“8848 Altitude Has Arrived!”

We have just received our latest range of products from Swedish manufacturer 8848 Altitude. This range originated from a project that was set up to provide clothing for the first successful Swedish ascent to Mount Everest in 1990. The know how from this first ascent in utilizing breathable materials through a wide range of temperatures and climatic conditions has been incorporated throughout our entire range.
Do you prefer Futuristic or classic? Solid or multicoloured? Active or loose fit? The freedom to combine and the variety of styles has never been broader. Get inspired by our range of jackets, pants, gloves and hats at fantastic prices way below RRP.
“TOP OF THE RANGE”
Our top of the range Sonic Jacket features “Duratec Supreme” the latest in technical fabric. A fully wind- and waterproof and breathable laminated material, a lightweight fabric made to defeat the toughest weather conditions. This jacket has an incredible 20,000 hydrostatic head, plus optimum breathability and wind resistance. It’s available in Blue and Red and is available to you IN ALL SIZES for £199.99, a saving of £90 off the RRP.
“THE FREERIDER”
If you´re all in for serious powder and big mountain sessions, go for brave, retro-inspired colours and pieces with relaxed cut and lots of room for movement. The Mels Jacket is down £70 to just £159.99 and is the freeriders’ favourite this season. The “Muddie Soft Shell” at the same price is a truly stunning jacket with superb performance. Featuring Duratec technical fabric, this jacket fits close to the body and allows you to move freely. Waterproof, breathable and windproof with great looks – what more could a girl want? How about waterproof zips, powder skirt, underarm vents and zip off storm hood to name but a few.
“THE SKI TEACHER”
Active fit, dynamic lines, striking colours, high-tech materials – and loaded with intelligence. Those are the key words for the upcoming winter’s most versatile ski garments. The number one alpine look this season screams: Functional – Fun – Fast! Check out the Asto Soft Shell Jacket just £179.99, a saving of £80 of the RRP! It’s on page 14 of our Best Sellers Catalogue or click the web link below and you’ll get the idea.
With matching Smith, Gun and Mila Pants from just £99.99 and gloves and hats too then why don’t you visit our website at www.skiwear4less.com.

SCHWARZENEGGER KILLS CALIFORNIA HELMET BILL

September 30, 2010
SAM Magazine—Sacramento, Calif., Sept. 30, 2010—It could only happen in California: last Friday, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger first approved a bill that required under-18 skiers and snowboarders in the state to wear helmets, but then vetoed companion legislation that would have required resorts to take a number of other actions to further safeguard visitors. Since the two bills were linked, the veto of the second means that the first won't become law, either.

Had the bills both passed, California would have the country's strictest laws regarding helmet use and ski safety.

The bill Schwarzenegger vetoed, AB 1652, mandated that all California ski areas increase the number of hazard signs, boundary markings, and install safety padding on potentially dangerous obstacles. The bill also would have required resorts to prepare an annual safety plan, and to publish monthly reports of any fatal incidents.

"Many California ski resorts are located on U.S. Forest Service land, and are already required to compile and file safety and accident reports with USFS as well as maintain some of this information in the resort management office," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Ski resorts in California also already mark their ski area boundaries and trails with appropriate information. This bill may place an unnecessary burden on resorts, without assurance of a significant reduction in ski and snowboard-related injuries and fatalities."

Senator Leland Yee, author of the bill requiring helmets for all skiers and riders under age 18, said he will reintroduce the helmet bill next year as a standalone measure. This bill had the support of the California Ski Industry Association, and will likely have that support again.

Should helmets be compulsory? Let us know what you think on our forum at www.skiwear4less.com.

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.

EXTRA 10% OFF WEBSALE ON NOW!

With winter well on its way now is a great time to get sorted for the slopes. We here at skiwear4less are sad to see the end of our fantastic British Summer (boohoo!)…and can’t wait for winter and the coming snow (hurrah!). It’s when we like to come out and play!

To celebrate the end of British Summer Time (just around the corner next month *) we are offering a further 10%...YES a massive 10% MORE off everything from our website for a limited time only!

Simply go to www.skiwear4less.com and place an order before midnight on Thursday 30th September, enter the Voucher Code xxx at the checkout and you will receive a further 10% off your order. Now how good is that!

Ooh! and did I mention the fantastic range of skis, boards, boots, poles, bindings, clothing, gloves and hundreds of other ski and outdoor accessories for all age ranges and abilities…that’s a 10% discount on everything on our website for a limited time only which ends at 12 o’clock midnight at the end of September…that would be Thursday 30th to be precise! Don’t delay and get on our website today! Do it NOW! Don’t wait! Click on the link straight away! You know you want to!

