Nov.-Dec Issue - National Ski Club

Transcription

Meetings Issue
Mountain Travel Symposium
Far West Ski Association
National Ski Council Federation
Also in This Issue
Hudson Valley Club Skis Cortina
Where will U.S. ski clubs ski this season?
Where will council ski weeks go this season?
In This Issue
Trip Report:
Hudson Valley Club in Cortina
New York Capital District Skis Alyeska
Editorial:
ESCAPE TO ASPEN SNOWMASS
One Door Closes, Other Doors Open
Ski Club Management
Why Survey Your Membership?
Ski Club News
Where Clubs Will Ski This Season
Ski Council News
Where Council Ski Weeks Will Be
Far West Ski Assn. Convention
National Ski Council Federatin Meet
Ski Industry News
Mountain Travel Symposium 2015
Photos: Cover Photo: Lisa Beregi, Crescent Ski Council and newly
elected president of The National Ski Council Federation at MTS.
Photo this page: Wanda Ross, secretary of the Far West Ski Association and
Steve Coxen, newly elected president of the Far West Ski Association.
Bob Wilbanks
Publisher and Editor
303-689-9921 -- wilbanks@ski-club.net
Katie Petito
Assistant Editor
www.katiepetito.com
THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER is published by Rowil Publishing,
P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, Colorado 80155.
Phone or Fax: 303-689-9921.
E-mail: wilbanks@ski-club.net
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THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER provides a forum for sharing of
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The National Ski Club Newsletter is published four times per year.
For materials to be included in an issue, we need to receive them by
the dates shown below.
November-December issue:
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January-February issue:
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May-June issue:
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EDITORIAL
As One Vacation Door Closes a Bit, Other Doors Open
For the last decade, we have heard ski industry sales people complain that the days of
ski club business are numbered because of the
advancing average age of ski club members. I
submit to America’s ski clubs -- and to the ski
industry -- that those comments express a
“glass half empty” philosophy. Yes, America’s
ski clubs are getting older and very gradually
the numbers of members who still ski are getting smaller, but we have not quit taking vacations and now that more and more of us are
retired, most of us vacation more than ever.
That’s the glass is half full philosophy.
Many U.S. ski clubs are changing their
names to ski and adventure club or ski and
travel club and even those clubs that have not
changed their name are taking more and more
non-ski trips. Cruises, bike and barge trips, safaris to Africa, scuba trips to Australia or Belize are becoming common among America’s
ski clubs. That change is creating the second
stage of U.S. ski clubs. Our members are still
active and like to vacation together. Most of
our members still ski and those who don’t ski
are still doing active things when they go on vacation, like snowshoeing and X-C skiing in the
winter or bicycling during the summer.
THE TOP of COLORADO
The readers of Ski Magazine rated Telluride as the top ski
destination in Colorado. Vintage charm, modern amenities
and breathtaking scenery have travelers leaving the crowds
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By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
I suppose stage three will be laying out on
some beach or sitting in an expensive spa
somewhere, but I don’t see too many ski clubs
running those kind of trips at this time. Perhaps that day will come -- but not yet.
Ski resorts and tour operators shouldn’t
count ski clubs out of the picture. We are
changing, most of our kids are adults now, and
some of us are retired -- but we have not left
the vacation scene. Resorts should cater to
those changes if they want to keep ski clubs as
profitable clients. Keep selling us ski trips -but include some less strenuous activities two
or three days of the week. Start showing
America’s ski clubs what’s at your resort during the summer and fall if you don’t do so already. Yes, we’re getting older and some of us
can’t ski full speed six days a week. That spa
might just look good to some members on Friday and riding snowmobiles on Wednesday is
starting to look inviting, too.
Clubs and tour operators should pay more
attention to non-ski trips; the Texas Ski Council is already spending more money on nonski trips than ski trips -- but they are still taking
four large ski trips per year. It’s just that summer and fall are also looking good these days
Bob Wilbanks, Editor, at the 2015 MTS.
-- largely because many members are now empty
nesters, some are retired, and most have lots more
time (and more money) to travel year-round. Ski
clubs, ski resorts, and tour operators all need to
recognize those facts and cater to the not so new
older segment of the American ski club market,
because that’s where the market is going folks.
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November-December 2015
The National Ski Club Newsletter
Photo: NSCN.
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Page 5
Hudson Valley Skis Cortina -- With Lots of Snow
Plus a Post-Trip to Florence, Italy
By Trip Leader Steven Krapes and Trip Assistant Eric Oberer
Photo: Courtesy of Dolomite Superski.
The Hudson Valley Ski Club’s trip in February was popular from the start, quickly selling out with 60 people signed up. And it
proved to be all that anyone could have hoped
for. Virtually everything associated with the
trip was flawless. All flights and transportation
were on time, no luggage was lost or delayed,
and no one sustained injuries. And there was
no lack of snow in Cortina.
The trip began with an early evening flight
out of JFK. The flight to Venice with connection through Paris went smoothly with the entire group making it through the corridors,
passport control, security, and the like at
Charles de Gaulle airport for the connecting
flight to Venice. Our bus pickup in Venice
awaited us and the trip, started in the rain, but
turned to snow by the time we reached
Cortina. And snow it was, lots of it, a fresh
four and a half feet two days prior to our arrival with more before and after that. Reaching
Cortina mid-afternoon, we all got checked into
our Concordia Parc Hotel rooms and most set
out to pick up our reserved rental skis at the
nearby shop in time to be back for our evening
welcome party which featured some very nice
local wines. Our first dinner at the hotel was
outstanding and set the standard for the high
level of cuisine and service on succeeding
evenings.
Our first ski day began Monday morning
after a plentiful breakfast buffet. We learned
that our skiing choices were limited due to the
heavy snowfall that was still continuing, closing most of the higher areas due to blocked
lifts and avalanche danger. Virtually all skiing
that first day was at Socrepes, a short bus ride
from Cortina. The snow conditions were excellent, but the visibility was quite limited, affording no views of the surrounding mountains.
By now the true extent of the incredible snowfall had become apparent; in Cortina, the ItalPage 6
ian army had been mobilized to clear streets
and walks and shovel roofs. It was truly a winter wonderland. Some might have felt it was
too much snow, but skiers know better as there
is no such thing as too much snow. Some
began exploring Cortina, which had much to
offer, wonderful patisseries, coffee shops, and
bars in addition to incredible shopping opportunities including the Cooperative (a multifloor department store) that was immediately
adjacent to our hotel.
