Messages posted by : J2SkiNews
Glacier ski areas in the Alps have reported fresh snow at altitude over the past few mornings. In Switzerland, Verbier – which has closed its ski runs for the season – reported fresh snow yesterday (pictured above) and Crans Montana, which has extended its season up on its glacier into June, reported fresh snow today. Up to 10cm (4 inches)_ of snowfall was reported on glaciers, but the snow came right down to the base of the slopes in winter (resort level) at Verbier and some other areas. There's also been fresh snowfall over the past few days in Austria where six glacier ski areas will be open this weekend. French ski resorts are due to start opening for summer skiing a week on Saturday, May 29th, with Les 2 Alpes set to be the first to open kts ski lifts for skiing in the country this year. The Italian ski area of Passo Stelvio currently looks set to be the first to open for 2021 there too, also targeting May 29th to start the season. Largely quarantine free travel is opening up across Europe within the EU, so long as travellers have recent negative tests or evidence that they have been vaccinated. |
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Plans to run a World Cup ski race starting from the highest ski-lift-accessed point in Europe, over one of the longest courses in the world, and crossing an international border are "gaining momentum" according to a report on SkiRacing.com The concept, first unveiled some years ago, would see downhill ski racers start at Zermatt's highest lift-served point at 3,899m, usually open for summer skiing and descend 1,085 vertical metres over the border into Italy on to slopes in Cervinia's ski area. The course would also be one of the world's longest and, potentially, fastest. The plan, reported to be supported by both the Swiss Ski Federation and the Italian Winter Sports Association, according to SkiRacing.com, would see "The Matterhorn World Cup" staged between mid-October and mid-November at the start of the season before the usual speed skiing season opening events at Lake Louise in Canada. As with the current World Cup season opening GS races in Solden, men and women would race on separate weekends. The project's backers, who say the race would improve the World Cup schedule by spreading races out more and potentially allow more time in North America, hope to stage a Europa Cup race to test the concept and the course in autumn next year and, potentially, a first World Cup race in Autumn 2023, SkiRacing.com's report notes. https://skiracing.com/features/proposed-early-season-matterhorn-world-cup-speed-races-gain-momentum/ |
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Australia's ski areas have been celebrating a significant pre-season snowstorm that has brought up to 10cm (4 inches) of fresh snow to the country's ski slopes. The 2021 ski season is due to begin there in 4 weeks' time and so anticipation is high, especially as resorts are hoping for a much better winter than 2020, as Australia currently has low virus rates and most businesses are able to operate. Last winter a spike in infections in Victoria left most areas there closed for almost the entire season. The past week saw snow flurries on Monday-Tuesday and more significant snowfall over Thursday-Saturday. The cold weather has also allowed ski areas to start conventional snowmaking. The short-term weather forecast is for continuing low temperatures. In fact, the Australian ski season has already started, kind of, with the small Corin Forest centre opening a beginner slope and small terrain park a month ago using snow manufactured in plus temps by their all-weather snowmaking system. |
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California's Mammoth Mountain is offering visitors the chance to ski, mountain bike and play a round of golf on a single day ticket over the final weekend of May. The resort is famous for its long ski season, which has extended into May this year, but summer sports are also now getting underway there. The one day ticket, priced at $139, allows access to ski slopes in the morning as well as the resort's mountain bike trails and a round of 9 holes at the Sierra Star Golf Course. The ticket is being offered for purchase on any one of three days, from 29th to 31st May, a long-weekend in the USA with the Memorial Day holiday there on Monday 31st. The pass actually offers skiing and mountain biking all day but the golf course is only open between 1pm and 4pm so ticket buyers will need to plan their day accordingly. |
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Selwyn Snow Resort in New South Wales which saw its lifts and base buildings largely destroyed by major bush fires in January last year leading to its closure even before the pandemic, will reopen fully renewed and improved on what was there before the fire, on Saturday June 11th, 2022, its owners The Blyton Group have announced. 'All New in 2022' will see the resort transformed for its grand re-opening, with the expected completion of the significantly expanded and integrated 'Selwyn Centre' that will house all guest facilities and services in the one building. The new Selwyn Centre will house an expanded Ski and Snowboard Hire, enhanced food and drink offerings and improved toilet amenities, the company says. The 2022 snow season will also see the completed full upgrade of the New Chum Chairlift and the re-opening of 100% of the resort's skiable terrain. The relocation and expansion of the Snowsports Learning Area will also be complete, with the installation of two brand new dedicated snow carpets for guests to perfect their turns on. Selwyn's snowmaking capability will significantly increase, with the installation of state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment provided by TechnoAlpin. Selwyn Snow Resort will be the first snow resort in the Southern Hemisphere to install the brand new TT10 snow machines. Kevin James Blyton, Chairman of the Blyton Group said he is looking forward to the reopening of the resort for 2022.
