Free skiing at Red

There's no catch. If you're kicking around BC this week, turn up at Red Mountain on Friday 22 December and just ask for your free lift ticket.

That's right - the mountain will be handing out complimentary lift tickets to all skiers and riders for one day only. Ski and snowboard instructors will also be on hand to offer tips. Lifts will be open from 9am to 3pm.

If you're hanging around over Christmas, join Santa for a run on Christmas Day. Meet him at the Paradise Lodge.

Photo credit: Red Mountain Resort

Huge dump forecast for Whistler

OK folks, get yourself a flight out to Canada. Zoom, Air Canada, BA, whoever - find a seat. Whistler is expecting 65-110cm of fresh stuff over the next few days.

While the Alps have been basking in balmy 20-degree temperatures, the epic start to Whistler's season keeps going and going. To top it off, the new Symphony Express chair opens on Whistler this Saturday (16 December), providing access to over 1,000 acres of terrain.

If you're in Whistler this week, you can win a golden ticket for a seat on one of the first chairs. All you need to do is find an orchestra conductor (wearing a black tux) on Whistler mountain and ask for a Symphony Express golden ticket. As I write, there are nine tickets left.

Map credit: Whistler Blackcomb

More Canada openings

November's record snowfall in western Canada has brought legendary opening day conditions for yet more resorts.

Red opened on 1 December, followed a day later by fellow BC resort Kicking Horse. The latter's 350cm+ snow accumulation meant the mountain opened two weeks ahead of schedule, though it will open on weekends only until 15 December.

Meanwhile, across the provincial border in Alberta, Canada Olympic Park in Calgary was forced to close for three days at the end of November after icy conditions swept through the city.

You might not imagine there's much skiing in Manitoba, but the prairie province received a welcome 15-25 cm the other day and Asessippi ski area plans to open on 8 December.

And for those 'back east' in Ontario, Horseshoe Resort near Barrie opens on 6 December.

Photo credit: Red Mountain Resort

More early openings for Canada

The huge storms pummelling Canada's west coast means more early openings for local ski hills.

Apex opened today, while Sunshine opened up Goat's Mountain, the earliest ever opening for that section of the resort.

Silver Star opens tomorrow, followed by Big White on Saturday.

Vancouver Island isn't missing out on the snow either. Mount Washington has announced plans to open a week early on 30 November.

Brent Curtain, spokesperson for Mount Washington, said: “The amount of snow up here is unbelievable! This is only our third November opening in the last 15 years and it looks like it may be one of the best openings we’ve seen in the resort’s history."

Record snowfall for Whistler

Blackcomb is opening tomorrow (23rd) and it couldn't come sooner for boarders in Whistler, where over 300cm of snow has fallen since the beginning of the month - the most ever recorded in November.

Thankfully, as mentioned below, Whistler opened last weekend and has received a whopping 70cm in the past 48 hours alone. The base is already a respectable 153cm.

The plan is to have around 5,000 acres open this weekend, so check out Zoom's website and see if you can find yourself a deal.

Burton designs snowboard run

Being the most successful snowboard manufacturer clearly isn't enough for Jake Burton, who has now designed his first snowboard run at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

Burton has helped snowboarders build The Stash, a run featuring trees, jibs and road jumps constructed from wooden logs and other local materials. The new run is due to open on 15 December.

The Stash will also include pillow lines, natural rail slides built from massive logs, and the CK Cabin (named after legendary rider Craig Kelly), which riders can jib or gap.

Check out the promo video at www.thestash.com. (Note: It takes a while to load.)

Northstar-at-Tahoe is scheduled to open on 22 November.

Whistler opens early

Whistler Mountain opened early yesterday, thanks to a handily timed winter storm.

The mountain's been blessed with a healthy 129cm of snow in the past seven days and is boasting a 129cm base too. Judging by today's murky-looking webcams, snow is falling as I write.

It's a bit like 'pass the parcel' though: you only get to unwrap a bit at a time. Both Whistler gondolas are running, but skiers and riders are limited to Emerald and Red chairs once in the Alpine. Those cheeksters at Whistler Blackcomb are holding off opening the Peak, Harmony and the eagerly-anticipated new Symphony chair. Wouldn't want to waste too much snow on staff and locals...

Blackcomb opens on Thursday 23rd November. Check out the latest snow report at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Snowy start for Sunshine

Sunshine Village has opened early thanks to a healthy dump of powder last week.

The resort, which kicked off its season on Friday, is boasting an 80cm base and has received a not-too-shabby 26cm in the past two days. Even better, it's still snowing and the forecast is for more of the white stuff.

Seven out of 12 lifts are open, plus 44 out of 107 runs. If you're into early season bargains, this could be a good bet - tickets are currently going for C$49.95.

If you want to check out conditions before booking your flight, Sunshine's installed some new high-res webcams this year. Check 'em out here.

Celtek launches new website

Perhaps not one for the Rangers fans (or so says my husband, Angus) - glove manufacturer Celtek has just launched a new website.

Leather seems to be back in style as far as the Leines boys (Celtek's youthful-looking CEOs) are concerned, though to me the fashion is scarily reminiscent of ski instructors' Descente gloves with a noughties twist which they just about get away with.

Still, this is what youngsters are into apparently.

Hoodies, tees and touques are a sideline, including the Celtek tooth beanie. (See my earlier obsession with houndstooth designs under the Japanese Burton store opening entry.)

New Zoom route takes off

Scottish snowboarders will be able to cut their travel time to Banff, Fernie and Jasper thanks to a new Glasgow-Calgary route launching this winter.

Zoom Airlines is running the new service between November and April. The carrier already operates winter flights from Glasgow to Toronto and Vancouver, with Ottawa being added from January 2007.

