their sport along with their own
development.
Young Volunteer of the Year 2010
The Young Volunteer of the Year award will
be presented to a volunteer, aged 13 to 25,
who has made a significant contribution to
their sport/club/school, in roles like - a club
officer, committee member, fundraiser,
administrator, or official. The volunteer
must also show a level of commitment
towards their sport along with their own
development.
Unsung Hero Award 2010
The Unsung Hero Award will be presented to
an individual who has made an outstanding
contribution to sport and whose dedication
and commitment will have made an
enormous impact on the
community/sport/club/individuals/schools
over a number of years. This person will
have demonstrated dedication to their role
/participants and/or wider club environment
and going beyond the call of duty.
It has been another busy summer at
Snowsport England and we are
progressing in lots of areas. I would like
to thank everyone who completed the
Sport England Satisfaction survey in
March/April of this year. The results s
has now been posted on the Snowsport
England website. Please have a look as it
makes interesting reading.
There has been a change with the
England Alpine Team and Mike Barker
has moved on to a new job. We have
recruited Chris Park to replace him.
Chris has a BSc in Sport and Exercise
Science from Napier University,
Edinburgh and has just come back to the
UK after a number of years as Head FIS
Coach with the Vancouver Junior Ski
Team in Canada. I think this is a
fantastic appointment and Chris will do
a great job.
The first year review of the Sport
England Grant has been completed and
we were given a positive report on the
progress we have made. A lot of the
work has been getting a better
understanding and building systems to
be able to deliver in year 2 and onwards.
The Development officers have worked
hard with the 10 priority facilities and
clubs to get a clear action plan in place.
These will now start to be delivered over
the next year. We now have 20 clubs
working towards SnowMark which is
fantastic news.
We have completed a new coaching
strategy which will be launched at the
coaches conference in September and are
progressing well in producing a facilities
strategy which is key for the continued
development of the sport.
The SSE board has consulted widely
on the 11-14 strategic review and we had
a good level of responses from all
sections of the Snowsport industry. It
has been clear from this that the focus
for Snowsport England should be on
increasing participation and
accessibility to the sport. Working
groups are in place to develop the
strategy and set clear milestones for year
1. This will hopefully be published in full
in the New Year.
British Ski and Snowboard has been
working hard to get things set up to be
able to register athletes for FIS licences
and be able to put British FIS races on
the calendar as well as running the
senior and junior teams. Snowsport
England is working hard to develop our
relationship with BSS.
I hope everyone is looking forward to
the winter season ahead and you have
the English Alpine Championship dates
in your diary. It is returning to Bormio
on 20th -25th Feb where we have had 2
fantastic years with superb racing.
Tim Fawke
SSE INTRODUCES
PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATION FOR
ITS JUNIOR ATHLETES
BY MURIEL RYDING
Anyone involved with the development of
young athletes will appreciate the enormous pressures that they are under. They
set themselves very tough targets. In designing Snowsport England’s Junior
Alpine Part-Time Race and Training Programme we recognize that our young athletes want to excel in a number of crucial
areas – in their sporting performance, in
their education and their preparation for
their future careers, whilst at the same
time maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
With these factors foremost in our
mind, a great deal of thought and planning has gone into our new 2010/11 Junior programme. The basis of our plan
recognize the important relationship between the three parts of the supportive
triangle; the athlete and their parents –
the coaches and the governing body – and
the school or workplace.
We are very excited about the new initiatives that we have built into our programme this season. We believe that
education, in its widest sense, is vitally
important to our young athletes. The programme, therefore, is built around the demands of GCSE and post 16
examinations whilst at the same time we
are working with Loughborough College
to provide a recognized “ elite athlete” education programme through the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting
Excellence.(AASE)
AASE is a unique sporting qualification for young people who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their
sport by competing on the world stage or
securing a professional contract. AASE
combines a flexible education programme
with a structured national training and
development route across all sports,
whilst preparing athletes for a career
after sport.
The programme was originally developed in conjunction with the national
governing bodies of the major sports and
has since been rolled out across a number
of other sports.
ASSE has been designed to meet the
needs of young people (aged 16-18) who
have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to
perform at the highest leveling the future.
Athletes who are in the team but, under
16 years, can attend the sessions but are
not able to take the qualification until
later.
Notionally taking two years to complete, the AASE framework provides a
structured national training and development route, for talented young athletes,
many of whom may go on to represent
their country on the Olympic stage or
gain professional contracts.
