Salomon TV: Bearings [South]

The Blank Collective spent the winter exploring each coordinate directions of British Columbia. Here is what the southern part of the province had to offer.

Ski Utah: The Powder People Ep. 3. The Snowblader

If you've spent time skiing around the Wasatch Front, you've probably seen or shared a chair with Burke Weir. A local at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude, Burke and his blades are a well-known fixture on the hill. His love for skiing is unparalleled.

Ski Utah is the marketing arm of the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association and has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah wintersports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah publishes Ski Utah magazine, an annual publication which is distributed to hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders annually. Ski Utah also owns and maintains SkiUtah.com with the most up-to-date snow and travel information.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1975 with the aim of promoting Utah's ski and snowboard industry.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association represents14 statewide ski resorts (Alta Ski Area, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Powder Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Sundance).

Salomon TV: Bearings [WEST]

The wild west of B.C. - home of the open-minded ones. Peaks, valleys, and coastlines give it the refined lifestyle that many seek. It's a place where craft breweries are more common than gas stations. Watch and discover the west.

Kjetil Jansrud Wins World Cup Super-G in Lake Louise

Light overnight snowfall gave work to the course crew of the Lake Louise World Cup, but nothing the hardworking sleddogs cannot handle and today’s super-g could kick off as scheduled at 12h00 LOC / 20h00 CET. Unfortunately, snow and rainfall started again as the race was progressing.
After a 5th place yesterday, the Norwegian attacking Viking Kjetil Jansrud was able to pull out a strong run again today and claimed the top spot of the podium. Last season, he started with three SG wins in a row. "Winning the race proves that you are on the right track, so I’m very happy with my win today in Lake Louise", said Jansrud.
In 2014, he won both the super-G and downhill at Lake Louise. "Yesterday, was a decent effort. My result was fifth place, but I didn’t feel very confident in my skiing, which is not cool", Jansrud said. "So it was good to get on top of things today, gather my thoughts and try to attack it".A duo of Austrians completed the podium, with Max Franz (+0.28) and Hannes Reichelt (+0.32). Franz’s first World Cup win came last season in the downhill in Val Gardena and Hannes Reichelt could even claim two wins in the downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the super-g in Aspen. After Matthias Mayer taking second place tomorrow, the Austrian team positions itself as a very strong speed team for the upcoming season.

Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Slalom in Killington

Mikaela Shiffrin returned to the path of victory in slalom with a demonstrative victory in Killington (Vermont, USA). After leading the first run of the second slalom of the season, the Olympic champion dominated both slalom runs to finish ahead of Petra Vlhova (+ 1.64) and Bernadette Schild (+ 2.72).She claims her 26th World Cup slalom victory in front of a home crowd.
The 22-year-old American blitzed the field in snowy and windy conditions. "It worked out quite well", said Shiffrin. "It wasn't easy but when I ski balanced it makes it easier than when I don't".
Shiffrin's margin of victory was the largest for any women's World Cup race since the American captured the World Cup Finals slalom by 2.03 seconds in 2016.Cheered on by her grandmother – known affectionately as "Nana" – Shiffrin wowed the Vermont crowd just as she did at the same event last year. Vlhova did her best to defend the red leader bib in slalom, but Shiffrin was able to match her early season results. The two are now joint leaders of the ladies' slalom standings. Schild, meanwhile, picked up her second podium in a year at a U.S. resort, adding to her third-place finish at Squaw Valley from March.
A firm surface caused trouble for some skiers while aiding others. Those with higher starting bibs had a great opportunity to move up in ranking, but those who tried to charge too hard on the grippy ice paid the price. Denise Feierabend of Switzerland scored a career-best slalom finish from start number 21. Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden made a big move from bib 24 to finish sixth, and Austrian Katharina Gallhuber leaped from bib 38 to finish seventh.

