September is done and now it’s October. In just a few weeks the new 2008-09 ski season will be among us. Along with that we are planning an exciting new 2008-09 ski season at Ski Rebel Magazine but meanwhile we are pleased to report a 55% in the time you’ve devoted to reading us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You keep on helping us grow!!! Tell your friends and family 
A new exciting redesign complete with all the web 2.0 features will soon adorn the space you read…so get ready to have your socks knocked… Meanwhile you may consider becoming a Ski Rebel VIP by subscribing to our new e-newsletter once it kicks into high gear later this fall.
Meanwhile we thought we’d give you a quick overview on the top 10 magazine stories that you liked the most.
1) August skiing in Europe?
2) Jamaica: the sequel - return to 2010 Winter Olympics
3) Whistler announces self sufficient green power initiative
4) Las Vegas WET expands with skill hill
5) Glasgow’s snowdome breaks all time attendance record
6) Tour operator offers ski touring opportunities in Morocco
7) New Fashion from Nike this Fall…
New unkown resorts offered up to UK skiers
9) WORLD LIFT TICKET PRICE REPORT 2008 PUBLISHED
10) Solar powered ski lift may provide new solutions for ski resorts
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and Construction Minister Asen Gagauzov were among a group of dignitaries and journalists who were left stuck for an hour in a gondola cabin thirty metres (100 feet) in the air at the opening of one of the country’s new mountain resorts earlier this month.
The incident occurred at the opening of the new Bodrost - Kartala resort, 100km (63 miles) south of the country’s capital, Sofia, in the Rila Mountains in the south west of the country on Wednesday. The problem is believed to have been caused by a power supply failure to the new resort, reported to be a common problem in Bulgaria where state infrastructure is struggling to supply the rapidly growing tourism projects around the country. Some reports said that when the power failed gondolas cabins slid down the cable and bumped in to one another, but no one was injured in the incident.
The new 50 Million Leva resort is being built in three phases between 2007 and 2010. Environmentalists were also at the resort’s opening to protest at what they claim to be “irreparable damage” to the area. They claim that the lift construction violates Bulgaria’s environmental protection laws. They claim to have raised the issues with the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Environment and Water Affairs and the State Forestry Agency last autumn, but say no action has been taken and they are now raising the matter with the European Community.
A large area of the national park land is also reported to have been damaged by a recent eight day forest fire.
The Prime Minister office declined to comment on the gondola incident.
The globally successful British snow forecasting business, SnowForecast.com, has decided to expand its worldwide appeal by publishing its snowfall projections in more languages. Seven new languages are available now with three more to follow, as follows:
French: http://fr.snow-forecast.com
German: http://de.snow-forecast.com
Portuguese: http://pt.snow-forecast.com
Italian: http://it.snow-forecast.com
Dutch: http://nl.snow-forecast.com
Spanish: http://es.snow-forecast.com
Greek: http://gr.snow-forecast.com
Bulgarian, Turkish and Russian are to follow
What is being described by engineers as a project that is as complex as building Canada’s Confederation Bridge, Whistler’s Peak First Gondolas completed their first test run last week in anticipation of the December 12th opening.
Last week, twelve Peak 2 Peak gondola cabins made the very first journey across the 4.4km/2.73 mile span between Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains. Doppelmayr employee Mathias Zudrell rode the carriage of the first gondola to perform visual checks of the gondola’s mechanisms as it traveled across the Fitzsimmons Valley.
“Today was a hugely exciting day for everyone involved in the construction of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola,” said Barb Houghton, Peak 2 Peal Gondola Project Manager.
I am just so happy to see that first cabin come across safely after two years of planning and building.”
The lift will officially open to the public December 12th and Whistler believes it is set to become a new Canadian tourism icon, and will forever revolutionize the way visitors experience the resort.
“This spring we had to move massive amounts of snow so it was a slow start but we have been able to stay on track with each construction phase,” says Rick Temple, PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Construction Manager. “To be at this point in construction at this time is unheard of. Typically for a lift installation you are fighting the weather in November to get things done. However due to the incredible work by everyone involved we are ahead of schedule. We are very excited to have our official opening day announced and are looking forward to the day when our guests can experience this gondola.”
The $532m Doppelmayr built lift will operate with 28 cabins, including two with glass floors and set world records for the length of the unsupported span between two towers and its height above the valley below.
Through October and November load testing will take place as well as evacuation training and simulations, and operator training. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will also be examined by the British Columbia Safety Authority through their Passenger Ropeways Safety Program which regulates the safety of lifts.
www.whistlerblackcomb.com
The race is on as to which resort will claim bragging rights to opening up first for the 2008-09 ski season. Loveland Ski Area in Colorado, one of the world’s highest ski areas, experienced colder temperatures last week and immediately fired up snowmaking in the hopes of getting a head start on the season.
“It has been cold up in the high country, but it didn’t look like we would get the temperatures necessary to start making snow until later in the week,” said Eric Johnstone, Loveland’s Snowmaking and Trail Maintenance Manager.
We had all our guns placed on the hill and our crew was on standby so we were ready to go when the temperatures dipped last night.”
Loveland Ski Area has started making snow at midnight on the trails Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun for Opening Day 2008. These trails form a top to bottom run of 1,000 vertical feet.
“We have been getting flooded with calls and e-mails from skiers and riders eager to start the ski season,” said Rob Goodell, Director of Business Operations. “We still have snow up on the peaks from the last storm and now we have some snow on our trails too. Let the race begin!”
Snowmaking updates are available at www.skiloveland.com/snowmaking.
The site will be updated regularly with pictures and progress reports so visitors can get daily updates on snowmaking progress.
Many resorts in the Alps and Rockies have reported their first significant snowfalls. Whistler Blackcomb recorded over five centimetres (two inches) of snow in the resort’s higher Alpine region for the first day of autumn last week.
“It’s so exciting to see snow in the alpine this time of year,” said Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Whistler Blackcomb.
The excitement and anticipation of winter really starts to build and the first significant snowfall in the alpine sends the excitement level through the roof. It jogs people’s memory of how great last season was and everyone gets stoked for the season ahead.”
The Whistler Blackcomb snowmaking department has been busy preparing the snowmaking fleet over the past couple of weeks. More than 260 snow guns have been readied for when the temperature drops to minus 2 degrees Celsius. With the forecast turning cooler, the snow guns are now set to blast snow to complement Mother Nature’s efforts.
The official Whistler Blackcomb Snow Report recording will begin for the season in November.
A new link connecting the east Tirolean ski areas of Kals and Matrei will create the region’s largest ski area this winter, with 110km of runs, to be known as “Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei”. The new quad chair take the total number of modern lifts serving the area to 15 with a combined uplift of 30,000 skiers per hour.
Ski lifts ascend up to 2,400m above sea level and provide views of no less than sixth 3,000m plus peaks, including Austria’s highest, the Grossglockner. 90% of the ski slopes have snowmaking cover.
For snowboarders there’s an exclusive carving piste and a snow park and unusually child prices extend up to age 18. The new area is open from 12th December.
www.gg-resort.at
