ABC of Skiing News Feed

Treble Cone announces 2012 season passes

The South Island's largest ski area, Treble Cone, today announced its early bird 2012 season pass prices which feature added value TC Dollars as a free inclusion for the first time.

The early bird adult season passes are available as a Five Day Powder Pass for $399, a 10-Day Pass for $669 or an Unlimited Season Pass for $1089. Additional discounted day passes can be purchased with the five and ten day passes. New for 2012, Early bird Adult Season Passes will receive $100 loaded onto the TCpass to use across rentals, caf� and childcare at Treble Cone. 10 Day Powder and Family Adult Pass purchasers will each get $50 pre-loaded,

The TC Family Pass and Local Family Mountain Package provide great value for a family's winter fun on the mountain. The package includes adult and youth season passes for all the family (two adults, two children) plus Riders & Sliders for children aged 4-12 years for $2,069. The Family Season Pass is just $1,819 providing unlimited skiing and riding for all the family.

A free youth pass is again on offer for all children who enrol in Treble Cone's Riders & Sliders and the TC Free Ski Programme. The programmes are aimed at youngsters who want to explore new terrain, enhance their skiing or riding and learn new mountain skills under the expert guidance of Treble Cone instructors. Bookings for both programmes need to be made prior to 31 May 2012.

The youth pass which provides unlimited skiing for Australasian primary and secondary school students is just $165 or just $5 for the under six-year-olds. Treble Cone is offering an Orientation week special (20-26 February) for full time campus based tertiary students under 30 years of age at $399 for unlimited season passes.

With the introduction of the tracking system in 2011 Treble Cone has monitored the use of the Early Bird Season and Powder Pass holders, confirming the value achieved and vertical kilometres clocked for snow enthusiasts. An Adult Unlimited Season Pass holder managed an average 22 days last season. Family Pass holders visited a more modest number of times, 15 days. For the five-day Powder Pass holders the average number of days was six with many having to upgrade while visitors who purchased the ten day pass managed an almost ideal nine and a half day average.

"Treble Cone aims to ensure skiers and snowboarders across all sectors of the community achieve good value from their season passes,� said Treble Cone ski area manager Jackie Van der Voort. "We are thrilled the tracking system confirmed this and impressed with amount of days locals spend on the mountain and the number of vertical metres achieved, some skiing more than 24,000 in one day!�

Treble Cone offers expansive terrain over two large basins providing freeride skiers and snowboarders a season of fun exploring on and off piste with kilometres of exciting undulating runs and a spectacular view.

Reciprocal rates area for Season Pass Holders are available at Snow Park NZ and Ohau ski field in the McKenzie District.

Treble Cone early bird season passes are available now until 31 March 2012 either online at www.treblecone.com or by visiting the downtown Wanaka office on Dungarvon Street.

The 2012 season is expected to run from 28 June to 30 September.

Moscow as Stage for FIS City World Cups

The Russian capital of Moscow will serve as the stage for a total of four different discipline World Cups this season. The FIS Cross-Country World Cup presented by Viessmann will be the first to visit the famous Luzhniki Olympic Stadium, the biggest sports stadium in Russia, on 2nd February 2012. Thereafter, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup will follow with the parallel slalom City Event on 21st February. In March, the LG Snowboard World Cup will again return to the city for two parallel slalom races on 3rd March while the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup aerial specialist will take the stage a week later on 10th March 2012.

This week will not be the first time that the elite cross-country skiers get together for a FIS World Cup in Moscow, as the Russian metropolis was on the schedule already in 1990 and 2000. But it is the first time that the Sprint World Cup is held around the famous Luzhniki Park.

"I am looking forward to the World Cup event in Moscow; it will be a historical race and with all the strong Russian sprint athletes, several thousand spectators are expected to come and cheer on their stars," said FIS Race Director J�rg Capol. "Now we just hope that the temperatures will get a bit warmer so we can carry out an excellent sprint in Moscow."

The Audi FIS Ski World Cup City Event will also be held in the Luzhniki Park. It will be the third time a parallel event on a huge scaffolding construction will take place in Moscow (RUS).The previous events were held in Moscow on 2nd January and 21st November 2009 but on those occasions the events were held in front of Moscow's State University's main building and on the grounds of the Moscow City Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity.

The huge ramp is currently under construction with the final installation of the lifts and the snow-making completing the facility. Eligible for participation in the parallel slalom will be the top 16 ladies and men based on the overall World Cup Starting List (WCSL) with a wild card in each gender going to a Russian racer. The final list of those qualified will be available after the World Cup events in Bansko (BUL) for the men and in Sochi (RUS) for the ladies.

The ramp in the Luzhniki Olympic Complex will be 56 meters high, 37 meters wide and 175 meters long which means that race run times of around 20 seconds are expected.

source: www.fis-ski.com

2nd World Snow Day on 20th January 2013

FIS is pleased to confirm that following the first successful edition of World Snow Day 10 days ago, the second global celebration of all things snow will take place on Sunday 20th January 2013.

Fantastic stories, news and accounts continue to reach the FIS office from many of the 225 events organizers in 39 countries around the world. More and more photos and films are on display on the World Snow Day channels on Facebook and videos.