Beat Feuz Wins First Downhill of the Season in Lake Louise

Switzerland’s Beat Feuz is the reigning World Champion and first winner of the season at the Lake Louise downhill.
8th in the training run, the Downhill World Champion from St. Moritz 2017 laid down a strong run, especially in the lower part. With bib n°7, he was able to score a time of 1: 43:76 that no one could undermatch after him. "Beginning the season with a win is the best thing that can happen. I had a great summer preparation, without any injuries and am very happy about how things turned out here, especially as I’m not performing very well here usually", said the reigning World Champion.
In the second position, Matthias Mayer was also able to call up the good sensations he had during summer training and claim a podium spot. The Austrian is used to the podium in Lake Louise, as he climbed on it at the last three Super-Gs, but this year, the defending downhill Olympic Champion was able to clinch a podium spot in this disciplines as well.
Rain snow and warm temperatures over the week limited the men to one training run prior to this year's race. One was enough for Mayer.
"It is my fifth time here in Lake Louise. I know the slope. I know everything", the Austrian said. "For me, one run was OK. For the young guys, of course, it was a little bit difficult".
The "King of the Comebacks" Aksel Lund Svindal struck again in Lake Louise! He suffered another knee injury last season and had to put an end to his season prematurely, but as in the past three years, his comeback in Lake Louise is a success. The Norwegian takes the 3rd place in today’s downhill race.

As a tribute to French skier David Poisson, who died November 13 in a training accident in Alberta, the men wore heart-shaped stickers with his initials on their helmets and their race bibs bore his name. Poisson died of his injuries after losing an edge and crashing through safety netting into a tree at Nakiska ski resort west of Calgary.
Poisson's death at age 35 cast a pall over the traditional season-opener in Lake Louise, Alta.
"I'm really happy to see that the whole ski family stood together and also that the French team participated today", Feuz said. "The stickers on the bib and the helmet is a beautiful gesture to remember David".

Viktoria Rebensburg Wins Giant Slalom in Killington (Vermont)

Viktoria Rebensburg domination in this year’s Giant Slalom events continues and claimed the top step on the podium today in Killington. The win for Rebensburg came four weeks after she won the GS in the first race of the World Cup season in Sölden, Austria. She finished 0.67 seconds ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin and 1.49 ahead of Manuela Moelgg. Today's victory is the 15th World Cup Win (13 in GS) after 205 starts.
The race began with a moment of silence for David Poisson, the French skier who was killed while training in Canada on November 13.
Rebensburg held a slimmer lead over Shiffrin after the first run as dark clouds rolled in and a light rain started to fall. The German surprised even herself on the second run by battling to the finish line for the 15th World Cup win of her career. Shiffrin was able to appease the crowd with an impressive run of her own, landing solidly in second for the day. Moelgg was once again thrilled to make a podium appearance.

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup 2017-2018 Moves To North America

The Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup continues in North America this weekend.

Killington will host two technical races. The World Cup event in Vermont will feature Ladies giant slalom and slalom ski events on the Superstar course. the races will take place on 25th - 26th November 2017.

The world's fastest men come to Canada's Lake Louise for the first speed events. Downhill and Super-G races are scheduled to take place on the same days.

Killington (USA)
November 25th Giant Slalom / Ladies
November 26th Slalom / Ladies

Lake Louise (CAN)
November 25th Downhill / Men
November 26th Super G / Men

Lake Louise (CAN)
December 1st Downhill / Ladies
December 2nd Downhill / Ladies
December 3rd Super G / Ladies

Beaver Creek (USA)
December 1st Super G / Men

December 2nd Downhill / Men
December 3rd Giant Slalom / Men

Salomon TV: Bearings [EAST]

East: the Blank Collective spent the winter exploring each coordinate directions of British Columbia. Here is what the eastern part of the province had to offer.

Ski Utah: The Powder People Ep. 2. The Volcanoman

Meet Brad Lewis, also known as The Volcanoman for his lava photography. Brad loves photography, but, he loves skiing even more. In this video, Brad tells us what drives him to live in a cabin in the mountains and snowmobile to first tracks every day all winter long.

 

Ski Utah is the marketing arm of the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association and has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah wintersports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah publishes Ski Utah magazine, an annual publication which is distributed to hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders annually. Ski Utah also owns and maintains SkiUtah.com with the most up-to-date snow and travel information.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1975 with the aim of promoting Utah's ski and snowboard industry.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association represents14 statewide ski resorts (Alta Ski Area, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Powder Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Sundance).

Salomon TV: Dream Trip. Kashmir

Twenty-two year old Swede, Lovisa Rosengren, chooses Gulmarg, Kashmir as her dream trip spot with Cody Townsend and Kalen Thorien. What was supposed to be a cultural trip, turns into so much more when a 3-meter storm rolls through the resort.