* (For your information British Summer Time clocks go back 1 hour on Sunday 31st October 2010 when it becomes 01.00am Greenwich Mean Time!)

NEW JUNIOR SKI BOOT EASES YOUR INVESTMENT

Italian company Roxa has invented an innovative new system that allows the ski boot to adjust as your children’s feet grow bigger!

The New Junior ‘Chameleon’ starts at UK size 11 (mondopoint size 18) and can be adjusted over time up to UK size 2 (mondopoint 21.5) . So now instead of having to buy, borrow or steal new boots every time your children’s feet grow you can buy a boot that grows with them.

The ‘Chameleon’ has a patented system which allows the shell to extend just like a rental binding. It also has 2 buckles with adjustable ratchet plus a comfort liner that will expand as the foot grows.

This boot is perfect for the little ones as their feet grow and perfect on you and your wallet!

The Junior Chameleon has a Recommended Retail Price of £90 but is now available for £55 in our shops and online at our website http://www.skiwear4less.com. That’s a saving of £35 off the RRP.

Now that’s something to write home about and tell all your friends. MJ.

Price of skiing stays the same in Aspen!!

ASPEN — The Aspen Skiing Co. is holding the line on the prices of its two most popular ski passes and it is resurrecting the two-day-per-week pass, which had been eliminated prior to last season, the company announced Monday.

The Premier Pass — which offers unrestricted access to all four Skico ski areas with no blackout dates — costs $1,099 for members of local chambers of commerce in 2010-11. The price is $1,499 for individuals who aren't chamber members. Both prices are the same as last season.

In all cases, season passes are cheapest when purchased before a Sept. 24 “super early deadline.” Prices go up Sept. 24 and again on Nov. 12.

“The message there is buy your passes before Sept. 24,” said Skico spokesman Jeff Hanle. About 80 percent of season pass buyers heed the advice and purchase before the first deadline, he said.

The Flex Pass prices, good for one day of skiing or riding per week, sells for $699 for chamber members and $819 for non-members, if purchased before Sept. 24. Those prices are also the same as the prior season. Extra days can be added for $49 per day.

The price of Premier Passes was dropped by $200 last season for chamber members and $270 for individuals, so the skiers and riders who hit the slopes most often are paying less than they have since the 2004-05 season.

Even without a price increase, the Skico's full-season pass remained the most expensive among Colorado resorts. Telluride charges $1,298 but customers can knock that down to $998 per person when four people team to buy passes. Steamboat's current price is $999 while Crested Butte is charging $949.

Vail Resorts, which is more vulnerable to competition for Front Range skiers, is charging $599 for an Epic Pass, which buys access to Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin as well as Heavenly in California.

Most other Colorado resorts raised their pass prices by a modest amount for the 2010-11 winter.

The Skico's decision to keep pass prices flat was partially an acknowledgment of the ongoing tough economic times, Hanle said, but there's also a philosophical statement involved.

‘Double Flex Pass' created

In addition to holding the prices the same as 2009-10 for the major passes, the Skico brought back an old favorite. The two-day-per-week pass is now dubbed the “Double Flex Pass.”

Among people who objected about pass options last season, the biggest complaint was about the loss of the two-day-per-week option. Critics said they could only hit the slopes twice per week, Hanle said. They didn't want to pay more for the Premier Pass because they knew they couldn't use all the days. But they also wanted more than a one-day-per-week pass.

The Double Flex sells for $949 for chamber members and $1,199 for non-members if purchased by Sept. 24.

When the two-day-per-week pass was last sold, in the 2008-09 season, the price was $919, so the increase was $30 over two seasons.

Two other passes that were eliminated last season won't be brought back this season. The seven-day Classic Pass remains buried, and no option will be offered for Aspen Highlands only.

A five-day Classic Pass is $259, up $10 from last season.

The Escape Pass offers a pay-as-you-go option. It is $319 if purchased by Dec. 17, then $49 per day it is used. The upfront cost is up $20 from last season.

The cost of the five-day Classic Pass is $259, up from $249 last season.

Article from www.aspentimes.com :)

Ski Helmets?...Useful?Uncomfortable?....What's your views?

Under promoted or over hyped? Useful? Uncomfortable? Another marketing con? Essential for safety? You could help a new study being conducted into people's attitudes and beliefs into wearing one.

It's being compiled by The University of Surrey.

It's findings will not give a definite view of whether wearing a helmet makes you safer, and if so by how much, but we reckon at PlanetSKI that it will make for some interesting reading.

It is about attitudes and beliefs.

Each question has a rating scale of 1-5 depending on how much you agree or disagree with the statement or question.

First it asks your level and how many weeks you have been skiing or snowboarding for.

Then it asks whether you think wearing a helmet is necessary, about social pressure to wear one and whether you believe it makes you ski or snowboard in a different way.

