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Ivica Kostelič’s wish to reach the world cup finals in Lenzerheide, having won the prized Crytsal Globe, finally came true in Kvitfjell. He is, now, so far ahead of his competitors that the prospect of any of them finishing close is next to nothing. Besides, if one must be honest, then it is fair to say that not did offer a challenge one this season. Svindal was out of tune, while Janka fell ill and Cuche didn’t compete in 2 disciplines. This turn of events eventually allowed the Croat to deservedly achieve one of his sporting goals. These results should not make the competition any less interesting though, as many more questions are still left unanswered.

The Downhill (M): Two veterans, who have led the discipline for the past 6 years, will be fighting it for the small Crystall Globes. Before Kvitfjell, Didier Cuche came as favourite to dispose of Michael Walchhofer, however the Austrian managed a win ensued by a third place that catapulted him in top position in the rankings. Before the last competition, Cuche had a 14 points lead over the Swiss, with Klaus Kroell still in with a theoretical chance to win a globe. However, the track in Lenzerheide should suit Cuche best.
SUPER G (M): With his victory in Kvitfjell Didier Cuche made a big step towards an overall win in the discipline. Second came the Austrian Streitberger, and in third place came Ivica Kostelič who was already lagging 68 points behind. Cuche is so much in control that finishing anywhere amongst the first eight will guarantee him an overall victory in the discipline.

Giant Slalom: With already three wins this season, the American Ted Ligety is well ahead his closest competitor. The world champion holds a 77 points lead over the Norwegian Svindal, who is yet to hit top form. Provided that Ligety finishes in the top eleven, he will successfully defend last year’s title owned by himself. In an incredible twist of faith, the French skier Cyprien Richard could still be in with a chance to grab gold.
The best 2 slalom competitors dropped out of the Kranjksa Gora championship. This leaves Lenzerheide to decide who the overall slalom will champion. Kostelič is 36 points ahead of the Frenchman Jean Baptiste Grange, who is currently in top form. The French skier can still win it, only if the Croat falls in a heap of trouble. The Swede will also be hoping for mistake from the first two as he will be fighting for a top finish place.
SUPERKOMBINACIJA (M): Ivica Kostelič has already won the small crystal globe.

As for the women, the situation is theopposite. The winners in individual disciplines are almost all already decided, but the battle to decide the winner in the team discipline promises to be a tough one . Friends Maria Riesch and Lindsey Vonn will be fighting it out. The German has a 23 points advantage with 4 competitions left, although the American skier appears to be mentally stronger. In the end, small will decide the faith of the race.
Downhill (W): Lindsey Vonn is already Crystal Globe winner.
SUPER G (Z): Lindsey Vonn is also already a Crystal Globe winner in this discipline.
GS (F): Young Victoria Rebensburg is presently in the best position to win the discipline.
And just as for Ligety, the German skier finds herself 77 points ahead of second placed French Tessa Worley. In order to win, the latter will be hoping for a top finish in the final competition or a second place, with Rebensburg making a mistake.
SLALOM (W): Marlies Schield already the winner of the Crystal Globe.
SUPERG (W): Lindsey Vonn is already the winner of the Crystal Globe.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Hi all,

Here I simply wanted to share a video about the Trois Vallées (Three valleys) ski domain in France. Filmed as the cameraman/woman was skiing down hill, the video really gives you a good impression of what to expect if you were to ski in the 3 Vallées.
It is not said to be the biggest skiable domain in the world for nothing, and from the video, the big space, the never ending mountain chain, the interminable view above the clouds, can really be appreciated and sensed.
And if you are not familiar with this skiable domain, then you need to know that it is home to some of the best known resorts, not only in Europe, but also in the World.

Enjoy and have fun watching the video!!!

Should you feel tempted to go to France to ski the Trois Vallées, which include the ski resorts of La Tania, Courchevel, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, Saint Martin de Belleville, Brides Les Bains, Méribel Mottaret, we advise you to vist our website page where you’ll be sure to find snowboard and ski holidays, book hotels and other accommodation to please your wishes.

A big thank you to jimgrieve72 who did the video.

The times ensuing the 2006 Garmisch-Partenkirchen World Cup showed german skiing as a whole, in a dire position. The aim therefore in creating this competition was to promote skiing in a land where football and biathlon rule.
The Games on the Snow were created in that perspective, emulating the championship’s slogan in the process. However nature had a different conception of fun as it overwhelmed the games first, with ice and then with slush.This turned out in the to severely sap the overall quality of the competition. Damaged tracks and tons of snow salt covered with PTX was the principal source of troubles to the competitors.

Just take a look at the barren hills, where only a few white spots could be found. Those actually made the racing tracks and it wasn’t to impress neither. To add misery to all these weather complications, we also got to witness during the first part of the championship some very messy timings indeed. A fact that stands utterly unacceptable for a competition of such level, to say the least. The second part of the championship somehow saw those issues resolved, although doubts are still raised about some of the results. The International Ski Federation (FIS) can now expect to receive quite a few complaints from the other national ski federations.

TV production during the championship didn’t shine too bright either. The direction too managed their fair share of mistakes, partly due to the no optimal positioning of the track cameras.

In competitive terms, Austria, despite having its team ravaged by injuries still managed to maintain its status as the best ski nation. The credit for this, however, goes primarily to the girls, who took as many as four gold medals.
The biggest disappointment in term of results was the German team. The German organisers wanted to make a serial champion out of their favourite competitor, Maria Riesch. Instead, they ended up dragging her from one “dog show “ to another. Yet, despite feeling sick and exhausted, the First Lady of the World Cup still managed to take home two bronze medals, which is still less than the tally the Germans were hoping for as well as in stark contarst with the world Alpine skiing audience’s expectations.

With this prestation,it can be said that the Germans didn’t exactly demonstrate to be the perfect candidate to host the 2018 Munich Winter Games. However, we all know that other factors come in contention when it will be time to decide the championships’s host. The curtains has now been drawn in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It now remains to be seen if Schladming will see any significant improvement.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

PS: You can also vist Mountvacation main site to book your next ski holidays and make sure not to miss the next great big sporting event on the slopes.

There are many traditional ski resorts and alpine communities in France and one of them is Megève. Guests love to visit the Megève’s skiing area known as Domaine Évasion Montblanc. Megève and the entire Domaine Évasion Montblanc have the best ski slopes in Europe. There are excellent hotels in Megève that will meet everyone’s preferences, budget and requirements.

One of the best Megève hotels is HMC Hotel l’Arboisie. This hotel is centrally located on Mount Arboise Road and offers one of the most fantastic views of the village. This hotel offers beautifully appointed and spacious rooms perfect for guests looking for an ideal mountain resort experience. Another tourist accommodation that boasts of breathtaking views of the mountains is Lodge Park. The proximity of the Lodge Park Hotel to the casino gives their guests an alternative activity during the evenings.

