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Snow Sport at Falls Creek in Australia

Editor — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:03:50 +0000

Located in the Alpine National Park in the north-eastern region of Victoria, Australia, Falls Creek offers world-class snow skiing facilities during the country’s winter months. Lying at an altitude of between 1,210 and 1,830 meters the ski-in, ski-out resort has lift facilities to take snow sport enthusiasts to a level of 1,780 meters, with snowcat access to the nearby peak of Mount McKay at 1,842 meters high. While the majority of skiers and snowboarders visiting Falls Creek are from within Australia, the resort draws large numbers of international cross-country skiers for the annual Kangaroo Hoppet, and international snowboarders for the Australian Slopestyle Championships, dubbed Stylewars, as well as for the Australian leg of the TTR World Tour in early September.

Held annually on the last Saturday of August, The Kangaroo Hoppet is a long distance cross-country skiing race regulated by the Worldloppet Ski Federation. The day’s activities include three main events – The Kangaroo Hoppet, the Australian Birkebeiner and the Joe Hoppet. The Kangaroo Hoppet covers a distance of 42 km and is an official Worldloppet main race, while the Australian Birkebeiner covers half the distance and is counted as a Worldloppet short race. The 7 km Joey Hoppet offers skiers the opportunity to experience a taste of the larger events, but is not counted as a Worldloppet race. This popular event has been taking place annually since it debuted in 1991.

A new ski resort has opened its doors at Falls Creek for the 2013 snow sport season, offering 63 one, two and three-bedroom apartments with panoramic views of the spectacular scenery the area is known for. Most of the apartments have hot-tubs on their balconies, screened off from neighbors for privacy while making the most of the view. QT Falls Creek will have the chain’s signature StingRay lounge for esprit-ski activities, as well as the SpaQ wellness center for some serious pampering.

As Australia heads into snow sport season, a leading Australian climatologist has noted that each year the snow season is shrinking, and predicts that this winter will be no exception. As the Australian Bureau of Meteorology monitors the situation, it has been observed that particularly high temperatures have been recorded over the past nine months, with every indication that above-average temperatures will continue during winter. However, thanks to modern snowmaking technologies, snow sport fans are assured that they will be able to enjoy their Australian skiing vacations as usual.

Free Skills Sessions at Snowplanet

Editor — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:50:49 +0000

Celebrating the onset of winter in New Zealand by promoting the thrill of snow skiing, some of the country’s top winter athletes will be offering free skills sessions at Snowplanet on Saturday May 18, 2013. The special ‘Welcome to Winter’ event will feature loads of tips from Anna Wilcox, Tom McGaw and Byron Wells, helping newcomers and seasoned snow sport enthusiasts to hone their skills for the coming season.

Based in Wanaka, Byron Wells participated in the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships held at Colorado’s Breckenridge Ski Resort in December 2012, claiming second place in the Men’s Freeski Superpipe event, thereby adding to his growing list of achievements. As one of four talented brothers, Byron was born in Wanaka on April 3, 1992, and was introduced to the snow at a very young age. He earned the title of the New Zealand National Champion for ski racing in his age group from 2000 through to 2006.

With her eye on the 2014 Winter Olympic Games set to take place in Sochi, Russia, freeskier Anna Wilcox-Silfverberg’s career best thus far has been third place in the International Ski Federation (FIS) Freestyle Ski World Cup women’s slopestyle finals held in Sierra Nevada Spain. Based in Auckland, Wilcox has only been competing in the slopestyle discipline for a year, so the third place victory reveals the skier’s huge potential for the future.

Based in the Southern Lakes region and training at Snow Park and Cardrona, Tom McGaw is fresh out of high school and already making an impression on the New Zealand snow sport scene with his daredevil talents.

Go Snow marketing coordinator Jo Lynch is encouraging skiers and snowboards to join in the fun and learn new tricks and ride with the pros on Snowplanet’s terrain park, noting that the athletes are taking time out from their busy training schedules to pass on some tips, share their experiences and answer questions.