The vexed question of compulsion is also tackled in amongst many other questions and areas.

Compulsory for kidsCompulsory The researchers say it takes 20 minutes to complete.

Here at PlanetSKi we did it in under 10 minutes and would strongly recommend you contribute your thoughts to the debate.

The research is being done by Mary Ondrusz who is a regular competitor on the FIS Masters circuit and her husband, Tom, has coached many of the UK's leading young skiers at UK ski centres.

There is precious little accurate research into wearing a helmet and it should make a valuable contribution to the debate.

The survey is about attitudes and beliefs, rather than hard facts.

A recent Candian survey, conducted over 10 years, concluded that people are 33% safer with a helmet on, than without one.

It appeard in The Canadian Medical Association Journal.

At one end of the spectrum of views people are quite evangelical about wearing a helmet and, at the other end, some say they actually increase the risk of injury.

The most recent research in North America concluded that wearing a helmet does not increase the risk of neck injuries.

A handful of ski areas in North America are extending the level of compulsion and in California legislation is currently going through The Senate to make it compulsory for everyone under 18 year of age.

Some welcome this sort of law as it promotes safety, others fear the onward march of the nanny state.

In Europe children are made to wear a helmet in certain circumstances, but any form of widespread compulsion in Europe seems unlikely according to this story we wrote last season here on PlanetSKI.

For links to the survey and more on this story check out......http://www.planetski.eu/news/1892

NEW FIVE SEASONS!!!NOW IN & REDUCED

check out our new Outdoor Clothing section on our website...www.skiwear4less.com!!We have just recieved new five seasons outdoor stock and we are selling it at amazingly reduced prices!!!....check it out at...www.skiwear4less.com!!!! :)

Heather Mills Sets Her Sights on Sochi 2014!!

The former model, activist & charity campaigner has a new priority on her list, which is to compete in the next Winter Paralympic Games.

Heather Mills lost part of her left leg in a motorcycle incident in 1993. However, being the strong-willed person that she is, she has shown the world that being an amputee doesn't stop you from fulfilling your dreams. Mills proved this to us after taking part in TV shows Dancing with the Stars in 2007 and Dancing on Ice early 2010.

However, most recently Mills participated in Disability Snowsports UK's National Skiathon in May joining teams in Milton Keynes at the SNO!zone indoor real snow slope, having to complete 666 runs in six hours.

Reading from the Sunday Express' online article it was the experience that gave Heather Mills the inspiration to set her goals to joining in the Winter Paralympics in Sochi in 2014, where she would become a part of the Great Britain Paralympic Alpine Skiing Team.

"If I manage to compete, It would be phenomenal - very inspiring for all the kids that I counsel"

Express.co.uk, Heather Mills.

8 times Gold Winner Retires!

Lauren Woolstencroft, who has dominated the Paralympic ski events has announced her retirement from the sport after winning 5 gold medals in the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. Over 3 different Winter Paralympic Games she has won 8 gold medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze, in events like the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Downhill, Super G and Super Combined., all of which Lauren won in 2010.

She started racing aged 14 and retires aged 28, born without legs below the knee and a left forearm she used prosthetics to achieve her amazing success, so having her last wins at home in Vancouver must have made it extra special.

Lauren has shown herself to be a fantastic competitor and a very determined one at that, her 5 gold medals are the most that any female athlete has ever won before in a single Winter Paralympic Games.

Snowboarders killed in avalanche

Relatives of ten people, most of them German snowboarders, who were killed by an avalanche in Russia's remote Kamchatka region at the weekend are expected to arrive at the scene of the accident today.

The ten died when the helicopter carrying them was hit by an avalanche after landing on a ski slope on Saturday. The alarm was raised after their helicopter disappeared from radio contact and a search operation was launched. The Mi-8 helicopter had been carrying 18 people, including 12 tourists from Germany and Belgium, on an extreme heli-ski trip, and had landed at the top of a slope. When rescuers arrived they found that the helicopter had been completely crushed by the avalanche and carried more than 200 metres down the slope. Two of the three crew members died, while one miraculously survived and was cut from the wreckage.

All the snowboarders had left the helicopter at the time of the avalanche – eight of them were killed, and one was seriously injured, while five were rescued unharmed. The local authorities said that the avalanche contained around 2 million cubic metres of snow, and was most likely set off by the snowboarders moving down the slope.

Kamchatka is a sparsely populated peninsula dotted with pristine lakes and active volcanoes in the Far East of Russia, thousands of miles and eight time zones away from Moscow. Every year it attracts a small number of Russian and foreign tourists seeking extreme adventure. It is perhaps the only place in the world where it is possible to ski down the edge of an active volcano while looking out over the ocean. Tourist companies based on the peninsula say they accept only extremely competent skiers and snowboarders .

