Snowpark NZ opens tomorrow

Freestylers and freestyle wannabes are waxing their boards and fine tuning their edges in anticipation of Snowpark NZ's opening day tomorrow.

When your jumping's on the shaky side (or just plain non-existent), New Zealand's giant terrain park is the place to go to crank it up a gear.

And this year they've added new snazzy on-slope apartments (see pic), so you don't need to make the commute from Wanaka.

Dates for this year's Snow Girls NZ camps are:
5-8 July
30-31 July
1-4 September

Photo credit and further information: www.snowparknz.com.

Mt Buller world first: snowmaking with recycled water

For a country in its sixth year of drought, blasting artificial snow is going to be controversial.

But Mt Buller in Australia has found an innovative use for its waste water and is becoming the world's first resort to use recycled water for snowmaking.

Phil Nunn, the resort's chief executive, says the new development will increase snowmaking capacity by 30 per cent and is expected to ensure 80 per cent of the village's waste water is reused.

Read the whole story on the Mt Buller website.

Photo credit: www.mtbuller.com.au

Coronet Peak open; Mt Hutt to follow

Coronet Peak, in New Zealand's South Island, opened today, just a couple of days behind schedule.

Snowmaking machines have been going full blast, thanks to consistently cold temperatures over the past few days, and have covered the Big Easy and M1 trails.

If you're a beginner, this should be enough to keep you happy, but intermediate and advanced skiers and riders will quickly tire of endless revolutions on the M1, which really does match up to it's British motorway namesake in terms of traffic.

Meanwhile, Mt Hutt is expected to open on Wednesday (13 June). Terrain will be limited, but park junkies will be able to hit a couple of rails or boxes (not sure which yet) from day one.

Photo credit and more information: www.nzski.com

New Zealand snow update

Yippee! Winter has arrived in New Zealand and the main resorts are building up to their opening days. Here's a run-down of the latest news from the main ski areas:

Mt Ruapehu (Whakapapa and Turoa): Cooler temperatures have brought fresh snow to higher elevations. With the freezing level expected to drop, conditions should be ideal for snowmaking and more snow is forecast over the next few days. Turoa has installed a brand new snowmaking system, a smart new Alpine Chalet and, best of all, a new chairlift - the High Noon Express. Turoa opens on 16 June. More info from www.mtruapehu.com.

Mt Hutt: The Canterbury field received a 25cm dump on Saturday and snowmaking is underway. Opens on 9 June.

Coronet Peak: The snow guns are blasting, but the base is still low. Opens on 9 June.

The Remarkables: This is the place to go for coaching. The mountain is introducing Afternoon Burton Freestyle Sessions (daily 2-4pm), 6 Saturday Freestyle sessions (every Saturday) and, for the girlies, the Burton Girls on Edge Camp, with instruction from New Zealand's top female coaches. Opens on 23 June. More info on Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak and The Remarks from www.nzski.com.

Treble Cone: Natural snow has fallen and snowmaking is underway. Opens 26 June. More info from www.treblecone.co.nz.

Cardrona: Snowmaking has begun and more snow is forecast. Opens 22 June. More info from www.cardrona.com.

Don't forget, the annual Queenstown Winter Festival kicks off the season in style and runs from 22 June to 1 July.

Photo credit: www.mtruapehu.com

Peak to Peak gondola to open in Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb has announced the long-awaited Peak to Peak gondola will open between the two mountains in December 2008.

The new cable car will travel 4.4km in 11 minutes between the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler and the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb.

The gondola will consist of 28 cabins carrying up to 28 people each, with a total capacity of 4,100 passengers per hour.

With just two towers on each mountain, the cable will hang unsupported for over 3km (the world's longest unsupported span). The highest vertical point is at 415m over Fitzsimmon's Creek - the world's greatest distance above a valley floor.

Construction begins in May 2007. Find out more about the Peak to Peak gondola.

Photo credit: Matt Walker

Hunter Mtn: free skiing for any season pass holder

Planning a jaunt to New York in the next couple of weeks? Hunter Mountain, just a couple of hours from the city, is accepting season passes from any mountain in the world on 25 March.

So whether you have a pass for Vail, Val d'Isere or Glencoe, the generous folks at Hunter will give you a free lift ticket. (As long as the pass is valid for the 2006/7 season of course.)

And from 19 March until the end of the season, they'll give you 50% off mid-week tickets and 25% off weekend tickets if you flash your season pass from another mountain.

What's more, winter is showing no signs of abating in New York state. Hunter has reported a massive 21 inches of the fresh stuff in the last 24 hours! (The pic here was taken at about 4pm local time yesterday when the snow was starting to fall.)

Check out the details of the special offer.

Image credit: Hunter Mountain

Heavenly powder

Early last week, Heavenly, California received...wait for it...SIX FEET OF SNOW in 48 hours! That is a humungous amount.

Watch the video of all the happy skiers and boarders.

