Just leave that natural scenery be.

A new study says that creating a ski run by clearing trees and foliage manually but leaving the underlying eco-system otherwise intact is better than using heavy machinery to re-grade the slope.

The findings from the University of California Davis are not just on environmental grounds. They also found that operating cost of machine-cut slopes were higher than those of slopes which had been left in a more natural state. The report authors believe that this makes the slopes more expensive to maintain to, offsetting and extra income that may be made by being able to open a machine cur slope a week or so earlier in the season as machine-cleared slopes require 20% less snow cover to be able to open.

Continue reading ‘Cut your ski runs the natural way’

Groups have been trying to stress ski safety and helmet use.

Ski resort safety was brought back into the forefront this weekend after two skiers died after hitting trees at Canadian resorts.

A 27-year-old man from the Vancouver area died after snowboarding in-bounds and slamming into a tree at Big White Mountain. Efforts were made to administer First Aid, but the victim died of his injuries. Police have not released the man’s name. Whether he was wearing a helmet is unknown.

On the opposite end of the country, a 38-year-old Quebec City man died while sliding down an unlit ski slope at Mont Ste. Anne, 40 kilometres northeast of the provincial capital, early Saturday.

Continue reading ‘Two deaths at Canadian ski resorts mark dark weekend’

The Midlothian ski centre near Edinburgh, Scotland.

The elderly Midlothian ski centre above Edinburgh is facing closure as the local council in the area struggles to fund it.

The dry ski slope, which opened in 1965, was originally known as Hillend. The slope is one of Europe’s largest and longest at more than 400m, and is one of the few artificial surface slopes to have its own chairlift. Many of the UK’s top skiers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s can trace their racing roots back to Hillend training.

However it is still using its original Dendix slope surface and is reported to be making the a £500,000 loss each year at present, which Midlothian council say is unsustainable.

Continue reading ‘The battle is on to save old Edinburgh artificial slope’

Artificial slopes are popping up everywhere.

A new type of artificial slope, described as a creek surfing system, has been launched by inventor Czintos Csongor.

Sineride is billed as better than other summer sliding options, because the skier carves down these small obstacles or ribs and the water held in place acts like a series of small pools situated under each other, effectively creating a big slanting lake.

Csongor says he first started considering what was needed for a successful summer sliding facility back in 1999.

Continue reading ‘Inventor carves into artificial slope market’

Sure hope they were wearing something under those kilts.

Even on the ski hill, the Scots still love wearing their kilts.

So much so that 235 Scots set a world record for the largest number of kilted skiers and snowboarders skiing down a piste at once Saturday on the slopes of CairnGorm Mountain.

The kilted skiers and boarders were in a single consecutive line from the Ptarmigan Top Station at CairnGorm Mountain all the way down to car park level, a run of over 2km.  It took participants about a half hour to complete the event.

Continue reading ‘Hundreds of kilt-wearing Scottish skiers set world record’

Revelstoke, BC, in the winter.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort has launched the new Revelstoke Outdoors Centre (ROC), which brings together the industry’s top ski and boarding pros with guiding excellence.

Programs at the British Columbia resort now include avalanche skills courses, guided backcountry/slackcountry trips, cat or heliski preparation sessions and specialty education options.

Also new this winter, Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing is expanding its programs to include more customized options, one of which is to fly directly from the Nelsen Lodge, at the base of the resort.

Continue reading ‘Revelstoke courting adventure skiers’

An artist sketch of Meadowlands Xanadu snow complex.

The story of the giant Xanadu complex in New Jersey, which incorporates North America’s only constructed, if not open, indoor snow centre continues to rumble on.

According to some media reports, the State of New Jersey may be considering seizing the land on which the ‘ultimate mall’, previously considered, “too big to fail” is located. This seems unlikely since owners Colony capital have paid $160 million in advance rent through to about 2020.

On the other hand billionaire Steve Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins football team, is reported to be in negotiations to bridge a $500m gap left by the collapse of investment bank Lehman brothers, potentially enabling it to be completed and opened.

Continue reading ‘New Jersey Xanadu getting closer to fruition’