The framework contains a new National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)
which is fully reflective of the broad
range of competences required in professional sport and not a qualification for
simply competing in the sport.
It is designed to directly measure the
athlete’s ability to apply themselves to
professional development in the technical, tactical, physical and psychological
aspects of the chosen sport. Importantly
it directly addresses other issues such as
lifestyle, communication, wider career
management and health and safety.
On a typical 2 day training weekend at
Loughborough, one day is spent with the
College staff on the broader issues of athlete development and on the second day
our coaches and athletes use the college
facilities working on sport specific training. The best athlete development comes
from the athletes, coaches and parents
working together and we are delighted
that parents have been able to come along
to the weekends and are really enjoying
the feeling of being part of the process.
In the words of a parent of one of our
athletes, Dave Richardson (Parent of
Charles)
“Last season we arranged our son’s
training ourselves so we know first hand
how much work has to go into the organisation of race training at FIS level.
What SSE is providing in the newly revamped programme for 2010 far exceeded
our expectations.
Having attended the first introduction
session at Loughborough it was clear that
SSE are aiming to produce and develop
athletes with rounded educational skills
as well as the core base of race training.
By the end of the first session I knew I
had made the right choice in choosing the
SSE programme. The level of detail in the
course on subjects like hydration and bio
metric assessments was impressive, and
was being introduced and expected of all
participants on the programme. ‘Blown
away’ was the term I used.
Providing athletes with guidance on
areas such as nutritional, rehabilitation,
media awareness in a formal classroom
environment means that
they are better informed
and means that our support as parents is better
channelled. The delivery of
these has been excellent
with experts from outside
SSE and the expertise of
Loughborough College providing input into the
scheme.
We are very pleased that
our son has been given this
opportunity which on completion will lead to a NVQ
in advanced sports as well
as
enhancing his race
training.”
SNOWCAMP
RALLY LAUNCHED
Snow-Camp, one of the UK’s most innovative youth
charities, recently launched the SNO!zone SnowCamp Rally 2010, a unique fundraising event offering
teams of skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to
complete an epic road trip, competing to ski or ride
as many of Britain’s artificial and dry ski slopes as
possible in 3 full-on days.
Ed Leigh, one of Snow-Camp’s Patrons and copresenter of BBC Ski Sunday says: "The SNO!zone
Snow-Camp Rally is the closest you'll ever get to the
Cannonball run whilst riding Britain's artificial
slopes. Plus you can say it's all for charity, magic.
Baggsy be Burt Reynolds!"
Building on the success of the first Snow-Camp
Rally in 2009, Snow-Camp is raising the stakes with
this year’s event which will be held 19th – 21st
November 2010, starting and finishing at Milton
Keynes SNO!zone. Snow-Camp is hoping to sign up at
least 30 teams of up to five participants, who will
compete to score the most points to lift the SnowCamp Rally Cup! This year the event is sponsored by
SNO!zone, in association with SCUK and supported
by FBBB, attla, Pierre & Vacances, Born Extreme and
Snowsports England.
Elaine France, Snow-Camp’s Commercial Manager,
comments “It’s going to be an incredible event! The
event gives snow sport enthusiasts the opportunity to
fundraise for Snow-Camp by doing something they
love to do, skiing or snowboarding, but like they have
never done before. We’re really grateful to all of the
participating slopes and their promotion of snow
sports within the UK, which makes the Snow-Camp
Rally possible.”
Snow-Camp Director, Dan Charlish, comments
“Events like the SNO!zone Snow-Camp Rally are
becoming increasingly important in supporting the
growing work of Snow-Camp. They enable us to
expand the programmes we run by raising much
needed funds and also introduce the charity to a
whole new group of future supporters and their
friends. We’re really grateful to SNO!zone and all of
our other sponsors for their fantastic support which
is helping to make the event such a success.”
The SNO!zone Snow-Camp Rally 2010 is open to
all skiers and snowboarders who can link their turns
on a dry or indoor slope. It costs only £10 per
participant to register and each team member
commits to raise a minimum of £250 for SnowCamp’s work.