Skiers and riders can also see this as an opportunity to try the latest gear, see some equipment demos, stand a chance of scoring some awesome giveaways, and enjoy the music. Welcome to Winter starts at 9am on May 18 and goes on all day. Pre-sold discounted tickets are available on the Snowplanet website from today.

ANZ Snowboarding Mag Demo Days

Editor — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:21:52 +0000

Snowboarding enthusiasts take note of the ANZ Snowboarding Mag Demo Days on 22-23 June 2013 at Perisher. Grab the opportunitiey to “test drive” the latest snowboards and view the latest trends in accessories.

Dates: 22-23 June 2013
Venue: Perisher
State: New South Wales
Country: Australia

SKImag Demo Days

Editor — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:16:51 +0000

Taking place on 22-23 June, the SKImag Demo Days gives skiers the opportunity to “test-drive” the latest models of top brands, including K2, Salomon & Volkl. For more information go to theskimag.com

Dates: 22-23 June 2013
Venue: Perisher
State: New South Wales
Country: Australia

Fresh Snow Extends Season for Colorado Resorts

Editor — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:20:39 +0000

As resorts in North America started wrapping up the 2012/2013 ski season, abundant snowfall has resulted in some resorts extending the season, at least through the weekend of 19-21 April. Among the resorts keeping their lifts and facilities going for the upcoming weekend are Colorado’s Copper Mountain, Vail Mountain and Breckenridge. Aspen Highlands had already committed to staying open through April 21, but now plan to reopen for the weekend of 27-28 April. Winter Park Resort had also committed to a closing date of 21 April and is currently sticking with that, while Loveland Ski Area has plans to remain running until 5 May, and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area is reportedly keeping its options open to extend its season into June.

In honor of its 40th anniversary, Copper Mountain is offering daily lift tickets at $40, with Sierra, Timberline and American Flyer being open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 4pm. Retail, rentals and restaurant facilities will be open at Center Village. Noting that “Mother Nature is a fickle business partner”, president and general manager of Copper Mountain Resort Gary Rodgers went on to say that the extended season was a good way of thanking loyal guests for celebrating the resorts 40th anniversary. In addition to receiving more than a foot of snow since Copper Mountain’s original closing day, snow is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, with the possibility of more during the weekend.

Vail Mountain has received up to two feet of snow since Monday, with the irony of a snowstorm after closing day not being lost on skiers who had enjoyed what was meant to be the final weekend of Vail’s 50th anniversary season. With steady snow falling during an employee ski day on Monday, Vail management took the decision to extend its season, something which it apparently hasn’t done since the 1986-87 season. While it may seem that it’s an easy decision to stay open, it is quite a challenge for the resort’s management to gather and reemploy staff and care for other logistics. But when it means more time on the snow, no challenge is too great to overcome, and skiers no doubt understand that services offered will be limited to the basics. If the comments and ‘likes’ on Vail’s Facebook page is anything to go by, the resort is in for an exciting and busy weekend as skiers and snowboarders head back for the slopes.

Come and Try Cross Country Skiing

Editor — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:27:52 +0000

Taking place on July 6 at the perisher Cross Country Trails, this event is open to everyone who would like to try their hand at cross country skiing. During a two hour lesson participants will learn the techniques used by skilled professionals for cross country skiing. For more information visit snowsportsact.com.au

Date: 6 July 2013
Venue: Perisher Cross Country Trails
State: New South Wales
Country: Australia

Bumper 2012/2013 Ski Season for Europe

Editor — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:04:07 +0000

While in the United States snow skiing resorts are dealing with the economic impact of reduced snowfall, in Europe resorts have experienced a bumper 2012/2013 snow sport season with good early-season snow kicking the season off in style. The global recession hit Europe’s ski resorts hard, with 2009 experiencing a 13 percent drop in snow sport enthusiasts hitting the slopes according to the Ski Industry Report by Crystal. The decline in 2010, 2011 and 2012 was not as drastic (10%, 5% and 1.8% respectively), but nonetheless businesses suffered as holidaymakers tightened their belts. The 2012/2013 season, however, was reminiscent of pre-recession days with skiers and boarders turning out in large numbers and right through to the end of the season. The final figures detailing just how successful the season was will only be available in mid-April, but reports from ski resorts throughout Europe indicate that the snow sport industry is well on its way to recovery.

