SPORTEN - A TRADITIONAL SKI COMPANY

Sporten is a traditional ski company founded more than 100 years ago. At that time each pair of skis were made in small workshops by skilled craftsmen and each pair of skis were truly original.

Time has changed, but in Vysocine where Sporten still make their skis, many things are still the same. Sporten don’t go out and buy the cores for their skis like other manufacturers. Instead they go and buy trees direct from sustainable forests. They strip the bark and cut the wood into planks before storing it for three years outside to season correctly. Prior to production each plank is hand checked for shape and curvature before the final kiln drying process. Once a piece of wood enters the factory it is cut, finger grooved for strength then re-cut for shape and only then does it enter onto the production line.

Once the wooden core enters the production line it is added to a mixture of more modern components including ABS sidewalls, a structured top sheet, biaxial fibreglass wrap, titanal plate, anti-vibration ply, steel edges and sintered base. All these ingredients are inserted into a heavy-duty steel press and with great pressure compressed into a modern ski. The completed ski is then hand trimmed and flex tested to ensure the pair match before final waxing and packaging.

Sporten still make traditional hand crafted skis, but in a more modern way. if you would like any more information visit http://www.skiwear4less.com. MJ.

Ski resorts cutting prices to lure locals

A struggling economy is turning out to be good news for skiers and snowboarders who live close enough to mountains that they can hit the slopes every weekend.

Many ski resorts are slashing prices on season passes and offering locals-only discounts in an effort to boost revenues from nearby metropolitan areas at a time many U.S. travelers are choosing to vacation closer to home. In few places is this trend more evident than in Utah, where snow lovers can drive from downtown Salt Lake City and be in a lift line in roughly 30 minutes.

"It's a no brainer," said Nick Como, Solitude Mountain Resort's marketing director. "There's so many people down there that don't ski. There's a great market that's just untapped." Labor Day is the traditional kickoff to preseason winter deals, with discount offers generally expiring every few weeks until the season starts.

Solitude, like many other resorts around the country, has begun offering new season ticket packages at reduced prices on the heels of a winter in which skier visits nationally dropped 5.5 percent in the 2008-09 season from the record 60.5 million visits the season before, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The association's annual report said destination resorts fared the worst last winter, with resorts close to major cities weathering the economic downturn the best. Many Utah resorts noticed a dip in room reservations from out-of-state tourists, but an uptick in season passes purchased by Utah residents.

"Salt Lake feels really fortunate to have a large local population near us. A lot of our resorts are reaching out to locals maybe more this season than you've seen in the past," said Jessica Kunzer, spokeswoman for Ski Utah, the ski industry's marketing arm in the state. "A lot of the resorts are saying they've extended their early season offerings and discounts. ... The consumer really wants to make sure they get the best bang for their buck."

In Colorado, the reigning king of skiing in the U.S., a growing number of resorts are offering payment plans for season passes, refusing to raise prices and creating special packages for tourists and locals. "What we're finding is that people are still willing to find a way to make skiing happen this year," said Colorado Ski Country USA spokeswoman Jennifer Rudolph. "So the planning is happening, yet they're still looking for a deal at the same time. Resorts are trying to answer the call for both groups of skiers."

Rudolph said Echo Mountain, the closest resort to Denver, is offering special deals on night skiing for children in an effort to get local families on the mountain throughout the week. Early indications are that Colorado's discounts and new packages are working, Rudolph said. "We took a pulse of our members after the Labor Day weekend to see how pass sales were. The majority of them reported very robust pass sales, if not higher, than last year," she said.

In Vermont, the most skiied-in state on the East Coast, resorts are resisting offering new bargain basement deals. Only about 20 percent of the ski industry's market in that state lives in Vermont, with the rest coming from areas like Boston and New York. "The deals have always been there, but now people are doing their homework and people are seeking out deals," said Jen Butson, spokeswoman for Ski Vermont.

While Vermont noticed a decline in skier visits last season, Butson said it was on par with the state's five-year skier average. "Last year and the year before were good snow years. That makes a difference on the people making last-minute decisions and people who live in our drive market," she said. "Snow always trumps a bad economy."

Some winter enthusiasts are looking for snow a little closer to home, though. New York vaulted ahead of Utah to become the fourth-most skied in state last season by depending on the millions of people who can drive a couple of hours for a day of skiing. Western resorts aren't giving up on out-of-state skiers, though.

