Wintersports Rediscovered
U.S. Snowboarding had an epic 2008 season with veteran and rookie riders bringing in top performances. Riders like Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI), Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Louie Vito (Sandy, UT), Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), Michelle Gorgone (Boston) and Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) were just a few to hit the podium this past year.
Continue reading ‘2008 Billed a success for U.S. Snowboard Team’
Although most of the northern hemisphere is wrapping up the ski season, snow conditions in the Alps are actually better now than they have been all year.
Recent snowfalls have added more than a metre of snow (106cm/ 42 inches) at Serre Chevalier in France over the past week. Cervinia in Italy has reported 55cm (22 inches) in the same period whilst Saas Fee in Switzerland has added 51cm (21 inches) - setting itself up for a great summer ski season on the
glacier. Verbier (Switzerland) and La Plagne (France) have both reported
more than a foot (30cm) of fresh snow in the past seven days alone.
Many resorts are still open and some have extended their seasons because of the great conditions and bargain basement prices for late bookers.
Other resorts throughout Europe have also reported heavy snowfalls such as Obertauern in Austria which has reported a whopping 30cm (12 inches) of snow this past week. Flaine, Tignes and La Clusaz in France, Andermatt in Switzerland and Austria’s Stubai Glacier are all reporting fresh snow for lucky skiers and boarders today.
The most impressive snow depths at present are at Chamonix (France) which claims a huge 650cm (22 feet). Switzerland’s Engelberg has a 530cm (16
foot) base whilst in Italy, Livigno has snow lying up to 245cm (eight feet) deep. Many other famous name resorts across Europe are reporting current snow depths of between two and three metres (seven to ten feet).
This report was just filed by our main SkiRebel correspondent Patrick Thorne who informs us of the incredible skiing that is ongoing in Scotland.
While most ski areas are all wrapped up for the season, he reports the following facts:
Great conditions continue across Scotland so Snow24 took a snow day and headed to The Lecht late last week…
We’ve had fresh snow nightly for the past 10 days and the past two days have dawned clear, blue and still.
That gives that rare and precious alignment of the planets over Scotland’s ski areas when:
The snow is good - not too icy, not too wet. The gale force wind is not blowing - no wind chill agony.
The sky is blue - you can see. The slopes are empty - no queues for rentals, tickets, lifts, food…
The access roads are clear and the car parks empty. And all at the same time!!!
Patrick
–So there you go – if you are headed that way and were wondering you have all the goods and info for your journey. Thanks for the update Patrick. To see his pictures, please click on the following links:
We’ve come a long way since launching our first issue of SkiRebel Magazine in 2001. From a SkiRebel Magazine in PDF Format to moving everything online on a blog in 2007 you’ve grown along with us.
Now that the skiing season is done, it’s time to put the thinking caps on and start to think about next season. Ski Rebel Magazine is preparing to unleash a whole new site in just a few months and we want you to be a part of the action. A new redesign is underway along with some new content features and we’d like you to be the centre of attention. Tell us what type of skiing news and features you’d like to see on our site and you may qualify to win a special T-shirt with our new logo.
You can leave your comments here on our blog post or also send them into to our email address at skirebel (@) gmail.com and we’ll be pleased to review them.
If you see sites or have special widgets you’d like to see, don’t be shy let us know… We’re really be happy to count you as part of our growing readership, but we’d love to have you continue coming and spending more time with us. If you send us your comments we’ll draw some t-shirts from all of the replies we’ve received and we’ll send it your way in the fall. But make sure to tell us what you think by April 30th, 2008!!!
Thanks a million and we look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Mike Styles
Managing Director
North America’s largest cold weather accessory manufacturer, BULA is teaming up with “Keep Winter Cool,” a campaign to fight global warming. BULA will contribute 2% of its GREEN product line sales to support a sustainability grant program coming on line in the 2008/09 season to provide seed money to innovative resort initiatives on global warming.
Global warming is a bottom line issue for the ski industry and its employees, as well as a key environmental concern,”
said Bula Brand Manager Juliet Korver. “Donating a portion of proceeds from our new sustainable line is just one way we plan to green our organization and support greater eco-consciousness to ensure we have snow on the slopes for future generations to enjoy.”
The Keep Winter Cool partnership encourages resorts from coast to coast to take action to combat global warming and educate millions of resort guests about the potential impacts of global warming on snow sports and how to fix the problem through personal action and political action. Keep Winter Cool is a partnership among the US Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the US National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), and California-based energy bar maker CLIF Bar.
Lesotho ski resort AfriSki will debut Africa’s first day care play park on snow this southern hemisphere winter. The centre, a four-and-a-half hour drive from Johannesburg in South Africa is normally open from June to September. The resort is located in the Mahlasela valley at 3,222m.
“Afriski will provide both guests and visitors with a childcare service so that the parents can have the opportunity to enjoy carefree skiing and ultimate relaxation. We urge you to make your booking in advance in order to ensure availability.” Said a company statement.
Afriski is Lesotho’s only commercial ski area and one of a handful on the African continent, along with centres in Algeria and Morocco in the Northern Hemisphere, and Lesotho’s surrounding neighbor, South Africa in the south.
Also new this year is discounted backpackers accommodation. Afriski caters for up to 150 guests and offers multi day ski packages from Monday to Friday or from Friday to Monday. Packages includes: Equipment rental, Ski Pass and two hour ski lesson per day. Season Passes are also available.
www.afriski.co.uk
By seeing the display of the forty three painted angel figures, one would easily believe they’ve died and gone to heaven…of course because they would have climbed up to Engelberg’s (which means Angel Mountain) altitude.
Various events themed on the subject of angels are planned over the 13 months that the angels are in town. At the end of that time the figures will be sold by auction, with the proceeds going to the monastery restoration fund.
The opening event takes place on May 1st when the figures will be blessed.
You can still ski and see the angels this year as the season continues in Engelberg on the Titlis mountain through to 25th May with a special Spring season Pass valid for the rest of the winter costing 350 Swiss Francs and various all inclusive low-cost package deals available through the tourist office.
From more information write to engel@engelberg.ch
Read more Engelberg stories by clicking here
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