Another hotel in Megève that has a great view of the mountains is Au Coin du Feu. The welcoming atmosphere of this charming hotel will give you that feeling of a home away from home. Guests will love to have a quiet and romantic dinner in their cozy restaurant that serves a wonderful blend of European dishes.

One of the most recommended Megève hotels is Le Fer de Cheval located in the heart of the village. This quaint and beautifully maintained hotel offers excellent cuisine surrounded by antiques in rustic settings. It is not cheap but the price you pay for the experience of staying in Le Fer de Cheval is worth it.

There are many other hotels in Megève that cater for couples, families and groups. All the hotels in Megève offer great service and are sure to make your holiday a memorable experience.

For a full listing of Megève hotels, we advise you to visit the following link http://www.mountvacation.com/en/france/megeve/, where you will be able to read reviews, view pictures and tariffs of all the accommodation found in Megève

It seems that lately, Peter Fischer, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Alpine skiing World Cup has started to lose his nerves. On top of his already busy schedule, he had to answer at a press conference some pretty embarrassing questions concerning some race timing errors in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

It is absolutely ridiculous, that in 2011, and on a big stage such as the Alpine skiing world championship, that the timing of competitors cannot be effected without flaws. Errors can be seen on TV, and even more so in the finish arena. Split times are inaccurate or completely off the mark, with some of the lapses just being down right comical. This is taking some of the gloss away from a sport that has millions of TV viewers who are now stripped of the overwhelming emotion that the hundredth usually arouses during the races. This time around, ALGE, the Austrian company in charge of race timing, has come out as the guilty part, although it is Swiss timing that is usually in charge of timing the World cup races.

The organizers saved up by signing a “better deal”, effectively putting their trust in a less experienced timing company. They are now of course very sorry about the decision taken, not only because it totally ridicules the other strong sponsor, the reputed watch maker HUBLOT, that sees its brand name being displayed under each timed result, albeit the race being timed by the Austrian outfit.

Hublot coughed out the money to give its brand more exposure, but had almost no say in the selection of the timer to be used at the competition. This has turned out to be a nightmare for Hublot, whose hope of generating good publicity in Garmisch-Partnekirchen ends up piling embarrassment instead. The company is now directing all its efforts towards informing the public that the time is being measured by someone else.

The damage has now been repaired by the International Ski Federation, which has now amended all the results. The FIS manager Francesco Cattaneo gave assurances that all the times are absolutely correct; an assurance not shared by the journalist and some of the TV broadcasters.

The most blatant example was that of the Slovene athlete Tina Maze in the Super Slalom, who had her first time cancelled, then later reinstated. She was eventually granted the official time of 1:25:06. Slovenian and Swiss television replayed, second by second, Tina Maze’s run over and over again on their computer. At 1:25:06 Tina is at least ten meters past the finish line. Following a detailed video-analysis, it was actually considered that the excellent Slovene skier would have clocked a time half a second faster. This would have in effect meant a progression from 11th to 5th place, had that time been taken into account.

The Slovenian Ski Association is now preparing a formal complaint that must first comply with all the legal provisions. However the FIS has a rule that prevents television images being taken into account in the timing of races, rendering the chances of getting an appeal pretty slim.

The biggest problem with this farce is that each timed run falls now under severe scrutiny. When it comes to Alpine skiing, only one thing matters, and it is the race time. A single error and the whole process comes immediately under the microscope, along with the integrity of the championship.
ALGE blames high temperatures and a very loud sound system being used, which at certain frequencies can affect the time measurement. Absolute nonsense if you ask me, as some of the world championship races are held in some more extreme weather conditions without a hitch.

As far as things stand, it appears that they cannot put their finger on the error, and therefore one can now expect chaos right until the end of the championship. Nothing will change at this championship.
It is only when we will reminisce of this year’s Garmisch-Partnekirchen medal winners that we as reporters, we will mention the farce in which times where all put under scrutiny.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Great video! Check these lads snowboarding Paris asif it was the last place left on earth to do so. It’s fun and HISTORICAL, watch It!

Unfortunately we don not have any chalets to rent in Paris. It’s giving me ideas though! However, should you really want to escape on a lovely ski holidays simply visit our site at http://www.mountvacation.com.

Paris - Montmartre_Google maps

MountVacation, mountain and ski accommodation provider, with more than 3800 properties across the best resorts in Europe, has pimped its site with a brand a new feature on its destinations and hotels pages: the long awaited ski pistes maps.
As from now, when making a reservation for you next ski holidays or just browsing the site for special deals, ski holidays, accomm0odation or more generally for information, you’ll also be able to view the maps of the ski slopes on specific ski resorts. The Ski maps show the start and end of each track within a chosen resort or ski area, but also the colour of each them: green, blue, red or black, according to the level of difficulties, with black being the hardest.

Alternatively, if you’re browsing hotels, then the ski maps showing the location of the accommodation according to tracks around. Mountvacation listened to its clients and understood that it is indeed a crucial information to provide to its visitors.

As you know, ski maps are essential information to any hardened or beginner skier or snowboarder who desire to book their ski holiday. Ski pistes maps are courtesy of Snowranger.com, the map provider for Garmin GPS equipment giant. As you will notice not all the resorts have their maps, although the main ones are covered, But fret not, as we are in the progress of adding more ski maps, the aim being to provide evry single skiing area with a details maps of its skiing tracks. MountVacation obviously tries to update as many of the resorts as is possible, and will notify its clients as soon as they will be available on the site. In the mean time, you can visit our website which displays enough information to help you plan the vacation of your expected on slopes.
In addition, MountVacation is pleased to announce that it will also be very soon including snow reporting, current weather conditions, weather and snow forecast as well as the history of snow fall for the last 10 years within a given region or locality. This will be added to the site soon, and a notification will be sent once operational.
To view some of the ski maps just visit a destination or accommodation in http://www.mountvacation.com/, where you will also have the chance to book your long awaited, hard earned ski holidays.

Classically Chic France

Courchevel, as much of the great skiing in France goes, is located in Savoy, walled in by the Three Valleys, or Les Trois Vallees. I’ve never personally explored all of the Three Valleys in France, but I have come to rely on Courchevel as my port of entry, so to speak. Even when the dollar  falls, I still got a chalet with two other families for something ridiculously low (around 150 Euros each for the week). Blues and reds dominate the landscape and there’s always deals to be found, from happy hour to hotel specials. If you’re looking for a snowy French escape, it doesn’t get much more classically chic than in Courchevel, that much I’m certain. To find more pictures, hotel or apartment in Courchevel follow the link

Italian Mountain Adventures

Madonna di Campiglio is about as close to the Dolomites as I want to be. Not that I can’t find suitable skiing, but I swear I had a dream that the shark-like jaws of the mountains in the backdrop were eating me on my last skiing vacation there. Madonna makes experts wish they tried harder and leaves us blue and red skiers black and blue for days. The one slope I really like lasts almost 4 km with another 60 interlinking slopes to choose from. If you’ve wanted to take the family to a place where you could all get away (and hide for the day) then Madonna di Campiglio is the place to do it. Plus, the gastronomy is everything Italian and more. To find more information about Madonna di Campiglio hotel or Madonna di Campiglio apartment, click on those links.