For more information on Snow-Camp and to sign
up to the SNO!zone Snow-Camp Rally visit
http://www.snow-camp.co.uk/snowcamprally or
call Elaine on 01273 241383 or 07545 431824
the piste Oct/Nov 10 17
SNOWBOARDING
UPDATE
WITH TOM ALLEN
SNOW
SEARCH
JAPAN
From the makers of the critically acclaimed World Snowboard Guide, comes the IPPY
award winning Snow Search
Japan. Deviating slightly from
their roots the guide is aimed at
both snowboarders AND skiers.
The 256-page full-colour book is
the definitive guide for adventurers in search of the mythical
Japanese powder fields. The
guide is beautifully put together
and contains some amazing
photos, which are sure to inspire even the hardiest armchair
surfer to spring into life and
book a plane ticket. Each of the
42-featured resorts is given a
score out of five for piste, park
and the all-important powder.
Scoring the full five for both
park and powder, Niseko United
definitely looks like the one to
check out. In addition to the indepth resort reviews there are
also detailed guides to the gateway cities, food and drink, accommodation and very comical
instructions on how to use an
Onsen, to name but a few. Priced
at only £14.95, only a fool would
venture in search of Japanese
powder without this guide.
For further information:
www.wsg-media.com/print
/titles/snowsearchjapan &
www.independent
publisher.com
18 the piste Oct/Nov 10
EUROPEAN
X-GAMES
The Winter X-Games is widely considered to be
the pinnacle of competitive freestyle snowboarding. The high altitude resort of Tignes, in the
French Alps, played host to the debut European
Winter X-Games, on 10th-12th March. The competitions held at the X-Games were Slopestyle and
Halfpipe. For us Brits, the female Slopestyle
topped the billing as 2 times X-Games Gold
medallist Jenny Jones was in town. The Slopestyle
course was surprisingly long and consisted of several large kickers and a few lengthy rails. Jenny
was unfazed by the intimidating course and won
the elimination with an amazing score of 96.33.
Two days later on Friday 12th, Jenny was on top
form again for the final. Following a smooth 2nd
run, which consisted of frontside and backside
360’s, a 540 and a massive 720 off the big booter
at the end of the course, she was in 1st place going
into the 3rd and final run. Jenny had a win in the
bag before even dropping in for her final run as
the other 5 riders failed to top her 2nd run score
of 92.33. The crowd went wild as she flew down
the course on her victory lap style run. A massive
‘WAAAAHHHHHOOOOOO!’ boomed out through
the speakers in celebration of a
3rd very
well deserved Winter X-Games
gold medal.
Jenny then thanked all the Brits who had come to
support her and gave a shout out to all the chalet
girls, the job which she did in Tignes during her
1st season. She really has come a long way to
achieve her current position as top British Snowsport athlete.
Besides watching the competitions and going to
the parties there was plenty of world-class snowboarding terrain to explore. Tignes is linked to the
super-exclusive resort of Val D’Isere and together
they make up the extensive Espace Killy. There are
156 pistes and 2 snowparks, the Valpark in Val
D’Isere and the Swatch Snowpark in Tignes. The
Swatch Snowpark has the innovative ‘shoot my
ride’ concept, where video cameras record you as
you bust a Jenny Jones inspired sick trick off a
small kicker. Your steezy 540 or comical face-plant
is then played back on a giant screen for all to see!
The videos are also posted online at
www.swatch.com so you can wow your mum when
you return home. However, not to be eclipsed by
Tignes hosting the X-Games, the Val D’Isere
shapers had done a brilliant job of the Valpark
creating a vast array of perfectly shaped kickers,
rails and wall-rides.
The 1st European X-Games proved to be a massive success - it is surely set to follow in its American cousin’s footsteps and go from strength to
strength. Be sure to get yourself over to Tignes
next year to experience the games for yourself and
watch Jenny defend her title again.
LES 2 ALPES
ANNOUNCES
OCTOBER
SNOWBOARD
EVENTS
BASE – HOW SNOW CAN YOU GO?
X2 SNOWBOARDING BASE FOR IPHONE AND IPOD TOUCH THIS MONTH
Tignes is up and running again after a short
break between the Summer and forthcoming
Winter season. It operates more-or-less alone for
nearly 10 weeks until all the other French ski
areas begin to open in late November and early
December.
However a second glacier resort, Les 2 Alpes,
does traditionally open it's slopes for one big
party weekend each October, and this year the
resort has announced that 23rd and 24th October
are the dates in question.
After using the same format for over a decade
until a few years ago, the resort has been
experimenting with new ideas in recent years,
but The Rock On Snowboard Tour will be back for
its second edition.
