THREE months after fire destroyed the stock at a Kent ski shop there are still boards up over the windows, but Tony Bedwell, the owner of Clydach Marine, which has specialised in wintersports and sailing for the last 40 years, is determined the store will re-open.
Fire officers believe the blaze was caused by an electrical fault in a flat above the store in the village of Dunton Green near Sevenoaks. It spread to the rest of the property and caused extensive damage.
Tony, aged 81, told the local media: “The shop is badly damaged. All the stock is gone but none of the structure of the building is damaged. The fire didn’t affect that.
“I want to get the shop up and running again. We have to take a break while it’s being repaired so I will probably spend some of my time taking part in my hobby, motocross riding.” read more

THERE have been several developments in the long running series of legal cases between British ski instructor and holiday company operator Simon Butler and the French authorities.

Mr Butler, who has been ski teaching in France for more than two decades without any known problems, was charged in 2013 with teaching without full qualifications in France and running a ski school which also did not meet French legal requirements and was ultimately served with a six month suspended jail sentence and €30,000 fine after a series of French court hearings last year. read more

HERE’S a question for James Bond fans. Has 007 ever skied in Austria?

The answer is yes… and no!

At the start of The Spy Who Loved me (1977) Bond’s boss ‘M’ is told that 007 is in Austria and the story then cuts to one of the best openings to a Bond film ever when the British spy, in the shape of Roger Moore, skis off the side of a mountain while being chased by baddies and floats to the ground using a massive union jack parachute. read more

A company which operates ski holidays for blind skiers is seeking sighted skiers to help them on the slopes.

Traveleyes, now in its 10th year, is an award winning organization specialising in group holidays for both blind and sighted travellers alike. read more

BOARDERS will stay banned from Alta Ski Area near Salt Lake City in Utah – one of the last three ski resorts in the US to outlaw the sport.

A federal judge threw out a lawsuit brought by four snowboarders and ruled that they did not have a constitutional right to ride boards in a private resort. read more

TWO sporting superstars played a special celebrity ‘Top of Europe’ exhibition tennis match on the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland recently.

But it’s fair to say that while top American ski racer Lindsey Vonn was more at home in the mountain environment, she was no match for her opponent on the other side of the net as it was tennis champion Roger Fererer. read more

SCHOOL holiday periods for next winter are already booking up quickly according to UK tour operators.

A key reason appears to be the much publicised stepping-up of the fines system for parents taking children out of school in England during term time. read more

SOUTH Korea’s largest environmental group, Green Korea, is attempting to halt construction of the Olympic downhill course on Mt. Gaiwang, according to the Korea Times.

The group is urging the PyeongChang Winter Olympics organising committee to use an existing run instead. read more