By Wednesday, the snow was letting up and
we caught our first fleeting glimpses of the
majestic Dolomites surrounding us on all
sides. As the week continued, more areas
opened, and Faloria and Rio Gere were popular destinations reachable by walking to the
cable car from our hotel. Now the Dolomites
were revealing themselves in all their glory
from every vantage point in the town and on
the slopes. It was as if their true splendor had
been concealed, only to be exposed as a reward for our patience and perseverance. Toward the end of the week more areas opened,
including Cinque Torri, a 50-minute bus ride
from Cortina. The name means “Five Towers”
for the magnificent, chimney-like rock outcroppings which dominate the area. This is
about as far afield as most of us got, as the
snow and avalanche conditions precluded
reaching Lagazoui, Alta Badia, and the Sella
Ronda. Ah well, we have to leave something
for the next trip.
As the week in Cortina progressed, some
spent a day walking and hiking around Cortina
or took a one-day side trip to a Venetian winery, and others traveled to Venice for a day, all
with reports of a great outing. By week’s end
the army had made great progress in snowclearing operations, but not before one evening
at dinner in our hotel when an avalanche of
snow from the roof of an adjacent building
came crashing through our dining room window. Fortunately no one was seated in the
area, and other than a mess of snow and glass
on the dining room floor, no real harm was
done. Every evening, the hotel had a reduced
price “happy hour” for us before dinner, and
the bar and comfortable lounges were a great
place to reminisce about the day’s activities
and exploits. By the end of the week it was
with heavy hearts that we packed for our Sunday morning departure by bus to Florence.
Florence
We reached Florence in the late Sunday afternoon and checked into our comfortable
rooms at the Hotel Athenaeum located within
walking distance of virtually all the sights in
this historic city. Many took the evening to
view Michel-angelo’s masterpiece “David”
(and other “minor” assorted works) at the Galleria dell'Accademia. The following morning,
after another great breakfast buffet, most set
off on the included morning guided walking
tour of Florence. Our guide was outstanding,
not only covering most of the important historical sights, but also giving a passionate lesson conveying what it was like to live in
Florence during the renaissance when the city
was the second largest in Europe and its capital of culture and the arts. After the tour folks
went to various open museums (most major
museums are closed Monday), churches, shopping or eating. The restaurants in Florence
were numerous, varied, and virtually all provided great dining at all price levels. In the
evening seeing the magnificent Duomo, its
marble glowing and the surrounding square lit
up with the moon flitting between the clouds
provided a sight not to be forgotten.
By Tuesday, many were off to tour the Uffizi Gallery or the Pitti Palace (or both for
those who had the stamina) neither of which
could be seen thoroughly in a day. Others simply wandered the streets of historic Florence,
soaking up the architecture, the squares,
churches or shops (not neglecting to stop to eat
or drink at the numerous coffee shops, pizzerias, and patisseries). Some intrepid souls
climbed the 463 steps leading to the top of the
Duomo for a magnificent view of Florence. By
Wednesday morning, the group assembled for
the flight back to JFK (again connecting
through Paris).
The return trip was perfect until Wednesday
evening when our bus reached the Piscataway
Ericsson parking lot where we discovered our
cars were entombed in snow and ice accumulated from storms during our absence. Where
was the Italian Army now that we needed
them?
Whistler
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TRIP REPORT
Alyeska
New York Capital District Ski Council in
By Maureen Kline, Trip Leader, York Caital District Ski Council
The View from the top of Alyeska.
The New York Capital District Ski Council
headed to the Alyeska Resort on February 28 to
tackle the trails on Mt. Alyeska in the town of
Girdwood, about 30 miles southeast of Anchorage, Alaska. With summit elevation of
3,939 feet, the lift service at Mt. Aleyska provides 2,500 feet of vertical rise to a top ski elevation of 2,750 feet for the skiers. Views of
Turnagain Arm and the Chugach Mountains are
spectacular, and the Council’s group of 51 were
treated to a bright blue sky and amazing views
on their first day of skiing. Cell phone cameras
were out en masse at the top of the Glacier
Bowl Express quad chair.
With more than 1,400 skiable acres on the
mountain and average annual snowfalls of over
600 inches, the group was a bit worried as there
was more snow on New York mountains than
in Alaska! Not to worry!!! All were able to
enjoy a few days of skiing, including two to
three inches of fresh base from an overnight
snow shower on one of the days, allowing us to
experience a different set of conditions on trails
with which we had just become familiar. For
some, this was the ski experience of a lifetime
with not just the views, but the challenges and
rewards yielded from the trails. For one group
member, heli-skiing was on his ski card while
at Alyeska and definitely ranked as “the” ski
experience of his lifetime!
The group also explored other activities.
Lazy Otter cruises out of Whittier treated the
group to a half-day glacier cruise on Prince
William Sound. The group was able to experience the visual and auditory impacts of glacier pieces falling into the Sound added to the
spectacular scenery reflected by the glaciers on
the water. The other half of the day included a
short visit to the Wildlife Conservation Center
at the outskirts of Girdwood where moose, bear,
musk ox, linx, elk, and many other animals native to the Alaskan terrain were available for
viewing. Other activities included glacier helicopter rides (a must do if you can get it into
Page 8
Photo: Courtesy of Mt. Alyeska Ski Resort.
your budget!), a day trip to Seward, and hiking
on the resort property itself to see a beautiful
waterfall and old hand-crank tram.
Resort amenities were plentiful and most, if
not all, in the group capitalized on the opportunity to experience at least one while at Aleyska.
The Spa @ Alyeska treated several group
members to massages while the saltwater pool
and whirlpool were well used on a daily basis
by many. A fitness center and sauna were also
well attended. Restaurants at Alyeska Resort
were plentiful and the food quite good, including the Seven Glaciers Restaurant and Bore
Tide Deli, reached only by tram from the hotel.
Eating options were available in the hotel itself
with the Aurora Bar & Grill and the Sakura
Japanese Bistro being popular destinations for
many group members.
Group events included breakfast orientation
at the Aurora Bar & Grill, happy hour and dinner at the Sitzmark Restaurant (also visited the
following night by many for Trivia Night!), and
part of the Alyeska Resort; pizza, beer, and
wine at Chair 5 Restaurant; lunch on the mountain at the Bore Tide Deli, and happy hour in
the hotel lobby.
