Tahoe Region Explores bid possibilities for 2022 Olympics

Fifty-two years after the Olympic flame was first ignited in the Tahoe region, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki announced the formation of the Lake Tahoe Winter Games Exploratory Committee (LTWGEC) on April 5th, a new joint California Nevada initiative to develop an Olympic Bid for the 2022 Winter Games. "Our new committee is the evolution of years of work by many people, and if the United States Olympic Committee decides to bid on the 2022 Winter Games, we will be ready to showcase the Tahoe region's scenic majesty and winter games capabilities", Krolicki said in a statement.
The new committee, LTWGEC, is an entity created by the leadership of two separate organizations that were set up to explore a potential bid for the Tahoe Region. The two organizations—the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition and the California Winter Games Committee—joined by the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee, will now be committing their significant resources to the LTWGEC. The Lake Tahoe Winter Games Exploratory Committee will be tasked with creating a group of business, civic and political leaders that will work to explore the benefits and impacts of hosting the Olympic Games in the Lake Tahoe Region. According to Krolicki and Newsom, the new group's leadership will be announced in the coming weeks—including an environmental leadership team. Andy Wirth, CEO and president at Squaw Valley, will serve as interim chair of the committee.
Tamara McKinney, a three-time Olympian from Squaw Valley who has been helping efforts to bring the Games back to the Lake Tahoe area, said the 1960 Olympic Games left a huge legacy that has shaped the area's development. "I live here, I grew up skiing these mountains, and I can genuinely say that we have some incredible mountains and areas to show the world, and it's all within a relatively short distance", said McKinney.
Salt Lake City and Denver also are vying for the 2022 Winter Games. U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Scott Blackmun said in February that Bozeman, Mont., also has expressed an interest in bidding for 2022. The U.S. Olympic Committee has to decide by 2013 whether to submit a formal bid and promote a single nominee for 2022.

Alpe d'Huez - Les Deux Alpes link project advances

During a local council meeting last week, officials have unanimously adopted an agreement of the linking of the five municipalities of Le Freney, Auris, Mont-de-Lans, Venosc & Huez. With this agreement the Alpe d'Huez - Les Deux Alpes liaison is to be brought back under the spotlight.
The five Oisan municipalities have agreed to donate a maximum of 20,000 Euros each towards the research and developement of the liasoon project. The studies in snow cover, feasibility and technical requirements are to commence in June 2012.The cross-valley project between the two Oisans ski resorts of Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes is by no means a new project, the project was originally discussed back in 2004. The project has been to'ing-and-fro'ing ever since - back in 2006 the project was rejected during a council meeting yet in 2009 news sources claimed the project would be open in 2012.
Only 3km separates the south-west facing slopes of les Grandes Buffes to the east of Auris from the Mont de Lans chair lift. The opening of the massive Vanoise Express cable car in 2004 lent credibility to the idea that the Romanche Valley could also be spanned, linking these two giants of Dauphiné skiing.
The skiing argument for hyper-domains is clear. To cross the the valley between Les Arcs and La Plagne the Vanoise Express has to be relatively low lying. Skiing the furthest reaches of the domain takes most of the day with a good part of it spent on ski lifts. It is the marketing argument that is important. Following the launch, the new lift generated 4.5M€ in revenue and turned the formerly outlying Peisey-Vallandry into a boom town with a 15% increase in turnover. Lying on the crossroads of the two resorts it attracted both ClubMed and MGM, something that Bernard Chapuis of les Arcs lift company (SMA-STAG) has said was a significant factor in the resort’s recent success.
Paradiski also helped the Compagnie des Alpes (CDA), the group that controls both resorts, to increase profits by a staggering 40% in 2004 and attracted high-spending foreign guests to the area’s shops and restaurants. However the recent picture is more mixed. Turnover has stagnated with a 3% increase from 2004 to 2006 although the last two winters have been difficult in the Tarentaise. Les Arcs has also reaped the most benefit from the new link.
Les Deux Alpes is the most recent addition to CDA Group's ski areas (December 2009). Generating more than 10% of the Group's Ski Area sales, Deux-Alpes on its own is the fourth biggest contributor to business behind the three connected areas of Paradiski, Espace Killy and Trois Vallées. The ski resort accounts for some 1.3 million skier-days.