Spanish in Style

If you’re going to ski spain, then you must ski Spain right. That is, Formigal is probably one of the best ski resort stopovers in the Pyrenees. I’ve skied it in the winter and hiked it in the summer, and the views, slopes and resorts are well worth the visit. Formigal wasn’t really much before it turned itself into one of the most comprehensive skiing resorts, if not in Europe then in Spain. The place, then, was built for skiing—purpose built—so there is no bad pistes to be found. The ski lifts are well oiled and get you to the top lickety-split. Formigal fits in with the rest of Europe’s over 100 Club (over 100 km of slopes to access) and has plenty to do for those looking for a mixer or two.

Outdoors in Austria

Anything outdoors in Austria is going to be amazing—they seemingly set the standard, or at least the bar for how a resort ought to be fun. Molltaler Gletscher is no exception to the Austrian rule of fast, and efficient fun. I think it was here I got stuck on the funicular, though it was exceptional, and had to wait about fifteen minutes on the side of the mountain. I mean, Obertauern is nice too, but I chose skiing Molltaler Gletsher because of how easy it is to get there from the Klagenfut airport or from Vienna. Plus, there’s just more to do than can be done in just a week or more. The snow park, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and everything in between can’t be beat. If for no other reason, the ski season here is one of the longest till mid-April and the 50+ slopes offer something for all shades of skiing abilities. If you need some more information or looking for pictures, then visit Moelltal hotel and apartment page and check how easy it is to hit the slopes during the summer.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SKIING

Skiing has been around for a good length of time and it’s set to be around for a lot longer. Providing we have the snow that is! There might be a few things about the history of skiing that you may not know about, so here’s a brief history lesson in skiing as well as short video:

ski videos >>

There’s always going to be conflicting arguments about where the first skis were found and/or discovered. There are two claims to this but they seem to centre around the same time period. The first is from Russia and it’s a very vague date of 6300-5000 BC. The skis were made of hard wood and were found in the northwest of Moscow. The other claim has the oldest skis found in Norway around 5100 BC, give or take 150 years. Either way, whichever one came first, skiing existed long before most people care to think. There were drawings on walls of skis and skiing, which can only lead you to believe that someone was shredding powder even before spoken language was developed.

All early skis that were found in Norway, Finland and Sweden were mostly used on flat ground since ski bindings were loose toe straps that would not keep the skis attached to ski boots during downhill runs. It seems that our modern day skiing and freeskiing was a far cry from skiing at that moment in time.

You can’t forget that whatever man seems to create, it will invariably use it in some form of war. According to records, skis were used during the Battle of Oslo as the Norwegians spied on their Swedish enemies (around 1200 AD). Not only that, but the Norwegian military formed the Ski Company in 1747. It paved the way for skis to be attached to the boots at both the heel and toe thus creating a version of the ski you see today.

Modern day skiing was developed around the 1850s by a Norwegian chap named Sondre Norheim (are you seeing a pattern emerging yet?). He developed the first stiff bindings using wet birch roots tied to his boots, which allowed him more control. With Sondre developing the binding, Mathuas Zdarskey of Austria introduced the technique of pushing one ski at an angle to the fall line so that you can control your speed.

These two guys were the basis of a lot of the skiing techniques and equipment you see today. After seeing the Mathias throw his moves around on the mountains, Hannes Schneider was inspired and developed new stopping techniques from which most skiing techniques are based on! It seems that the old saying of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ really applies to skiing.

In the early 1900s, Skiing became a very popular sport and the first slalom race was held in 1921. Despite this being the first race, there are published descriptions of ski racing from the 16^th century and there are newspaper clippings from the 1850s of similar events. I guess we’ll never really know about the first ever race but I’m thinking that the 16^th century is a damn good place to start.

After the first slalom race in 1921, the popularity grew and grew over three years and culminated in the first ever Winter Olympics to be held in Chamonix except back then it was call The International Winter Sports Week. Skiing dominated the event listings with Nordic Combined Skiing, Cross Country Skiing and Ski Jumping taking up 3 of the 9 events. Not too long after this was, what could well be, the first Big Air competition. It was held in Madison Square Garden, New York in 1930. It would be the basis of many big air comps that we see today such as Freestyle.ch.

Not much has changed since the 30s. Obviously there have been dramatic changes in ski technology and skiing competitions but they all come down to these facts and always will do. Skis have become so scientific that you could bet your life on it and professionals regularly do. From slalom, to downhill, to freestyle, skiers will be using the best technology in skiing each winter to fling themselves down and off mountains and the one person they have to thank? Well, it’s either some Russian or some Norwegian but either way, they have to thank someone. Sports progress so quickly these days it’s easy to forget where it started so take the time to give this a read and hopefully it gives you the historic fix you were after.

If you were more interested in the history of Freeskiing, I’ll let the guys from Salomon tell you how it happened. After all, it’s much easier to watch something these days. Enjoy!

Held on February twelfth through the eighteenth, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver brought in over 2,600 athletes from all over the world. There were 86 different events featuring seven different sports, including:

• Bobsled
• Skeleton
• Ice Hockey
• Luge
• Figure Skating
• Speed Skating
• Short Track Speed Skating
• Curling

Featuring summer and winter sports, The Olympic Games are a major international event that draws in millions of viewers. They are held every two years, rotating both summer and winter activities. So respectively, winter games are held every four years, as are summer games.

The games are typically sponsored by large selection of wealthy sponsors like Mcdonalds, Visa, Kodak, GE, and so on and so forth. This year, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) has made the decision to become an official Olympic Sponsor. CEO and Chair Andrew Liveris announced on July 16^th, 2010 that the company has become a Worldwide Olympic Partner via The Olympic Partners Program (TOP).

According to a press release by Bob Plishka of Dow, they will be known as the official “Chemistry Company” of the Olympic Movement. Congruently, they’ll be partnering with the IOC or International Olympic Committee and National Olympic Committees around the world all the way through 2020.