Among the resorts reporting increased business is St Anton in Austria which experienced a 20% increase in the month of January, making the resorts investment in infrastructure worthwhile, especially as the area received plentiful snow. France also experienced a good season, reportedly primarily due to offering value for money packages. Many ski tour operators working in Europe also introduced discounted package tours, some of which included flights, accommodation, tuition, lift passes and equipment hire. Some also offered skiers significant discounts for booking early, pushing an early start to the season, and being a turnaround on the last-minute deals of the past.

Although it is unlikely the snow sport industry in Europe has experienced a complete recovery in one season, advance bookings for 2013/2014 indicate that skiers and snowboarders intend to make the most of the icy conditions Europe has been experiencing. It was interesting to note that there was no significant growth in packages offered to beginner skiers, suggesting that the increased business over the 2012/2013 season was due to seasoned skiers returning to the sport. Moreover, it has been noted that this trend is benefiting not only the high-altitude resorts – Val Thorens and Tignes in France for example – but also the relatively low-lying resorts such as Ellmau and Söll in Austria.

Snowsports Sale & Expo 2013

Editor — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:54:30 +0000

Held every year on the second Saturday in May, the SnowSports ACT Ski and Snowboard Sale and Expo will be held on May 11, 2013, offering buyers and sellers the opportunity to exchange ‘pre-loved’ snowsports equipment. In addition to private sales, local retailers will be selling new and ex-hire gear at bargain prices. For more information contact info@snowsportsact.com.au

Date: 11 May 2013
Venue: Old Bus Depot Market
City: Kingston, Canberra
Country: Australia

Snowclash at Avoriaz

Editor — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:40:41 +0000

Grab this opportunity to improve your freestyle skills in an event that encourages creativity. With a superpipe, boarder-cross, e snow parks and an ecological snowpark, Avorias is clearly geared up to provide Freestyle enthusiasts with plenty of excitement. For more information visit www.avoriaz.com

Dates: 29 March to 7 April 2013
Venue: Avoriaz
Country: France

Snow Tubing – Loads of Family Fun

Editor — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:12:22 +0000

An activity that is similar to sledding, snow tubing is a whole lot of relatively safe fun that can be enjoyed by the entire family as a winter sport. While snow tubing carries an element of risk in an uncontrolled environment, primarily due to the fact that, unlike sledding, the rider has no way of steering the tube, quite a number of ski resorts now have courses with slopes and safety barriers dedicated to the activity, including The Summit at Noqualmie, Norquay at Banff, Camelback Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, Windham Mountain and Nashoba, among others. Motorized pulley towlines or ‘magic carpets’ are used to tow riders to the top of the slopes, which is an adventure in itself.

Camelback Mountain resort boasts 34 snow-tubing lanes and two magic carpets, ensuring that the fun on the snow-covered slopes never stops. Single and double tubes offer riders the option of sliding tandem, or competing with one another to get to the bottom in the shortest possible time. Parents should note that children under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult carrying a valid Tubing ticket and there are some height/size restrictions.

Snow tubing at Windham Mountain takes place down a 650 foot slope in multiple lanes. The canvas-covered tubes can be ridden solo, or up to six tubes can be tied together for a fun group run. No skill is required and as long as the would-be rider is tall enough to comfortably get in and out of the tube, he/she can ride. Be prepared for plenty of shrieking, laughter and multiple trips – as once is never enough.

Nashoba’s Tubing Park has eighteen tubing lanes with two lifts running most days in season and is currently the largest tubing park in New England. The Summit at Noqualmie has snow tubing on weekends in two-hour sessions, giving plenty of time to slip, slide and slither to your heart’s content.

The great thing about snow tubing, which is growing in popularity in leaps and bounds, is that almost anyone can do it (age restriction generally 6 years, with minimum height requirement of 42″). No tuition is required and all riders need to do is settle into the tube, grab the handles and let gravity do the rest – Enjoy!