Reconstruction of the electrical supply to the resort is currently underway, with a full restoration of the network expected in early 2022. Resort infrastructure sourced from overseas including grooming and snowmaking equipment is still on-route and is expected to arrive in the coming weeks. The Blyton Group recently signed a 40 year lease on the site and say work continues with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment to finalise the remaining planning approvals. Public access to the resort is not currently possible while construction works are being undertaken. The 2021 Australian ski season is due to begin in a month's time in early June at most areas. Selwyn will therefore miss two seasons due to the fire, although most Australian ski areas missed all or most of last season due to the pandemic anyway. Updates and progress photos of the resort rebuild will be available at http://www.selwynsnow.com.au |
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Arapahoe Basin in Colorado (Pictured above with fresh May 10th snow falling today)is to offer 200 doses of the Johnson&Johnson COVID 19 vaccine to skiers and snowboarders aged 18 and over this coming weekend. The ski area, one of a few dozen worldwide currently still operating their 2020-21 ski season will offer the vaccine does on a first-come, first-served basis from noon on Saturday, May 16th.
Summit County, where the ski area, one of the world's highest, is located has recently moved in to a lower tier of COPVID restrictions on Colorado due to decreasing infection rates, which has meant less restrictions are now required there. As an added incentive to get the jab, anyone who receives a vaccine on Saturday will also be offered a free beer or soda at the ski area's 6th Alley Bar and Grill. |
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Winter Park ski area in Colorado says it will be open for one more week, through to May 16th, it had previously extended its season to May 9th. The resort will be running its Super Gauge lift in the Mary Jane sector with terrain suited to intermediate and advanced level skiers only. Two other Colorado ski areas, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge, are also open next week, both expect to stay open until at least May 31st. Loveland is due to close on Sunday. The move follows a generally cold and frequently snowy March and April which compensated for a rather warm and drier than usual winter. It's a different picture in California where Mammoth and Squaw Valley had said they still hoped to open to at least May 31st after a similarly underwhelming winter for snow there (in good winters they've both stayed open in to August). So far Mammoth still think they'll make it to the end of the month but Squaw Valley, which had previously warned they probably wouldn't, say that the 16th will also be their closing day, if they make it. Other North American area open after the coming weekend are expected to include Snowbird in Utah, Mt Bachelor and Timberline in Oregon, Killington in Vermont and north of the border Sunshine in Alberta, Canada. |
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A huge "Snow Declaration" written "using snowboards and skis as pens" has been created at the Chinese ski resort of Jiangjunshan in the Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang. The massive "Declaration" is 200 metres long and 80 meters wide. Seen from high above, on the right is a giant Chinese character meaning "good," with two smaller Chinese characters next to it, forming a phrase meaning "have faith in." On the left is an image of a Chinese girl in traditional Chinese cheongsam. This "Snow Declaration" was jointly completed by Winter Olympic champion Yang Yang, five ski coaches, and ski enthusiasts. By using the snowfield as paper and the snowboards as a combined brush, they expressed the good intentions of China to the world through the Chinese character "Good." This grand ice and snow event is a tribute to the Olympics Winter Games Beijing 2022, initiated by Yang Yang, Winter Olympic champion, in conjunction with Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd., the official sponsor of the Olympics Winter Games Beijing 2022. The Chinese character "Good" not only represents the best wishes of the Chinese people and the most important blessing for the Olympics Winter Games but also represents the hospitality of the Chinese people, welcoming skiing and skating athletes from all over the world to show a better self and create better results in Beijing. The initiative is the latest in a growing list of ski related stunts and initiatives ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics next winter. Below the main declaration text is a line of smaller Chinese characters meaning "Let the world have faith in China." Jiangjunshan was chosen because in 2005, Chinese archaeologists discovered on a rock wall in the Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang rock paintings of ancient people apparently hunting on skis more than ten thousand years ago. In 2015 more than 30 ski history research experts and scholars from 18 countries and regions jointly made the "Altay Declaration" which states that they agree that the Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang is most likely to be where skiing began. The "Snow Declaration" was sponsored by the Tsingtao Brewery Company which is also an official sponsor of the Olympics Winter Games Beijing 2022.  |
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