Snow Returns to Northern Europe and Continues in Western North America

It’s been largely mild again with little fresh snow in the Alps but although resorts are closing for the end of winter, those that are still open typically have deep snow bases so conditions are largely good if ‘spring like’ A cold front due to arrive in the next few days may change things dramatically with up to 90cm (three feet) of new snow forecast. It’s already snowing in the French alps.
Snow is back in Northern Europe with the re-opening of some Scottish ski areas after their premature closure in February and Norway has returned to the top of the world snowfall charts with up to 192cm in the past week.
In Western North America and particularly Canada it’s been a snowy week, yet again, with Whistler reporting more than 1.5m (five feet) of fresh snow taking them further past their seasonal average and with more than 7 weeks of the season left to run there, closer to possibly breaking their all time snowfall record.
There has been little new snow fall in the last week in Austria although several resorts including Zauchensee reported 30cm (a foot) of new snow and bigger name centres including Kaprun, Molltaler Glacier and Dachstein Glacier had 15cm (six inches) each. The upcoming days will stay mild but the snow line gets lower over the Easter weekend and more snow is expected, especially in resorts like Ischgl, Galtur, Nauders and Kaunertal where up to 80cm of new snow is forecast. So the Easter holidays could be very white in the Alps. Snow depths are still very good with 590cm (nearly 20 feet) at Dachstein Glacier, 415cm at Zugspitzplatt Ehrwald and 410cm at Stubaier Glacier.
It’s snowing today (April 4) in southern France with Isola 2000 reporting 20cm of new snow and Serre Chevalier 10cm. There’s been little other new snow in France this week but snow depths remain good at most major ski centres in the northern Alps after the huge falls in the first half of this winter – and there have been some top ups of fresh too with Alpe d’Huez and Flaine among those reporting 5cm of new snow today. Chamonix still has the deepest base of 3.6m (12 feet0 and is open in to May.
There’s been little new snow in the past week in Italy with only Alagna reporting 5cm (two inches) of fresh cover. Snow depths at centres that are still open in Italy remain good including three metres (10 feet) at Passo Tonale and 2.7m (nine feet) at Cervinia on upper slopes – both open at least to May.
With only 5cm in Davos Klosters and 4cm in Crans Montana snow falls in Switzerland were really rare in the last week. After several very sunny days, the cloudy weather is back but temperatures are still mild so in most areas it will be rainy for the next few days. More sun can be expected at the Easter weekend. The weather stations also expect new snow for the upcoming seven days. Snow falls up to 50cm are likely in Saas Fee, Engelberg, Grindelwald and Andermatt. The best snow depth at the moment is reported from Engelberg with 535cm, followed by Andermatt 400cm and Laax and Crans Montana with 350cm each.
Snowlines have been dropping in the Pyrenees as temperature have risen, with most areas losing 20-40cm of depth to their snow bases but resorts like Cauterets in France, Baqueira Beret (picture attached) in Spain and VallNord in Andorra all still have good bases.
Scandinavia has seen some of the biggest snowfalls in the world over the past seven days. In Norway, Bjorli, Strandafjellet and Stordal all report huge falls of around 180cm, (six feet) of fresh snow and summerski centre Stryn has had 75cm, setting it up for a potentially good 2012 season when it re-opens soon. Of the internationally well known big name centres, Are in Sweden reports 13cm of new snow.
Several Scottish ski areas have re-opened thanks to fresh snow in the past 48 hours. The new snow took ski centres – which had been closed for six weeks due to record high March and February temperatures – by surprise, most had moved early in to their summer operating model. Currently Cairngorm and The Lecht have terrain open with fresh snow and Nevis Range have new snow on the beginner slope.
Western Canada is continuing the great season it’s been enjoying since the end of last year, and a repeat of the epic 2010-11. Whistler reports another 1.5m of snow in the past week and there have been big falls reported too at resorts including Mt Washington, Fernie and Kimberley with the snow also falling in Alberta. The East Coast is suffering from warm weather however and most areas there have now closed.
Far western US has had more heavy snow although conditions are reported to be more challenging at still-open areas in some states like Colorado because of warm weather. Sugar Bowl and squaw Valley in California both report over 90cm (three feet) of new snow in the past week but Mt Baker in Washington state has again topped them all with another 1.5m – the base there is creeping close to 8 metres again. Only seven major ski areas are open in Eastern North America, with limited terrain, following the warm weather there.

