Croatian ski slopes could be busy this winter

Skiers will abandon pricy mainstream resorts to go off the beaten track this winter, according to the Ski Club of Great Britain, which could make many consider a holiday in Croatia.

Traditional skiing locations such as the French Alps and Austria may be too expensive for many during the period of economic downturn, so a lower-cost alternative may be in demand. Even moving further down a particular valley can affect the cost of a ski holiday dramatically.

Vanessa Fisher, spokesperson for the club, said: "Resorts that are slightly off the beaten track are going to be popular as they are slightly cheaper. [They have] still got access to skiing and those are the types of resorts that skiers will be looking for." As the pound weakens against the euro, the price of ski holidays has risen by around six per cent. That could lead many skiers to seek out an up-and-coming ski destination such as Croatia.

Last week Tim Holmes, manager of the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, said that snow fans have too much passion for skiing to give up their winter break because of the credit crunch.

Chamonix, France: best ski resort for advanced skiers

Chamonix fully deserves its reputation as one of the world's classic ski resorts: set in the heart of a dramatic high-alpine environment at the base of Mont Blanc, it has some of the most extreme off-piste skiing in the world and a boisterous party scene to boot. The bustling town has a long mountaineering history and has always attracted hardy, outdoors types although it's becoming increasingly glamorous, with trendy bars and hotels popping up left, right and centre.

On the flip side, Chamonix's five ski areas (Grands Montets, l'Aiguille du Midi, Le Tour, Brévent and Flégère) are frustratingly dispersed, its cult powder status means fresh tracks are hard to find and even the infamous 12 and a half-mile off-piste Vallée Blanche route can feel like a busy thoroughfare at times. However, despite its foibles, every passionate skier should visit Chamonix at least once in their lifetime.

Snow ski centre planned for Sunderland’s Stadium Village

Plans have been unveiled for a giant indoor snow ski centre with real snow in a North-East city. The multi-million pound development planned for Sunderland’s Stadium Village – surrounding the city’s football stadium – could also house an ice rink, leisure facilities, specialist sports shops, bars and restaurants.

It would be a first for the region and the only facility of its kind between Leeds and Glasgow.The Stadium Village already boasts the Stadium of Light and the £20m Sunderland Aquatic Centre, which opened last year. Sunderland City Council’s cabinet will consider the blueprint when it meets next Wednesday. The document, known as a development framework, could then be put to further public consultation.

The development framework suggests the area between Hay Street and the Metro line as the location for the centre.

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.

Jet2 flights to carry skis and snowboards for free

There’s great news for those of us planning a skiing holiday in Chamonix or somewhere who are flying with Jet2. The budget airline has announced that it will carry skis and snowboards for free.

If you use the Jet2 promotional code FREESKI, you will be able to get one pair of skis or one snowboard carried free of charge. This offer applies to flights from all airports and you can use the code right up until the end of March.

Jet2 fly to a number of Alpine airports which serve a huge number of ski resorts, so why not book you own flights and accommodation, rather than relying on a package.

Skiing: Finn edges out rivals

Tanja Poutiainen made a winning start to her defence of the giant slalom World Cup title in Soelden, Austria - albeit by just one hundreth of a second. The Finn produced a storming second run to edge out home favourite Kathrin Zettel. "This is a dream start to the season," she said.

Italy's Denise Karbon was the leader at the mid-point but lost vital time in the closing stages of her second run and dropped to third. Great Britain's Chemmy Alcott made a solid if unspectacular start to her campaign, coming home in 19th spot. The opening race of the season was marred by an injury to Austria's Nicole Hosp.

Hosp, the 2007 overall World Cup champion, crashed in the morning run and was flown to hospital in Innsbruck with torn ligaments in her right knee.

Result:
1 T Poutiainen (Fin) 1:12.14 1:12.82 2:24.96
2 K Zettel (Aut) 1:12.40 1:12.57 2:24.97
3 D Karbon (Ita) 1:11.52 1:13.76 2:25.28
4 T Maze (Svn) 1:13.01 1:12.79 2:25.80
5 M Pietilae-Holmner (Swe) 1:12.56 1:13.28 2:25.84
6 A Paerson (Swe) 1:13.34 1:12.57 2:25.91
7 K Hoelzl (Ger) 1:13.32 1:12.84 2:26.16
8 V Rebensburg (Ger) 1:13.52 1:12.76 2:26.28
9 L Vonn (US) 1:13.30 1:13.05 2:26.35
10 C Alfieri (Ita) 1:14.73 1:11.70 2:26.43

Ski Season Begins Early

Early snow fall, colder temperatures and perhaps a sprinkle of P.R. have led ski resorts in North America, Europe and elsewhere to open early.

