J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

TUI Ski, the company which owns Britain's largest ski tour operator Crystal, as well as other leading brands Thomson, First Choice and Flexiski, has announced the five resorts its customers were the most impressed by in 2009-10.

Copper Mountain in Colorado is the most popular overall, although as the company sends a limited number of clients there, the verdict is not based on the number of passengers. The company believes Val di Fassa would probably triumph if the number of forms returned was factored.

On the Copper Mountain measure however, Sölden in Austria was the second most highly regarded ski area and the most popular in Europe for TUI ski clients, followed by Lech, also in Austria, Risoul in France and in fifth placed fellow French ski area, St. Jean D'Arves.

The results were not generated in order to rank resorts, but were the result of clients completing TUI's customer survey questionnaire, the primary aim of which is for the company to get feedback on all aspects of their trip – accommodation, journey, booking process, customer service pre-departure and in-resort and childcare facilities (where appropriate). The actual questionnaires are processed and validated by an independent survey company, and TUI get the results back usually within seven days which enables the company to make changes to their programme as necessary.

To date the company has received back 39,606 customer service questionnaires returned for this winter, although last week's are still delayed through volcano-induced chaos (unlike the company's customers who were brought back by bus at the start of the week).

"We thought that it would be more interesting for recipients of our email to get the pure results which throws up some resorts that do not have such a high profile amongst British skiers." Said a company spokesperson.

If divided into separate operators, each of the TUI Ski brands returned different resort winners with Crystal Finest clients giving the highest praise to Whistler, First Choice Ski clients preferring Montgenevre in France and Thomson Ski customers Hochgurgl in Austria.

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

It seems that lots of lonely hire cars need to be driven home from the channel ports; and Hertz are offering one-way rentals for just One Pound.

The offer excludes all petrol, tolls, etc. French cars have to be at their destination within 24 hours of collection, and international within 48... but it could suit someone here...

See Hertz One Way for One Pound.

8)

Lake Wanaka ski fields in New Zealand take centre stage this summer when several international ski and snowboard events roll in for the southern hemisphere's winter season.

Young snowboarders and skiers from across the world will descend on Wanaka in August (19-31) for the 2010 FIS Snowboard & Freestyle Junior World Championships.

This is the first time an FIS World Championship will be staged in New Zealand, and also marks the first time snowboarding and freestyle skiing will share the same stage in a World Championship, the event is to be staged at all three Wanaka ski fields of Cardrona, Snow Park NZ and Treble Cone

Before the Championships, Cardrona Alpine Resort will again host the Burton New Zealand Open (10-14 August) attracting the best names in the snowboarding world to battle it out on the slopestyle course and in the halfpipe.

The halfpipe action continues for the FIS Halfpipe World Cup on 5 September, also at Cardrona, following a highly successful event last year.

James Helmore, General Manager of Lake Wanaka Tourism welcomes the diverse range of events and snow sports athletes to the area, "Lake Wanaka's ski areas are making their mark as premier event hosts, attracting international and national events to the region," he said. "Staging a variety of events in Wanaka provides a fantastic opportunity for our domestic athletes to compete against some of the world's best and for spectators to catch some of the action and enjoy the world-class facilities."

www.lakewanaka.co.nz

Copper Mountain in Colorado will spend $6m (US) in off-season improvements for next winter, much of the money going on a 25% increase in the resort's snowmaking capacity.

The new snowmaking will be spread throughout the mountain, one of the world's 10 highest commercial ski areas, with new systems being installed in the Timberline area, adding significant intermediate terrain.

The resort anticipates better early season coverage for race camps, training, and all those skiers and riders who just can't wait to get on the slopes in November thanks tro the new snowmaking.

In addition next winter there will be a 40% increase in free parking in an expanded Corn Lot. Additional parking in Union Creek will add easy access to the beginner area of Copper's naturally divided terrain.
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Hauser Kaibling, part of Schladming's ski area in Austria, has seen a 6 million Euro investment in new infrastructure this season, much of it spent on new snowmaking.

31 pieces of new snow guns have been purchased, making a total of 167 canons for its 37km of piste and increasing capacity to 11,000 cubic metres of snow per hour. The pumping stations have also been upgraded and a new water line installed from the River Enns.

The entire stretch from the Enns to the valley terminal of the Hauser Kaibling cable car has seen installation of a second water line. This means that the 167 snow canons on the Hauser Kaibling slopes are now able to produce around 11,000 cubic meters of snow per hour, which equates to around 1,100 truck loads of snow.

As soon as temperatures are far enough below zero, it only takes three to four days to guarantee basic snow cover from the summit down to the valley.

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

The ten-day long 15th annual TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is underway at Whistler.

The Festival, which runs from April 16 to 25 is traditionally the biggest snow event on the planet in late April each year, and this season has the double bonus of being the ultimate after-party after the Olympics, and is also being staged at the end of what is so far the resort's second-snowiest-ever season, with over 14.3m (47 feet) of snow fallen.

The festival includes daily free outdoor concerts, film, photography, fashion and multimedia events as well as ski and snowboard contests and night time events.

"This spring-time Festival cranks the energy level up in Whistler several notches when ski resorts around the world are winding down." said a resort statement.

Almost all of the ski area is currently open with the chance to ski the Olympic downhill runs. Whistler Blackcomb is open for skiing and riding through to May 24 – Whistler Mountain through April 25 and Blackcomb Mountain to May 24.
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Crystal Mountain resort in North Western USA will add a new Doppelmayr gondola for next winter. Work is due to begin on the new lift on Monday, April 19th the day after the resort closes for the season.

The gondola's base terminal will be where the current Mountain Market/Bumps Espresso is located and bring passengers to the top of Rainier Express and the Summit House.

A new progressive terrain park will go on Mr. Magoo and feature mainly rails, boxes and other jibs.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

Thanks to good snowfall throughout the 2009/10 winter season, Mammoth Mountain in California has announced that it will extend its winter operations for daily skiing and riding to July 4, 2010.

Mammoth Mountain has received over 41 feet (493 inches) of snowfall this season including more than three feet of snow in the first week of April. With a current base depth of 11 feet to 15 feet of snow, Mammoth is experiencing the best snowfall season since the record breaking 2005/06 season, when over 50 feet of snow fell on the mountain.

Long known for snow seasons that stretch well into spring and summer, this will mark the 11th time that Mammoth Mountain has been open for skiing and riding on the Fourth of July within the last 31 years of operation.

"Those of us who run Mammoth Mountain came here to ski and ride as much as possible so we always open as early as we can and stay open as long as the snow lasts," said Rusty Gregory, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mammoth Mountain. "We have the best April snow conditions I've seen in my 32 years on the mountain. With as much snow as we have, our customers would riot if we closed down as early as the other ski resorts. Keeping the mountain open until July 4th is what 'Playing Big' is all about."

Mammoth Mountain's high alpine bowls offer the resort's spring riding. Construction will start soon on a high altitude spring terrain park featuring jumps, rails and a 22-foot Super Duper Pipe accessible from Face Lift Express.

Skiers and boarders looking for easy access to the eastern Sierra resort can take advantage of daily air service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) on Horizon Air starting at only $69 each way.

www.MammothMountain.com

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc