Chinese
Dutch
Search
Skiing News
Skiing News - August 2010
Display Mode:
Feed
Tuesday, 31 August 2010LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand – Winter Games NZ chairman, Sir Eion Edgar, today announced 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games is confirmed for 13-28 August 2011 following signoff from all key central and local government partners.
Expanding on the successful inaugural event in 2009, 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games, will feature 16 days of snow and ice sports and is expected to attract ove r 1,000 elite athletes from throughout the world to the Southern Alps.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2010 FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships, Sir Eion said, “We are delighted with the level of government support from the Major Events Development Fund, SPARC and Tourism New Zealand which has ensured the future of this highly regarded event. They recognise the success of the first Games and support the continued growth into 2011. Our planning is already well advanced and with the success of this year’s Junior World Championships we expect even bigger and more competitive fields next year.”
In 2009, Winter Games made global snow sports history by producing the first winter sports event of its kind outside of the Winter Olympics and by combining adaptive and able-bodied athletes in an elite event. Its importance on the elite snow sports calendar was confirmed, not only by the significant field it attracted, but by the number of competitors who went on to win medals at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver. Seven Paralympic and 10 Olympic medallists had competed at Winter Games, including the entire men’s snowboard halfpipe podium.
Building on that success, the 2011 provisional programme has expanded with the inclusion of two new sports and a new location outside of the Otago region. Mt Hutt near Christchurch, Canterbury will now host the Super G and Adaptive Super G alpine skiing events while the remaining alpine skiing events will stay at Coronet Peak in Queenstown.
Dunedin will again be the ice sports centre and will see an increase in events with the inclusion of speed skating in the ice programme. In addition, the ice hockey tournament will feature four international teams in a round robin play-off while figure skating will open the Games on 13 August 2011. The ice programme is rounded out by the curling programme in Naseby, Maniototo which has been extended to include mixed pairs.
Another new addition is Winter Triathlon at Snow Farm, near Wanaka which was a demonstration event at the 2009 Winter Games. Snow Farm will also host the adaptive and able-bodied cross-country.
Cardrona Alpine Resort near Lake Wanaka will host the free ski and snowboard halfpipe and big air events together with the snowboard cross and ski cross racing. Freeski and snowboard slopestyle will take place cross the valley at Snow Park NZ.
Central and local government supporters of 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games are New Zealand Major Events, SPARC, Tourism New Zealand, Dunedin City Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Christchurch City Council, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Destination Queenstown, Tourism Dunedin, Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism and Ashburton District Tourism.
Monday, 30 August 2010The ski slopes in Lapland are situated about a 5 minute bus ride from the cabin. In the winter months, the ski bus runs every 10 minutes or so and the bus stop is a short walk from the cabin. Snow naturally falls in Lapland around October but it takes quite a lot of work on the slopes before skiers get to try out the fresh powder as they call it. Snow guns are hard at work weeks before the ski s lopes officially open in November. The snow gun will begin its operations when the temperature in Lapland is consistently -3 or below. This temperature is ideal for snow making and the snow guns are on day and night in order to prepare the slopes for some fantastic skiing. A basin is dug at the bottom of the fell in order to supply the snow guns with water and because the bottom layer of snow is made artificially, the snow lasts well into April and sometimes beyond.
Cross country skiing normally begins in October and once the first few inches of snow have fallen, the tracks will need to be prepared in order for the tracks to be ready for cross country skiers. Work is going on through the summer months with the trails levelled and new chippings spread over the tracks in order to make them acceptable when the first snow arrives. Once a couple of inches of snow has fallen, the tracks will be ready for cross country skiing. Yllas hosts around 330 km of mechanically prepared tracks which travel right into the heart of Yllas park which is absolutely beautiful. In the summer months the trails are used by hikers and you can walk into Yllas National park where the wildlife and nature are breathtaking. The first snow ski trail is opened on 1st October using last season’s snow In the spring snow is piled into mounds, covered in sawdust and chippings which manages to keep the snow at a low enough temperature. The summer sun will melt a portion of the snow but the majority will remain frozen.