Utah tourism officials were meeting Thursday to finalize their winter advertising plan, which in addition to national ad buys includes targeted markets like Los Angeles and New York. "Certainly, the general feeling is that flat is the new up. We want to hold steady. Last year was the fourth largest skier day year, which despite the economy, was very good for us," said Leigh von der Esch, director of the Utah Office of Tourism. "My counterparts in New England, they love it when the gas prices are low. ... We like it when the air fares are low."

Still, von der Esch recognizes the importance of being a tourist in your own state. "We're really trying to encourage the folks who live in Utah to think, 'Greatest snow on Earth. Just around the corner,' " she said.

Ryanair check-in to go online by October

Skiers may soon have to think twice about taking a large suitcase on a Ryanair flight, after it was announced this week check-in desks will be scrapped and baggage fees increased.

Ryanair first announced plans to abolish check-in desks last month, saying most of its customers already check in online, and they will be able to use baggage drop desks for their luggage if needed.

Desks will be phased out and check-in fees will increase in the meantime. From 19 March the fee to check-in luggage at airport desks will double to £20 per passenger per flight. Passengers who book their tickets by 1 May will still be allowed to check in at the airport, but by 1 October, there will be no check-in desks at any of its airports and passengers will only be able to check in online.

Michael O’Leary, Chief Executive of the Irish airline, told The Daily Telegraph, “All we will have is a bag drop where passengers can drop off their luggage, otherwise everything will be done online. Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage.”

Ryanair is already known for its 'no-frills' policy, with passengers being charged for extras ranging from cups of tea to using a credit card to pay for their ticket. O'Leary also recently told the press he is thinking about installing credit card-operated toilets on airplanes and charging passengers to use them.

Holidaymakers pile onto the pistes

Ski weekend breaks are snowballing in popularity thanks to excellent conditions on European slopes, it was revealed today.

Flights for weekend trips from the UK to airports close to French, Swiss and Italian ski areas increased by more than 16% last month compared with January 2008, figures from low-fare airline easyJet showed.

Snowfalls at European ski resorts this season are thought to have been the best for many years.

EasyJet's UK general manager Paul Simmons said: "Early last year, as the credit crunch began, we noticed that ski weekends became popular even though the snowfall wasn't as good.

"This year we've really seen a jump in weekend flights with people wanting to hit the slopes quickly and cheaply."

He went on: "Airports like Innsbruck, Grenoble and Geneva are proving particularly popular for ski weekends. They have a short flight time from most UK airports and some of Europe's best ski resorts within an hour's drive, so people don't have to waste time on airport transfers.

"You can set off from the UK and be on the piste in one of Europe's top ski resorts like Chamonix and Flaine (in France) in under four hours, making them perfect for those who want to get a quick 'ski-fix' for a weekend."

Heavy snow falls on Canadian ski areas

A number of ski holiday resorts in the province of Alberta, Canada have seen heavy snow over the past few days.

Travel Alberta reported that more than half a metre of fresh snow has fallen over the past three days in the ski areas of Mt Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village in Banff national park.

Skiers and snowboarders are now taking advantage of fresh powder covering almost 8,000 acres of terrain.

People taking holidays in the area this month will have the chance to attend the Ice Magic festival on the shores of Lake Louise from January 23rd to 25th, which includes a 34-hour ice-sculpting competition.

Other popular activities in the Banff national park and Lake Louise region include spa trips and wildlife tracking, with deer, elk, cougars, moose and even grizzly bears roaming free through the park''s protected forests.

Calgary and Edmonton, two of the biggest cities in Alberta, can be reached by taking flights with airlines including KLM and United Airlines.

Snow for the Southern Alps!

The more southerly French resorts and the Italian resorts should benefit the most from the predicted storm, which could bring up to 100cm of fresh snow to some Italian resorts by Monday.

Cervinia, which has been open since early November, is expecting around 50cm over the weekend, and Madonna di Compaglio opened today, about a week ahead of schedule. They are expecting a phenomenal 100cm of fresh snow by Monday!

In France, Alpe d'Huez plans to open this weekend, along with Val d'Isère and Les Deux Alpes, and conditions are already looking good with a base of 60cm on the upper slopes and a light dusting expected on Saturday and Sunday.

Serre Chevalier is looking forward to 26cm of new snow thanks to the storm but doesn't currently plan to open until 13th December.

In Austria, it's been a great week for snow conditions and the Arlberg region and parts of the Ski Welt will be open from either Friday or Saturday. And in Switzerland, cold temperatures preserved the great snowfall that many resorts had over the weekend, and more is expected to arrive. Saas Fee and Zermatt should be particularly happy with over 60cm forecast in each resort!