The International Olympic Committee is composed of a large number of both national and international sporting organizations and federations, media partners, athletes, judges, officials and any other related institution that agrees to follow the rules of the Olympic Charter. They are response for the following duties:

1. Choosing a hosting city
2. General Planning of the games
3. Updating and approving the program at hand
4. Negotiating Sponsors and distribution of rights

In a statement to the press: “With our long-standing commitment to global sustainability, innovation, scientific excellence and

Addressing world challenges, we believe Dow is perfectly matched to the vision of the Olympic

Movement, which is about peace, progress and the world coming together to celebrate our common humanity,” said Liveris. He goes on to mention that the partnership will only create new opportunities for both organizations and be a great growth catalyst for Dow and some of its newer ventures. President of the IOC, Dr. Jacques Rogge, welcomed Dow with open arms at the same press conference, stating “We are delighted to welcome Dow to the TOP Program…As a Global leader in the chemical industry and an innovator in sustainability, Dow will provide much more than critical financial support to the Olympic Movement. They will also bring industry-leading expertise and innovation to the Games themselves. Dow will be an important partner in making our vision for sustainability and global cooperation a reality.”

Author: David Suntin is a member of the sports blogosphere and speaks to a vast audience regarding major sporting events worldwide.

It is this time of the year again. The time to book our well earned holidays in the snow for this years skiing season. This time around, the place in question is Zell am See, a hub of activities that has thousands flocking each year onto its pistes and cross country trail. Beginners, proficient as well as professionals have made, throughout the years, of Zell am See Kaprun their place of choice to indulge in snow sports activities, which are aplenty in Zell am (as it is also known by the regulars).

Below are ten indoors as well as outdoors activities, among many others, this great ski destination has to offer:

1. Skiers, snowboarders and free riders will be able to ski until satiated on the 138 km of pistes covering all levels of difficulty. For the mountains and the glaciers surrounding Zell am see provide snow all year round, allowing thus to hit the slopes at any time.

2. If you are not one for the thrills of the down hills, the you will be able to take advantage of the 200 km of x-country trails that can be found in the region.

3. If cross country is still too fast for you, and would like to extract all the pleasures of the incredible pristine nature on offer in Zell am See, then you should take up the Nordic Walking. A sport that will help you to not only keep fit, but that will also have you in awe of the majestic scenery that litter this exceptional alpine region.

4. What about trying the snow under ( or over) a new perspective? Snow kiting offers just that and will have you gliding at speed reaching up to 75km/hr. Not for the faint hearted one might say!

5. This one is special for the whole family, as this activity will enthuse children and adults alike. Tobogganing, will get you to roll back the years to your childhood, while children will discover the pleasure of snow through this fun activity.

Now, you might have taken your family to a nice holiday in the snow, but are not a snow enthusiast yourself! Well, fret not as you will not run short of indoor activities in the ski resort of Zell am.

6. Grab your rackets, not the snow ones, I must make mention, for you will be able to play indoor tennis in the modern tennis halls available on site.

7. This one is more for the ladies, although their companions are more than welcome to join. Hit the gym and pools for some aqua fitness, aerobics, Tae Bo and many more similar activities…

8. Zell am See has managed something quiet exceptional that will get you to blend the pleasure of nature with art, as you will be able to admire some giant sculptures in an area covering 180hectares and that are part of a project started back in the 50’s called »Gallery on the pistes«.

9. After a hard day skiing the pistes of Zell am See Kaprun, time to relax. And that can be done with some massages, aroma therapies, Turkish baths that can all be found in the Optimum Kaprun spa centre. It will keep you fresh and revitalised throughout your stay.

10. And once the day is done and the children are fast asleep, you will be able to indulge in one of the resorts favourite activity, PARTYING. You will be amazed by the night life in this part of Mozart country. The town at night get vibrant, and you will never run out of options to spend a memorable evening in Zell am See.

So there you are! Ten activities that will keep you and your family busy throughout your stay in Zell am See Kaprun. And believe you me, after your stay, you will really give a thought as to whether to make of Zell am your future regular ski holidays destination.

Last year in Beaver Creek, Jean-Baptiste Grange injured himself. The ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered meant that the Vancouver Olympics were to proceed without its star performer. The Frenchman was 25 at the time, and to have to bid farewell to the Olympic season came as a severe blow to him.

The veil overshadowing the men standings in this year’s alpine skiing world cup has now been lifted. The 45^th edition was officially opened in Sölden a month ago with the women’s giant slalom competition. A thick fog greeted the men on the Rettenbach Glacier, forcing the opening of the new season to be moved to the previous week-end in Levi, Finland.

This time around, little comparison has been made between competitors. Instead, after last year’s Olympics, many have decided to concentrate their efforts on the team’s form, and with the arrival of new coaches, hope to outperform their rivals. The southern hemisphere provides during the summer months the scene for professional skiing. Argentina, Chile and New Zealand are the most common stops for world class skiers.

France is at the moment dominating the rankings. They stand one step ahead of the competition in both technical disciplines. The already established skiers have been joined by some younger athletes. To be noted though, is the return of the recently injured stars, such as Thomas Fanara and Jean-Baptiste Grange. The French man having previously won the 08/09 Slalom Crystal Globe top accolade. A discipline he came close to winning the previous year, but that he had to concede to the Italian Manfred Moelgg due to a mistake in the final race of the season in Bormio.

Injuries in Alpine Skiing highlight the differences that exist between bigger and lesser teams, the same way it does highlight the discrepancies between champions and less performing skiers. The former finding themselves in a really enviable position, as the contrast amplifies at the time of rehabilitation. The bigger teams or athletes, who have earned more, thus have access to treatments that are a far reach from the lesser protagonists who cannot afford the over costly insurances.   This in turn might also lead to a loss of income.

Furthermore, some athletes and teams are totally left to fare for themselves, as trainers and physiotherapists limit themselves to prescribing exercises with absolutely no follow up, leaving In effect, those struggling competitors to bank solely on their determination and willingness to get through the hard times. Too many questions are left unanswered that renders it difficult for the athlete to get back to the team training, where opportunities are very few anyway. Which physiotherapist will they visit? How will they pay for the treatment or how will they train? Which diet will they implement, how much muscle mass will be lost?

This leaves a large number of athletes to forcibly abandon the sport of their dream and find other of objects interest instead.

Grange, on the other hand, did the exact the opposite thanks to the French Skiing Association (FFS), which has to deal with its own financial problems. They realised how the Frenchman aroused, over the past years, the interest of the French people in Alpine Skiing. The FFS consequently gave him all the support that he needed for a speedy recovery. Besides Grange himself, did what he thought was necessary to regain fitness.

First of all, he distanced himself from the media as he did not want his comments to interfere with the team’s work nor create unnecessary agitation before or during the Olympics. He entirely focused his efforts on himself and his speedy recovery. After a successful operation on the cruciate ligament, he visited rehabilitation centres where he was treated by the best experts.