On our last ski day at Mt. Alyeska, we were
bussed to Anchorage in time to partake in the
last days of Rondy, the annual fur, fun, and fireworks celebration. This year was the 80th year
of the Rondy which coincided with Anchorage’s Centennial. The group had fewer than
48 hours left to enjoy the city’s offerings and
festivities. Most were out to watch the ceremonial start of the Iditarod, with several braver
members joining in the annual Running of the
Reindeer. Some even attended that evening’s
Miners & Trappers Charity Ball with invitations to compete in the “Mr. Fur Face Contest”,
the Alaska State Championship Beard and
Mustache Contest! Anchorage is also home to
some wonderful restaurants …no hesitation by
any to try one! Alyeska, Alaska, is worth the
trip.
Group photo of the New York Capital District Ski Councilʼs
ski trip to Alyeska, Alaska.
Photo: Courtesy of New York Capital District Ski Councl.
Glacier Cruise exploration on the New York Capital District
Ski Councilʼs ski trip to Alyeska, Alaska.
The New York Capital District Ski Council skiers at the top
of the Alyeska tram on their ski trip to Alyeska, Alaska.
The New York Capital District Ski Councilʼs Maureen Kline
skiing in Alyeska, Alaska.
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SKI CLUB MANAGEMENT
Why Your Club Should Survey Its Membership
By Michael Finegold, Upper Cape Ski Club (MA)
It’s summer and most ski club boards and committees are hard at work
planning for the upcoming ski season. Your club is probably doing the
same, working out the trip schedule as best you can. Do our members really want an overnite trip that they have to drive 250 miles to get there? Is
that why we had trouble selling it last year? Or was it something else? One
way to find out this and many more questions is to survey your club. That
way you will know exactly what they want. Do they want hot tubs or a pool
or both? Do they want condos or a hotel? Do they want ski-in, ski-out or do
they want to save money by staying away from the mountain. Do they want
a good size base village with all the amenities they can walk around in or
will they cook in the condo in the woods and save money instead? Do they
want to book an all inclusive package or do they want to get there on their
own using frequent flyer miles? You may think you know the answers, but
you won’t know for sure unless you conduct a survey.
One of the things we found out about our club was that most people
did not know a lot about our website other than to sign up and pay for
trips. We have an extensive website (http://www.uppercapeskiclub.com)
where you can post a classified ad, review the past history of club fly
trips, watch club videos, or even look at more than 72 webcams from
major resorts around the world. We are beginning an educational email
program to inform our members of all the things they can do on our
website because of this survey result. People were much more adventurous in their travel aspect than we had believed before the survey.
They wanted to go all over the place, including Alaska and Europe, even
to South America to ski, and most wanted to go for at least 10 days,
some even longer. This was a surprising result as our club is very cost-
conscious -- or so we thought before the survey.
Another revelation was that almost everyone wants a hot tub, with a
pool being a close second. We knew this intuitively and the survey confirmed it. Last, many wanted to further explore a bicycle and barge trip
to Europe like we had done earlier in the season. So survey away and
remember to combine that with any information you can gather off of
your website. Demographics will play a major role as the members in
your club age. A skier with aging knees may eventually leave the club,
but if you offer other activities such as a bike and barge trip or a kayak
trip, they may return to the club to travel and play with their longtime
friends at the ski club, even if they no longer ski.
A few words on the survey itself. Some people will take it to heart
and give you thorough answers if you provide space for them to write
their thoughts. Others just want to choose A, B or C and be done with
it. Be careful how you word your questions or you will get back useless
information. Remember to use the K.I.S.S. principle; “keep it simple
stupid”, and you will get back meaningful results. Limit your survey to
no more than 20 questions or people won’t fill them out. Before having
your members fill it out, try your survey on fellow board members to
discover any weaknesses and then make corrections to it.
As for the timing of when to survey, we conducted a survey at our annual season finale dinner in April before the meal was served. The results
took several nights of tabulating, but some definite trends emerged. Using
the survey information you can fine-tune your trip and event offerings to
better target and more importantly please your membership. Happy members will spread the word and help your club grow and prosper.
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The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER
800-880-3880
Page 13
IDEAS from other clubs
Montachusett Ski & Snowboard Club (MA)
Pre-trip to Venice Winter Carnevale
This club is skiing Cortina February 3-14
with a three-night pre-trip to Venice during
Carnevale. Trip cost is $2,655.
Bayou City Outdoors (TX)
Discount Rates on Zipcar
Members of this club may join Zipcar for
$35 (a $60 savings) and then rent their automobiles for about $9 per hour -- including gas
and insurance -- in Houston or at a discounted
rate anywhere else where Zipcar operates.
Ski Club of Washington D.C.
Economical Club Med Ski Trip
Club Med’s slogan for their European ski
venues this year is “Sorry Rockies. Thanks to
Club Med’s All Inclusive Value, the Alps are
now a New Best Seller”. Seeing this, the Ski
Club of Washington D.C. is hosting a ski trip to
Club Med’s Chamonix February 20-28, for
$3,250. Their newsletter ad stated that, when
you add in the all-inclusive meals and drinks,
daily ski lessons, etc, the trip was very competitive with a do-it-yourself ski trip to an upscale
U.S. resort. (Although the comparison assumed
that you take a daily lesson at the U.S. resort).
The Ptarmigan Ski Club (PA)
Discount for First 21 Trip Participants
The first 21 participants for this club’s
Whistler trip on February 6-13 pay only
$1,799 but the price rises for the next few participants to $1,999.
Peoria Ski Club (IL)
Counting Miles
This club publishes a list of their ski trips
that includes how far the resort is from Peoria
-- whether it’s 167 miles to Sundown Chestnut Illinois or 1,300 miles to Park City, Utah.
The Buck Ridge Ski Club (PA)
Members receive $15 off $50 purchase
The Buck Ridge Ski Club has worked out a
deal to give their members a discount of $15
off of their first $50 purchase of outdoor clothing and equipment -- plus a 20 percent discount on any other purchases during the stores’
September group night at the New England
based Eastern Mountain Sports stores.
The Meriden Ski Club (CT)
$15 Professional Ski Tuning
A former Meriden Ski Club member and
former ski shop technician has offered to provide quality base repair and ski edge grinding
using professional wet edge grinding equipment for members of this Connecticut club for
just $15 per pair.