Moreover, the first World Snow Day also resulted in a new world record. The La Molina and Masella Ski Resort in Spain broke the previous record for the most number of people participating in a torchlight run. In celebration of World Snow Day, La Molina created a historic day. 5089 skiers with torches illuminated the sky of Cerdanya to create the new world record for the most people participating. Early in the afternoon all 5089 participants from far and wide gathered at the base of the mountain, with mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents but most importantly children. They were also privileged to have the presence of a great group of individuals from the Special Olympics team. To warm the group up, there was a stage which hosted two live acts to entertain the children and begin the fun and as the sun set, the participants began obtaining their torches and ascending the mountain. At the top they were given instructions, their torch was illuminated and then the magic began with the participants descending the mountain in a slow gentle line which made for an unforgettable sight as the 935m piste came alive in the dark. The spectacle concluded with a fireworks display to rival that of a New Year's eve event.

It goes without saying that there is already great anticipation for an even bigger and more exciting 2nd World Snow Day on 20th January 2013. For more information visit www.world-snow-day.com.

Vikersund FIS Ski Flying Worlds 2012 in 3 Weeks

The world's largest ski flying hill is soon to host the 2012 FIS Ski Flying Championships in Vikersund, Norway. From Wednesday, 22nd February until Sunday, 26th February 2012, top ski jumping athletes from around the world will fly their best with the hope of winning the golden snowflake. Perhaps someone will even beat the current world record of 246.5 meters set on the same hill. The Vikersund hill facility was built in 2010 in coherence with the new FIS rules and modern hill profile design. The grandeur among the seven hills ranging from K5-K225 the venue has to offer, it dwarfs the jumps surrounding it. The top of the hill to the end of the outrun is 570 meters in length, leading to a velocity of landing nearing 110-115 kilometers an hour. Ski flying is a sight to see!

Who will be the athlete to step up and awe the crowds on their way to gold? There is no doubt that Austria is looking strong right now. With Andreas Kofler, Thomas Morgenstern and Gregor Schlierenzauer currently holding three of the top 5 spots in the FIS World Cup standings they are a force to reckon with. Norway's Anders Bardal is also a likely candidate. Looking to win on home turf he is currently sitting in 2nd in the overall standings. More importantly, this local favorite is ranked first in the overall FIS Ski Flying standings. In terms of Norwegian success, the pressure does not lie all on Bardal, three of his teammates stand by comfortably within the top 10 in the Ski Flying standings as well. With a proud win recently in Zakopane, Poland's Kamil Stoch poses a threat, too, as he is currently in 5th place both in the FIS overall and Ski Flying standings. And of course the current Ski Flying World Champion from Planica 2010, Simon Amman (SUI) is underestimated at your peril, especially with his recent announcement that he will be continuing until the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi 2014.

The question will likely come down to who wants it the most.

The athletes are ready, the snow has arrived, the hill is well prepared and temperatures are forecast to remain below zero meaning there are perfect conditions to make the final preparations for the Championships. A new lift is up and running, transportation tests have been carried out thoroughly and predicting an easy flow for spectators going to and from the hill during the events. Last but not least, the famous FIS World Championship gold medals have been produced, each weighing 137 grams, in the same design of the famous FIS snow crystal since its creation in 1952. Vikersund is ready!

For all the up to date information and schedules visit www.vikersund.no.

Breathtaking Ski Adventure Deals for Banff

Banff National Park - Canada's oldest and protected playground, nestled in the Rocky Mountains - is Alberta's premier ski destination. From the majestic mountains and glistening glaciers, Banff National Park will take your breath away. For an active ski adventure, new winter packages have been added to www.remembertobreathe.com including family-friendly, adrenaline-pumping and romantic getaways from $77 per person.

Ski-lovers and powder-hounds aren't the only ones planning a trip to Banff National Park this season; over the January 14th weekend, The 2012 Fairmont Banff Springs Celebrity Invitational saw big names like Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor Alec Baldwin, legendary actor Peter Fonda and singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins among others enjoying Alberta's winter wonderland on the slopes.

Some winter packages available in Banff National Park include:

Fairmont Banff Springs � Luxury Ski the Canadian Rockies from $469 per couple per night � Stay at the luxurious Fairmont Banff Springs and enjoy a hearty complimentary buffet breakfast before you hit the slopes with your ticket for two allowing you the opportunity to ski at any one of three world-class ski areas: Banff's Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village or Lake Louise Ski Area. Ski-in ski-out at Sunshine Mountain Lodge and get your 5th night free from $150 per person per night - Stay at the ski-in/ski-out Sunshine Mountain Lodge and when you buy four nights you get one night free. Package includes all lift tickets and VIP parking.
Lake Louise Winter Adventurer � from $199 per person per day � Discover Lake Louise with this ultimate winter experience. Participate in a 1.5hr dogsledding adventure along the Continental Divide and enjoy the beauty of the lake itself. Later, borrow a pair of showshoes, go for a skate or shop inside the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Ski and soak for the weekend � from $426.88 per couple�Ski and save with this perfect ski package! Offer includes two nights accommodation, Canadian Rockies continental breakfast daily, two passes to the Banff Upper Hot Springs and two one-day ski tickets to either Mount Norquay, Sunshine or Lake Louise Ski Area
Family Friendly Getaway at Douglas Fir Resort - from $101 per person per day - Stay at the family-friendly Douglas Fir Resort and get your 4th night free and the 4th day of skiing free.

Brand new waterslides and outdoor hot tub this winter!

For more information about travel to Alberta this winter and to book a package visit www.remembertobreathe.com.