The desired effect was achieved. In June, this year, he started snow training. The feelings of old gradually came back to the French champion. It was as if all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. From one turn to another, Jean Batiste Grange found his way back. After a long break, he was eager to prove himself and to compete once again. The French coaches knew he was fast, but did not want to put additional pressure on him before the season. The first giant slalom ride in Sölden has already shown that his was back at the top. Then came Levi. The slalom race he won back in 2008. The same year he won this discipline. And as if the previous hadn’t existed, he clocked the fastest time. Poetry in motion, straining effortlessly the limits of the possible… Balance and short turns prevailed. In the end, the closest competitor, the Swede Andre Myhrer, grabbed second position, 0.33 sec behind the Frenchman, while the Croat Ivica Kostelič came third, clocking over a second more.

When on skis, Jean Baptiste Grange makes every move look all so simple. And yet they are not! Far from it! This has been vindicated by other athletes struggling to achieve good results. The French skier on the other hand, had no trouble at all. The boss is back! However, one must realise that rare are those who return with a win.

Urban Laurenčič original post translated by Christian Ngalikpima

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For every action, you can expect a reaction. After Head brought in their team the Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, it left his serviceman at Atomic, Edi Unterberger, without employer. A true a master in his profession, he saw enormous success with Hermann Maier. He later briefly acted as Walchhofer Michael’s serviceman. As Atomic saw a brighter future with Svindal, the team designated Unterberger as serviceman for last year’s two times winner in the aggregate standings at the Norwegian World Cup. Remember, it was with his help that Svindal brought home the full scope of awards in the Vancouver Olympics. He then went on to join Head. For a hefty sum of money, at that!
Michael Walchhofer begins, this year, his final World Cup Season. In the previous season, the 35-year-old hotelier from Altenmarkt came short of bringing home more than a single win. He must have missed his former serviceman. After leaving Svindal, Walchhofer immediately went on to resume his cooperation with the now team-less Unterberger. Atomic welcomed the move, and as history shows, have hit the bull’s eye.
Walchhofer convincingly won the first downhill race of the season in Lake Louise, effectively ending the Austrian team poor string of performances. Indeed the team hadn’t won the main discipline since March 2009. A winning drought for Austria, the most powerful skiing nation in the world that lasted 630 days!
At the finish, the winner of 16th edition of the skiing World Cup looked at his ski and immediately pointed out in his first interview the fact that they were “unusually” fast. Indeed, Walchhofer enjoyed a clear advantage over his competitors in the flatter part of the Lake Louise racecourse, where good gliding is of the essence, and where the skis must be fast.
He thanked his serviceman, sipped ale and then went on to prepare for the super-G, which was on the program the next day. Brimming with self-confidence, he decided to take fairly aggressive skis to the giant slalom, despite conflicting advice from Unterberger. He finished 18th and later admitted that he will in the future listen more to the “man in the background”.
In a week time, men and women competitors will travel to the United States and Canada. The women were moved from Aspen to Lake Louise, where they will compete at the weekend in both speed events. This will be the first opportunity this season for Lindsey Vonn to prove that she still is the alpine skiing champion. Men were flown from the Canadian province of Alberta over to Denver and from there, forward on to Vail, more specifically on to Beaver Creek, where the Birds of Prey racecourse awaits them. This competition will host three races from Friday to Sunday, with the exciting downhill scheduled for the Friday. Walchhofer will again be present and so will his red and white rockets.

Original text by Urban Laurenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Members of the Executive Committee of the International Ski Federation decided during the summer congress in Antalya to make Vail the host of the 2015 World Cup. This fancy little Colorado village from the U.S. has twice already entertained this kind of competition . The first such occasion dates back in 1989 while the second one took place a decade later. Skiers previously underwent the speed disciplines in the nearby Beaver Creek back in 1999. Indeed Bernhard Russi has already downed the famous Bird of Preys track. As a matter of fact, this spectacular terrain was first tested with two downhill races a while ago, at the December 1997 World Cup.
While the Italian Kristian Ghedina won the first race, the Austrian Andreas Schifferer imposed himself a day later on a very demanding track. The most extraordinary story that got to me while watching this World Cup was fortuitously also the most interesting. Ever since he retired from racing in March 2006, Schifferer no longer tops the headlines. Although, one could go as far as saying that he has totally disappeared from the public eye!
Until this year in Sölden, the venue where in October, this year’s World Cup season kicked off, the news that Andreas Schifferer had to leave this little cosmopolitan Austrian village prematurely resounded as a huge surprise. The boy had arrived at the weekend, but that seemingly didn’t work out as that same boy stole the snowboard he had used to compete. Obviously he didn’t have his stealing skills well honed, as the stealth bore all the marks of the amateur thief. A shortcoming that landed him straight into the hands of the Austrian constabulary force, which is known to be pretty unforgiving in this type of instances. Even with eight times world cup Champions.
What in the world went through Andy’s head that day? He probably doesn’t have a clue himself. But according to some insiders, his erratic behaviour began showing when he started collaborating with Martin Weber, a man known for practicing esoteric, hypnosis as well as other disputable techniques.
At some point, it got him so confused that he left his wife and kids, and asked his sponsor Atomic to devise a pair of skis for him that would slide on the nose, stating proper energy flow as the reason behind the request. Upon this, Atomic immediately terminated the contract with the now suspicious skier, who resumed his antics at team Rossignol, claiming a use of “negative” colours. As a result, his career suddenly grinded to a halt.
Incidentally, the infamous German newspaper Bild had recently sent a journalist to interview Weber in order to investigate his genuinity, but he quickly gave up fearing for his own mental well being, as he commented to the editor upon his return. Still the real motive for Shifferer’s action is yet to come to light. Why he stole the snowboard remains to this day a mystery, especially when one considers that his financial situation at the time appeared to be in the positive? He could easily have purchased one. Or could it be that the colour was so damn positive that the esoteric/hypnotic state he was in left him with no other choice but to acquire it there and then? Although not on his credit Card…

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

I remember how Matjaž Vrhovnik and I traveled to report the World Championship in 2009. In Garmisch - Partenkirchen, we commentated on the slalom races, which came to an end at around the fourteenth hour and thirtieth minutes. We then hastily slurped down a soup in the press room and off we were on our journey. A journey that took us through Austria and Switzerland. Soon enough, it began to snow and although we both love snowflakes, they actually made the task a little harder for our old Toyota. We drove for almost twelve hours. And if my memory serves me well, I was always behind the wheel, for I couldn’t catch a minute’s sleep. I kept a vigilant eye on the slippery road surface, followed other vehicles, at times battling with bands of fog and counting the miles left to our destination, deep in the heart of the Savoy Alps.

I love traveling with Matjaž. Through our cooperation, we have woven a solid friendship, which goes now beyond the usual levels of business and courtesy. Our acquaintance back in 2004 began quite timidly as we were still figuring each other out. Five years later, we were on our way to our third World Cup together and acted like an old married couple. In France we took along on our trip some readymade meals and cans that we heated up in our apartment, saving ourselves a few Euros in the process. Food prices in Val d’Isère are indeed several times higher than those we are used to in our grocery stores.