The event is a National Snowboard Test,
bringing together snowboarding brands and
snowboarders. During the two days, everyone can
test the latest equipment on the resort's large
glacier ski area. To compliment the tests,
competitions are organized for the general public
and children. On the ski side there's a new event
this year, 'Come to Ski' which will have the same
format of free gear testing.
X2 Games has announced X2 Snowboarding BASE, a new way to try the
critically-acclaimed winter sports hit X2
Snowboarding for iPhone and iPod
Touch. Substantially different from the
X2 Snowboarding School demo and the
full-priced X2 Snowboarding, the BASE
version features the same slope-shredding, console-quality action of its stable
mates in a bite-sized form, with in-game
downloads to allow players a means to
expand upon the free-to-play content as
they see fit.
When downloaded from the App
Store, X2 Snowboarding BASE includes
two tracks, two characters and two
board designs from the full version and
supports multiplayer over Bluetooth and
WiFi. In-game, priced at 59p, is available
WIN A COPY OF WHERE TO
SKI AND SNOWBOARD 2011
The definitive guide to the 1,000 best
winter sports resorts in the world
from the in-game shop, unlock four additional packs that include a course, a
character and two snowboards apiece.
Des Gayle, producer, X2 Games comments: “X2 Games is all about what the
player wants, so we’re offering X2 Snowboarding’s high-quality gameplay in a
new form, which lets them tailor content
from the full version to their own
wishes by buying what they want from
the full version, when they want it.” He
continues; “We’re making sure the freeto-play download is enough to get players hooked and compelled to complete
the collection without locking away fun
features like multiplayer or offering cutdown levels.”
X2 Snowboarding BASE is available
from the App Store.
WIN!
Where to Ski and Snowboard is Britain’s only annual ski
resort guidebook; its brand new, completely revised 2011
edition is available now. At the heart of Where to Ski and
Snowboard are 580 pages devoted to detailed description
and evaluation of over 400 resorts (in around 120 areas) in the
Alps, North America, Pyrenees, eastern Europe, Scandinavia,
Japan and Scotland. The book is revised throughout, as
always, but developments this year are focused on coverage
of good-value resorts – there are new or extended chapters
on resorts in Austria, Italy, the French Pyrenees, Spain and
Slovenia. Continuing the value theme, the unique Resort
Price Index (RPI) survey introduced last year has been
updated and extended, and now covers all major resorts in the book.
To win a copy of this fabulous publication all you have to do is answer
the following question.
How many pages are in the 2011 edition?
1. 680 pages
2. 380 pages
3. 580 pages
Simply circle your answer and send it back to the following
address: Where to Ski & Snowboard Competition, The Piste, 27
Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX. Entries to reach
us by 30 October 2010.
Name........................................................................................................
Address....................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................
............................................................ Postcode .............................
The winner will be the first correct entry picked from all entries received.
If you are not a winner you can get a copy via publishers NortonWood
Publishing for only £18.99. (Postage & Packing FREE). Please quote The
Piste magazine when ordering.
Quality catered chalets with
inclusive childcare in the heart
of the French Alps
Visit skifamille.co.uk or call us on 0845
to discuss your family’s requirements
64 437 64
the piste Oct/Nov 10 19
WHAT’S ON?
EVENTS
TICKETS SELLING FAST TO
THE BIG SNOW FESTIVAL 2011
- NEW FLIGHT OPTIONS ADDED FROM BRISTOL AND NEWCASTLE
- 4* MONTANE HOTEL, 7 NIGHT ‘SILVER PACKAGE’ FROM JUST £499
Tickets to hottest party to hit the slopes, The
Big Snow Festival, are selling fast and
organisers are pleased to announce brand
new hotel and flight options for festival fans!
From 13th – 20th March 2011, The Big Snow
Festival offers ski, snowboard and music fans
the ultimate fun filled week in the Andorran
Pyrenees at great value for money prices –
it’s the must-attend winter festival of 2011!
The latest Big Snow Festival deal to be
launched is the new Big Snow Silver package
that includes return flights, airport transfers,
festival wristband and 7 nights BB
accommodation at the 4* Montane Hotel from
just £499. Located just a stone’s throw from
all the snow and music action in the heart of
Arinsal, across the road from the main
gondola station, the Montane effortlessly
combines comfort with style for all Big Snow
Festival goers.