The sawdust and chippings will be removed when the temperatures dip low enough and the snow will be mechanically spread over the trails. A snowmobile will be used as a plough to prepare the tracks and then they are ready to be used. The frozen snow is soon covered as the snow fall increases through the end of October into November.
As more snow falls, more tracks are prepared and by the spring all tracks are open and the massive network of cross country trails is available to everyone. The first track is also lit with lights to enable evening skiing which the locals absolutely love and it is an age old tradition to cross country ski under the stars on.
Source: http://www.free-press-release.com
Thursday, 26 August 2010With avalanche season coming DolomiteMountains.com offers advice to winter sports lovers on staying safe.
Anybody who participates in outdoor activities in mountainous regions, such as hiking, climbing, snowshoeing or skiing, understands the inherent risks that come with partaking in such activities.
Experienced skiers are typically at the greatest risk for the possibility of an avalanche because of their propensity to participate in off-piste skiing, which is skiing in areas that are not well groomed or travelled. The risk in this comes mainly from the quality of the snow in these areas, which tends to be softer and more powdery, and therefore much more volatile.
There are a few important things to note about avalanches:
- The two elements that play the greatest role in causing an avalanche are wind and temperature
- Studies have shown that most avalanches are started by skiers
- Any time a skier goes off-piste there is a risk of an avalanche
Base avalanches can take on three different forms:
Powder-snow – When a large amount of snow has fallen, and the temperature is extremely cold, the snow crystals can have a difficult time sticking together causing the snow cover to be very unstable. These avalanches are particularly dangerous because of the speed with which they take place, sometimes as quick as 200 kilometers an hour. Additionally, powder-snow avalanches involve a dangerous mixture of snow and air which can quickly asphyxiate anyone who happens to be in its path.
Wet-snow – These base-level avalanches typically occur in the spring, when there is a significant increase in temperature from the sun and the wind warms up. The entire mass of snow ceases to stick, becoming wet and slippery and descending slowly down in the form of balls of snow. Although these types of slides are slow, the snow is extremely dense and hardens quickly once it stops, making rescue of trapped skiers very difficult.
Slab – These avalanches are formed by the wind, and involve snow crystals that turn into fine granules which accumulate, forming instable slabs that don’t stick well to the layer beneath. When the snow slab breaks and crashes, it affects the entire slope. Slab avalanches vary in speed, depending on the gradient and thickness, and are particularly dangerous to skiers because they are the hardest to predict. In fact, three-quarters of all avalanche-related accidents are a result of slab avalanches.
It’s important to note that some avalanches are a mixture of some or all of these, depending on the altitude. For instance, a powder-snow avalanche may occur at a high altitude which sets off a wet-snow avalanche further down the mountain. Likewise, a slab avalanche might cause a dangerous powder-snow avalanche.
Once you understand what avalanches are, and what causes them, you must consider what to do to avoid causing or being trapped by one. There are various scales used to measure risk of avalanche, and there are generally bulletins issued with advisories and warnings. Skiers and mountaineers should be well aware of these available precautions in order to avoid dangerous situations and prepare accordingly prior to heading out to hit the slopes. Those who do take the chance should take heed to the following tips:
- Never ski alone and always let someone know where you plan on skiing
- Avoid groups that are too large
- Carry an ARVA (search equipment for avalanche victims) and understand how to use it
- Be careful where you stop and avoid lingering under large outcrops or crests
- Always be aware of the changing weather and fluctuations in temperature
- Choose tracks with care: preferably convex areas, slopes broken up by steep inclines and flatter or undulating sections
- Don’t attempt off-piste skiing immediately after a heavy snowfall (80 cm, or less if the snow has drifted)
- If you do choose to ski off-piste, choose areas that are tree-lined or contain a lot of undergrowth
- In the spring east-facing slopes are safer and skiing on the south and west-facing slopes should be avoided late in the day
- Avoid crossing a slope in the middle
- Assess the situation as quickly as possible
- It is better to escape to one side while descending
- If you are caught in the avalanche, do not panic
- If you are at the higher part of the mountain you should attempt to cling onto something, such as a tree or bush
- If you cannot grab onto anything, try to ride atop the avalanche
- Keep your mouth shut and do not breathe – if the snow is powdery use a scarf
- Curl up with your arms and legs folded against your body
- As soon as the avalanche stops, use your knees and fists to push away the snow as far as possible to create a small cave
- Remain calm and don’t waste energy and oxygen shouting
It’s also important to note that not all avalanches lead to fatalities. But if there is to be any chance of surviving one, the above suggestions and tips should be taken into account by anyone planning to spend time on the mountain.