Despite the fact that the peninsula is roughly twice the size of Britain, there are few populated points outside the capital, Petropavlovsk, and most transport around Kamchatka has to be done using an aging fleet of Mi-8 helicopters.

There were two teenagers on board the helicopter – a 13-year-old German boy and the 15-year-old grandson of the captain. The Russian boy died, while the German survived but lost his father to the accident. The bodies of the victims are expected to be transported to Moscow tomorrow.

April skiing continues at resorts

With a late season delivery of new snow, Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall now plans to be open for weekends at least through the end of April, with daily operations continuing through April 11.

Resort officials said that snow conditions and depths are the best they’ve been all season, with more snow since March 21 than fell in all of February.

“We’ve had a bunch lately, we got four more inches (Monday), enough to make us confident in announcing our first two bonus weekends,” Brundage Mountain Resort communication director April Russell said. “ And if we continue to get more snow than what we’ve seen, we’ll continue to extend our weekends beyond April if that’s possible.”

People can expect discounted prices on the bonus weekends, now set for April 17 and 18, and April 24 and 25.

“One of the things that makes the bonus weekends so exciting is regionally most of the ski resorts are closing, down so we have the chance to not only draw local skiers, but the diehard skiers from farther away who aren’t ready to quit,” Russell said.

According to the Web site for Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, the resort plans to close on Sunday, with activities scheduled including a PBR ribbon hunt, spring kids’ scavenger hunt, and more. The resort on Tuesday reported a base snow depth of 71 inches, with 87 inches at the top.

At Sun Valley Resort, the 74th winter season will continue through April 18 on Bald Mountain, according to a recent press release. The final day for Seattle Ridge and The Bowls is set for Sunday.

Dollar Mountain operations concluded Easter Sunday.

Sun Valley reported 81 inches at the summit of Bald Mountain on Tuesday, with 23 inches at the base.

British Skier Killed By Avalanche In Italy

A British skier has been killed after an avalanche in the Italian Alps, mountain rescue officials have said.

The 36-year-old man, who has been named as James Richard Ryan and is believed to come from Huddersfield, was swept away by tonnes of snow as he skied with a group of five friends and a guide, who were all British. The Foreign Office has confirmed the death, and is providing consular assistance to the family.

Mountain officials say heavy snow in the last few days means there is an increased risk of avalanches, as the fresh falls have not yet had a chance to bind to the mountains. The tragedy happened at Val Di Rhemes near Aosta at an altitude of 2,800 metres on the Mt Rosso mountain, as the group made its way down a run called the Punta Paletta.

The avalanche happened at around 5pm local time and was around 400 metres long and 100 metres wide, engulfing the victim and one of his companions immediately. Rescue teams managed to pull both men alive from the avalanche, but one died en route to the Parini hospital in Aosta.

Mountain rescue commander Delfino Viglione said: ''The group were skiing off piste when the avalanche took place.'' When asked if it had been caused by the group he said: ''That will be a question for the investigating magistrate, who has opened a file and is speaking to the group and the ski guide.''

Across the Italian Alps - which is preparing to welcome holidaymakers on Easter breaks - there was a series of avalanches over the weekend.

On Friday, a Norwegian man was killed at Courmayeur and his companion, who was skiing with him off-piste, has been charged with manslaughter for causing the avalanche. A dozen people have been killed in avalanches in the region this winter, leading officials to consider whether to launch rescue attempts for people who ignored warnings and got caught out.

Ski slope report gets green light

Councillors have approved a report recommending price rises and cuts to staff costs at Scotland's biggest artificial ski slope.

The report recommended Midlothian Ski Centre at Hillend stayed open for the next five months while a series of efficiency savings were implemented. The plan is to make it more marketable to aid the search for national backers.

Midlothian Council, Scotland's second smallest authority, has spent more than £5m subsidising the centre since 1996. The plan is for council officials to come up with a strategy for the sale or lease of the site in August. It follows Midlothian Council's announcement it could not pay the site's £500,000 a year losses.

The report, which councillors voted on on Tuesday, also said it would cost £1.2m to close the slope down as there would be £300,000 in redundancy costs and £900,000 in dismantling fees. The proposed efficiency savings include increasing charges, improving the cafe and making staff changes.

Woman dies on ski slopes

A woman from Mississauga died Wednesday after crashing into a tree while snowboarding at the Beaver Valley Ski Club east of Markdale.

Police were called to the ski club at about 11 a.m. to respond to a report of a seriously injured snowboarder, Grey County OPP said in a news release. "Investigation revealed that a 48-year-old . . . woman was snowboarding on the hill when she left the ski slope and entered a wooded area where she struck a tree."

