J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Admin wrote:

SwingBeep wrote:Just because J2SkiNews posts that ski resorts in a particular country are open or that the authorities in another are planning to open them on a certain date doesn't mean that you will be able to travel to them.

...or indeed, we have repeatedly learnt, that they will actually (1) stay open and/or (2) open on the hoped for date, whether you live locally and/or live in a country where you currently can and/or may at some future point before the snow melts, be able to travel to them either relatively easily and/or with lots of tests and quarantining en route. If the planes are still flying there or you have some other mode of travel.

We probably do need a lengthy disclaimer/small print on every one of these type of posts...

Thanks as always for update SwingBeep

Certainly looks like good news for resort staying open? Lost track of all the details and don't have time to check religiously but (quick Google to usually more reliable sources), Reuters say "60 infections" on 12 Jan, this one on Monday, 90 (https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/ausbrueche-von-mutierten-viren-corona-mutationen-das-sind-die-hotspots-der-schweiz ). So guessing this is the 60 maybe found by mid Jan plus the more recent 28 in your stats giving 88 total, rounded to 90? Anyway appears to show after Xmas/NY spike new infections dropping?

Kitzbühel is warning anyone thinking of trying to visit the resort to see the Hahnenkamm races this weekend not to do so.

The big downhill race will take place this Saturday, preceded by a downhill on Friday, replacing the cancelled Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen a week ago, and there's also a GS race on Sunday.

Normally the Hahnenkamm is one of the biggest weekends in Austria's sporting calendar, attracting up to 60,000 fans, but this year the event in the Austrian Tirol is strictly "behind closed doors" due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The Kitzbühel Ski Club say they have no other choice but to gear up with an increased police and security presence to prevent any spectators.

"We are increasing the police presence in the city centre and in the city park," explains the resort's mayor Winkler, adding, "Additional security will ensure peace and quiet in the city. There will also be no stalls in the whole town."
"Make yourself comfortable at home in front of the screens, you won't miss anything," says Mayor Winkler concludes, adding, "Even though there won't be any spectators this year, we are still looking forward to exciting races," says Winkler. Next year there will certainly be another Hahnenkamm race as usual and with many spectators."

The Lauberhorn races were cancelled last week due to a spike in the new English variety of COVID-19 in Wengen which infected many of the people working on organising the race. There has also been a spike in virus cases at Jochberg near Kitzbühel but this has not led to the race being cancelled.

Ski areas in Austria are open for local people to ski and board but hotels are closed and there are no "ski holidays" at present.

Reports from France this evening indicate that the government has confirmed what most people were suspecting - that ski resorts would not be able to start running their ski lifts at the start of February.

The French government has not given a specific new "we hope to open by this date" but have said it is "highly improbable" - given the current state of the pandemic - that ski areas will open in mid or even late February.

This mirrors recent announcements in Austria, Germany and Italy where the governments there have indicated it's unlikely they'll open for ski tourism before March.

February is a busy time in the French ski season with resorts normally full with families during school holiday weeks. Having closed ski lifts at Christmas and New Year as they were considered too busy, opening in February always did seem unlikely.

Currently ski areas in Andorra and Austria are open to local skiers only. Swiss areas are open too with less restrictions on where skiers are arriving from, although international travel is very limited. French ski resorts can open but ski lifts can't run, restaurants are closed and there's a curfew. Italian ski lifts are also shut down.

A ski area by Lake Tahoe in California, which has one of the strictest lockdowns in North America, is saying that it is busier than it thought it would be.

Mount Rose Ski Tahoe reports that although they have seen fewer skiers arriving from the Sabn Francisco Bay area than they normally would, they have seen an increase in local skiers visiting which actually led to the resort not seeing the usual early January "lull" in skier numbers following the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Mike Pierce, marketing director for Mt. Rose, told local media the centre that although overall business was down around 40%, the centre was still seeing more skiers than they thought they would.

Some Californian ski areas, depending on their locations and local decisions based on pandemic levels in their area, have at times had to take measures including closing indoor dining facilities and limit skiers to just people living very locally. Mountain restaurants at Mt Rose are open but running at 25% their usual capacity.

The state's ski areas have also seen a drier and warmer winter so far than average, although there has been some fresh snowfall recently and most areas have a large amount of terrain open.

In common with all North American ski area on mountain numbers are also restricted due to the pandemic.

Many thanks again. I do recall talk of there being quite a lot of 'technically illegal' ski schools in Austria when the French (in particular) and (I think also) Italians were cracking down on British ski instructors. I seem to recall the odd Austrian crack down in the past, St Anton maybe?

Interesting. So is the thinking that these are all British and kits a change of rules under Brexit or is it more geographically widespread and something that has been going on for years and Brexit irrelevant? Got a press release from FIS this morning saying the FIS race director has gone down with virus but everyone else tested negative and next weekend's races still on. Thanks for your separate updates on St Moritz and thoughts on chap in Wengen hotel too - make sense. I started to reply that I wondered, if it got to nitty gritty in court case, if he/she could claim ignorance of need to self-isolate but of course he/she would have received official text messages even if hotel staff hadn't told him/her?

Lauberhorn Racers Cancelled, Moved to Kitzbuhel Started by User in Ski News, 33 Replies
Thanks as always for update SwingBeep

Austria's Ski Tourism Unlikely To Resume Before March Started by User in Ski News, 5 Replies
Many thanks again. I do recall talk of there being quite a lot of 'technically illegal' ski schools in Austria when the French (in particular) and (I think also) Italians were cracking down on British ski instructors. I seem to recall the odd Austrian crack down in the past, St Anton maybe?

Messages posted by : J2SkiNews