Messages posted by : J2SkiNews
Northstar Resort (www.northstarattahoe.com) by Lake Tahoe in California has announced that it will expand the resort boundaries in two areas of the mountain, adding 170 acres of new side-country terrain to the resort's skiable acreage this winter. Guided side-country tours and snow cat accessed skiing and riding will also be offered for the first time to advanced skiers and riders who want to explore the resort's new terrain offering. "Northstar already had some of the best tree skiing in Tahoe, but with the expansion of our boundaries, skiers and riders will now have access to even more powder stashes and incredible glade skiing," said Bill Rock, Chief Operating Officer at Northstar Resort. Snow cat accessed skiing and riding will be offered for the first time this year on Sawtooth Ridge, offering unprecedented access to a popular side-country area that was already included within the resort's boundary and previously open to advanced skiers and riders when snow conditions permitted. In addition, guided backcountry tours will be available to advanced skiers and riders interested in skiing or riding outside the resort's boundary on Sawtooth Ridge to a potential area of future expansion, when conditions permit. |
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Laax This Saturday, 29 October 2011, the winter season will kick off in Cervinia, Italy; Laax in Switzerland and Nakiska in Alberta, Canada. The Cervinia opening was scheduled but the other two are earlier than expected and follow recent snowfalls. At Laax (formerly known as Flims) the centre will open the Vorab Glacier every weekend from 08.30-16.30. The resort will then be open daily from 3 December 2011. Laax is located 90mins from Zurich and takes in the mountains around the villages of Flims, Laax and Falera. The area covers 100sq km with 220km of pistes, 28 ski lifts and 70% of the ski area is between 2,000-3,000m, reaching 3,018m on the Vorab Glacier (one of the highest points in the Graubunden region). Heavy snow has also been reported in Colorado (up to 15 inches in the past 24 hours) where three small resorts are already opebn and some of the big guns including Copper Mountain and Breckenridge are scheduled to join them over the next few weeks. |
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Val d'Isère is building on its culinary credentials with the return of its Pistes Gourmandes food festival from 19th – 22nd March, a gourmet event devoted to discovering authentic, ethical products and the art of great food, Pistes Gourmandes brings leading chefs and food writers to theAalpine resort for a series of fun demonstrations, cookery lessons and tastings. The Festival's return follows news that a new culinary star has been born in the famous village as native-born Antony Tempesta is rightfully recognised by the Michelin restaurant guide for his gastronomic excellence at his family restaurant, La Becca. In addition Régis Marcon and Benoît Vidal will be holding two cooking lessons a month throughout winter at the restaurant L'Atelier Edmond where guests can discover how to create amuse-bouches, starters, main courses and desserts to then all enjoy together that evening. Price 145€. www.atelier-edmond.com |
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Having lost is annual rating of World Number 1 in the US Ski Magazine ratings to Deer Valley, Utah, some years ago, Whistler Blackcomb has been keen to point out that it is ranked as number one in a number of other surveys, and is still number two, or highly placed, in other publications online and in print worldwide. With four recent "best overall" wins and eighteen No.1 "category" wins, Whistler Blackcomb believes it has cemented its position as the consistently ranked No. 1 mountain resort in North America across multiple measures. "We are ecstatic to be recognized as one of the best mountain resorts by such a cross-section of sources: from ski and snowboard industry magazines, to travel experts," says Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Whistler Blackcomb. "We've got extraordinary natural assets and a robust infrastructure combined with staff that go the extra mile to make guests' experiences at Whistler Blackcomb one of the best in the industry. This past season Whistler Blackcomb scored an 88 on our Net Promoter Score, the highest score for customer satisfacti on in Canada and among the top scores in North America. We're going to work hard this season to not only maintain, but surpass this score." "NO. 1 OVERALL" RANKINGS WHISTLER BLACKCOMB ACHIEVED: • Freeskier Magazine (USA) - "The Best" • Onthesnow.com (USA) – No. 1 Favourite North American Resort 2011 • Australia's Luxury Travel Magazine – No. 1 Overseas Ski Resort 2011 • Findthebest.com – Best Ski Resort in the World WHISTLER BLACKCOMB "TOP/BEST" INCLUSIONS: • Forbes.com – World's Best Ski Resorts • Yahoo.com – Top Five Ski Vacations in the World • Powderhounds.com (Australia) – Top Overall Resorts • About.com (USA) – Top Ski Resorts • The Independent (UK) – 50 Best Ski Resorts WHISTLER BLACKCOMB CATEGORY WINS: • Value Award Winner: Up! Magazine • Best Terrain: onthesnow.com, SKI Magazine, TransWorld SNOWboarding, Powderhounds.com, and National Geographic • Best Après/Nightlife: Freeskier, onthesnow.com, SKI Magazine, TransWorld SNOWboarding, and Powderhounds.com. • Best Family Resort: SKI Magazine (Canadian Resorts) OTHER "NOT TOO SHABBY" PLACING(S): • No. 2 o Terrain parks – onthesnow.com o Family – onthesnow.com o Digital Programs – SKI Magazine o Best Steeps - FREESKIER • No. 3 o Resort in North America – SKI Magazine o Lifts – SKI Magazine • No. 4 o Overall satisfaction – SKI Magazine o "vibe" – TransWorld SNOW Boarding o Top Destination in Canada – Trip Advisor o Best Powder – FREESKIER • No. 5 o Best Family Resort in North America – SKI Magazine (No. 1 in Canada) o Best Pipe – Transworld SNOWBoarding |
