Ski operators are said to be confident for this coming winter season

While ski operators are cautious, they are also confident for this coming winter season, snow loving timeshare owners will be pleased to hear.

Al Morgan, information manager at the Ski Club of Great Britain, pointed out that ski operators have been offering some early season deals. The industry is also pulling together to approach existing skiers and snowboarders as well as first-timers, he continued. While he admitted that the credit crunch hit the snowsports industry at a bad time, he said the skiing market is resilient and operators are feeling positive about this winter season.

He made his comments at the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, held at London Olympia. According to Ski Club of Great Britain figures, France is still dominant in the UK snowsports market with a 43 per cent share and this has remained the same since 2007/2008.

The overall UK snowsports market now stands at 1.27 million people, the data also shows.

Metro Ski and Snowboard Show

Could there be a better way of ushering in the new winter sports season than with a giant snowball fight? If there is, I can't think of it - and just such an event is taking place at this year's Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, which starts this week.

Organisers of the show are transporting ten tons of the white stuff in refrigerated trucks from the Milton Keynes Snowzone to Olympia in London - and they want as many people as possible to start throwing it around in an attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of World Records for the biggest indoor snowball fight ever recorded.

The five-day show at Olympia, which starts on Wednesday, will be followed by yet another winter sports extravaganza in London - the Freeze Snowboard, Ski and Music Festival, more of which later.

Adult ticket prices are £5 for the Wednesday, £9 (advance) or £12 (on the door) Thursday and Friday, and £13 (or £16) for the weekend.