The Big Snow Festival 2011 has seen
record numbers of festival fans take up the
special package deals with flights from
Gatwick and Manchester. Due to popular
demand, flights from Bristol* and Newcastle
have been added to these great value packages.
From £399pp, these special packages
include return flights, resort transfers, 7 nights
BB accommodation and festival wristband to
gain access to all the festival action.
The second ever Big Snow Festival will
bring a pumping line up set to make the
mountains shake. Previous performances
include amazing DJ sets from Calvin Harris,
Pendulum, Eddie Halliwell and more! Keep
your eyes peeled at
www.thebigsnowfestival.com for line up
announcements, with the first stage to be
announced in September.
All Big Snow Festival packages, as well as
flexible deals (short breaks, accommodation
only, flights, wristband only) are available to
book at www.thebigsnowfestival.com or by
calling 0844 879 8119.
ATTENTION ALL FIRST TIME SKIERS!
2011 IS THE YEAR TO ‘BEAT THOSE DOWN TURN BLUES’ AND HIT
THE SLOPES FOR FREE WITH THE ASC’S FRESHER’S SKI WEEK
If you are one of the many that have always
fancied Skiing but just never got around to
going, or thought it was too expensive then
try this great offer from The Association of
Snowsports Countries (ASC), that massively
reduces the cost of venturing into the sport.
Fresher’s Ski Week 2011 ensures every
participant will not only get amazing value,
but one lucky couple that enters the free prize
draw on our website:
www.freshersskiweek.com will be jetting off
to a ski resort, in the country of their choice,
for one week next year completely free*.
Following on from its success last year, the
ASC’s ‘Fresher’s Ski Week’ is back once again
to entice more first time skiers onto the
slopes for a period of one week, (either the
22nd of January or the 19th of March 2011),
to learn to ski for free in one of more than 25
great resorts on offer in Andorra, the Aosta
Valley in Italy, Canada, Finland, France,
Norway and Switzerland.
Just book your holiday with any of the six
participating tour operators, Crystal Ski, First
Choice Snow, Frontier Ski, Inghams, Ski
Norway and Thomson Ski and your tuition,
lift passes and equipment hire will be thrown
in for free.
This amazing offer is open to over 745
genuine first timers, on a first come first
served basis. Participants only have to pay for
20 the piste Oct/Nov 10
the standard cost of the package holiday and
will then be given free tuition, free lift passes
and free equipment hire, in a bid to attract more
new people into the sport.
Simply go to www.freshersskiweek.com and
click through to the web links that lead to the
participating resorts in the seven countries
taking part, then decide which of the range of
great resorts appeals and suits you best, choose
a tour operator and pick up the phone.
Remember that there are over 685 holidays on
offer, so even if your first choice is not available,
staff at the tour operator’s offices will be able to
advise you on an alternative destination. Every
holiday offers amazing value and will be a great
place to learn and to start you own love affair
with the mountains.
This year we have teamed up with two other
organisations that share our aim of attracting
new people into the sport; Snowsport England
and SnowCamp. We have also linked-up with
discount retailer TX Maxx once again and are
delighted to have Ellis Brigham Mountain
Sports incorporating The Snowboard Asylum
Mountain Sports stores joining us. For more
information on all our valued partners please
refer to the editor’s notes section below.
For more information on this unique initiative
go to: www.freshersskiweek.com
*terms and conditions apply; check the
website for full details
Summer’s over, but don’t despair! here
are the best events taking place over the
next few months leading up to the start
of the snowboard season. From the awesome London Freeze, to the International
World Snowboard Day you are
guaranteed to have a good time.
OCTOBER
Ski & Snowboard Show
Date: 20 – 24th Oct. 2010
Location: London Olympia
Details: Kicking off the run up to the
season,
the World’s largest winter sports show
is celebrating its 38th year. This is the
place to shop for bargains, check out the
latest kit and be offered holiday deals
galore. Those planning on doing a season should head over to the natives tent
to get some excellent advice from the
experts.
Further information:
www.metrosnow.co.uk/the_show
British Ski and
Snowboard Show
Date: 29th – 31st Oct.
Location: Birmingham NEC
Details: Another great show where you
are guaranteed to bag bargain kit and
holidays whilst watching the very
impressive big air displays. Although
not quite as big as the Metro Show, it is
ideally located for those living towards
the north of the country.
