Scotland's Glencoe ski area

Scotland’s five mountain ski areas have been blessed not only by lots of snow this winter, but also more customers than any winter since 2001.

They’ve already passed 250,000 skier days and this is around two months before the season is expected to end. This total is 100,000 more than last season, which wasn’t a bad one.

This is excellent news not only for the ski companies, but also for the surrounding areas, with the season so far estimated to have generated at least £25M for the Scottish economy, of which £20M will have been spent in nearby local businesses.

Continue reading ‘Scottish ski crowds are the biggest in nine years’

The kids will be skiing safely and in style.

There’s going to be a new look for the British Children’s Ski Team after new deals struck with equipment companies.

Helmet and goggle manufacturer CASCO is now their official supplier for headgear. The team will be supplied with SP Race helmets and goggles fitted with the new Vautron lens.

The first group took delivery of the new kit at the Team’s final UK training and fitness session at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempsted.

Continue reading ‘Brit ski kids get shiny new gear’

British ski tourists are getting back out on the hill.

The newest evidence of a recovery in the European ski industry is growing sales numbers from a French Alps-based ski rental company.

Ski Republic has reported its ski rental sales are up 34% this season compared to the winter of 2008-9. UK customers represent 55% of turnover and around 50% of all bookings now being received online the company’s website.

Continue reading ‘Growing ski rental sales another sign of industry recovery’

St. Anton in Austria at sunset.

St Anton in the Austrian Alps is preparing for a full range of events for the final weeks of the ski season.

The Intersport Spring Festival from the 9th to the 11th of April is now an integral part of St. Anton am Arlberg’s event calendar. During the event, some of Austria’s leading snowsport athletes will be displaying their expertise in a range of competitions.

The festival includes Austrian Ski Instructors, Demo-Team Championships, the Arlberg X-Ride Challenge and the Giant Slalom competition.

Continue reading ‘Austria’s St Anton gears up for spring festival’

Once the ice and snow leaves, all that's left are cracked rocks which cause dangerous rock slides.

Rock slides blocking prominent alpine routes have become a prominent issue in the Alps.

Due to global warming, the permafrost is unfreezing by degrees, giving way to a fast erosion of high peaks like the Swiss Matterhorn.

An interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Basel and Zurich and other organisations are researching the processes involved in a project called “Permasense” and have installed battery-powered sensors in some of the key affected areas including the Matterhorn above Zermatt and the Jungfraujoch to gather information.

Continue reading ‘Researchers dig into Alpine rockslides caused by global warming’

England's Chill Factore indoor snow centre.

The British government has decided that skiing and ski tourism are a worthwhile investment.

Snowsport England has announced that it is to receive £985,000 of Government and National Lottery funding to get more people skiing and snowboarding in high quality environments.

Manchester’s Chill Factore is one of the venues set to benefit from the funding. In the past year, more than 1,500 schools from across the North West have taken part in activities at Manchester’s indoor real snow centre, with many building snowsports tuition into their school programmes. Chill Factore also trains some of the country’s most promising young talent.

Continue reading ‘British ski centres get government funding’

Ski cross was one of the most exciting events in Vancouver.

After the introduction of Ski Cross to the Olympics last month, the sport may be taking off outside of it’s North American roots.

The next generation of ski cross racers will be taking to the slopes of Les Arcs in the giant French Paradiski region for The Gavaggio Master Cross race on the 28th of March.

The GMX race will be one of the first ever ski-cross event for youngsters aged 11 to 14. Enak Gavaggio, a multiple winner in the sport, will be spearheading the event and passing on his experience to the kids at this unprecedented contest.

Continue reading ‘Ski cross takes European leap forward with GMX’