Canadian Paralympic skier Kimberly Joines has been forced to the sidelines for nine months after testing positive for marijuana.

The International Paralympic Committee issued the ban Thursday against Joines, who tested positive at a World Cup event in Aspen, Colo., in January.

An Edmonton native, Joines, 26, had illegal levels of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

She was given a nine-month ban because it was her first doping offence. (CBC)

Higher temperatures could mean more natural disasters and changes to the landscape, but could also bring in more tourists as well, say experts. But how will Swiss resorts react?

Although it is widely thought that some low-lying alpine resorts may go out of business as the snowline rises in winter, the consequences of global warming for mountain areas in summer may not be so drastic. (swiss info)

Champion skier Bode Miller won’t be returning to the United States alpine team, it was announced on Saturday.

The former World Cup champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist advised men’s coach Phil McNichol of his decision earlier in the week.

“Bode is a great athlete and we hope he will continue to have athletic success,” U.S. Alpine director Jesse Hunt said a news release. “We had a serious discussion with Bode about his responsibilities as a team member, and he later advised us he was choosing not to join the team.” (CBC)

Following five very successful years of the AIM Series, that has witnessed over 1000 competitors, visited over 50 schools and introduced over 4,000 newcomers to snow sports, the UK’s National Championship circuit has undergone a wee nip and tuck, and is ready to reveal the new look “British Snowboard and Freeski Tour”, which will be unveiled in September.

Continue reading ‘The British Snowboard and Freeski Tour Launched’

UK-based Westhill Investments is now marketing an “off-plan luxury development” to be called Panorama Villas. This will be a golf/ski/spa developments consisting of 73 apartments and four family villas, with club house and spa close to Bansko ski resort.

Continue reading ‘Latest Luxury Resort Development in Bulgaria’

Work has begun on a €14.5m project to turn the old Therml-Romerbad (Roman baths) at Franz Klammer’s home resort of Bad Kleinkirchheim in Austria, in to a state of the art facility.

The most important part of the concept is to keep the Roman style of the building and will include a high quality sauna area, indoor and out, spreading over 4000 square metres.

Continue reading ‘Rebuilding of Roman Baths in Bad Kleinkirchheim’

RockResorts, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, will operate the new Chateau at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe, on the California/Nevada border. Construction of the redevelopment project has started and is expected for completion late 2009.

Continue reading ‘Vail Building $420-Million Resort at Base of Heavenly’