Snow News from Around the World

Nieve Mundo (Ski Press)-Canada Has Warmest January In 100 Years But Whistler has Record Snowfall, World Record Cliff Jump at Wyoming ski area, Property Interest in Bulgarian Ski Resorts Grows 40% in Four Months, Australian Ski Lodge Wins International Design Recognition, Broadcast Quality Webcam At Winter Park, New Snowmaking For The Remarkables, Rookies Quest for Verbier Xtreme reaches Andermatt, Ski Rage Attack on Teen, FIS Develop Injury Surveillance System to Reduce Injuries, The Ultimate Hook-Up Visits Park City

Canada Has Warmest January In 100 Years But Whistler has Record Snowfall

Canadians are still waiting for winter as the country experiences its warmest January in more than a century.

Environment Canada is reporting that up to the end of January Canada has had its warmest winter for more than a century. In the east, Ontario has had record-breaking January highs, whilst to the west, temperatures were seven degrees Celcius above average in Calgary, three and a half degrees up in Vancouver.

Environment Canada says the air has been warm because the Arctic air mass that usually sits over northern Canada during the winter has tilted northeast. The air mass is instead hanging over Greenland this year.

This tilt has resulted in a cold winter in Europe with temperatures falling to -40 C in Russia. Dozens of Russians died from an extreme cold spell this month.

However whilst warmer than average, it has been cold enough for more snow than average at some Canadian resorts, notably Whistler where January 2006 officially became the resort’s snowiest month on record with falls amounting to 461 cm (181.5 inches). The snowiest month previously was January 1992 at 459 centimetres (180.7 inches.)

“The continuous snowfall this month has been phenomenal,” says Sara Aldridge from Whistler Blackcomb’s snow and weather communications office. “Most mornings this month we’ve woken up to fresh snow; we’ve been experiencing perpetual powder days. This is classic Whistler weather - system after system lined up, one after the other, dumping snow on the resort. The locals are in heaven and our visitors are ecstatic.”

This month Whistler received fifteen 10+ centimetre (4 inch) snow days. Of those; one was a 50+ centimetre (23 inch) day, three were 40+ centimetre (16 inch) days, four were 30+ centimetre (12 inch) days and one was a 20+ centimetre (8 inch) day. The snowiest day this month was January 13 with 58 centimetres (or 23 inches) of snow.

World Record Cliff Jump at Wyoming ski area

The Associated Press has reported that a devoutly religious Utah skier claims he has set a world-record cliff jump at the Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming, dropping 245 vertical feet (74m) off the back of Fred’s Mountain.

Jamie Pierre, 32, of Salt Lake City, said he made his record-breaking jump on Wednesday as a way to spread the Christian word. He has previously dropped 180 feet and said he had been calculating this jump and waiting for perfect conditions for years.

”I chose to do it so it would open up doors so I could witness my faith in Christianity,” Pierre said, adding that he contemplated the jump for seven years before deciding his spiritual and physical state was right and that snow and weather conditions were too. He landed head first and went six foot down in to the snow from which he was dug out, but suffered only a cut lip, thanks, he said, to his deep Christian belief.

Five photographers and three film makers recorded the jump for Teton Gravity Research that specializes in filming radical ski feats. It used hi-tec electronic gear to measure the jump.

The previous world record was set by Paul Ahern of New Zealand, who jumped 225 feet in 1995. Paul Ruff, a former world-record holder with a cliff jump of 110 vertical feet, died in 1993 on a 160-foot attempt.

Property Interest in Bulgarian Ski Resorts Grows 40% in Four Months

British investors are reportedly snapping up properties in Bulgarian ski areas at an increasing rapid rate as the country spends on its ski slopes, moves closer to EC membership, bids to host the 2014 Winter Olympics and remains cheap with large future profits predicted for buyers.

Rapidly expanding Bansko which combines a UNESACO World Heritage village with some impressive new lifts and longer established, but currently upgrading, Borovets offer, “affordable property and good long-term growth potential,” according to property investment firm Assetz. A one-bedroom apartment costs from 40,000 (£27,000).

Thirty-six per cent more UK holidaymakers visited Bulgaria in 2005, leading to an influx of travel companies many of which are offering guaranteed rental schemes similar to those in France. However, they are not yet well established and Assetz advises property investors to research the history and reputation of the companies involved.