Further information:
www.globalsnowshows.co.uk
London Freeze
Date: 29th – 31st Oct.
Location: Battersea power station,
London
Details: If you only get to one of these
events, make sure it's this one! A
massive music and snow sports festival
located in the centre of London at the
iconic Battersea power station. Last
year’s event, which as was awesome,
was won Stepahn Gimpl on his 30th
Birthday; check out the report on page
20 of the Dec. 09 edition. Previous
musical headliners have included the
legendry Cypress Hill and The Eagles of
Death Metal, so it is guaranteed to go
off again this year.
Further information:
www.thefreezefestival.com
DECEMBER
World
Snowboard Day
Date: 19th December
Location: Worldwide
Details: We all love it so why not get together and celebrate it? There are events
taking place all over the world so check
out the website the find out what is
going on near you.
Further information:
www.world-snowboard-day.com
FREESTYLE
UPDATE
“
I THINK ANYTHING IS
POSSIBLE AND I AM WELL
ON MY WAY TO
ACHIEVING MY DREAM
OF BECOMING THE BEST
FREESTYLE MOGUL SKIER
IN THE WORLD.”
FROM PEAK TO
PONDS FOR
OLYMPIC SLOPE STAR
A
world class international skiing star
who competes on some of the highest
mountains in the world, has chosen
one of Sheffield’s leading leisure venues to
keep her in peak condition.
Olympian and professional freestyle
mogul skiier Ellie Koyander, 19, of Tideswell,
Derbyshire, has selected Ponds Forge International Sports Centre as her UK training
base for when she travels back from her intense coaching schedule in Colorado, USA.
Ellie, who has been skiing since she was
just one and-a-half years old, and earlier
this year was competing at the Vancouver
2010 Winter Olympic. Ellie plans to go for
gold at the next winter games, which are to
be held in Russia in 2014.
Ellie said: “The games in Vancouver were
an amazing experience and although it was
a tough course, I did really well and
achieved a personal best skiing two seconds
faster than I have before. I think anything is
possible and I am well on my way to achieving my dream of becoming the best freestyle
mogul skier in the world.
“I’ve figured out a structured training
plan for when I’m away in Colorado where
I’m based, but at my level it’s really important to train when I’m home in the UK and
maintain my fitness. Ponds Forge is the perfect centre as I can train different areas of
my body by using all of the top facilities in-
cluding the spin bikes, cross trainer and the
large pool – which all keeps me at peak condition to help with my skiing.”
Back flipping and spinning 360° during
jumps on steep snow slopes full of bumps
are all elements of the sport which Ellie
must tackle when she competes. But the athlete still finds time to undergo a professional athlete sports course at
Loughborough College and learn languages
when on her travels.
Ellie said: “Although most of my time is
spent training, this year I’ve travelled to
Spain, Sweden, Canada and America for my
skiing and have started to pick up some new
languages including Japanese, Russian and
French.
“I competed in the FIS Freestyle World
Championships last year in Japan and although it’s tough being away from home,
most of my friends are also mogul skiers
now, who I travel with so it’s not too bad,
but it’s always nice to come back home.”
Ellie will be using Ponds Forge for her
training whilst at home in the build up to
next season’s FIS Freestyle World Cup
events and World Ski Championships 2011.
Justine Foster-Davis, Head of Sport for
Sheffield International Venues (SIV), which
operates Ponds Forge said: “We are delighted
to be supporting Ellie in her quest for Winter Olympic success again in 2014. She is a
fantastic young talent and one of many elite
athletes who are choosing to base themselves in Sheffield because of SIV’s world
class facilities.”
Sheffield is home to a number of Winter
Olympians such as Nicola Minichiello and
Kristen Bromley, and Russia 2014 hopefuls
including ice dance couple Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty, who train at SIV’s
iceSheffield.
Ellie added: “Sheffield’s sporting facilities are fantastic and we are so lucky to have
world-class venues like Ponds Forge and
iceSheffield. They are really helping to grow
and develop winter sports by supporting
elite athletes in their quest for success but
also encouraging community involvement at
a grassroots level through schemes such as
Learn to Skate at iceSheffield.”
Support and follow Ellie on her journey at
www.elliekoyander.com and www.facebook.com/elliekoyander
the piste Oct/Nov 10 21
GET A PISTE OF
THE ACTION TODAY
TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR THE ALL NEW SKI AND SNOWBOARD
SHOW 20TH – 24TH OCTOBER AT LONDON OLYMPIA
The Ski and Snowboard Show
descends on London’s Olympia
this October and will be packed
full of new and interactive
winter sports features. This year
the revamped show returns with
two exciting new partners ready
to hit the slopes - the Evening
Standard and The Independent.