To learn more about vacations in the Dolomite Mountains visit: http://dolomitemountains.com
Source: www.prlog.org
Wednesday, 25 August 2010Vancouver , British Columbia – This fall, G3, manufacturer of industry-leading gear for backcountry skiing, will become the first alpine-touring/backcountry ski binding manufacturer to offer a liability reduction and indemnity program to its North American dealers.
The program, the first of its kind in alpine-touring and backcountry skiing, is based off a system that is standard operat ing procedure among alpine-skiing binding manufacturers and retailers, reducing risk, and potentially cost, to G3 dealers in the process.
The basis of the program is that when G3’s Onyx and women’s Ruby alpine-touring bindings are installed and set in accordance with the company’s instructions, dealer agreement, and documentation requirements, G3 would take the lead in defending any legal case surrounding binding releasability or function involving a dealer and/or a sales rep. No other backcountry binding manufacturer offers such a program. G3 engaged risk-management attorney Jim Moss to develop the program.
“What we are doing is taking the best practices from the alpine-skiing world, and applying them to the backcountry world,” said G3 founder and President Oliver Steffen. “Given the very thorough process we use to test and document proper, precise releasability on every pair of bindings before they go out the door, we have extremely high confidence in our bindings, and extremely high confidence in stepping up to offer our dealers this added protection.”
The fact that G3 can offer this protection to retailers also speaks to and stems directly from the ground-breaking design used in the Onyx and Ruby, Steffen said.
The Onyx and Ruby are tech-style alpine-touring bindings with high-performance retention, dramatically reduced pre-release, and industry-leading releasability functions. They also offer the ability to switch from ski to tour mode without taking skis off.
For the coming fall season, G3 re-engineered and upgraded several components of the Onyx, including; increasing all release settings to 12; redesigning the brakes so they retract more fully; making the heel lifters more secure; and modifying the toe bale so it more effectively sheds snow. The Ruby is a women’s-specific version of the Onyx that is new this season.
The program also applies to G3 sales reps and retailers in ski-demo situations.
Source: http://www.prlog.org
Tuesday, 24 August 2010The snow is always abundant here during the winter season, making Livigno highly popular with skiers. The Alexander Hotel is just steps from the ski lifts and from the center of Livigno, which is full of charming character. The Hotel Alexander Livigno offers all the amenities needed for fabulous winter sports holidays in the snow of the Italian Alps, or for family summer vacations on the mountain s.
Ski Resort Hotel Alexander, Livigno. Enjoy exceptional lodging accommodations, fine dining, outstanding recreational opportunities from climbing and trekking to world-class alpine winter skiing.
The hotel also offers a fully equipped Techno gym, a wellness center and a spa with two heated pools, one for adults with a Jacuzzi and one for children. There are two additional Jacuzzis, a luxury sauna with adjoining diving well complete with cold water shock and a Turkish bath with an adjoining massage room.
Source: http://www.prlog.org
For the latest news, tips, trivias and special offers, sign up to the ABC of Skiing newsletter.
advertisementadvertising info
advertisementadvertising info
Latest Skiing News
For a complete list of all discount coupons with our merchants, subscribe to our Discount RSS Feed: 
-
Visa
by mike121
-
www.airmaxtheshop.com
by jiangla
-
cheap Air Jordan online
by jiangla
-
nike air jordan shoes
by jiangla
-
WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
by ljj589
More in our Skiing Forum
MySpace
Squidoo
Scribd
Facebook
Twitter
© 2003-2012 ABC of Skiing, part of MaxLifestyle International Inc. All rights reserved.