The King of Prussia Ski Club (PA)
$500 Ski Trip Raffle
Members of this club can invest $5 for a
chance to win $500 to be used as either payment or partial payment on a club ski trip to
either the eastern or western U.S. on the return
of the club’s Ski Trip Raffle. All proceeds from
the raffle go the club’s Snow Angels to be used
for the club’s charity projects.
IDEAS from other clubs
The Ann Arbor Ski Club (MI)
Participating in Michigan Race Program
The Ann Arbor Ski Club participates in the
main alpine ski racing program for Michigan
adults. Participants n this program run on true
FIS-style slalom and giant-slalom courses (just
like the Olympics and World Cup), on the best
terrain in the region. There are 12 races scheduled for five weekends -- four of the weekends
at Boyne Mountain and one at Searchmont in
Canada from January through March.
Older skiers with good technique usually
beat young athletic skiers with bad technique.
In this sport, you can be "out of shape" and
still have fun and do well. For more details,
see the racing website: www.maccracing.org.
The Orlando Ski Club (FL)
Trip Credit Drawings
This club held two trip credit drawings this
year, a $200 trip credit drawing at their August
meeting and a $100 trip credit drawing at their
October meeting. To be eligible for the trip
credit drawing in August, members had to have
made a trip application and a deposit on a trip by
August 23 and to be eligible for the October
drawing, they had to have made a trip application and deposit by the October 14 meeting date.
Fall Line Ski Club (NJ)
Custom Luggage Tags for Each Ski Trip
This club has been producing custom luggage trips for each ski club trip for years and
their members often keep the tags, each of
which identify the resort name and year) as a
momento of their trips. Now the club is holding a contest to see which member has collected the most ski club trip luggage trip tags
-- with a $25 prize for the winner!
Erie Shore Ski Club (OH)
Telephone Chain
These guys have set up a telephone chain
for those members who do not have email so
that those without email can still be notified of
last minute announcements of club activities
via telephone.
Space City Ski Club (TX)
Happy Hour For Bayou City Outdoors
Houston’s Space City Ski Club held a happy
hour for members of the Bayou City Outdoors
Club on Tuesday, October 6, to show the members of Bayou City what ski trips that Space
City Ski Club is hosting this season. Bayou
City does not run ski trips -- but works with
Space City to offer ski trips to their members.
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Page 14
Avoid Passport Pitfalls
By Jan Majerus, Thunderbird Ski Club,
From their Towline
While attempting to board a flight for Bride
Le Bains in France at Detroit’s Metropolitan
Airport, the process came to an abrupt halt as
they were scanning my passport. The security
officer brought in a supervisor who told me
that my passport was invalid. I protested, saying that the passport did not expire until February 9, 2015 and we were returning on
February 4. The security officer than told me
that most countries now have a three to six
month invalidation period prior to the expiration date on the passport.
Here are some interesting things that I
learned from this experience:
* You can renew and update your passport
in a 24-hour period, but it will cost you $299
plus the inconvenience.
* You can book another flight once you get
a new passport, but the airline is going to charge
you at least $200 for changing the flight.
* The agent at Delta told me on the telephone that, if they had permitted me to board
the plane, the airline could have been fined as
much as $32,000 by the FAA.
* And, if I had been allowed to fly to Europe
with the “expired” passport and something happened to me, the U.S. Embassy would have no
record of my being in France as my passport
would have been considered invalid.
* As of this writing, my claim to Travel
Guard Insurance Company has also been denied as they do not consider passport issues.
Only serious illness and death are considered as
valid excuses for a claim. I learned a lot from
this episode and, hopefully, my experience can
help educate other people. The lesson here is to
check your passport expiration dates before you
sign up for that next trip to another country -plus know and understand the rules.
Page 15
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TRAVEL NEWS
Ski Club Anniversaries
In 2015
SKI CLUB NEWS
Faster Ways to Get Through
Americasʼ Airport Security
From the TSA website (http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck
CREATE
MORE
STORIES
Passenger using the Global Entry Program kiosk.
Photo: Courtesy of TSA.
The TSA Pre✓® program is an expedited security screening process for
travelers departing from U.S. airports with faster security lanes. Passengers
considered low-risk who qualify for the program can receive screening, either as a member of the program or another specific trusted traveler group.
The following airlines offer TSA Pre✓®: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines,
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jet Blue Airways,
OneJet, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, US Airways, United Airlines, and
Virgin America. There is a $85 cost for a five-year membership when you
apply for the TSA Pre✓® program.
Once you have applied and been approved for the TSA Pre✓® program, you will be given a known traveler number (KTN) to use when
making flight reservations. Participating airlines will print an indicator
on your boarding pass. The program is good at more than 150 U.S. airports. When you arrive at the airport, look for the signs for the TSA
Pre✓® lanes. Participants in the program will also no longer need to
remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts, nor light jackets -- and the
line for the program participants is usually much shorter.
Global Entry Program
For an additional $15 ($100 total cost for a five-year membership
with the TSA Pre✓® program), you can apply for the TSA’s Global Entry
Program that allows expedited processing through Customs and Border Protection at airports and land borders upon arrival from another
nation into the United States.
This program includes the benefits of the TSA Pre✓® program. Participants in this program entering the United States proceed directly to
Global Entry kiosks, present their machine readable passport or U.S.
permanent resident card, place their fingerprint on the scanner for verification and complete a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs them to baggage claim and the exit,
and eliminates processing lines, requires no paperwork at the airport,
offers expedited entry benefits in some countries, and reduces wait
times at many major U.S. airports.
A current U.S. passport or permanent resident card is required to
apply for the Global Entry Program; applicants undergo a rigorous
background check and in-person interview before enrollment; and participants may still be selected for further examination when entering
the United States.
Page 20
By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
ski resorts
With direct flights from 5 major cities, group lodging
discounts and a nightlife second to none, add Mammoth
to the top of your club’s list this season.
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Don Diego Ski Club in San Diego is celebrating being 80 years old
this year. The club is a member of both the San Diego Ski Council and
the Far West Ski Association.
Great Falls Ski Club in Montana is celebrating its 75th anniversary
this year by arranging for a local screen-printing and embroidery firm
to customize their selections with the club’s 75th anniversary logo.
The Dallas Ski Club is 60 years old this year. The club was begun
in 1955 by Dick Bass, then an Aspen stockholder, who was also instrumental in developing both Vail Resort and Snowbird with his brother,
Harry. In 2014, the Bass family sold the majority ownership of Snowbird to Ian Cumming, owner of Copper Mountain, Killington, and Mt.
Bachelor -- although Dick Bass served as chairman of the Snowbird
Resort Company until his death in July 2015.
The Balboa Ski & Sports Club is 60 years old this year. Originally
Balboa Ski Club, the club changed its name to Balboa Ski & Sports
Club, due to the diverse interests and activities of their membership.
The club has run major ski trips to Colorado, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Canada, and Europe and has attended several Winter Olympics.
The 618 members of The Kansas City Ski Club celebrated their
60th anniversary this year.
The Newport Ski Club celebrated their 60th anniversary April 11,
2015, with a display of photos of the club’s past years. The club has
served three generations of skiers and was started by engineers from
the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Their lodge at the base of Okemo
sleeps 46 skiers and was built by the club members.
Connecticut’s Danbury Ski Club celebrated its 60th anniversary in
2015. The club currently has more than 900 active members and is a
member of the Connecticut Ski Council.
Philadelphia’s Mainline Ski Club was 55 years old this year. The
club usually skis in both North America and Europe each year and has
an extensive tennis program.
The Potomac Valley Skiers of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and
Northern Virginia, celebrated 50 years on November first with a blacktie optional dinner dance that was preceded by a cocktail hour.
California’s Riverside Sitzmarkers celebrated their 50th anniversary
this year.
New Jersey’s High Life Ski Club celebrated its 50th anniversary
this year. According to the club’s official history, the first meeting of
the ski club was attended by just 26 people and one of the first orders
of business was the selection of a name. No one has ever been sure if
the name suggestion was a serious proposal or a joke; but from the back
of the room a raised can of Miller High Life Beer appeared and a voice
said, "Why not High Life". Everyone liked the idea, and the name High
Life Ski Club was adopted. The club now has about 400 members.
Many of the 425 members of The Triple Cities Ski Club in Endicott, New York, celebrated the 50th anniversary at the club’s ski trip
kickoff meeting on September 10th.
Seattle, Washington’s S’no Joke Ski Club celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The club is a member of both the Northwest Ski
Club Council and the Far West Ski Association.
The Fire & Ice Ski Club was 25 years old this year. The club is a
member of both the National Brotherhood of Skiers and the Bay Area
Snowsports Council.
Page 21
SKI CLUB NEWS
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Where Will Americaʼs Ski Clubs Ski This Season?
U.S. Ski Club Trips 2015-2016 Ski Season
Colorado
Steamboat
Snowmass
Telluride
Breckenridge
Vail
Beaver Creek
Keystone
Aspen
Winter Park
Crested Butte
Copper Mountain
Total Colorado
Wow! One third of all U.S. ski club trips this
season will ski at just five ski resorts -- Whistler
(7%), Big Sky (7%), Steamboat (7%), Park City
(6%), and Snowmass (6%)!
Pushed by the strong U.S. dollar, Europe and
Canada were also popular -- with almost 14 %
to15% of all U.S. ski trips each (although about
half of Canada’s U.S. ski club trips are going to
Whistler and a quarter of them to Banff).
For 14 years, The NSCN has surveyed U.S.
ski club trips. Originally this was done by
reading about 100 print newsletters that were
sent to us, but today we poll ski club online
newsletters by Googling the words “ski club
newsletter” and “ski club trips”. This more
random selection means that today’s survey
should be extremely accurate. We also note
the names of the clubs surveyed so that we do
not count a club’s trips twice.
We tally the trips that are being advertised
by America’s ski clubs until we total 400 trips.
(This year it took surveying 116 clubs to reach
that total.) We then total the number of trips to
each resort promoted in the U.S., Europe,
Japan, and New Zealand. The resorts shown
here will host at least 1% of the trips -- less
than that and we omit them from the listing.
If you are wondering if your club’s trips are
included, we have posted a listing of the clubs
surveyed in our November email Newsflash.
Check With your resort for details
Page 22
Utah
Park City
Snowbird
Ogden
Salt Lake City
Total Utah
Western Resorts
Big Sky
Jackson Hole
Mt. Bachelor
Heavenly
Sun Valley
Alyeska
Whitefish
Eastern Resorts
Sunday River
Sugarloaf
Jay Peak
Stowe
Killington
Lake Placid
Total U.S.
Canada
Whistler
Banff Area
Red Mountain
Quebec City
Sun Peaks
Silver Star
Revelstoke
Total Canada
Europe
Italy
Austria
France
Switzerland
Total Europe
7%
6%
4%
4%
4%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
38%
6%
3%
1%
1%
11%
7%
4%
3%
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
74%
7%
3%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
15%
5%
4%
3%
2%
14%
Subscription Information
We send The National Ski Club Newsletter free to
the president, ski trips officer, and summer trips officer of each club. To receive The National Ski Club
Newsletter, please fill out the following information.
If you send us your newsletter and give permission
to reprint the articles, we will also send The National
Ski Club Newsletter to your editor free of charge.
Club Name:
_________________________________
Club’s permanent address:
_________________________________
City:
_________________________________
State:____ Zip code:________
Please circle the month you elect officers.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
President’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:_________ State:____ Zip:_______
E-mail: _________________
Ski trip officer’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:________ State:____ Zip :_______
E-mail:_________________
Vice President or Summer trip officer:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:________ State:____ Zip:_______
E-mail:_________________
Editor’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:________ State:____ Zip:_______
E-mail:_________________
To receive The National Ski Club Newsletter, please fill out
and mail this form to P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, CO 80155
or e-mail the information to wilbanks@ski-club.net. Thanks.
Bob Wilbanks, editor.
Ski Council 2015-2016 Ski Weeks
This year’s ski weeks were really scattered
around. Park City Resort and Whistler each
will host three ski weeks, Heavenly, Mt. Bachelor, Sun Peaks, Breckenridge, Telluride, and
Big Sky each will host two ski weeks with
most other resorts -- ranging from European
resorts, to New England, Canadian, and U.S.
western resorts hosting a single ski week each.
If we have missed any council’s ski week,
it’s only because we have not read about them
in your newsletters or in published information discovered through numerous online
Google searches.