Our discussions in the car were pretty relaxed, even though we struggled to stick to the ski topic. As it was, we often also switched to regular everyday topics. Hours go by so quickly.As we started off on our journey from Geneva towards the south, the snow abated and I could now press a tad more on the gas. I must say that I’m not afraid to set the speed radar detector, since the registration plate on Slovenian RTV business car were very dirty anyway, as well as snowed and iced up. Although I got flashed once, I never actually received the penalty.

As we arrived in Albertville we knew that much of the road was already behind us. The only thing that was left for us to do was to reach 1850 from where Val d’Isere dominates the surrounding peaks. I was thinking about this road trip the previous Sunday on my way home from work. Earlier that day, the Austrian Marcel Hirscher won his first slalom race in a World Cup. On that same day, I commentated in the national TV’s studios in Ljubljana and then wandered home. Taking a walk after commentating always reinvigorates me. I get to sort my thoughts together, clear my mind, and I actually exercise.

This Championship has not been one that I have reported with pleasure. First we mostly had bad weather, then, the race schedule was constantly altered and the temperatures were extremely low. But what will, above all, remain in my memory is when I first stepped at the foot of the Bellevarde track. I had never seen such high and steep walls at any of the previous championships.

On top of it all, the organisers had put a large amount of water into the snow, a technique used to give the ice plates some semblance of ominous glittering through a blend of scarce sun rays and artificial lights.
It just happened that there is a particular type of terrain apt for all, and not only the favourites. There are skiers, who, because of their special techniques, are more adapted than others to a steeper type of slopes.

Marcel Hirscher was 19 years old then. In the giant slalom, he ended up fourth and only just missed the medals. Two years later, the doubt was cast away. Bellevarde now belongs to him.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Swiss Alpine skiing finds itself troubled waters. Last season’s results were extremely successful, however, this turn around, the Swiss team didn’t come close to their past achievements. The biggest loser so far, being Carlo Janka. Indeed, last World Cup’s aggregate winner is exhausted. This could be the result from the lack of training this summer, as a mysterious virus cut short the preparations. Furthermore, he also missed the traditional pre New Year’s downhill race in Bormio.
The next issue is Silvan Zurbriggen. The Swiss champion is currently giving his coach Martin Rufener some serious headaches. In Lake Louise, he was thrown out of the hotel he was staying in for harassing the cleaning lady. He reportedly walked about his room wearing nothing but his birthday suit. A horrified maid filed a complaint; and out of the luxurious premises was Zurbriggen thrown.
For as long as they could, the Swiss team tried to keep the lid on the “scandal”, and they did for some time. But then Silvan won the race in Val Gardena and tongues unleashed. Not a rosy prospect for Zurbriggen, who is in a serious relationship, especially when one considers the fact that he found himself into similar waters a few years back in Alta Badia. That time, he allegedly exposed his manhood to an old lady, who resorted to denounce him to the local authorities. His line of defence then was that he was just responding to nature’s call.
To cap it all up, there’s Lara Gut. She will undoubtedly drive the Swiss team coach Mauro Pini off the wall. Let us remind ourselves that Pini was in Gut’s team only a while ago, and that their subsequent separation didn’t happen in the friendliest of manners. Lara, on several occasions, criticised in public the work of the Swiss A team. She did not agree with the team’s training methods. That’s not all! In the summer, she opted to join the Swedish team rather than her own. It all went too far that time, and the ski federation decided to ban her from the Semmering events. To miss an event in Alpine skiing represents a severe penalty, as competition seasons are pretty short.
Lara Gut has threatened to compete for another country. Should she do so, then the Swiss team could render her life a real misery. Lawyers have been brought in to resolve the matter so as to satisfy both parties. On top of all this, her own sponsors are now also suing the Swiss champion for conflict of interest.
Regardless, the Swiss have this year accumulated so many problems off the track that it could easily make for a repeat of last year’s results. Heads are simply not cool enough and thoughts are erring in the wrong direction. The season is now in full swing and the other teams are already rubbing their hands in expectation.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

St. Anton is a small town in Western Austria. It is located near the Rosanna River and is part of the Albert group of ski resorts. St. Anton boasts of being one of the best ski resorts in Western Austria and is also famous for hosting the World Alpine Ski Championship in 2001. What’s best about St. Anton is its wide slope for skiers, enhanced lift system, snowboarding ground and hefty snowfall. St. Anton is not only famous for its ski slopes, it is also well-known for having the best shopping, café, bar scenes and restaurants that offer some of Austria’s famous dishes. Eating at a recommended restaurant in St. Anton is the best way to relax after a long day of skiing and snowboarding.
Austrian cuisine is inspired by that of different countries such as Germany, Hungary and Italy. Dumplings and pancakes are two common dishes that you will undoubtedly see on the menu in many a restaurant in St. Anton. If you want to taste some of the typical Austrian cuisine, you can visit Fuhrmannstube and Trödlerstube. These two restaurants are well known for their very generous servings that will surely satisfy your hunger.
Mooserwit, another popular St. Anton’s restaurant, claims to serve some of the best traditional Austrian dishes that guests will definitely love. Visitors on a tight budget can try the Funky Chicken and Rodelalm on Gampen, which offer good food at affordable prices. Good places for snacks are Pomodoro and KrazyKanguruh where the burgers and pizza are said to be the best in town. The traditional Fondue is one of the most commonly served desserts in St. Anton and is definitely something to look forward to after a delicious meal. Restaurants in St. Anton take pride in their high quality meals and customer service to ensure that no customer leaves without being 100% satisfied.

This season Alpine World cup has now reached fever pitch. The male contingent will, after the Swiss tour, stop in Kitzbühel, Austria, for the 71st Hahnenkamm Cup, while its female counterpart will be visiting the cosmopolitan Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy. These races attract each year millions of television viewers, but also bring a huge number of spectators to the tracks themselves. This year would be no exception if it wasn’t for the weather that has been disrupting the competition for the 3rd week in a row.