Felix Neureuther Wins First Slalom of the Season in Levi

The Audi FIS Ski World Cup season could also start for the men this weekend with the slalom opening in Levi, Finland. Traditionally, the winner of this race gets a reindeer and this season, the athlete that could walk away with the animal is Germany’s Felix Neureuther.
In the first run, the top 30 athletes were very tight together. From the 92 athletes at the start, the 30st finished only +1.56 behind the fastest of the run, Great Britain’s Dave Ryding. Already in this position at the slalom in Kitzbuehel last season, the British slalom whiz made a mistake in the second run and skied out, preventing his nation to score its first ever World Cup win.
This offered the 3rd spot to Sweden’s Mattias Hargin, who laid down a fantastic second run to move up from the 12th position to a podium placement. Since March 2015 Hargin didn’t climb on the podium in his main discipline slalom, so he was particularly happy with his performance at the beginning of the season in Levi.
In the second position, Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen earned his 31st World Cup podium for his comeback on the Levi Black, after skipping the race last season due to a disagreement with his federation. After a deceiving end of last season, the young Norwegian is back on the right track and ready to battle for the globe again.
Felix Neureuther was the most constant over both runs. The German was 2nd only 0.14 back in the first run and was able to keep up with the fast pace of the second, where Jean-Baptiste Grange (FRA) had the fastest time. This performance allowed Neureuther to celebrate his first victory since February 2016 and the honour to own and name a baby reindeer. He chose the nickname of his new-born daughter Matilda, the reindeer will be called “Matti”.
Marcel Hirscher, coming back from an ankle fracture mid-August, had only very few days of slalom training, but he didn’t lose this sensational feeling on the skis and was able to push hard to reach a 4th place in the first run. However, the routine was not quite there yet and he finished 17th after the second run.

Petra Vlhova Wins First Slalom of the Season in Levi

Slovakia’s Petra Vhlova picked up the 2017-2018 World Cup slalom season right where she left off last March. The Aspen Finals winner turned on the jets to best American Mikaela Shiffrin by 0.10 seconds on the Levi Black slope in Finland, claiming the opening victory in the Olympic slalom year. Sitting 0.21 seconds behind Shiffrin’s leading pace after run one, Vlhova powered into the top spot with a hard charge on her second run. Switzerland’s “Sendy Wendy” Holdener also pushed her limits on the second run and was rewarded with a move onto the podium in third place.
As is a tradition in Levi, the race winner is awarded a baby reindeer which remains on a nearby farm. Vlhova followed the lead established by Marcel Hirscher and Henrik Kristoffersen in past seasons and named her first reindeer “Igor” after her father.

"I won the last race (in March) and it was difficult to continue so I’m really happy because it was a really tough day. Mikaela – she is always fast. But now, I am fast", said Vlhova.
Vlhova joins her countrywoman, Veronika Velez-Zuzulova, as one of only three women (Shiffrin the third) to win back-to-back slalom races since January of 2016.
“It’s amazing because like I tell Mikaela, she is really strong and fast. So for me, it is the best day today", remarked Vlhova.
The 2017 Overall champion, Shiffrin, was able to move into the overall lead for the new year – currently 10 points ahead of Vhlova and 25 ahead of Holdener – after the first two races of the season.
The firm track north of the Arctic Circle held up for later bib numbers as well. Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden punched into seventh place from outside the top-30 at the start. Among other big movers, Stephanie Brunner of Austria skied into eighth from bib 53 and Norwegian Mina Fuerst Holtmann finished 13th from bib 51 in her World Cup slalom debut.

Saas-Fee Keeps Traveling on the Innovation Path With the WinterCARD Gold

In December of 2016, Saas-Fee revolutionized the ski industry in Switzerland.
With more than 75,000 orders, Saas-Fee carried out the most successful crowdfunding project in Europe. Based on the principle of crowdfunding, the popular alpine resort of Saas-Fee launched, at the end of October 2016, the low-cost season passes deal.
Thanks to the successful campaign, the Saas valley generated a plus of 15 %, the largest increase in overnight stays in all of Switzerland.

From this winter season on, the range of the WinterCARD offering will include the sunny glacier ski area of Hohsaas with its 35 kilometers of slopes, at no extra charge.

