Ski & snow news

The Scandinavian obsession with saunas has reached new heights in the Lappish ski resort of Ylläs where the world’s first ever sauna gondola will open this winter.

The gondola – wood clad inside and out – travels up to the top station at 718m, where there is a main sauna at the top of Ylläs Fell, which can be rented for private use. From here you can leave your belongings and rent the sauna gondola from 7-9pm and experience the most unique sauna ever! The sauna gondola can take 4 people at a time, for up to 12 people during a two hour session. Take it in turns with two rounds each, whilst friends relax in the main sauna at the top station.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

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Skiers and snowboarders at Chill Factore, the indoor snow centre near Manchester, are to get an exclusive chance to try out next season’s top-flight demonstration kit before it hits the shops.

Top ski and snowboard brands will bring their 2008/09 collections to Chill Factore on the last Friday of each month. Freestyle features will be set up and all skiers and boarders on the main slope will be able to test the equipment free of charge.

Skiers will be able to test out gear from Movement, High Society Freeride, Amplid, Icelantic and VIST. Option, Wild Duck, Endeavour, Amplid and High Society will be available for snowboarders to demo throughout the evening.

The equipment will be set up from 3pm until the slope closes at 11pm. A subscription to Fall Line magazine is up for grabs for the person who tests the most equipment.
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Stephen Jordan, Head of Marketing for the new indoor Snow Centre under construction at Hemel Hempstead has recently announced a decision to award supply of all snow sports equipment to HEAD – confirming an agreement to be the first UK snow sports centre to use HEAD’s innovative BYS system for rented skis and boards.

‘The equipment meets all our requirements with regard to quality, technological specification across the full range and its ability to cope with the demands of constant multi-user hire,’ said Stephen. ‘But most important was the development of the BYS system which will significantly streamline the hire process, reducing the amount of time taken to set up each customer with appropriate skis and boots.’

The BYS (Black, Yellow and Silver) system, which is already proving successful at resorts in Europe, Canada and the US, reduces the amount of time taken to fit boots and skis – allowing customers the maximum amount of time on the slopes.

The system works with HEAD Ski Boots being available in just three fixed sole-lengths with the adjustment for individual foot sizes made inside the boot – which means the boots can fit perfectly into pre-adjusted bindings. The boots and skis are colour coded – black, yellow and silver – matching the base colour of the boot to the ski. The only additional setting is DIN adjustment to allow for the correct release setting.

To make things even more efficient all customer settings and details will be recorded so on subsequent visits individual snow ticket information will ensure that customers have the same boots, skis or board so they can get out on the snow even more quickly.

The HEAD Speed Disc Snowboard system works in a similar way to provide customers with a perfectly set board in less than a minute without the need for tools – regular to goofy happens in seconds!

Stephen said, ‘We’re delighted to be working with HEAD and in particular to be the first UK operator to offer our customers the benefit of the speedy and innovative system for fitting boots, skis and boards. Our aim is to allow visitors to the Snow Centre the maximum time on the slopes. Making the process of getting kitted out more efficient will help provide the best possible indoor snow experience.’

The Snow Centre at Hemel Hempstead is on target for opening to the public at the end of April 2009.
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The final go-ahead, or not, for the SnOasis indoor snow centre in Suffolk is expected to be delivered by Hazel Blears, the British government minister for communities and local government on September 17th. Ms Blears has already said she was minded to approve SnOasis, following a lengthy and acrimonious public enquiry, as long as environmental concerns were fully addressed by developers of the £300 million facility, Onslow Suffolk.

Experts working for Onslow Suffolk are also trying to convince Natural England that sufficient habitat is being provided for the great crested newts. The company has recently offered nine acres of extra land on the Great Blakenham site for the creation of new habitats as part of an existing mitigation area scheme on land bordering the development.

Godfrey Spanner, managing director of Onslow Suffolk told local media, “We have made great progress. It has always been part of Onslow’s mission statement to be as sustainable as possible. Recent concerns on carbon emissions and footprint have put further constraints on development of all types and we and our engineers have gone to extreme lengths to bring to us the very latest technologies available.

“Government guidelines at present are seeking 25per cent renewable energy targets by 2020. We shall be well ahead of those long term requirements in the next few months – at least, I am convinced, on a par with the Olympic Village where obviously government are concentrating these efforts.”

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The multi-billion dollar extreme makeover at Snowmass resort is ongoing and will deliver a new quad for skiers this coming season. Most of the money is going on a new base village, but there are on-mountain improvements too. A new, detachable high-speed quad, the Sheer Bliss chair, accesses 700 acres of some of [...]

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