Prices for the Calgary route start at £129 one way plus tax.

Zoom also flies to Canada from Gatwick, Manchester and Belfast.

Mini mountaincoaster to open in Switzerland

A cross between a rollercoaster and a mini funicular railway will be the most stylish mode of transport going in the Swiss Alps this winter.

The Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa is opening its very own private mountaincoaster to whisk guests 500m from the hotel reception to the slopes. The natty little cabins will carry up to six passengers each from 1 December.

This is the first project for manufacturer Coaster Verkehrssysteme Vertriebs GmbH. The company hopes its new product will also take off in cities. I think this would be a fine way to cruise above Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus.

Snowy start to Colorado season

Colorado is looking like the best option for early season boarding. Loveland and Arapahoe Basin (or A-Basin to the locals) have both opened already and Copper Mountain has announced a 3 November opening.

In September I was reporting 2ft dumps in Breckenridge and the current images on the resort's site suggest the snow is showing no signs of abating. Aspen reported 10 inches of the fresh stuff last week, while Snowmass saw 16 inches, and more pow is forecast over the next couple of days.

Keep an eye on all the Colorado snow reports and opening days at www.coloradoski.com.

Burton store opens in Tokyo

If you're planning to pound the slopes of Hokkaido or check out the latest wacky Japanese fashions in Nagano, you might have time for a little retail therapy in Tokyo's new Burton store, which opened this weekend.

I imagine those multi-coloured equestrian prints and all-in-one girls' white boiler suits will go down a storm in the Japanese market, but if you're looking for something a little more subtle, the 2006/7 range has plenty of stylish stuff in more muted shades.

If the weekend travel supplements are anything to go by, Japan is this year's must-do ski destination. If you can bear to join the package hordes, Crystal and Inghams have added it to their brochures.

OK, and I admit I secretly like the equestrian/houndstooth styling and have a little purse in the aforementioned print tucked away for a special occasion.

London premiere of latest ChunkyKnit film

The London premiere of Last Winter, the new girlie snowboarder film from ChunkyKnit productions, is taking place on 20 October at the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, Olympia.

The film will kick off at 5pm in the Retro Retox Bar. To check out the latest antics of Lesley McKenna, Jenny Jones et al, arrive in plenty of time, as spaces are limited.

The girls visit Japan and Romania as well as the world's best snowboarding destination - Scotland!

Mammoth savings at Mammoth

Here's a deal: California's Mammoth Mountain is offering a Silver season's pass for the bargain price of US$699. Compare that to the Gold Pass, which sells for a less-than-bargainous US$1,500.

The catch? There are 14 blackout dates when you can't ski or ride. But that's it - 14 days out of the whole season. The majority are around Christmas and New Year, with the remaining three over Presidents' Day weekend (a nightmare weekend for lift lines anywhere in North America).

Avoid those dates and you can ride to your heart's content for the rest of the season (which begins nice and early on 10 November by the way). Oh yes, and it covers you for riding at June Mountain too.

Bearing in mind the cost of a one-day lift pass from December to April is US$78, this is a pretty sweet deal if you're planning a couple of weeks out west.

Buy before 8 November, and those kind folks at Mammoth will throw in a couple of free passes to use on the aforementioned blackout dates. Check out the deal at www.mammothmountain.com.

September dump for Breckenridge

Two feet of snow in two days. In September.

Fresh tracks for ski patrol. In September.

Snow from top to base. In September.

The photos on the Breckenridge website tell it all. Just click on the photo gallery and try not to let your chin drop to the floor.

Vail voted no 1 in North America

Vail has been voted number one resort in North America by readers of Ski magazine.

No big surprise, as the mountain boasts four terrain parks, seven bowls and 5,289 acres of freeride terrain. Check out why it's so popular at vail.snow.com.

The readers' top ten resorts were:

1. Vail, Colorado
2. Deer Valley, Utah
3. Snowmass, Colorado
4. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
5. Park City, Utah
6. Breckenridge, Colorado
7. Aspen, Colorado
8. Beaver Creek, Colorado
9. Steamboat, Colorado
10. Sun Valley, Idaho

Go to www.skinet.com for top tips on each resort.

Season's first snow in Whistler

Woo hoo! Winter is on its way in Whistler. The first snowfall of the season arrived last Thursday (14 September) - a respectable 15cm. Let's hope this is a good sign for the season ahead.

Check out the pics on the Whistler Blackcomb website.

Meanwhile, anyone who can wangle a visa to work in Canada (try BUNAC) will be interested to know the Whistler Blackcomb recruitment fair is being held from 23-26 October.

End of long drive to Fernie?

If you've ever arrived on the long haul flight from London to Calgary, only to be faced with a four-hour drive to Fernie, the news that Cranbrook Airport's expansion is nearly complete might be welcome news.

The expansion of the airport, soon to be renamed the Canadian Rockies International Airport, is due to be completed this winter. The airport will be able to accommodate both larger aircraft and more passengers.

Although the likes of BA and Air Canada are not likely to announce a direct UK flight quite yet, the new name and the construction of a Canada Customs and Immigrations facility suggest Cranbrook has its eye firmly on the international market.

Board for a bargain in Kosovo

This could be one of the best deals around. A week's pass in Breznica, Kosovo's main ski area, will set you back a mere 60 euros. UN Special Representative Joachim Rücker has also announced plans to privatise the resort, so get there while it's cheap.

The slopes in Breznica, in the Dinarske mountains, range from 1718-2522m in altitude. Piribeg, a 3.5km black run, covers the entire vertical. The resort boasts seven lifts and eight other runs, with a total of 16km of trails. For not much more than the cost of a day in the snowdome, you can't go wrong.