The woman was taken by ambulance to the Markdale hospital, where she died, the release said. A post-mortem was to be held today in Barrie to determine the exact cause of death, police said. The woman's name was not being released pending notification of her family.

skiwear4less forum - now live!

If you love to chat to fellow skiers/boarders then the skiwear4less forum is the perfect place for you! We could talk about skiing all day long, so we've set up our very own forum so that skiers & boarders can chat about anything ski related. Share your holiday tales & advice, give your opinion & reviews on the latest ski equipment or even help someone decide which ski boots would be best for them - it's all happening on the skiwear4less forum.

To join our online community simple click HERE, register as a user and you're all ready to go!

Staff members will be visiting the boards regularly, so if you've got any technical questions or queries you'd like answered regarding products, then please just add a post to the forum.

Enjoy and have fun!!

Briton found dead in ski resort

A 24-year-old British man has been found dead in a ski resort, the Foreign Office said.

Police believe Paul Rea wandered off and got lost in freezing temperatures after becoming separated from friends on a night out in Pas de la Casa in Andorra. His body was discovered on Friday covered in snow in the Envalira tunnel close to the French border.

A spokesman for police in Andorra told Spanish news agency Europa Press the body showed "no signs of violence" and it was likely Mr Rea died of hypothermia. He said police believed he became "disorientated" and headed off in the wrong direction away from the centre of the resort.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Andorra on March 12. "Next of kin are aware. We are providing consular assistance and a post-mortem is under way."

Doctor's wife dies in ski accident

A DOCTOR'S wife from Doncaster has died in a skiing accident in the Alps after tumbling 650ft down a slope and hitting a tree.

Experienced skier Brenda Smith, 56, is believed to have lost control on black ice and skidded off the piste in the French resort of Les Deux Alpes before suffering fatal head injuries. Mrs Smith was in the resort with her oral surgeon husband Keith. Dr Smith, a consultant at Sheffield's Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, was in the region for a conference.

Maurice Barker, who is married to Mrs Smith's mother Kathleen, said: "Keith is devastated. We all are, she was such a lovely woman. They went skiing twice a year. She would easily have been able to cope with a black slope." A former neighbour said: "They didn't have children and were devoted to each other.

"It's such a shock to find out that this has happened, Keith will be absolutely distraught. Brenda had an operation about six months ago on a knee she damaged whilst skiing. She has had a couple of operations as a result of skiing but it never put her off."

Scots ski resorts in bumper year

Scotland's five mountain ski areas have had their best season since 2001 with spending by winter sports enthusiasts generating £25m, Ski-Scotland has said.

Unprecedented falls of snow have been reported at CairnGorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, Nevis Range and the Lecht. National body Ski-Scotland said more snow has been forecast meaning the season could last through to May. It said local businesses, such as bed and breakfasts, have also benefitted from the numbers of people skiing.

Nevis Range managing director Marian Austin said the amount snow that has fallen has allowed it to extend its skiing area. She said: "Unlike the ski areas in the east, we do not normally ski to our car park. "But this amazing snow cover - even at low level - has allowed us to offer skiing from 1,190m (3,900ft) down to 100m (330ft), which is about 4.5km, or close to three miles."

Pieter du Pon, of the Lecht Ski Company, added: "The snow this year has been fantastic with constant cold and great skiing conditions." Snow has just piled up week after week since before Christmas, with another metre falling in 36 hours last week."

Glencoe ski site 'is world's snowiest'

The ski centre at Glencoe Mountain had the most new snow of any winter sports resort in the world on Wednesday, its operators have claimed.

Spokesman Andy Meldrum said data collected by the British Ski Club revealed the area experienced a fall of 80cm over 24 hours.

Heavy snowfalls were also experienced at other Scottish ski resorts.

Snow fell to a depth of 70cm at CairnGorm, 60cm at both The Lecht and Nevis Range, and 50cm at Glenshee. Mr Meldrum said: "We have had a colossal amount of snow. At car park level we've probably got a metre of snow. "The amount of snow on the mountain is absolutely epic." Mr Meldrum added: "We must have a metre and a half of snow up there."

Glencoe came out ahead of the Sugarbush and Mount Snow resorts in the USA which had 76cm of new snow on Wednesday.

Quarter or Bristish skiers still drunk from the night before when they hit the slopes

Almost a quarter of skiers are unknowingly taking to the slopes still drunk from the night before, a survey today shows.

As many as 23 percent of British winter sports enthusiasts have seven units of alcohol still in their blood stream when starting a morning's skiing, the poll by More Than travel insurance found. This is the equivalent of being almost twice over the legal drink-drive limit, with morning skiers in this condition not likely to come down to the four-unit mark until at least 11am.