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It's the big 5-0 For Crested Butte (www.skicb.com) in Colorado this winter and the resort kicks off a year long celebration with free skiing for all on its 50th birthday and season opening day - November 23rd, 2011. As an added bonus, they are also offering a free lift ticket for your birthday whenever it may fall during the winter season. To get your free day you must be over 18 and bring proof like a passport. Marketed as "Colorado's Last Great Ski Town," the opening day birthday festivites will includes live music with Drew Emmitt, fun events, a big birthday cake, and party favours. "We couldn't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate our 50th birthday than with free skiing for all resort guests on opening day," said Daren Cole, vice president of sales and marketing for CBMR. "The 'Ski Free on Your Birthday' offer is the icing on the cake." |
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A season pass valid at all five Scottish ski areas is currently on sale, allowing skiers ad boarders to get around a common problem at Scottish ski areas – good conditions at several ski areas, less good or no skiing at the others. "The All Area Season Pass has been really popular over the last couple of winters," said Chair of ski-scotland Heather Negus, "so we're delighted that the five mountain ski areas and SNO!zone, Scotland's other real snow ski area, have agreed to co-operate to offer the pass again." Whilethe past few winters have seen good conditions across Scotland, with Nevis Range and Glencoe ski areas on the West of the country and Glenshee, the Lecht and Cairngorm on the East it is quite common for one side top do better than the other. For example the West side of the country to benefit from a weather system off the Atlantic bringing heavy snow that perhaps does not reach the East, or conversely to suffer from warm wet weather from the Atlantic while the East benefits from a cold Scandinavian Arctic blast that doesn't reach the West. Adult and child passes are on sale until 30th November but only a limited number of passes are available, on a first-come, first-served basis, so they are expected to sell quickly following good snow conditions over recent winters. They are valid at all five mountain ski areas and also offer a complimentary session at SNO!zone Scotland in Glasgow. "The income from the sale of these passes comes directly to ski-scotland, to fund joint promotion of the great snowsports opportunities Scotland offers," added Heather. "This is important not only for the ski areas, but also for countless local businesses which benefit from good skier numbers. Over the last two seasons, the mountain ski areas have had well over 660,000 skiers who spent an estimated £66.5M. More than £53M of this was spent off the hill, in accommodation, places to eat and drink, shops, filling stations etc, so this is an industry which is important not only locally, but also to Scotland as a whole." The All-area Season Pass is on sale through the website www.ski-scotland.com priced at £460 for adults and £260 for childrean aged 17 and under at 1st December 2011. ski-scotland's promo video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynjBOVm2pXo |
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The 2011-12 ski season snowboarding World Cup may already have got underway in the southern hemisphere and even indoors in the Netherlands earlier this month, but some of the first events to be held outdoors, north of the equator are coming up in Saas Fee. The world's best snowboarders will once again converge on Saas-Fee and this year they will be joined by big names from the world of freeskiing for the opening events for the halfpipe World Cup and European Cup season. The FIS Freestyle Ski European Cup and the FIS Snowboard European Cup will take place from 23rd to 27th October. The FIS Snowboard World Cup follows a week later, from 31st October to 3rd November. A new website has been created at www.allalin360.com with background information, photos, videos, the latest news and much more for all those wanting to know more about the races in Saas-Fee. |
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I think other resorts HAVE done to well, Whistler was number 1 annually for over a decade in Ski or Skiing mag and the fact that this bland, expensive resort (food is cheap but lift ticket among the world's priciest, 100 dollars a day at Christmas) which is a kind of smug posh Starbucks on a slope says a lot more about the state of North American skiing and the demographic of the people who read and bother to vote in Skiing mag poles than how good DV is. Check out the categories it was number 1 in - few down to the actual skiing, except for how manicured the slopes are. Not a no 1 ranking in snowboarding oddly - oh yes one of three resorts still sad enough to ban in.
My guess is the readers/voters are all 55 year old plus bankers, estate agents, lawyers etc Personally it creeps me out not being able to carry my skis to the lift or open a door without some smiling drone doing it for me. But each to their own. ooh good to get that off my chest. |
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