30th anniversary of the Allalin Races – Feel the burn on the glacier

Legendary Allalin Races celebrate 30th anniversary in 2012.

On 13 and 14 April it will once again be time to say: on the slopes, get set, go!

The two-day event will see over 1,000 participants race the almost 9 km course, descending from 3,600 metres into the valley at 1,800 m. World-famous skier Silvan Zurbriggen will once again be at the starting gate. For 30 years the Allalin Races in Saas-Fee have been part of the Super Vier –a series of the top four amateur downhill races in Switzerland.
Each year the races and after-parties attract ambitious amateur racers as well as winter sports fans who join in simply for the fun of taking part. Alongside the races, there will, of course, be a colourful and varied programme of events. An array of charmingly decorated wooden chalets will be offering a feast of delights at the festival site. They include a wine/champagne bar, a raclette hut, a barbecue lodge or an Asian food stand.A fun party atmosphere is guaranteed, with live music starting from 11 a.m.and going on into the night. There are also many attractions for kids, including face painting and a bouncy castle. To top it off, Silvan Zurbriggen –the famous World Cup skier from the Upper Valais – will be mingling with the crowds on Saturday. Zurbriggen will take part in individual races before giving interviews and even conducting a few of his own on the village square. Fans of all ages will then be able to pick up an autograph from the star skier.
Just over 1,000 participants have registered so far for the 2012 Allalin Races.This gives the organisers strong hopes of surpassing last year’s number ofparticipants and seeing the event’s popularity continue to rise. A total of 552 skiers have already registered for the individual races. The categories with the highest numbers of participants are "Individual Men’s 18 –35" and "Individual Men’s 36 – 50", each with almost 200 on the starting list. At the moment 373 people are registered for the team races. They make up 66 teams in the "Team Race", 23 in the "Fun Team Race" and two in the "Team Snowboarding Race". In addition, 144 skiers have signed up for the His and Hers Race.
This year, most participants in the Allalin Races are from Switzerland (over 90 percent), whilst 5.8 percent are from Germany. The rest come from Italy, the UK, Spain and Austria. Among the Swiss participants, the highest proportion comes from Berne (43 percent), considerably more than the 12 percent from the Valais region. Close behind are the skiers from Aargau, who make up just under 11 percent, and from Zurich, who make up 8.9 percent. Hardly any skiers from Eastern Switzerland have registered.The oldest male participant comes from Germany. Born in 1936, he is participating in the highest glacier downhill race in the world at the grand oldage of 76. The oldest woman, born in 1949, will be competing at the age of63. The youngest male competitor is 16 and the youngest female 19. Invitation to all over-all winners from the past 30 years For the 30th edition of the Allalin Races, the organisers have come up with a very special idea. All the over-all winners from the past 30 years have been personally invited to this special occasion. For several of the former competitors this is sure to be a happy reunion with like-minded people and a chance to indulge in unforgettable memories of lightning-speed descents, comic moments and fierce competition. It will certainly be a great opportunity for all involved to enjoy the races in a jovial environment and to be up close tothe action once more.

Ski Girls Rock Vail With Lindsey Vonn

Olympic gold medalist and World Cup Alpine Ski Champion, Lindsey Vonn, took some time this week to ski with a few of her biggest fans on Vail Mountain in Colorado, USA as part of the resort’s exclusive Ski Girls Rock program, introduced this season.
A few lucky girls from around the globe, including representatives from Brazil, England and Canada, in addition to a select handful of girls who participated in the Ski Girls Rock lesson program this season, were chosen to return to Vail to ski with their idol as a part of Vonn’s homecoming celebration on April 1.
The popular Ski Girls Rock program debuted during the 2011-2012 ski season, offering a new premium lesson inspired and designed by Lindsey Vonn, exclusively for girls ages 5-15. Lessons consist of no more than four students per group and are led by dedicated female instructors who not only focus on improving skiing skills but empowering girls through the sport and creating opportunities to bond, build confidence and develop teamwork and social skills.