Crescent Ski Council
Steamboat
NBS Eastern Region
Breckenridge
San Diego Council
Aspen
East. Interclub Ski League Jay Peak
Texas Ski Council
Cleveland Metro Council
NA Airlines Ski Fed.
NBS Western Region
Chicago Metro Council
Eastern PA Ski Council
Flatland Ski Assn.
Florida Ski Council
Western PA Ski Council
Ski Kouncil of Illinois
Blue Ridge Ski Council
Far West Ski Assn.
N.J. Ski Council
Texas Ski Council
Snowmass
Park City
Taos
Mammoth
Zermatt
Big Sky
Mt. Bachelor
Telluride
Whistler
Mt. Snow
Park City
Snowbird
Telluride
Tremblant
Quebec City
NBS Eastern Region
Sunday River
Connecticut Ski Council Whistler
Heavenly
New York Capital Dist. Park City
Texas Ski Council
Sun Peaks
NJ Ski Council
Breckenridge
East. Interclub Ski League Winter Park
Blue Ridge Ski Council Lake Placid
Blue Ridge Ski Council Madonna
Bay Area Council
Sun Peaks
Chicago Metro
Whistler
Nat. Brotherhood/Skiers Heavenly
Ohio Valley Ski Council Alyeska
NJ Ski Council
Sunday River
Florida Ski Council
Western PA Ski Council
Texas Ski Council
Cleveland Metro Council
Far West Ski Assn
Zell-Am-See
Jackson Hole
Lake Louise
Big Sky
Mt Bachelor
Crested Butte
Sun Valley
Park City, Utahʼs vibrant and historic downtown area.
Photo: Courtesy of Vail Resorts.
Dec 5-12
Dec 5-13
Dec 10-16
Dec 15-20
Jan 9-16
Jan 9-16
Jan 10-15
Jan 14-18
Jan 15-26
Jan 16-23
Jan 16-24
Jan 19-25
Jan 23-30
Jan 24-29
Jan 30-Feb 6
Jan 30-Feb 6
Jan 30-Feb 6
Jan 31-Feb 5
Jan 31-Feb 7
Feb 4-8
Feb 6-13
Feb 7-12
Feb 7-14
Feb 13-20
Feb 20-27
Feb 20-27
Feb 21-26
Feb 26-Mar 5
Feb 27-Mar 4
Feb 27-Mar 5
Feb 27-Mar 5
Feb 27-Mar 6
Feb 28-Mar 4
Mar 4-12
Mar 5-12
Mar 5-12
Mar 12-19
Mar 19-26
Mar 21-26
Apr 3-8
Early Season Warmup
Annual Aspen trip
Traditional Ski Week
Winterfest
Zurich Extension
Winter Carnival
Bus trip
Western Carnival
FWSA Ski Week
Winter Expedition
Winterfest
Winter Shootout
East. Winter Carnival
Eurofest
Mini Summit
Watch Iditarod race
Final Showdown
Mini Ski Week
Page 23
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Far West Ski Association 2015 Convention in San Diego
The Far West Ski Association (FWSA) held
its 83rd Annual Convention and Meeting June
4-7 at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, hosted by the San Diego
Council of Ski Clubs. The FWSA is a volunteer, non-profit organization representing 150
ski clubs located in nine regional councils in
the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. A
total of 211 ski club delegates attendrf the annual meeting and about 75 ski and sports industry representatives participated in events.
Friday’s 30th Annual Silent Auction on raised
more than $35,000 to support FWSA programs.
Saturday’s Travel Expo enabled industry representatives to meet with decision makers from the
Association’s clubs and councils. Stacey Cook,
Olympian and member of the U.S. Ski Team.
was Saturday’s featured speaker. Presenters on
the Public Affairs included Matthew Drake, CEO
of Mt. Hood Meadows; and Sean Styles, Meteorologist for CBS San Diego’s News 8.
FWSA Officers for 2015–2016 are President,
Stephen Coxen (Ridgefield, WA); Past President,
Linda Scott (Cheyenne, WY); Secretary, Linda
Foster (San Francisco, CA); Treasurer, Randy
Lew (Wilsonville, OR); Chair Board of Trustees,
Gloria Raminha (Bakersfield, CA); VP Communications, Jim Nachbar (Scottsdale, AZ); VP
Council Services, Jo Simpson (Reno, NV); VP
Marketing, Debbi Kor (Vancouver, WA); VP
Membership, Jane Gutierrez (Hawthorne, CA);
VP Public Affairs, Mike Sanford (San Diego,
CA); VP North American Travel, Nancy Ellis
(Truckee, CA); VP International Travel, Debbie
Stewart (Visalia, CA); and their VP Racing is
Bob Ellis (Truckee CA).
Photos this page, clockwise from top left: FWSAʼs newly elected president, Steve Coxen,Bay Area Snowsports Councilʼs harry Davis and Bob McErlean of Holidaze Ski Touris; Dancerʼs
at Saturday nightʼs formal optional party; Environmental award sponsor, Aspen Skiing Coporationʼs Mary Manning with environmental award winners webiste guru Catherine Ohl, and recycler Jenifer Sulton; Italian bicycle tour operators at their table at the trade exchange; and Mt. Bachelorʼs Ann Cook at the trade exchange (She now works for Bendʼs Doubletree
Page 24
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Photos this page, from top to bottom: Convention attendees experiencing San Diegoʼs famous duck boat tour, several Far West Ski Associationʼs members at the pool party, the Orange
Councilʼs George Kish dancing at Saturdayʼs party; Steamboat Ski Resortʼs Larry Young and Alyssa Cartmill with Steamboatʼs Wyndham Vacation Rentalsʼ Carter Allen behind their
table at the Far West Ski Associationʼs conventionʼs trade exchange.
Page 25
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
The National Ski Council Federation Meets in Lake Placid, N.Y.
by Jo Simpson, Public Affairs Chair, National Ski Council Federation, and President of the Sierra League and Sierra Ski Council
The National Ski Council Federation’s
(NSCF) annual meetings are structured to provide a forum for council and ski industry representatives to discuss subjects of mutual
interest and to exchange information. The
2015 annual meeting in September was hosted
by Lake Placid, New York, and this was the
first time that the meeting has been held in the
U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains.