After the success of the WinterCARD, Saas-Fee will set new standards in the tourism sector again. For the price of CHF 111, owners of the WinterCARD Gold receive services worth at least 1000 Francs that make their stay in Saas-Fee not only more attractive but also more cost-effective. Guests benefit from complimentary “door to door” luggage transportation, from a 50% discount on ski and snowboard rental, and from a half-price discount on overnight stays in the Saas valley.

You can find the complete listing of all offers on saas-fee.ch/wintercard where the WinterCARD Gold is available online until December 17th. 

People who do not yet have a WinterCARD can purchase, until December 17, a WinterCARD Gold as a complete package that includes the season pass and all additional offers.

The WinterCARD at a price of CHF 233 is also available.

Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Destination Management Starting in October 2018

A Postgraduate Programme in Mountain Destination Management presented by the University of Andorra, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the University of Wakayama, UNWTO THEMIS Foundation and Pallarsactiu, with transfer coursework from Colorado State University (CSU).

• Format: Blended: on-line with two on-site sessions.
• Language: English

The first edition of the Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Destination Management will take place during the 2018-2019 academic year. The Diploma is comprised of 30 European Credits and will be taught in English and mostly via distance learning through the Universitat d’Andorra’s virtual learning platform. The programme includes two on-site sessions of five days each, in Andorra and Pallars (Catalonia) respectively.
The Postgraduate Diploma is a joint initiative of UdA and Pallarsactiu in conjunction with the UNWTO.Themis Foundation and it has the support of the Andorran Ministry of Tourism. The curriculum includes content from Colorado State University, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the University of Wakayama, which will be recognized in each of these university´s corresponding programmes.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Destination Management is aimed at graduates and professionals from both the public and private tourism sectors with expertise or a direct role in the creation or implementation of strategies, management policies, planning and promotion of mountain tourism destinations.

The programme will enable them to enhance their knowledge and professional skills, develop strategies and manage sustainable and responsible mountain tourism destinations.

The application process can be completed on the UdA website until 31 May 2018.

More information: www.mountaindestinationmanagement.com
"Located in the Pyrenees, the Principality of Andorra is a top mountain destination in Europe, attracting over two million tourists and nearly eight million visitors overall from around the world each year. Like many mountain destinations, our economy and livelihood depend on our ability to provide quality tourism services, improve sustainability and remain competitive.
The objective of the Postgraduate in Mountain Destination Management is to provide students and professionals the knowledge and training they need to successfully meet the unique demands of the mountain tourism industry.
The programme’s international perspective and blended learning format ensure a uniquely diverse student body and an intellectually stimulating course of study. Furthermore, students can choose from one of two certificate programmes, the Postgraduate Certificate in Mountain Tourism Destinations Planning or the Postgraduate Certificate in Mountain Tourism Destinations Marketing. Both rigorous and practical, graduates of our programmes will be equipped with the skills and abilities to become successful and effective leaders in a rapidly evolving and growing industry".

Mr. Miquel Nicolau i Vila

President of the University of Andorra

"I trust that this Postgraduate Diploma in Mountain Destination Management, an initiative of the University of Andorra and the UNWTO. Themis Foundation with the support of Colorado State University, will be an invaluable tool to advance mountain tourism as an effective means to promote social, economic and environmental development in mountain destinations across the world".

Taleb Rifai
Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)2017.

Levi To Host Slalom World Cup Opening This Weekend

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup 2017-2018 season continues with the Slalom opening at Levi (FIN) this coming weekend.
The World Cup Levi Slalom Opening will take place at 11th and 12th November with the following program:

Ladies' slalom - Saturday, 11.11.2014, starting times 11:00/14:00 LOC - 10:00/13:00 CET
Men's slalom - Sunday, 12.11.2014, starting times 11:00/14:00 LOC - 10:00/13:00 CET

The ladies’ race will be set by Giovanni Luca Rulfi from Italy and Alois Prenn from Switzerland.
The Men's race will be set by Daniele Simoncelli from Italy and Marko Pfeifer from Austria.