The poll of 1,072 skiers and snowboarders also showed that 74 percent reckoned drinking heavily the night before did not affect their skiing ability the next day. As many as 45 percent planned to drink every night during a winter sports' trip, while 31 percent wrongly believed their insurance would not be affected if they cause a serious accident on the slopes having drunk heavily the night before.

More Than spokesman Pete Markey said: 'The findings of the research are extremely concerning. 'Brits abroad have a reputation for drinking to excess but throw a high-speed downhill sport into the mix and you have a very nasty combination. 'Drink-driving is severely frowned upon and drink-skiing should be too. It can be just as dangerous.'

'Weather has not been our friend,' ski officials admit

Olympic officials are insisting that forecasts of days of rain and fog won't put a damper on the Games, although they admit there could be delays and postponements.

"Weather has not been our friend and it's continuing to challenge us," said Cathy Priestner Allinger, 2010's head of sport, Thursday.

First it was Cypress Mountain, where 9,000 cubic metres of snow had to be trucked in as rain drowned the courses.

This week it was fog at Whistler, which forced the postponement Wednesday of the men's downhill training runs. Priestner Allinger said that although the men's training runs went ahead Thursday, the women's training runs had to be postponed because of fog.

"It's raining on Cypress and there's a lot of fog," said Priestner Allinger. "We're continuing to protect the field of play as much as we can."

She said visibility was a more current problem on Cypress.

"Today, visibility is 100 to 400 metres," she said. "We need 250 metres on the moguls to be able to execute the races."

Despite the weather forecast, which calls for more rain and warm temperatures for the next five days, she said she was looking forward to the men's downhill race on Saturday.

"As it sits today, we're counting on running that race," she said.

She said the International Ski Federation will make the decision whether to delay or postpone races based on conditions.

Once a decision has been made, Olympic officials work with FIS, the broadcasters, and Environment Canada to work out when to try to reschedule the race, along with Olympic transportation and ticketing officials.

She warned that sometimes spectators won't learn of delays until they get to the venue.

"It's our No. 1 priority to get the event off the day it's scheduled," she added.

John Furlong, 2010 CEO, said he couldn't remember a Winter Games that didn't face weather challenges and delays.

"Hopefully we won't have too many but I don't think it's reasonable to think that, in 16 days, there won't be some things that have to be moved," he said.

Bluffers Guide to the Events

Having trouble picking your slalom from your Super G? Your luge from your skeleton? Your freestyle moguls from your Nordic Combined? Then here's our handy guide to what you'll be watching in the next couple of weeks. SKIING There are five skiing disciplines. Downhill does exactly what it says on the tin. Fast, steep, slick and with no margin for error, it is top to bottom against the clock.

Slalom is a short course race through a series of up to 75 gates, with quick turns making agility essential.

Giant slalom is similar but longer with fewer gates and longer, smoother turns while Super-G combines downhill and giant slalom.

The combined event has one downhill run and two slalom runs, all in one day.

Ski jumping comes in three events - the normal hill, large hill and team events.

Cross country skiing is on the flat (and sometimes a bit uphill) and takes place over courses from 1.5km to 15km to 50km.

Freestyle skiing has three events. Aerials involves being catapulted from ramps up to 50 feet in the air and performing acrobatics. Moguls is a speed race over a course of bumps, while skicross is like motocross on snow with speed, jumps and tricks all required. SNOWBOARDING Snowboarding halfpipe involves a series of spectacular leaps with unintelligible names, such as '1080 double cork'. Snowboard cross looks like BMX on snow, while snowboard parallel slalom is a head-to-head race between two riders. ICE DANCING Ice dancing, figure skating and ice hockey are well known to British viewers, as is bobsleigh, which comes in two and four-person events. CURLING A little like bowls on ice. It is better known to us since Rhona Martin's team's gold for Great Britain in 2002. LUGE/SKELETON Luge and skeleton have become two of the most exciting events to watch. Both are a bit like bobsleigh. Luge involves hurtling down the track at 85mph, feet first, flat on your back on a fibreglass pod shaped to your body.

Skeleton is even more madcap as competitors go head first on a glorified tea tray half the length of a body. Neither luge or skeleton offers any margin for error.

Biathlon Biathlon is incredibly gruelling. Cross country skiing with a gun on your back gets the heart pumping and contestants then have to stop on each lap to shoot at five targets, sometimes lying down, sometimes standing.

Nordic combined starts with a ski jump before going on to a cross country race. SPEED SKATING Speed skating has two disciplines. Short track is manic, with skaters battling each other over an oval course the size of an ice hockey rink.

The longer track has races up to 10km in a twoperson head-to-head, leaving the thighs burning and the lungs bursting.