Australian Ski Lodge Wins International Design Recognition

Design bible Wallpaper magazine has awarded the Huski ski lodge in Falls Creek, Australia, the �?Best Ski Resort’ prize, in their annual awards, published in this February’s edition.

The Huski lodge, which has only been open for one season, had its design inspired by the random angles of the sides of a snowflake. It features hot tubs on private balconies for guests in a some of the 14 accommodation options, which range from studios to duplex penthouses, most with sweeping 120 degree views.

The esteemed magazine’s judges including architect extraordinaire Lord Foster and fashion legend Donna Karan.

Huski has now become world-famous before it begins its second winter season at Falls Creek Alpine Resort.

www.huski.com.au

Broadcast Quality Webcam At Winter Park

Most major ski resorts have webcams of one sort or another covering the slopes - but Winter Park in Colorado has installed a broadcast quality mountaintop camera that can send out pin sharp panoramas with a focus range of five miles.

On the 11,200ft summit of Mary Jane Mountain, one of Winter Park’s three peaks, it offers 360-degree views over the spectacular Continental Divide, Parry Peak, Parsenn Bowl and the Rocky Mountain National Park - as well as closer pictures of skiers and riders enjoying Mary Jane’s tree skiing and bumps.

The powerful camera was introduced in honour of Mary Jane’s 30th birthday - the anniversary of the mountain’s introduction to the lift-served terrain of Winter Park.

New Snowmaking For The Remarkables

The Remarkables ski area in New Zealand is currently installing new state of the art snowmaking into its Sugar Bowl terrain ready for the southern hemisphere’s 2006 winter. Earthworks have begun in preparation for the installation of the fully-automated snowmaking system.

The air/water system from Italian company TechnoAlpin will bring snowmaking onto the Castaway trail accessed by the Sugar Bowl quad chairlift. There will also be snowmaking at the top of the Superpipe and adjacent to the Terrain Park.

Ski area manager Hamish McCrostie said the new system would be super efficient and able to optimize all snowmaking opportunities.

“This system is ideal for our environment. It is designed to fire up automatically as soon as the temperatures and conditions are right for snowmaking.”

When extra water is required it will be drawn from Lake Alta using an environmentally friendly syphon system that is installed for the winter then removed in spring. The pipework, hydrants and extensions to the pumphouse for the snowmaking system will be completed in time for snowmaking to start at the beginning of June.

The Remarkables is scheduled to open for the 2006 season on June 24.

Rookies Quest for Verbier Xtreme reaches Andermatt

Thirty skiers and snowboarders will gather on Friday evening, 3rd February, in Andermatt, in the German part of Switzerland, for the first qualification heat of the Rookies Quest for participation at the Verbier Xtreme next month.

They’ll then have two days to prove that they deserve their bib at the Verbier Xtreme (March 17-19), the highly coveted freeride competition. They’ll ride in groups of eight with guides and judges that will designate all along the weekend the best candidates. Only 12 riders will be invited for the final selection that will take place the following weekend in Champéry - Portes du Soleil (11th-12th February).

“Ski Rage” Attack on Teen

A 52-year-old man has been charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct after punching a 16 year old girl in the head and neck and swearing at her after she collided with his daughter at Steamboat Ski resort in Colorado on Sunday.

The man was held overnight in Routt County Jail after the alleged assault which occurred after the 16 year old snowboarder ran over his daughter’s skis, knocking both of them to the ground. He is due to appear in court on February 14th.

The Ultimate Hook-Up Visits Park City

Salomon Oasis, dubbed, “the Ultimate Hook-Up” will make its ninth tour stop of the season on February 4th and 5th at Park City Mountain Resort. The 15-stop tour will bring a weekend full of free equipment demos, tons of giveaways and a terrain park jam session.

Participants can test-ride Salomon’s 06’ line-up of skis and snowboards and see how they perform on the hill. After the test-ride, guests will receive a $100 rebate on a pair of Salomon skis or a $75 rebate on a Salomon Snowboard, redeemable at their local ski shop. They can also pick up a Salomon Oasis Hook-Up Card and get the chance to win over $100,000 in prizes like Salomon apparel or a free pair of skis or snowboard. Oasis visitors can also win one of six grand prizes including a custom snowmobile from Salomon Snowboards or one of five trips for two to Europe courtesy of Ricola and the Swiss Tourism Commission.