J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Anyone feeling the financial pinch this winter, or just wanting to avoid paying over the odds for their new skiwear, would be wise to head straight to their nearest Aldi where a wide range of ski and board wear items for both adults and children has just gone on sale.

The items are basic but functional and some skiers and boarders may have difficulties working out the difference between some of the Aldi items and designer branded products that look pretty much the same but perhaps cost 10 times more.

OK the large £24.99 price tag on the ski jacket is for a product rather more basic than a fully functional designer ski jacket but the £4.99 micro fleece sweaters are a bit more difficult to tell apart from the ones with the designer logos.

In all the range extends to 19 skiwear products covering you from head (helmets for £19.99 each, goggles for £9.99 a pair) to toe (socks £3.99 per pair) .

For those looking to kit up from scratch there's an 'essential package' for £59.95 for adults or £29.96 for children which thermal underwear, ski socks, roll neck top, ski jacket (male or female) and salopettes.

A second batch of gear, aimed more at boarders, will be released shortly before Christmas. In keeping with the Aldi business model on most 'hard goods' the gear will be on sale until it sells out with no re-stocking planned this season.

The FIS has decided to move the annual Val d'Isere World Cup races to Beaver Creek in Colorado due to unsuitable conditions in the French resort.

Beaver Creek was already due to stage a week of World Cup Events but will now stage two weeks and it will be the first time that the 's the first time that the ladies will race on the resort's new Birds of Prey World Cup Race course will be used. Ladies last raced in Beaver Creek during the 1999 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

FIS Race Director Guenter Hujara announced yesterday afternoon that the resort will host three World Cup men's and ladies' competitions from December 6-8. The races will include Men's Giant Slalom on Tuesday, December 6; Women's Super-G on Wednesday, December 7; and Men's Slalom on Thursday, December 8.

"While we don't ever want to hope for another organizer to lose races," explained Ceil Folz, President of the Vail Valley Foundation, "picking up these events is certainly an added bonus for our community. We have a long track record of hosting transplanted races and it is a pleasure to be able to step in once again and help the FIS in this regard."

Excitement in the surrounding Vail region is particularly high as local girl and World Cup star Lindsey Vonn will be competing. Media interest in the race is particularly strong as Vonn recently announced her separation from her husband, who was also her coach, and there is already much speculation from racing pundits that her racing performance may be affected.

"We all thought that the first time we would see Lindsey Vonn racing in Beaver Creek would be in 2013 with the test event for our new ladies Downhill course ahead of the World Alpine Skiing Championships," said Folz. "We couldn't be more excited about the potential of not only seeing Lindsey compete here this year, but also on Birds of Prey."

Designed by Swiss Olympian Bernhard Russi, Birds of Prey celebrated its coming out party in December of 1997. Since then, only Men's World Cup races have been contested on the renowned racecourse.

The original 2011 Audi Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week (www.bcworldcup.com), scheduled for December 2-4, features a trio of men's World Cup competitions, including Downhill on Friday, December 2; Super-G on Saturday, December 3; and Giant Slalom on Sunday, December 4. American Ted Ligety is the reigning Birds of Prey Giant Slalom champion.

Interesting about Tignes, thanks. Had an e from Whistler saying 'we have the most terrain open in the world' at the moment (not sure who they checked with on that!) which could be right but they do area of course (4000 acres open) not length of runs so hard to compare. But they do say they have their full vert open which is a bit bigger than current Tignes/Valtournenche drops, probably, by a few metres! Most resorts in Alps/Dolomites seem to be optimistic of snow coming in next few days so hope they're right.

The big snowfalls in Western North America have allowed resorts to open terrain features early.

Copper Mountain in Colorado has opened its superpipe already, claiming to be the first in North America.

In California, Mammoth's Unbound Terrain Park will, "continue to evolve" through the coming winter the resort says.

Extensive dirt work was completed through the summer to the half pipes at Main and Canyon Lodges to ensure the earliest possible opening.