Brit lad crushed by snowman

A BRITISH toddler stopped breathing after he was crushed by a giant snowman at a luxury ski resort in Austria.

Three-year-old Louis Kindal's parents watched in horror as the youngster was engulfed by the 10ft high snowman. The youngster was placed in a coma after being flown to hospital in nearby Innsbruck with his mum, Michelle, from Chorleywood, Herts, by air ambulance. His desperate dad Yves Kindal, 31, told how he clawed at the snow with his bare hands to pull his son free at the Leutasch ski resort in the Tyrol.

He said: "I ran over straight away and my only thought was to get my son out as soon as possible. "But the snow was like concrete. I was ripping and tearing at the snow and my hands were bleeding but I didn't care." He added: "By the time I pulled him out from under the snowman he had turned blue and was no longer breathing. We had to perform artificial respiration to get him breathing again."

This morning hospital medics said Louis was out of danger and has now been moved from intensive care to a normal children's ward. He said: "We are used to responding quickly here to winter sports accidents. Rapid transport of the patient and fast treatment have ensured a quick recovery. "The child is now out of danger and we anticipate he will soon be able to leave the ward."

The family had arrived in the resort from the UK only minutes earlier and were waiting outside their hotel when the accident happened. A local artist had constructed the snowman for a resort festival and today police launched an inquiry into why it collapsed.

Cops are consulting prosecutors over possible criminal charges. Inspector Johannes Adentung said: "A report is being prepared for prosecutors who will decide how to proceed. "There were a number of other snow sculptures in the area and in order to ensure the safety of the public these have now been dismantled."

No skiing at Scottish resort -- too much snow

Skiers found the slopes at a Scottish resort closed on Friday, not because the snow was sparse, but rather there was too much of it, the resort's managers said.

Cairngorm Mountain in northeast Scotland more often deals with a lack of snow but this year it is grappling with a different problem -- 185 centimetres (73 inches) of snow since Christmas in the worst bout of winter weather since the 1970s.

Resort staff toiled all day Thursday to clear snow, but they arrived back Friday to find their hard work was in vain after strong winds blew snow across access roads, creating 15 foot (4.6 metre) high drifts.

"We have come in this morning and it feels like groundhog day -- all our work yesterday has been filled in again," said Colin Matthew, the head of ski patrol.

"The mountain and all facilities, access roads and car parks will be closed today to allow digging out after major drifting during the storm," he said.

The resort's snow ploughs cannot even get through the drifting and it has had to hire special heavy diggers, said resort spokesman Colin Kirkwood, adding it could be Monday before the resort reopens.

But despite the temporary closure, Kirkwood said this year's harsh conditions had provided a welcome boost for business at Cairngorm, which faced controversy in recent years after a funicular railway ran well over budget.

"We're about 300 percent up on the point we were at at the same point last year," he said.

Cairngorm, Britain's sixth highest mountain, is one of the main resorts in Britain's small ski industry north of the Scottish border, with 10 lifts and 30 kilometres (19 miles) of ski runs.

Most of Britain has seen substantial snowfalls over the last month, in the country's severest winter for decades, although warmer temperatures in the last few days have melted much of the snow and ice further south.

Child's life saved by ski helmet

A young girl who collided with a tre when skiing at Afton Alps ski area in Minnesota may have died had she not been wearing a helmet, according to a doctor who treated her. The 6 year old broke her nose and leg, but a dent in her helmet appears to indicate it saved her from more serious head trauma.

"The helmet is probably the thing that saved her from truly serious injury, " said Dr Michael McGonigal who treated the girl. He hoped Julia's accident would offer an example to parents about the difference a helmet can make. "You've got to get them tuned in with the people that are doing it, and probably one of the most important things is to get them involved in wearing those things at a very young age, so it's just a natural thing."

Ski lift fault traps skiers in gondolas

Skiers had to be airlifted to safety yesterday, after a broken-down ski lift trapped 43 passengers in gondolas for several hours at a southern German resort.

A technical failure in the lift system at the alpine Brauneck resort in Bavaria triggered the automatic shutdown of the whole system, leaving skiers hanging up to 70 metres above the ground in 30 four-person gondolas. The rescue operation took almost three hours.

About 100 firefighters and mountain rescue specialists helped to lower many of the trapped skiers to safety, while others had to be rescued by helicopter, said police spokesman Harald Bauer. None of the skiers were injured, despite below-freezing temperatures. The resort is about 60km (40 miles) south of Munich.

"I was stuck up there for two and a half hours until the helicopter came to rescue me," skier Peter Gutmann told Associated Press. He said he was trapped alone in a gondola dangling more than 50ft (15m) above the ground.

UK weather colder than European ski resorts

Parts of the UK were colder than European ski resorts last night as temperatures matched their lowest levels so far this winter.

