The Snoasis indoor snow centre planned for Great Blakenham, close to Ipswich in Suffolk has almost got the final go ahead after a long battle with local residents culminating with a lengthy public enquiry.

The government has given the go-ahead subject to certain environmental conditions. They have asked for more information on the centre’s carbon emissions. A final, final decision will be given by the Secretary of State for the environment by 17th September.

The Snoasis development will incorporate a 400m slope, about twice as long as the longest of the UK’s five existing, and two under construction indoor slopes. The slope will have a 100m vertical, making use of a disused quarry. Developers Onslow Suffolk say construction of the £350m ($700m US) project could now get underway this year, all being well, with completion possible by London Olympic Year, 2012.

The facility will also include an ice rink, hotels, as well as shops and apartments and create a main line railway station linking to London Liverpool Street and involve the construction of 120 affordable homes. 130,000 trees will be planted to enhance the environment in the area.

The development has been fiercely opposed by local residents close to the site and some environmental groups who say it will threaten bio diversity in the area. Suffolk council have backed Snoasis saying it will boost the
local and regional economy.
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This Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the Chamonix Freeride Days. It is hard to imagine that the season is nearly over. The freeride days will be held at Grands Montets. The organizers want to settle the question, who is the better skier, downhill or freerider? Now we know that downhill skiers have the technique but can they ski off the groomed corduroy? What about freeriders, all speed and no skill?
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The Warren Smith Ski Academy’s GAP 2008 ski instructor + performance coaching course gained a 100% pass rate this season with not just one group of 10 students but incredibly with all 30 students from all 3 of their BASI Level 2 exam groups. This is one of the highest volume 100% pass rates in GAP year ski instructor course history.

The students themselves have written and talked about the whole course in detail. You can read the reviews and watch the video interviews with the students themselves right now on the Warren Smith Ski Academy website. Click here to see what the student’s themselves had to say about their amazing achievement! For more information, see the Warren Smith Ski Academy’s GAP Year Ski Instructor courses for 2009.

The resort, one of the largest of five in Scotland, hit its annual skier visit target of 51,000 last weekend. The tally is in line with the average over the past five seasons when the ski area’s totals have varied between 38,553 (last winter – when little snow arrived before March and almost all visits were made between March and May) and 58,500 in the winter of 2003-4.

This season has seen much more consistent snowfall right through the season, although along with it the usual challenges of extreme weather conditions on some days, along with perfect still, blue sky powder days on others that are the two normal extremes of Scottish skiing.

Another month of skiing could see Cairngorm pass the 2003-4 total and post their best skier visit results since 2001-2 when more than 80,000 skiers visited.

The season before and through most winters in previous decades it was more than 100,000, but today Cairngorm and several of the other Scottish ski areas have greatly increased their summer visitation.

The four other Scottish ski areas are all also reporting business well up this year.
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“I wasn’t sure how this would all go down today with the wind and some healing injuries I’ve been nursing,” said Dumont. “As I was dropping down the hill into the run-in it just hit me that this would be it – the rest is history.”

The attempts began Tuesday morning when Dumont arrived on site directly off a flight from Sweden. Dumont began hitting the quarter pipe in the early afternoon when he reached heights as high as 28 feet, before drifting in the air and falling nearly 66 feet onto the snow below. Dumont’s hard hitting landing caused him to bruise his heal and aggravate an existing knee injury.

After seeing the doctor, Simon returned to the hill on Wednesday, but was plagued by his injuries and was forced to recuperate for the rest of the day. Thursday was disrupted by high winds forcing the entire staff to delay their flights in order to provide Simon with one more opportunity to attempt the World Record.

At 9 a.m. Friday morning Simon showed up with his game face on and was ready for his final attempts. After an hour of repeatedly hitting the quarter pipe, at 10:12 a.m. EST Dumont hiked an additional 15 feet up the hill to gain more speed. Simon crouched into a tucked position going 55 mph down the in run and not only launched 35 feet into the air, but spun a 900 in the process (a trick where the athlete spins 2.5 complete rotations in the air).

“I’m really glad to have pulled this off in my backyard at Sunday River where I started my ski career,” said Dumont. ”The fans from the East have always been super supportive. That makes breaking this record at home even sweeter.”

Building and maintaining the worlds largest quarterpipe for nearly two weeks fell on the shoulders of Snow Park Technologies and Sunday River’s operations teams including Parks Manager Nick Roma, Mountain Manager Brian Jones, and Terrain Park Development Manager for Boyne’s New England Resorts Jay Scambio.

“There may not be any other place in the East where this record could have been broken,” said Alex Kaufman, Sunday River communications manager. “We’ve proven over the last few years with our April Heat Harvest events that Sunday River can deliver world class big air features for world class athletes. We’re known for our snowmaking firepower and that’s always the first step in a project like this. We’re proud to have worked with Simon Dumont and the teams from Red Bull and Snow Park Technologies to deliver this caliber of an event for our hometown hero.”
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“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.
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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 visit engel@engelberg.ch
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Snowbird is reporting a base of 155 inches at mid-mountain and 532 inches season-to-date for the resort that averages 500 inches a year. In the first 11 days of April, Snowbird received 40 inches (one metre) of snow at the base and significantly higher accumulations at mid-mountain.

Skiers and riders can enjoy Snowbird’s great conditions and many events with the $279 Spring Season Pass, valid now through Snowbird’s closing date on May 26th (conditions permitting). The resort offers the longest ski and snowboard season in Utah and plans to operate daily through to May 11th and then weekends (Friday-Sunday) through to closing day.

Upcoming spring events include a visit by Mission:Wolf, a non-profit captive wolf sanctuary, which brings live wolves and wolf-dog crosses to Snowbird to teach about wolf captivity. This happens next Friday, 17th April at 7pm in the Rendezvous Room on Level 2 of the Snowbird Center and admission is free.

Also on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday over weekends up to May 4th there’s live music provided by local bands including Spearit, Ghostowne and Legendary Porch Pounders on the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck weekends from noon to 5:30pm.
www.snowbird.com
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“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
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On the recommendation of the environmental body, Mountain Riders, nine of the country’s leading 101 ski areas, including the glacier ski area of Les 2 Alpes, are currently participating in a comprehensive environmental study which aims to measure carbon levels in the resorts.

The objective is to complete the study by this autumn and put in to place a 10 year action plan to reduce carbon emissions in the country’s ski areas.

The project also plans to implement an environmental award or “label”, similar to those already in place for France’s coastal resorts. This will feature a white label for the winter season and a green label for the summer. The two labels were registered and commercially protected more than a year ago.
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