In the Year of 2012, The Regional Council of Lapland awarded World Cup Levi event for its’ annual nomination for Regional Developer. The award was a great honor for the event and the recognition of creating the attractive World Cup Levi brand and promoting significantly the international visibility of Lapland.
Levi, located about 170 km north of the Polar Circle (Levi World Cup is the northmost Alpine World Cup), is one of the largest ski resorts in Finnish Lapland. Levi Fell village is actually a small holiday town, which offers a wide range of first-rate services to its guests.
The Levi fell is 531 meters above sea level. There are some 50 ski slopes in Levi and the skiing and snowboarding season is particularly long, typically lasting from mid-October to the beginning of June. Levi has been chosen the best domestic skiing resort in Finland several times.
Levi is the market leader and pioneer in Finland in Ski Resorts. In the area there are 24 000 beds, which makes possible 2,5 million overnights/year with 650 000 visitors/year.
Besides the 43 slopes and 28 ski lifts, there are 230 km's cross-country tracks and 880 km's snowmobiling routes.
More than 20,000 spectators are expected at the two races on the weekend and the organizers have put great emphasis on involving local schools and youngsters to bring them to the events.
The Levi Black competition course vertical drop is 180 meters and the steepest part of the race course has the steepness of 52 %.

Crans-Montana Joins Best of the Alps Group

For more than a quarter of a century, Best of the Alps has stood for the incomparable alpine charm and high standards of its associated destinations. These locations share an impressive tradition of tourism and range of services, as well as a combination of their own unique flair and a special attitude to life.
Belonging to this illustrious group of internationally acclaimed tourist destinations in the Alps are Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Davos, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grindelwald, Kitzbühel, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Megève, Seefeld, St. Anton am Arlberg and St. Moritz. They are now also joined by the Valais tourist paradise Crans-Montana, bringing the Best of the Alps circle back up to 12 legendary destinations again.
"We are very pleased to welcome Crans-Montana as a new member of our marketing cooperation. With its wealth of tradition and excellent tourist infrastructure, not to mention its long-term strategic direction, it is fully in line with our philosophy", says Sammy Salm, CEO of Best of the Alps on the internationally-oriented alpine destination becoming a member.
Lying on a sunny alpine plateau overlooking the Rhone valley, with an impressive panorama from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc, Crans-Montana was already a coveted location for enthusiasts of the alpine lifestyle right from the start. In 1893, the Hotel du Parc first opened its doors, followed by the first sanatorium in the region in 1899. By the beginning of the 20th century, other hotels and health resorts were also inviting visitors to the Valais holiday paradise, whose popularity and reputation then started to steadily grow.
The opening of the highest 18-hole golf course in the world in 1908 by Sir Henry Lunn was also ahead of its time, resulting in Crans-Montana evolving into a true golfing paradise. The international elite of golfing has now been holding a rendezvous there with the former Swiss Open, now Omega European Masters, for a long time. The only Masters tournament in the Alps – a “best of” par excellence – is only one of many highlights in the summer months.
Crans-Montana is also known as a winter hotspot in the Alps. This remarkable ski resort stretches up to the Plaine Morte glacier at an altitude of 3,000 meters, where the first alpine ski race took place in 1911. The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup has also held there again this year, as it has been since 1977. Crans-Montana rounded off its expertise in winter sports by successfully hosting the World Ski Championships in 1987. It is also currently bidding for the Olympic Games as the center for alpine skiing competitions as part of the Sion 2026 candidacy. Crans-Montana is also the Swiss candidate for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, which started taking place in Switzerland again in 2025.
"A new member often brings a breath of fresh air and additional momentum into the equation. An association like ours can always benefit from this", says Peter Nagel, President of Best of the Alps, who also sees Crans-Montana’s becoming a member as a welcome asset. Broad know-how and the questioning of previous positions is a win for all members. The sustained success of Best of the Alps is ultimately based on an intensive mutual exchange of ideas, including at the operational levels of the individual destinations.
"We will shortly be contributing extraordinary impressions and stories from Crans-Montana, and are very proud to be able to contribute to the Best of the Alps’ multi-faceted array of offers and its solid reputation", says Bruno Huggler, Director of Crans-Montana Tourism & Congress.

Ski Utah: The Powderhounds

Ski Utah Bloggers Adam Fehr and Matt Baydala are the epitome of powderhounds. They have built their businesses in Park City so they can make skiing a priority. In the coming weeks, Ski Utah will be releasing videos that go deeper with these dedicated skiers.

