RESORT TRANSFERS: To celebrate the good Spring snow conditions Ben’s Bus has arranged extra transfers from Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon airports. The service covers nearly 30 resorts in the French Alps. To check which resorts are covered and to book log on to the website below.
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MORE GREAT SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFERS FOR SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS
INGHAMS – SESTRIERE: At just over 2,000m, Sestriere is the highest resort in the popular Milky Way ski area of north-western Italy offering a range of slopes for everyone from beginners to seasoned experts. Inghams (01483 791 114) is offering seven nights at the three star Hotel Sud Ovest in Sestriere, Italy from £449 per person based on two sharing. The Price includes return flights from London Gatwick to Turin departing on 14 January 2017, resort transfers and accommodation on a half board basis.
UPDATE: Latest special early season, Christmas and New Year offers
SAMOËNS: Groups of friends or families looking for a Christmas getaway together can exclusively hire Villa Rose, a privately-owned boutique property in the heart of the Grand Massif an hour’s drive from Geneva airport. After a day on the slopes guests can enjoy the brand-new jacuzzi or snuggle up in front of the roaring fire and watch a classic Christmas film.
Great new French apartments on offer through Peak Retreats
Peak Retreats is offering its clients a brand new luxury 4* apartment for this season. Chalets de Layssia is situated in the heart of the very attractive, traditional resort of Samoëns.
Plus, another addition this season in the recently built Kalinda Village in Tignes is the Kalinda Flocon apartment extension located within two new buildings.
Snowsport Scotland launches equality campaign
National Governing Body, Snowsport Scotland, is to launch a new equality campaign in a bid to prove that snowsports is for everyone focusing on females, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) and those living with a disability.
Shaken not stirred in Sölden – on the trail of James Bond
Skier & Snowboarder news editor Patrick Thorne (right) and ski writer Arnie Wilson enjoy a ‘James Bond’ – shaken not stirred – cocktail in the ICE Q restaurant, located at 3048m at the top of the Gaislachkogl in Sölden, Austria. Sölden and and the mountain village of Obertilliach were used in filming scenes for Spectre, the latest James Bond movie which sees actor Daniel Craig as 007 on skis again. Look out for Arnie’s feature in a future issue of the Skier & Snowboarder magazine.
Ski stars are cast away
The torso of Dame Kelly Holmes and Union Flag
Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards gets plastered
The 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics star Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards is getting plastered – all in the name of art.
The former ski jumper and skier is one of three British athletes connected with snowsports who are collaborating with world-leading body-cast sculptor Louise Giblin.
What the papers say
Mystery of 24-year-old skier who went missing in 1980 finally solved – reports CBC News.
Remains are found in Italian Alps after hotter-than-normal summer caused glacial melt.
Canadian Gregory Barnes, disappeared while skiing in the Italian and Swiss Alps.
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Could ski store rise from the ashes after fire?
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.”
60 second news
TEENAGER FOUND DEAD
The death of a teenager in the Canadian ski resort of Whistler is being treated as ‘suspicious’ reports The Guardian. To read the full story clock here.
FIRE AT YEOVIL SKI CENTRE
Firefighters managed to extinuish a fire at Yeovil Ski Centre before it caused any major damage resports the Western Gazette. See full story by clicking here
More rumours and rumbles in Butler v BASI case involving French ski school
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.
French court rules against Ski Club of Great Britain
THE OUTCOME from the hearing held on 8 December 2014 in Paris against Ski Club of Great Britain Leader, Ken Piddlesden has found against the Club.
The action was brought after Club leader Ken Piddlesden was stopped on the piste in Val d’Isère, France in April 2014 and questioned by the gendarmerie (military force charged with police duties) in relation to Art.L.212-1 of the French Code du Sport. Under this article it is a legal requirement to have the relevant and appropriate qualification(s) to instruct, lead or guide skiing (groups) if remuneration is received.
James Bond heads for Austrian ski slopes – and it’s for real this time!
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.
Ski hosting dispute goes to high court
CHALET holiday firm Le Ski is taking its case against the ski hosting ban in France to the supreme court in Paris after losing its initial appeal in Chambery.
“This is only possible with the continuing support of our fellow tour operators,” said Le Ski’s boss Nick Morgan.
Help guide a blind skier – and get a half price holiday
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.
New ski area plan for Scotland
SCOTLAND is to get its sixth ski centre – only around 50 miles from the English border and not far from the M74.
Lowther Hills Ski Club in Dumfriesshire is planning a 600m tow to an altitude of 725m to create an intermediate run, and two 100m lifts to serve separate nursery slopes, all above a club house at 585m.
Snowboarders stayed banned from Utah ski area
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.
SKI ODDITY
SWING HIGH: The Swingers Date Club (SDC) 3rd annual ski event is taking place in Obertauern in Austria from 6-11 December.
The blurb on the SDC website says: “This is your chance to party together with 250 of the hottest couples from around the world both on and off the slopes.
Ski racer meets her match on Jungfrau
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.