The Federation offers members a variety of
attractive discounts on items such as ski
rentals, lodging, car rentals, and a variety of
ski gear. To access the information, club members whose council is a member of the Federation can go to the members-only link on the
website and request a password.
The Federation was formed 1999 to provide
councils an opportunity to exchange information and to discuss among themselves and with
the ski industry important issues that impact
clubs and councils throughout the United
States. The Federation represents 30 councils
across the U.S. and those councils represent
640 clubs with more than 300,000 members.
The Federation elects officers every two
years. The officers elected in Lake Placid are
President, Lisa Beregi (Crescent Ski Council);
Vice President, William Shadboldt (Northwest
Ski Club Council); Treasurer, Cheryl Mann
(Texas Ski Council); and Secretary, Jane
Gutierrez (Los Angeles Council of Ski Clubs
and the National Brotherhood of Skiers). For
detailed information regarding the National
Ski Council Federation, including the names
of their participating councils and member resources and benefits, visit The Federation’s
newly designed website at www.skifederation.org.
Photos this page, clockwise from top: Group shot of ski council officers and ski industry sales people at Lake Placid. Newly elected NSCF President Lisa Beregi. NSCF Group at the top of Whiteface Mountain. Checking out one of the Lake Placid “camps” from a tour boat. Dave Schoneker, The Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council, Board Member advocating a national ski week; Mary Jo
Tarallo, President of Lifeʼs2Short, sponsor of the Guiness record ski lesson project; and Charlie Adams, a motivational speaker who told us about the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team win in Lake Placid.
Page 26
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Mountain Travel Symposium in Whistler
The 40th annual Mountain Travel Symposium was held in Whistler Blackcomb, British
Columbia, April 12-18, with about 120 U.S.
ski clubs who were attending the Mountain
Travel Symposium’s Group Exchange, which
consisted of 13-minute meetings with each
club seeing approximately 40 representatives
from ski resorts, tourism agencies from the
U.S., Canada, and Europe, lodging companies,
and tour operators.
For the club officers, this was a FAM trip
on steroids that also included networking with
120 other ski club officers and ski industry
vendors, lodging inspection tours, cocktail
parties and dinners virtually every night, and
even the opportunity to ski with and get skiing
advice from 1995-1998 Olympic skier Picabo
Street who was inducted into the National Ski
Hall of Fame in 2004.
The 2016 Mountain Travel Symposium will
be held in Keystone Resort, Colorado, April 39, followed by Banff, in Alberta Canada,
March 28 through April 8, 2017, and April 814, 2018, in Heavenly and Lake Tahoe.
Photos this page Clockwise from upper left: Snow Busters Ski Club (CA) trip officer Jerry McGee talks to a vendor at MTS 2015; Dave Schoneker, Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council Board of Directors Member talking about a national ski week; Frank Rago, President of the IBEW Local 3 Ski Club (NY) talking to a ski vendor/ Camille LaRoe, past president of the Texas Ski Council and Shelly
Daniel, Treasurer of the Florida Ski Council at a MTS social event; Maryellen Doyle, Trips Officer of Pennsylvaniaʼs Tiroler Ski Club; Bill Schrodel, Vice President of Blue Ridge Ski Council, and Steve
Pierce, International Trip Committee Chair, Blue Ridge Ski Council at a MTS social event and Picabo Street giving ski lessons to ski club officers on Whistler/Blackcombʼs slopes.
Page 29
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
What Else is Happening In North Americaʼs Ski Industry?
What Else is Happening in Europeʼs Ski Industry?
By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN and Patrick Thorne, AKA The Snow Hunter
The Summit County Colorado 50+ Winter Games 2016 will be
held Sunday through Tuesday, February 21, 22, and 23.
A number of ski organizations in the U.S. are planning to pull off the
“world’s largest ski and snowboard lesson” at multiple ski resorts on
January 8, 2016, and having it officially recorded in the Guinness Book
of World Records. It’s also a kickoff event for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month and the Bring a Friend learn-to campaigns.
Representatives from the National Ski Areas Association, SnowSports Industries America, Professional Ski Instructors of America,
American Association of Snowboard Instructors, National Ski Patrol,
the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the Western Winter Sports Reps Association, Head Tyrolia Wintersports, The
National Ski Club Newsletter, OnTheSnow.com, and Snow Operating
met in August in Colorado to preview plans and promotional materials
for the event.
Billed as the “Guinness Project,” the attempt to pull off the largest beginner lesson on the planet is the brainchild of Hugh Reynolds, vice
president of sales and marketing for Snow Operating, and former marketing director at Mountain Creek, N.J. “This is not one giant lesson,
but small groups of both ski and snowboard beginner lessons that take
place at 10 a.m. in each of the local times zones at participating resorts.
The project aims to establish four records in all: largest group lesson
for skiers, multiple resorts ... largest group lesson for snowboarders,
multiple resorts; plus largest single-area group lesson for skiers and
snowboarders, respectively. The single-area record is an especially big
challenge—more than 500.
A full range of promotional materials and graphics are available to
participating resorts. Materials and graphics range from full-blown, customizable posters to banner ads for websites. Resorts can use the materials for free if they are partners in the Learn to Ski and Snowboard
Month and Bring a Friend initiatives. Register for the event at ski-snowboard.org.
EpicMix™ Time is an expansion of Vail Resorts’ ski and snowboard
app, EpicMix and it will allow guests at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone to access real-time lift line wait times at those resorts, enabling them to better navigate the mountain and make the most
out of their ski day. EpicMix Time will calculate and display up-to-theminute chairlift and gondola line wait times across 55 core lifts and gondolas, as well as 13,600 acres of skiable terrain in Vail’s Colorado resorts.
Squaw Valley USA has announced that it will replace its high-speed
quad, Siberia Express chairlift with a new high-speed six-seater for this
ski season. The Siberia Express lift is primarily used by intermediate
and advanced level skiers and riders to access Siberia Bowl, Mainline,
and the Mainline Terrain Park, as well as the Gold Coast area.
Page 30
By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN, and Patrick Thorne, AKA The Snow Hunter
Passo Tonale in Trentino, one of Italy’s highest a most snowsure ski
areas, where the season often continues to June, will have an all new
gondola lift to the slopes this winter. The new gondola replaces two
surface lifts, taking skiers and boarders up from Passo Paradiso to the
top of the glacier with a mid-way intermediate station at the rifugio Capanna Presena. Passo Tonale is part of the Skirama Dolomiti Adamello
Brenta, one of the largest ski areas in Europe.