"From September to the end of May, snow is my obsession. If snow is in the forecast I cannot sleep because I'm often watching weather models", Powderhound Matt

"You can't après-ski all night if you don't ski in the morning", Après Adam

Ski Utah is the marketing arm of the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association and has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah wintersports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah publishes Ski Utah magazine, an annual publication which is distributed to hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders annually. Ski Utah also owns and maintains SkiUtah.com with the most up-to-date snow and travel information.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1975 with the aim of promoting Utah's ski and snowboard industry.
The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association represents14 statewide ski resorts (Alta Ski Area, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Powder Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Sundance).

Ski Utah: The Powder People

Join Ski Utah this season as they meet fellow skiers and snowboarders who have built their lives and livelihoods around their love of skiing Utah’s mountains and The Greatest Snow on Earth. Meet the Powder People.

The goal of this 8-minute edit is to get you fired up for winter and introduce you to characters who have centered their lives around skiing in Utah like George Jedenoff, a 100-Year-Old Skier who still skis whenever he can. His passion for skiing helps motivate him to stay in shape.

Ski Utah is the marketing arm of the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association and has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah wintersports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah publishes Ski Utah magazine, an annual publication which is distributed to hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders annually. Ski Utah also owns and maintains SkiUtah.com with the most up-to-date snow and travel information.

The Utah Ski and Snowboard Association is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1975 with the aim of promoting Utah's ski and snowboard industry.

The Utah Ski and Snowboard association represents14 statewide ski resorts (Alta Ski Area, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Powder Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Sundance).

Salomon TV: Mica Heliskiing

Rising star, Andrea Byrne, joins Cody Townsend, Chris Rubens and Leah Evans in one of the best powder skiing locations on earth - Mica Heliskiing. This episode is a throwback to the other classic Salomon Freeski TV episodes from Mica - powder, pillows, and action.

Salomon TV: Fountain Of Youth

Aging pro freeskier, Mike Douglas, travels to Japan in search of the secrets to perpetual youth and longevity. Between powder skiing sessions, he explores the Japanese diet, fitness, onsens and temples. The most profound advice, however, comes from a day spent with Mt. Everest age record holder, Yuichiro Miura and his son Gota.

Freeride World Qualifier and Freeride Junior Tour 2018 Calendar Unveiled

This season features over 40 FWQ and 90 FJT events spanning two international regions with exciting new locations for 2018.
 A record 2300 FJT riders will complement the 1900 FWQ registered athletes to make this season the biggest ever in freeride history. These riders will hail from all over the world and are divided into two regions: Europe/Oceania and the Americas.

Five 4* events in Europe and six 4* events in North America will determine which top riders will qualify for the elite Freeride World Tour (FWT) next year, with the final 4* events (Obergurgl-Hochgurgl and Kirkwood) in each region determining qualification. The top three riders in the ski men category will advance along with the top rider in each of the other three categories: ski women, snowboard men, and snowboard women. Several new events will be held this year in France and Switzerland as well as a new “ride and style” format being debuted in Bergen, Germany. High profile FWQ events such as the Nendaz Freeride, Jasna, and most of the Open Faces series will feature live streams the day of the competition. The only qualifying event in Asia will be held as a 3* in Japan. Once again, national champions will be crowned in Austria, Switzerland, and France. The FWQ competition season kicks off at the Verbier Freeride Week with three 2* events on January 6-7, 2018.

The FJT also kicks off at the Verbier Freeride Week at the start of the new year. The biggest changes to the FJT this season include the creation of two age categories (14-18 and under-14). In addition, a new 2* event in Tignes, France will make the calendar this year as part of the French Freeride Series. The 20th anniversary of the Eldorado freeride now features a total of five events with a new 1* event in Formigal. The top FJT riders will be crowned national champions in Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Pyrenees (Spain and Andorra combined). Junior riders will have the opportunity to be crowned tour champions at the season finale in Verbier in April.