ALL NEW – Land Rover Mountain Theatre:
Sir Ranulph Fiennes tops the bill in a series
of awe inspiring seminars in the brand new
Land Rover Mountain Theatre*. In addition to
talks from the world’s most daring explorer, a
host of winter sports enthusiasts and
outdoor pursuit legends will take to the stage
to relive their most challenging alpine
achievements.
Opening Times
Wednesday 20th October
Thursday 21st October
Friday 22nd October
Saturday 23rd October
Sunday 24th October
11am – 9pm
11am – 9pm
11am – 9pm
10am - 8pm
10am – 6pm
Ticket Prices
Weekday
Adult
Student
Senior
11-16 yrs
Under 11
Advance
£9
£7
£6
£4
FREE
Onsite
£12
£.50
£7
£5
FREE
Weekend
Adult
Student
Senior
11-16 yrs
Under 11
Advance
£13
n/a
£7.50
£6
FREE
Onsite
£16
n/a
£8.50
£7
FREE
ALL NEW – Land Rover Ice Driving
Experience: Bringing motoring to the
mountains, the exhilarating Land Rover Ice
Driving Experience offers visitors the chance
to test out the handling of these 4x4 vehicles
over a variety of terrains, including a purpose
built 30m ice road outside the show! The
experience also provides the opportunity to
navigate a ‘Terrapod’ at different heights,
angles and gradients.
ALL NEW – Aosta Valley VIP Lounge: 500 VIP
tickets will be on sale entitling visitors with
access to the Aosta Valley VIP Lounge where
you can sample delicious food and drink from
the mountain region, claim a reserved front
row seat to the Land Rover Mountain Theatre
and leave with a bag stuffed with winter
sports goodies.
The Best of the Rest:
• Trespass 50ft Competition Kicker hosts the
London Ride and British Snow Tour
Invitational Championship with Europe’s
finest set to catch some serious big air
• Land Rover Fashion Show & Brand Arena
showcasing the hottest snowsports attire for
the 2010 winter season
• Les 3 Vallees Resort Bar and Whistler Apres
Ski Bar will provide the best post work
atmosphere in London with live acoustic
music and mini chef’s kitchen
• Natives Jobs Fair is the ideal place to get
inspiration and information to help make
that life changing decision
• Destination Quebec Husky Lodge returns
with the tastiest maple taffy and our furry
friends the husky dogs – don’t leave without
a picture!
* Sir Ranulph Fiennes will only be appearing
at the show on Friday 22nd October.
Additional speakers for the Mountain Theatre
are still tba. All talks will be ticketed and are
priced at £5. Seats are limited so advanced
booking is advisable
22 the piste Oct/Nov 10
WIN ONE OF SIX PAIRS OF TICKETS TO
THE SKI AND
SNOWBOARD SHOW
W
IN
!
20TH - 24TH OCTOBER, LONDON OLYMPIA
Win one of six pairs of tickets to the
show by simply answering the following
question:
Name.....................................................................
Q. Where is this year’s Ski and
Snowboard Show taking place?
...............................................................................
Address.................................................................
.................................Postcode..............................
A.......................................................................
Fill in your answer, cut out and
complete the entry form and send to:
Ski & Snowboard Show (London
Olympia) Competition, Piste magazine,
Countrywide Publications, 27 Norwich
Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX.
Entries to reach us no later than
Monday 11th October 2010
The winners will be the first correct entries
picked from all entries received.
If you’re not lucky enough to win visit
www.metrosnow.co.uk for more
information or to book tickets.
Tickets are free for under 11’s and range
between £4 - £13 if bought in advance.
We do whatever it takes to make
your winter holidays perfect.
Eggishorn, Valais
MySwitzerland.com
Switzerland offers everything you could wish for on your dream winter holiday. Plus a whole lot more: guaranteed snow, perfectly groomed pistes, long ski runs and impeccable service – whether at your accommodation,
on the pistes or in rustic ski huts. For a glimpse of a perfect ski holiday, visit MySwitzerland.com or call us on
freephone 00800 100 200 30.
FLYING, SWISS MADE
–
SWISS.COM
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