Check out the latest Heavenly snow report.

Women's week in Whistler

I know I keep bleating on about Whistler, but come on, it's already beaten its average annual snowfall and we're still only in February (64cm in the past seven days ain't bad). And now there's Women's Week to look forward to.

This girlie celebration kicks off on 3 March and packs in nine days of feminine fun, from Burton and Roxy all-girl snowboard camps to special shopping deals, spa chill-out sessions and a Le Chateau fashion show. Check out the full calendar of events for the week.

Another date for your diary: Whistler's Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival runs from 13-22 April and promises to be another unmissable bash, with 50 free concerts to choose from and the chance to watch some unbelievable ski and snowboard stunts.

Image credit: Tourism Whistler

Earlybird passes on sale in New Zealand

Earlybird season passes covering the New Zealand resorts Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt are now on sale.

A joint pass to all three mountains will set you back NZ$749 if you buy online before 8 March.

If you're only going to be kicking around Queenstown, go for the Queenstown pass (Coronet Peak and The Remarks only), which costs NZ$649.

These are a great deal and worth buying even if you're only planning on a couple of weeks' riding in NZ. Individual passes for each resort are also available.

Image credit and further information: www.nzski.com

Orange snow falls in Russia

Orange and yellow snowflakes fell in the Omsk region of Russia on Wednesday according to Russian officials.

The snow is said to have felt oily to touch and gave off a rotten smell. Scientists are investigating the cause of the usunusally coloured snow, which fell over an area of more than 1,500 sq km.

The local environmental prosecutor, Anton German, said he was waiting for the results of chemical tests. Another local official reported the snow had four times the normal levels of iron in it.

Omsk is in western Siberia where oil is the main industry. About 27,000 people live in the area affected by the snow. Residents have been advised not to use the snow for household tasks or to allow animals to graze on it.

Giant countdown clock for Vancouver 2010

Vancouver is kicking off the three-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Games by installing a giant countdown clock.

The enormous clock will be unveiled at Vancouver Art Gallery on 12 February and will count down the remaining days, hours, minutes and seconds to the 2010 Opening Ceremony.

The clock design will represent Canadian and West Coast themes.

Free cat boarding at Copper

Copper Mountain is offering free snowcat access on Tucker Mountain.

According to the mountain' s website: "This is as close to a backcountry, big-mountain experience as you'll find in-bounds at any resort."

The cats have been in operation since 2 January and run from 10am to 1.30pm every day. Tucker Mountain closes at 2pm. It's first come, first served, so get there early.

Photo credit: Copper Mountain

Vail extends season

Vail has decided to extend its winter season by a week thanks to this year's epic snowfalls.

The Colorado resort was originally due to close on 15 April, but will now stay open an extra week, closing on 22 April.

The end of the season is celebrated with a massive spring bash, "Spring Back to Vail", which includes free concerts by top US bands, as well as deals on lift passes and lodging and the chilly-sounding World Pond Skimming Championships.

Photo credit: Vail Resorts

Another record for Whistler

Whistler snowfall hit a record high yet again this week after the latest dump brought this season's accumulation to 875cm.

That's the biggest total by this time in January since records began 27 years ago.

It won't take much for Whistler to beat its annual average snowfall of 10m.

The weather's currently clear and sunny, but another frontal system could bring more snow on Wednesday.

Photo credit: Whistler Blackcomb (webcam showing The Roundhouse restaurant, 14 January 2007)

Auf Wiedersehen Alpine skiing

Skiing and boarding in the Alps could be history within 45 years according to a new report on climate change.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts that 75 per cent of Alpine glaciers will melt within this period, causing avalanches and floods and forcing ski resorts to close.

Only the highest resorts, such as Tignes (2,100m) and Val Thorens (2,300m), are expected to survive.

The reports will be handed to European governments this week.

This follows a poor start to this year's Alpine winter season. Despite a decent snowfall at New Year, mild temperatures since mean many low-level resorts are still lacking snow.

Read the full story on The Observer website.

Snow in Stowe for holiday weekend

Stowe, Vermont has been thanking the snow gods for the 10 to 18 inches (25 to 46cm) of white stuff it's received over the past week.

The fresh pow arrived just in time for the US holiday weekend. The resort also opened the Sensation Quad on Upper Spruce Peak on Friday 12th, meaning all four peaks were open in time for the holiday rush.

Stowe currently has the highest percentage of runs open in Northern Vermont, and conditions look pretty sweet on their home page video at www.stowe.com.

Photo credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

Sake and snow monkeys in Japan

The Christmas stockings are back in the drawer and the tree is shedding its last needles (unless it's one of those fancy no-drop ones of course).

The only proper way to cheer up is to book a holiday, and what better place to consider for your next snowboarding trip than Japan, this year's hot ski destination.

Check out my feature on 10 reasons to ski/board in Japan on the World Travel Guide.

Photo credit: JNTO

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