Club Med Announces All Inclusive Ski Resort To Open In Canada

Club Med – the pioneer of the all-inclusive resort concept – announced that it will open its first-ever resort in Canada, expanding its global leadership in ski resorts to North America. The brand new ski resort is planned to open in Quebec's Le Massif de Charlevoix ski region in 2020. The reveal took place at Groupe Le Massif's headquarters in Quebec City during a press conference held by Xavier Mufraggi, President and CEO of Club Med North America, and Daniel Gauthier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Groupe Le Massif.
The project serves as a strategic symbol of rapid growth around the world for Club Med, which currently has plans to open 15 new through 2019 (of which one to two will be ski/mountain resorts each year), and either upgrade or expand nine of its existing resorts.
"Club Med is the world leader in all-inclusive mountain resorts. With 24 sites established in France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and China, we're excited to add Canada to our list. Each season will reveal the wonders of this natural site, offering our international clientele a place to discover year-round beauty", comments Mufraggi. "It is often said you will only find a Club Med resort in the most beautiful destinations in the world. That said, it is an honor and privilege to be among those creating worldwide awareness for Charlevoix, a truly spectacular part of Canada".
The project represents a $93million investment to develop a 300-room resort, including a 5-Trident boutique hotel-style area with exclusive amenities and suites. The resort promises to be a haven for family and couple getaways as well groups and conventions with spaces designed to accommodate seminars and special events.

Club Med, founded in 1950, is recognized as the pioneer of the all-inclusive market, offering nearly 70 premium resorts in stunning locations around the world including North and South America, Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean. Each Club Med resort features authentic local style and comfortably chic accommodations, superior sports programming and activities, enriching children's programs, gourmet dining, and warm and friendly service by its world-renown staff with legendary hospitality skills, an all-encompassing energy, and diverse backgrounds.
Club Med operates in more than 25 countries and continues to maintain its authentic Club Med spirit with an international staff of more than 23,000 employees from more than 110 different nationalities. Club Med continues to grow and adapt to each market with more than 15 new resorts opening soon.

100 Days To Go Until PyeongChang 2018

Yesterday, November 1st, the Olympic Torch Relay started with the lighting of the Olympic flame
in Incheon Metropolitan City. A 101-day journey ending with the Opening Ceremony on February 9th, 2018.

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Torch Route will visit some of the wonderful places that had not been well known to the world, unlocking Korea’s hidden charms.

The PyeongChang 2018 Games, which will take place from 9-25 February 2018, will be the third to be staged in Asia, and the first ever in the Republic of Korea, following Nagano (JPN) in 1998 and Sapporo (JPN) in 1972.
The PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee’s (POCOG’s) ‘New Horizons’ vision aims to expand winter sports in Asia and transform the local Gangwon province into a new winter sports and tourism destination.
From a logistical point of view, the concept for the 2018 Winter Games is one of the most compacts ever seen.The vision for PyeongChang is based on a compact geographical area, split between a coastal and a mountain cluster.
The coastal cluster, centred around the town of Gangneung on the Republic of Korea’s eastern seaboard, will provide the setting for the events on ice (speed skating, figure skating, short track, ice hockey and curling), with the main Olympic Village complex and mountain cluster (comprising the skiing and snowboarding courses and the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track) located only a 30 minute car journey away.

Where To Ski and Snowboard In The Alps In November?

Austria is the leading country for November skiing with the Hintertux, Pitztal, Sölden, Kaprun's Kitzsteinhorn, Dachstein, Molltal, Stubai and the Kaunertal glaciers already open.

Obergurgl has announced they will open for the 2017-18 ski season on November 16th.
On 25 November 2017, the most successful songstress in German chart-history Andrea Berg kicks off the winter season in Ischgl with the legendary Top of the Mountain Concert.
Kitzbuhel has started winter season on October 14th. Kitzbühel was thus the first non-glacier ski resort to start the winter operation thanks to the snow stockpiled from last season, spread back out on the slopes.

In Switzerland, Saas-Fee (Blog Editor's picture attached), Zermatt (always open), Engelberg, Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets and The Diavolezza Glacier near St. Moritz have their glaciers open for snow sports.

On Saturday, the 4th of November 2017, Laax will start the pre-season operation on the Vorab.

Davos Klosters has announced they will open at Parsenn on November 4th. If weather conditions are good, Parsenn will open the following weekend as well.

In Italy, glacier ski areas Val Senales, Cervinia and Passo Stelvio are open. 

In France, with Les 2 Alpes deciding not to open due to limited snow cover on its glacier, Tignes, which has been open since the end of September, is the only ski area open in France at the moment.