The Art Park, a hit last year in its inaugural season, will be returning with Jamie Lynn as the featured artist designing a whole new array of features. Resort partners Monster Energy and Oakley will be creating their own unique terrain features to add to Mammoth's fleet of over 90 rails, boxes and jibs.

The U.S. Snowboarding and Freeskiing Grand Prix, the West Coast Invitational and the ongoing Mammoth Concert Series will highlight the event lineup bringing activities and music to Mammoth throughout the season.

Mammoth is also opening a new snow tube park this winter just above The Village at Mammoth.

Families will also enjoy new kids dining options at all food venues and the return of a winter full of family events including the Night of Lights and Woolly's Winter Carnival.

Just got a report in from Cervinia that they have a 1500m vertical open down to Valtournenche and 117km of piste incl the Zermatt side which must be about the best in Europe at the moment and a good base for all that snow that's coming, hopefully... :D

The Bulgarian Government's Environment Minister, Nona Karadzhova, has described the contact which allows the Yulen company, operators of pistes and lifts at Bansko, often referred to as the leading resort in Eastern Europe, as 'absurd.'

Earlier this year Karadzhova angered Bulgarian environmental groups by finally confirming that some of the lifts and runs at Bansko had been built illegally on national parkland that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, but then saying the Bulgarian government would not make the company remove the lifts and pistes but would instead change their operating agreement to make the illegal construction, legal.

The long-running arguments between environmental grounds and Bansko's operators stretch back for nearly 10 years and at various times have seen UNESCO threaten to downgrade the park's status and concerned EC ministers say they'd 'keep an eye on it.'

Currently Karadzhova says an assessment is being made as to exactly how much piste Bansko offers, with estimates varying between 90 and 130km. Once that process has been completed the illegal construction will be made legal by changing the terms of Yulen's operating license. Local media reports that the Bulgarian cabinet has already suggested amendments which will make the illegal use of 65 hectares of the Pirin National Park by Yulen.

The legal position is that Bulgaria's government can either terminate Yulen's contract or amend it. Termination would, it is said, lead to the closure of Bansko's ski slopes for 5 – 6 years.

Environmentalists have called for Karadzhova's resignation and promised huge protests on the areas of Pirin National Park where Bansko's lifts and runs extend illegally.

I was there last easter - stayed in Zermatt which was heaving and skied over to Cervinia each day as it was empty and far nicer. We did stop several times at a wonderful little place by the piste as you skied down from the border straight down to Cervinia - called the Grand Simetta restaurant. It was about a kilometre down from the border and was a small wooden basic looking place with people eating on the terrace and a couple of snug little rooms inside. Everything cooked fresh daily, local ingredients, we had hand made pasta most days - 10 Euros but enough for two. Also great meat dishes. No menu, no prices, the owner/waitress just comes out and tells you what there is and cost is always about the same. Wonderful espressos made properly for 1 Euro compared to 6 Euros for a Tesco cafe style push button machine at the glossy vast self service cafe at Zermatt. Pics of frankie Detorri everywhere inside and owner says he's a good friend and has summer birthday parties there. Loved it.

A new shuttle bus service from Zurich Airport to Engelberg at 11pm at night means that skiers arriving on 27 different evening flights from around Europe can be in the resort soon after midnight ready to ski after a good night's sleep.

Engelberg-Titlis is the closest snowsure ski resort to Zürich Airport and now offers the late shuttle transfer each Thursday and Friday until late April. It takes less than 90 minutes to reach the resort but those intending to use the service must register to do so at least 48 hours in advance before their arrival via www.engelberg.ch/en/airport_shuttle

Evening flights from Birmingham, London City, London Heathrow and Manchester all connect with the shuttle.

Engelberg-Titlis is open from October to late May thanks to the Titlis glacier, which lies 3,020 metres above sea level and extensive snowmaking elsewhere.