For my part, I have noticed for the past few years that New Year is often followed by a sharp rise in temperature. The Föhn, a warm wind as it is called in the ski world has of late regularly threatened to disrupt the races taking place in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Adelboden, and Wengen, have had huge problems in recent seasons, and managed only with strenuous effort to bring the competition to completion. This year, the Swiss have been lucky to get enough snow and consequently had ample snow cover to proceed with the races, despite the spring-like temperatures.
Of course, the preparation of the competitive tracks in these conditions becomes a much bigger challenge. The organisers resorted in this instance to salt and artificial PTX. First, a layer of snow is removed from the track, by a snow groomer, which is then covered with a synthetic material that is sprayed with water before being covered again with the final layer of snow. This operation is repeated just before the race, albeit without the use of the snow groomer. Thus not spelling the best prospects for the competition or competitors for that matter! A bleaker prospect awaits the skiers placed higher up in the starting line-up. They will find it much harder to achieve any kind of good results. In the past, the Swiss have also had troubles with environmentalists who would not allow the use the PTX. But that threat has been removed as the State implemented a law that empowers ski race officials to do whatever they see fit in order to salvage a race.
It all seemed that the matter would be settled before the week end, and that winter temperatures would be greeting racers. But as it happened, the drop has failed to materialise on time and not all downhill trainings could be completed on the famous Streif track as it was still raining in the lower segment of the track only last Wednesday.
Workers were toiling day and night, trying to consolidate the snow on time for the first race. Later, on Wednesday night, the rain turned to snow. However, bad weather has now been forecast for the week end. Fog should also join the party. Let us not forget that, in the past, fog has already forced a few races to be cancelled at the foot of the Hahnenkamm Mountain.
No matter what, Günther Hujara, one of the judges in the men’s world cup competition, will be working overtime. Everyone is piling up pressure on him; the organizers, the media, the athletes and the coaches. Ultimately, he will be the one switching the red or green lights on to competitors at the starting line. Meteorologists too will be trying their very best to provide “to the minute” predictions about the changes in the Kitzbühel skies. Incidently, some world cup organisers have in recent years invested a lot of money towards state of the art meteorological equipment. However nature once again shows that it transcends man.
Kitzbühel is now faced with a tough ordeal, since the rules state that at least one downhill training session must take place before the actual race. If that fails, then the prospect of having to sacrifice Friday’s super G is well and truly alive. Downhill in Kitzbühel is the alpha and omega. The Super-G race can be moved to another location, but the downhill in Streif is irreplaceable. It is already clear that the race cannot be moved to the Monday and Sunday has specifically been scheduled to host the Slalom race. In the end, it seems that the weather will be the one to decide the next course of events.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Arabba is a small town in the area of the Dolomites mountain range in Italy. It is one of the ski villages in the Veneto region, the other ski villages are in the South Tyrol. To ski in Arabba is one of the best skiing experiences. This is one of the most exciting ski resorts in Italy. It is in the Marmolada Mountain, tagged as the Queen of the Dolomites, where most people ski in Arabba. The Arabba village is a great starting point to access the ski slopes.
There are also mountain ridges or passes that surround Arabba; the Passo Camplongo is a towering area between Alta Badia, Corvara and Arabba. The Passo Pardoi is connected by lifts to the area above the resort of Canazei and the Passo Pordon connects the skiers to the Malga Ciepela area and the Marmolada zone. To ski in Arabba and also in its neighboring areas is a must for ski lovers.
Those who do not want to ski in Arabba Italy can participate in the many other activities this place has to offer visitors. A visitor can also try trekking or hiking in the area. There are many tours suggested for people to try. One of these is The Hunter’s Track, where visitors hike through a circular path that will start and end in Arabba and will pass along Cherz Plateau. Visitors can also try the Strada Da La Vena tour where they will come across the alpine forests, wooden hay sheds and pastures. They will also learn the history of Colle Santa Lucia where the Andraz castle is located and where mining is done. Viel Dal Pan is another tour package that follows an easy path from Passo Pordoi and reaches the crest of Portavescovo. Here visitors will see the remarkable views of Lake Fedaia and Marmolada.
A visit to the Arabba village during the summer won’t go to waste. This place is also famous for its recreational activities during the summer such as mountain biking, mountain climbing and cycling. People won’t only love to ski in Arabba but will also have fun with their family and friends participating in the many activities that this memorable destination has to offer. Simply visit Mountvacation.com main site here, and browse through the Arraba hotels as well as other accommodation on offer.

1978 was the last time Bavaria saw a huge sporting event such as this year’s Alpine skiing world championship. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has repeatedly bided for the past 33 years to become the host of the competition, but in vain, and it was only in May 2006 that it finally saw its wish granted. Below is the chronological account of the events that led up to the championship official opening on Monday:

June 2004
Garmisch-Partenkirchn City Council unanimously votes in favour of bidding to become the host to the 2011 world championship competition. A success that could be attributed to the support that emanated from the Garmisch Ski Club, led by the Peter Fischer.

May 2005
Mighty Schladming, Austria, becomes the only other candidate still in contention to host the championship.
September 2005
The International Ski Federation Commission arrives in Gap to assess the city’s readiness to organise the event. The main topic of discussion at the time is the long awaited reconstruction of the Kandahar racetrack.

May 2006
On the 25th May 2005, at 06.56pm, at the Congress of the International Ski Federation in Villamoura in Portugal, ithe winner of who is to become the host to the 2011 world championship is announced. GAP took the honour with a 9:6 voting victory over Schladming.

July 2006
The Organising Committee is created with Peter Fischer as its president. The first discussions also take place, and the financial aspects of the organisation are the topic of the day. Furthermore, the provincial government of Bavaria also expressed its willingness to be involved in the organisation of the championship.

February 2009
At the closing ceremony of the World Cup in Val d’Isere, France, representatives of Garmisch-Partenkirchen were handed the world championship flag.

February 2010
The championship mascots “Ga” and “Pa” are presented to a global audience.

March 2010
The federal government contributes a million and a half Euros towards the cultural program taking place throughout the championship. In addition, it is decided to issue a special coin commemorating the world championships.

June 2010
Disaster strikes in Gudiberg. As the Slalom track was being renovating, at the cost of 6 million euros, an unfortunate mudslide caused its collapse. At the same time, the Organising Committee starts the tickets sale.

November 2010
The last problem came from a farmer. The latter refuses to allow his land to be used as part of the finish arena of the Kandahar race track. Despite the numerous negotiations, no agreement is reached. The matter is settled in court later in January.

P. S. Schladming will host the 2013 world championship.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

Skiing and snowboarding are inherently risky sports, and there’s no way to completely avoid all possible injuries or mishaps. You can, however, take steps to reduce the risks you take on the slopes.

The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA)endorses a responsibility code, and signs referring to its campaign—”Know the Code”—are posted at resorts across the country. Some states have even incorporated these principles into their statutes and laws regarding winter sports, and this season the NSAA has made a video available for those who want to see the principles of the code in action.

Here’s a run-down of the NSAA’s code, as well as reasons why you need to know and follow it:

1. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

Just about everyone on the slopes has had the experience of some crazy, out-of-control skier or snowboarder almost mowing him or her down on a free-flight down the mountain. It’s no fun. The fact is, it’s up to you to stay in control of your speed, and to know how to stop and avoid people and obstacles. There’s no excuse here. No matter how fast you’re going, always be ready to stop.

2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

This is an important principle, and it relates to the first rule. The people in front of you have the right of way. Period. No matter how much they’re taking up space or how wrong they are for being where they are, they have the right of way. Even when they’re not following the code (see the next rule), it’s up to you to avoid them.