Aspen Skiing Co. will replace and realign the high alpine lift on Snowmass at an estimated cost of nearly $8 million. The new high-speed quad
makes the trip in 5.6 minutes, half the time of the old chairlift. Aspen
has also announced that drone flying will no longer be allowed over its
slopes. In its announcement regarding the blanket ban, the aspen Skiing company mentioned the dangers of drone near lifts and the proximity of Buttermilk Mountain to the local airport.
Washington’s Crystal Mountain High Campbell Chairlift, which is
for experts only, and which was destroyed in an avalanche this past season, was replaced this summer by a new fixed-grip double chairlift. Their
Quicksilver fixed-grip double chairlift, serving intermediate terrain, was
also replaced by a fixed-grip quad chairlift.
50TH
SEASON
NON-STOP
FLIGHTS
FROM
13 CITIES
Born to be Wild
NEW
LIFT
NEW
TERRAIN
NEW
EATS
.COM
Switzerland
Zermatt is replacing the old Hörnli lift, a 50-year-old T Bar, with a
high-speed six-seater chairlift that will open in December. After several years of investing in improved on-mountain facilities such as
restaurants, Austria’s only year-round ski center (and along with Zermatt one of only two worldwide) Hintertux has resumed its investment
in even better, faster ski lifts. The centers new high-speed six-seat Lärmstange 2 chairlift is scheduled to begin operation in November 2015
ahead of the next ski season.
Laax in Graubünden, Switzerland, is replacing its old La Siala triplechairlift with an ultra-modern 10-seater gondola from Sogn Martin to
La Siala climbing 831.87 vertical meters over its 3.37km length in just
over nine minutes. The lift will initially have 63 cabins (due to be increased to 70) and has a price tag of 16 million Swiss Francs.
A new conveyor lift that has been built through a tunnel at the Swiss
ski area of Sattel-Hochstuckli is 100% energy self-sufficient. The conveyor lift goes where others can’t very easily go – moving through a almost 400-foot long tunnel – providing year-round access to a kids’
winter skiing and summer fun area in a separate location to the main
slopes that cannot be reached by drag or chair lifts. The tunnel links the
area to the gondola top station at the resort. The SunKid Moving Carpet lift is completely embedded in asphalt and receives its power from
a photovoltaic installation hidden in a balcony railing, which allows for
self-sufficient operation of the conveyor.
In Zermatt the Hörnli T-bar that ends above Schwarzsee, below the
Matterhorn glacier, has been replaced by a new six-seat chair.
Italy
In the summer 2014, Italy’s Val di Fassa began the construction
work of the new imposing aerial lift started, with an anticipated cost of
more than 20 billion dollars. The Doppelmayr patented cable car belongs to the “Funifor” lift typology, a bi-cable reversible aerial tram
(two track ropes and two haul ropes per cabin). Alba-Col dei Rossi Funifor will be characterized by two cabins carrying 100. The advantages
of the first Funifor lift in Val di Fassa are as follows: high level of wind
stability. higher capacity and reduced waiting times, as cabins operated
independently of each other and, in event of emergency evacuation,
cabins allow an easy in-line rescue operation as passengers can be evacuated by crossing from one cabin to the other; and last, but not least, a
low-impact on the environment. The new lift will substantially enlarge
and improve Val di Fassa skiable area, by connecting ski areas located
on the opposite sides of the upper part of the valley: Col Rodella,
Belvedere, Ciampac and Buffaure. What’s more, Buffaure and Ciampac
will be directly linked up to the famous Sella Ronda ski tour.
France
Frances’ Les Arcs adventure in creating a new type of ski resort experience reaches its culmination this winter with the completion of the famous French resort’s 36 million euro ‘Mille8’ development. The idea
with ‘Mille8’ is to create an on and off slope entertainment hub in the
heart of the ski area which is not limited by normal daylight hours for
slope opening, nor by the ski season, as it switches to a summer mountain
sports complex in summer. On the snow attractions include a 900 meter
long toboggan run and a freestyle ski or board course for all levels.
There are dozens of different entertainment options on offer ranging
from teatime with the Center’s penguin mascot for young children to
hot tubs with a view of Mont Blanc of a golf simulator session for adults
and lots of classes and events are laid on including team toboggan challenges, snowball fights and Zumba classes. Mille 8 opens before the ski
lifts do, with ‘Snowga’ yoga and Nordic walking sessions for earlier
risers, and keeps operating long in to the evening. Big screen TVs
strategically placed give information and entertainment and it even has
its own app. A new gondola serving Mille8 opened last winter but the
final major piece of Mille 8 will be added this season, The Lodge, which
will be an indoor entertainments venue including a restaurant. The
Lodge will be opening from the start of the coming season in December, but a grand opening event is planned for February 16, 2016.
In France, Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley has joined the Mountain
Collective TM as the newest global affiliate for the 2015-2016 winter
season. Chamonix is the first destination in Europe to be included in
the Mountain Collective. All passes for the 2015-2016 season will include two days of skiing and riding at Chamonix. The iconic European
winter resort becomes the fourth global destination in The Mountain
Collective outside of North America, joining Thredbo, Australia;
Hakuba Valley, Japan and Valle Nevado, Chile.
In France’s Trois Vallées, in St Martin de Belleville, the long, slow
St Martin 2 quad chairlift from mid-mountain above the village to
Tougnète at 2,434 meters is being replaced by a six-seater, as is the popular Combes link quad chair from Méribel Mottaret towards Tougnète.
And the slow double chair from Le Bettex below Les Menuires is now
a high-speed quad chairlift.
Austria
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is now Austria’s largest lift-linked ski area.
A new piste down to and new gondola back from the formerly separate
neighboring resort of Fieberbrunn has added 70 kilometers of runs,
which brings Saalbach-Hinterglemm’s total to 270 kilometers.
Above Austria’s Brixen, on the south side of the SkiWelt, the old
Jochbahn quad chair has been replaced by an eight-seater, which the
resort says is the world’s fastest chairlift, travelling at six meters per
second. It’s double the length of the old quad, starting much lower down
the mountain but finishing at the same place. In Ellmau, Austria. A new
10-seat gondola also replaces the Hartkaiser train, doubling carrying
capacity.
Page 31
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Nov.-Dec Issue - National Ski Club

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