Technoalpin Acquires Johnson Controls Neige

TechnoAlpin, a major player in snowmaking -35% market share in Europe-, has just formalized the acquisition of all the activities of Johnson Controls Neige (JCN) in France, Italy and the U.S. JCN is a snowmaking equipment market leader in France with 60% market share and 30% worldwide.
Both companies will retain their own autonomy and their own structures and management processes; JCN will change its name to MYNEIGE. The entire staff of the snow group (105 people) is retained within the new company. The objective is to develop complementary synergies, and provide operators of ski areas with superior products and services for snowmaking.
TechnoAlpin designs and builds turnkey snow-making systems all over the world. The company was founded in 1990 in Bolzano (South Tyrol/ITA) and today it boasts a network of 25 branch offices and trading partners.
Johnson Controls Neige is a specialist in snow production solutions for ski resorts since 1976. Over the years, Johnson Controls Neige has developed a strong expertise servicing ski resort operators around the world to address their challenges of the production of man-made snow.

Best In Snow: The World’s 10 Snowiest Ski Resorts

Winter 2011-12 has been a bit of a temperature roller-coaster in many areas of the world with a 50 degree spread between some of the lowest and warmest temperatures reported in the Alps in February and March and similar extremes in North America.
However much we would like to be able to offer a snow guarantee for some destinations, it always remains a bit of a gamble exactly where gets the snow and when. Even areas that usually receive vast volumes of powder can have bad seasons, even those with year round snow fields on glaciers aren’t much fun if there’s been no fresh snowfall and the surface is hard and icy.
But over years and decades some ski areas do consistently perform better than others for snowfall and we at Skiinfo thought we would create a top 10 of those places we know are, normally – or at least on average - the snowiest.
This exercise last seems to have been undertaken by a famous American travel publisher five years ago and it was interesting to see what has changed and what hasn’t.
Those averages have tweaked a little bit and it seems that with 19 resorts in North America in the top 20 they created there was something of an American bias. In truth however it can be hard to find reliable data from resorts outside North America that are in the world’s snowiest regions – and those are typically in the Himalayas, Japan and Western North America. We did manage to find some snowfall data from other famous Japanese ski areas besides Niseko wjhich gave us another top 10 entry and while figures from Gulmarg in the Indian Himalayas were hard to verify, it appears to deserve to be in there too. There may be other Japanese resorts that should be in the top 10 if the data was obtainable.
The Andes are famed for their powder snow in the northern hemisphere’s summer but the stats show it doesn’t fall quite so abundantly as in those three super-snowy regions, similarly the Alps and other mountain ranges around the world just don’t get so much.

Quality or Quantity?

Some areas claim to have, usually, lighter, fluffier snow than elsewhere in the world and for many skiers and boarders this issue of quality is much more important that how deep that snow is lying – 10 feet or 20 feet of it makes little difference. Indeed when the powder snow was ‘neck deep’ in parts of California in winter 2010-11 some people reported the experience rather alarming, like drowning in snow.

The Top 10


1. Mt Baker, Washington State, USA - Average 19.06m per season. Record season was ‘98-‘99 when received 28.5m of snow. This winter snow depths here passed 8m (27 feet) earlier this month.

2. Alyeska, Alaska, USA - Average 16.07m per season. Based on 31 year average: http://www.alyeskaresort.com/mountain/about-stats-lift-info.aspx

3. Alta, Utah, USA – Average 15.59m per season. Based on 5 year average 06/07 – 10/11: www.alta.com/pages/snowfallhistory.php

4. Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan – Average 15.11m per season.

5. Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada – Average 15m per season.

6. Nozawa Onsen, Japan – Average 14.44m per season.

7. Gulmarg, India – Average 14m per season. During the 2004-05 season there was 20m of snow.

8. Kirkwood, California, USA – Average 13.96m per season. Kirkwood received 20.4m of snow during the 2005-2006 ski season.

9. Grand Targhee, Wyoming, USA – Average 12.7m per season. More detail: www.grandtarghee.com/the-mountain/stats/snow-history.php

10. Snowbird, Utah – Average 12.5m per season. More detail: www.snowbird.com/about/mountainstats.html

(A skiinfo report. All data was collected in March 2012 using available data. Averages may be based on different time periods – the shortest we are aware of was over 5 years, the longest over more than 30 years).
Skiinfo, a division of Mountain news Corporation, publishers of OnTheSnow.com and other services, is one of the world’s longest established and best ski information portals providing resort and snow information for more than 2,000 ski areas to more than a dozen different language portals. The company has a network of international offices across Europe.