Loveland Ski Area, a small family-oriented resort about 50 miles west of Denver, opened on Oct. 7, about the same time that Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, about 45 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, welcomed skiers. They were followed closely by Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Boreal Mountain Resort on Lake Tahoe.

Even the Mammoth Mountain Si Area in California, which wasn’t scheduled to open until mid November, got dumped on last week and opened lifts, according to the L.A Examiner.

Similar snow reports are coming from the Alps, the Indian Himalayas and the Japanese Alps, according to the online Ski Magazine, First Tracks. Saas Fee and Zermatt got plenty of snow and are already open, as are with Cervinia, Val Senales and Passo Stelvio in Italy.

Huge snow complex plan unveiled

A multi-million pound giant snow complex could be built in Blackpool on the site which had been earmarked for a super-casino.

Developer Greenbank Partnerships said the proposal included five ski slopes, bars, shops and a hotel and would see 3,000 jobs being created. Blackpool Council said the plan was at a very early stage but the development could change the face of the resort.

In 2007, the resort was overlooked as the destination for a super-casino. Officials chose Manchester before the project was abandoned altogether. Greenbank Partnerships has now been given permission to conduct a feasibility study on the Central Station site over the next 18 months.

It estimates that two million people would visit the facilities each year. Chris Baybutt, from Greenbank Partnerships, said it was a "significant development" for the resort which was an "obvious choice" for the project.

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.

1st snow kicks off area's ski season

The first cold snap of the season brought the first snowfall of the season overnight Saturday. But the cold will be a memory by midweek, when temperatures are expected to be as high as 73, according to the National Weather Service.

Two inches of snow was reported at Mount Mitchell, an inch of snow fell near Banner Elk and in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and about a half-inch covered the ground in Waynesville, said Scott Krentz, a metereologist with the National Weather Service, on Sunday. “Areas at 3,500 feet and above got about a half or so,” he said. The shining sun doesn't mean it's going to warm up right away; Krentz said the forecast calls for temperatures 10 degrees below normal for today, with a high around 59 degrees and an overnight low of 30. A freeze warning was in effect overnight, set to expire at 9 this morning, for much of Western North Carolina.

But the harsh cold isn't bad news for everyone in WNC. The folks at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley started making snow Sunday morning and will open at 1 p.m. today. “It's the earliest opening in our history,” said Tammy Brown, spokeswoman for the ski area. “We are going to stay open as long as we can.” It was 25 degrees when they started making snow at 6:45 a.m. Sunday, Brown said.

Skiers will have to battle the heat before long, though. Warmer weather returns the middle of the week, with highs once again reaching the low 70s and lows in the mid-40s to around 50, according to the National Weather Service.

Skiing: Maier calls it a day

Austrian Alpine skiing champion Hermann Maier fought back tears as he announced his retirement from the sport. The Olympic gold medallist, who had been planning a return to the World Cup circuit in November after recovering from a knee injury, said he wanted to retire while he was still in good health.

Maier competed on the circuit for 13 years, winning four overall World Cup titles, four Olympic medals, including two golds in 1998, and three world championship titles. A late developing ski racer, who had previously mixed working as a ski instructor at his father's ski school in Flachau with brick-laying in the summer, Maier's career appeared to be over in 2001 when he nearly lost a leg following a motorcycle accident, requiring seven hours of surgery.

However, he made a remarkable comeback after more than a year on the sidelines, winning the World Cup super-G race at his favourite Kitzbuhel in January 2003.

Eastern Europe offers best value ski deals as prices on the slopes rise sky high

British skiers should head for Eastern Europe for the best deals on the slopes this winter but are being warned that even prices in traditionally cheap ski resorts have jumped.

Top-value ski destinations are Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia, according to a survey by the Post Office. Including basic week-long costs such as equipment hire, lift passes, meals and drinks, Romania's Poiana Brasov ski resort offered the best value at £195.76. Borovets in Bulgaria (£250.87) was the next-best resort in terms of value for money, with High Tatras in Slovakia third (£264.97). In contrast, Banff in Canada had costs of £429.06 and Verbier in Switzerland was £422.21.

However, Poiana Brasov prices had risen 4% compared with this time last year, while Borovets was up 14% and High Tatras was up 20%. Elsewhere, Norway's Geilo resort saw the biggest price rise with travellers facing an increase of 26%. But some popular resorts had lower prices than last year, with Courchevel in France down 11% at £298.87 and Vail - in Colorado, USA - also down 11% at £372.83.