The temperature in Benson, Oxfordshire, and Woodford, Greater Manchester, reached -18C, a degree lower than some manufacturers recommend for freezing food at home and 2C warmer than the south pole – although it is the height of summer in the southern hemisphere. By comparison, the popular ski destinations of Davos, in Switzerland, and St Anton, in Austria, saw temperatures of -12C and -8C respectively.

A low of -18C was recorded earlier this winter – in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on 29 December.

Snow brings delight to ski centres

Scotland's ski centres said they had enjoyed the best start to the season in decades thanks to the continued cold snap.

Heavy snowfalls and consistently low temperatures have led to a bumper year for ski centre visitors, despite severe weather warnings and problems on many of the surrounding roads.

The Nevis Range centre in Fort William has enjoyed its busiest start to the ski season for a decade, while the Cairngorms centre, near Aviemore, reported the best snowfall it had seen since 1996.

Avalanche buries ski patroller

A member of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrol suffered critical injuries when he was buried in an avalanche Wednesday, officials said.

Mark Wolling, 58, was caught in the slide at about 8:25 a.m., before the slopes were open to the public, as he and other patrollers conducted avalanche hazard reduction work in the Cheyenne Bowl at an elevation of 9,350 feet. Wolling, a Jackson resident known by the nickname "Big Wally," and another patrol member were setting off explosive devices called hand charges when the avalanche triggered above them, according to a resort news release.

The other patroller was able to stop himself on a tree but Wolling was swept up in the sliding snow. Wolling was carried along for most of the 1,000-foot slide, including over a 25-foot cliff, according to the resort. It took fellow patrollers about 10 minutes to find Wolling, who was buried in about 6 feet of snow.

Wolling was rushed to the Teton Village Clinic and then St. John's Medical Center in Jackson. He was flown Wednesday afternoon to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, where a hospital spokeswoman said he was in critical condition. "It has been an extremely tough morning for all our patrollers and staff," Jerry Blann, resort president, said in a statement. "I am very grateful to everyone for their efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark and his family right now."

Wolling has been on the ski patrol since 1989 and has worked for the resort in other capacities since 1978, said Anna Olson, a resort spokeswoman. "His family are aware, and we have a lot of people looking out for him," Olson said.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort had received 10 inches of snow in the 24 hours before the avalanche occurred and substantial snowfall in the previous week. Wolling was in the upper area of the Cheyenne Bowl when the avalanche occurred, Olson said. The area has not been open to the public this season because of insufficient snow.

11 year old boy collapses & dies while skiing down hill

An 11-year-old Newton boy reportedly collapsed and died while skiing with his father and brothers Sunday in New Hampshire.

The boy was identified by school officials as Joseph Kelly Heilbron, a fifth-grader at the Pierce School, according to the Newton Tab. Josephwas the youngest of six children. Police in Henniker were unavailable for comment last night. The ski facility Pat’s Peak in Henniker, N.H., did not return a call for comment.

Officials at Joseph’s school told the newspaper the boy’s death has shocked and saddened the entire community. “The mood of the school is very sad and (this was) very sudden. This was a very sweet child that was an integral part of our school,” Interim Principal Ruth H. Chapman told the paper.

According to a letter Chapman sent home to parents, Joseph was on the last run down a hill and winning a race with his father and brothers when his body gave out and he collapsed, she wrote. Grief counselors were on hand for students at the boy’s school yesterday.

Girl falls from ski-lift

Police are looking for a German couple who fled after a 10 year old girl was seriously injured when she plunged 30ft from a ski lift.

Emily O'Rourke from Mullingar, Ireland, dangled for nearly a minute before she slipped from the grasp of fellow skiers onto the ice and snow below in Westendorf, Austria. Yesterday she was being treated for three cracked vertebrae in hospital in nearby Sankt Johann. Soctors said they expected her to make a full recovery after Sunday's fall.

Skiers watching from the ground said they had seen the unidentified German pair clinging onto the child. Police said they grabbed Emily and according to witnesses tried to hang on to her until the lift could reach the landing station – but she fell to the ground when they could no longer hold on. The couple were initially praised but refused to discuss how the lift bar had been raised during the trip and then fled saying they wanted to enjoy their remaining time on the slopes.

Hansjoerg Kogler, the boss of the lift company Bergbahnen Westendorf, said: "I really cannot understand their behaviour. We wanted to question the couple about the events, but they were not co-operative, they had nothing to say, they said they only had half day passes and therefore wanted to go skiing.

"There are still many open questions about how the accident could have occurred. The couple did not even leave their contact details in case of any inquiries and of course now we need to speak to them to see what went wrong."

Police said that adults travelling with children had a duty of responsibility to make sure the safety bar was down and that they were secure.