3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

With all of that said, don’t be one of those people who stop in the middle of a trail to send a text or admire the view. You simply can’t obstruct trails. If you need to stop, go to the side of the trail.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

If this sounds like a traffic rule, it’s because it is. Skiers and snowboarders hurtling down a mountain are rather like traffic on a fast-moving highway, and you have to look both ways (OK, mostly up) to make sure that there is room for you to pull out. When the traffic is clear, you can start. This principle is especially important when merging, since sometimes people coming down one trail won’t even realize they’re merging onto another one, and they simply might not see you. You need to watch out for yourself.

5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

Most modern skis come equipped with brakes, so that any time your boot pops out of the bindings, the brake engages. Make sure that your skis have them, and if they don’t, get some installed. Snowboarders also need to wear retention straps, which keep loose boards from sliding down the mountain. These kinds of protections are important, because a wayward ski or snowboard can be a dangerous hazard to others who might hit it.

6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

Signs and warnings are posted, and trails are closed, for good reasons. Don’t second-guess the resort authorities; they know what they’re doing. Sometimes a trail will be closed because of rocks, tree stumps, or other obstacles, and following all signs, directions and warnings will help keep you safe.

7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

A large part of the skiing and snowboarding learning curve involves using lifts correctly. And that’s easier said than done. Make sure when you’re boarding a lift to go up to the designated line, and as the lift approaches, bend your knees slightly to catch it. Settle into the seat and pull down the safety bar when everyone is in. It’s also a good idea to let everyone else in the lift know when the bar is going down. When disembarking, glide down the ramp and get out of the way of people coming off the next chair.

The NSAA emphasizes that this is a partial list, and many states have their own codes, statutes, and laws that you’ll want to consult. These rules are a good place to start, however, and following them will help you stay safe and also make your time on the slopes more enjoyable.

Vivian Wagner is a writer and skier in New Concord, Ohio. Visit her website at www.vivianwagner.net.

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As we approach the skiing season, many people wonder, “What are the most important things that I need, in order to go skiing?” Some things, such as skis, are rather obvious; others, such as goggles, which may not seem important, are less obvious.

The key to skiing equipment is to get something that suits what kind of skiing you are doing (cross country or downhill), and should also suit your particular enthusiasm for skiing. If you are a casual skier who goes out three or four times a year, you don’t necessarily need top-of-the-line equipment.

If you are going every weekend, you will want to get the highest quality equipment you can.

Skis

The most essential piece of equipment for skiing are, of course, skis. The type of skiing you are participating in will determine what kind of ski you need.

If you are participating in cross-country skiing, you will want a longer, lighter ski than if you are participating in alpine (downhill) skiing; this will prevent you from wearing out on a long excursion. A good quality, carbon-fiber ski, such as the Rossignol Evo Glade, will last you a long time.

Ski Poles

Ski poles are just as essential, as they help to control your direction, and also help to propel you across the ground. The key is to select a pole length that feels most comfortable for you. You will also want your skis to be made of a sturdy material, such as aluminum or carbon-fiber. The K2 Lockjaw is good for the casual skier, as it can be adjusted for an individual skiers height.

Ski Helmets

More important for alpine skiing than cross country, ski helmets are designed to protect the head during any (inevitable) falls. One key is to make sure that the helmet is designed to allow a comfortable fit for snow goggles (many helmets are made to support this). The Giro G10 Snow Helmet is made with this design.

Ski Goggles

Important in both downhill and cross-country skiing, goggles help to keep snow out of your eyes, as well as protect the eyes from sunlight reflecting off of the snow on the ground. Bolle Gravity Polarized Goggles are excellent for downhill skiing.

Water-Proof Clothing

Light clothing is usually best for cross country; slightly heavier clothing may be more appropriate for alpine skiing. The waterproof aspect is most important for that inevitable fall into the snow; it will help keep you dry, which can prevent any potential bout with hypothermia. A coat, such as the Columbia Bugaboo 3-in-1, and pants, such as the Columbia Chilliwack Pants, are great, waterproof clothes for skiing.

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It is this time of the year again. The time to book our well earned holidays in the snow for this years skiing season. This time around, the place in question is Zell am See, a hub of activities that has thousands flocking each year onto its pistes and cross country trail. Beginners, proficient as well as professionals have made, throughout the years, of Zell am See Kaprun their place of choice to indulge in snow sports activities, which are aplenty in Zell am (as it is also known by the regulars).

Below are ten indoors as well as outdoors activities, among many others, this great ski destination has to offer:

1. Skiers, snowboarders and free riders will be able to ski until satiated on the 138 km of pistes covering all levels of difficulty. For the mountains and the glaciers surrounding Zell am see provide snow all year round, allowing thus to hit the slopes at any time.

2. If you are not one for the thrills of the down hills, the you will be able to take advantage of the 200 km of x-country trails that can be found in the region.

3. If cross country is still too fast for you, and would like to extract all the pleasures of the incredible pristine nature on offer in Zell am See, then you should take up the Nordic Walking. A sport that will help you to not only keep fit, but that will also have you in awe of the majestic scenery that litter this exceptional alpine region.

4. What about trying the snow under ( or over) a new perspective? Snow kiting offers just that and will have you gliding at speed reaching up to 75km/hr. Not for the faint hearted one might say!

5. This one is special for the whole family, as this activity will enthuse children and adults alike. Tobogganing, will get you to roll back the years to your childhood, while children will discover the pleasure of snow through this fun activity.

Now, you might have taken your family to a nice holiday in the snow, but are not a snow enthusiast yourself! Well, fret not as you will not run short of indoor activities in the ski resort of Zell am.

6. Grab your rackets, not the snow ones, I must make mention, for you will be able to play indoor tennis in the modern tennis halls available on site.

7. This one is more for the ladies, although their companions are more than welcome to join. Hit the gym and pools for some aqua fitness, aerobics, Tae Bo and many more similar activities…

8. Zell am See has managed something quiet exceptional that will get you to blend the pleasure of nature with art, as you will be able to admire some giant sculptures in an area covering 180hectares and that are part of a project started back in the 50’s called »Gallery on the pistes«.

9. After a hard day skiing the pistes of Zell am See Kaprun, time to relax. And that can be done with some massages, aroma therapies, Turkish baths that can all be found in the Optimum Kaprun spa centre. It will keep you fresh and revitalised throughout your stay.

10. And once the day is done and the children are fast asleep, you will be able to indulge in one of the resorts favourite activity, PARTYING. You will be amazed by the night life in this part of Mozart country. The town at night get vibrant, and you will never run out of options to spend a memorable evening in Zell am See.

So there you are! Ten activities that will keep you and your family busy throughout your stay in Zell am See Kaprun. And believe you me, after your stay, you will really give a thought as to whether to make of Zell am your future regular ski holidays destination.