Last week the London Ski and Snowboard Show was held at Earls Court.
Normally we’d write up a ’23 Snippets from the Ski Show’ type of post, but in the wake of the World Snow Awards we thought we’d announce our own award winners, based on our observations last week.
- Biggest Newcomer to the Industry – AirbnbTheir stand was only small, but Airbnb mean business: the company intends to increase their current offering of 2,000 Alpine listings to 10,000 by the end of the season.
According to Jean Gnamien, head of Business Development, demand for properties in the French Alps has doubled in the last year.
- Best Celebrity Appearance – Sophie Ellis Bextor
In the absence of Princess Eugenie (a visitor in 2013), this year Sophie Ellis Bextor wins ‘Best Celebrity’ for her and hubbie Richard Jones’ (bass player from The Feeling) appearance at the Les 3 Vallees ‘God Save The Snow’ party on Thursday night.
As I was on the door at the time (Skipedia helps Les 3 Vallees with this event), I had the opportunity to remind Ms Ellis-Bextor of the last time I ticked her off a guest list.That was in 2003, when she came along to Natives Ski Show party to watch hubbie-to-be Richard perform with Superfly (who later metamorphosed into ‘The Feeling’).Check the video below to see how The Feeling looked back then…
- Best Stand Wrapping – Halfpipe London
We loved this stand wrap by Halfpipe London. It was a simple design, drawn by hand onto packing paper, to create the impression of wooden panels, interspersed with their brand name and social channels. Cheap and very effective.
- Most Controversial Acronym – Europe Says Freedom
Thursday saw an anti-ESF protest outside the Show. We have written about this in more detail here, but regardless of the rights and wrongs of their literature it certainly made an impression.
- Busiest Drinks Reception – Tirol
Inghams, Crystal and Erna Low all tried, Alpe d’Huez was close, but Tirol won this one by a distance (with extra points for the mini-burgers).
- Best C-list Celebrity Appearance – Tim Wall
T Wall, owner of the Ski Lodge and La Taiga in La Tania is now a bona fide C-list celebrity (definition: “Aren’t you that bloke who was in that programme?”) following his appearance on ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Costa del Nightmares’.
- Best Show Feature – France Montagnes’ Biathlon
Okay, not a traditional biathlon – in that the ski section was slalom – but the chance to try a ski machine and shoot laser rifles was popular with the public.
A close second was the Burton Riglet Park – what a brilliant way to give young kids a first taste of snowboarding:
- Best Use of a Container – Mountain WarehouseShell schemes are so 2013. We loved this container from Mountain Warehouse. So simple to set up (as long as you’ve got a powerful fork lift).
- Most Expensive Retro Style Jumper – Snow Finel
We absolutely loved this jumper from Snow Finel…until we saw the price. A snip at £255!
- Best Onesie – Christian Stevenson
There can only be one…
- Best Way to Guarantee Happy Children – The Cast of Frozen
If you don’t have young children, you may possibly be unaware of the phenomenon that is ‘Frozen’.
The presence of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf made the Show a huge success in the crucial 3-8 year-old market (and consequently for the 30-40 year-old parent market too!)
We just hope they didn’t let Olaf see this growing puddle…
- Best Tshirt – The Courchevel EnquirerAlex Irwin of the Courchevel Enquirer has surpassed himself again with this year’s ‘Chalet Fornication’ design. Belle de Neige will approve…
- Best Pointing at a Map – James Rivers, Ski SafariJames Rivers from Ski Safari showed some top class pointing, while making us jealous that we’ve never skied in Utah.
With Canyons and Park City joining next year to form the US’s largest ski area, and a possible ‘One Wasatch’ pass to come in the future, Utah is on the up.
- Most Comfy Location – The Drop InnTurn up, tune in and chill out. The Drop Inn was definitely the zone for the kids to hang out – a brilliant mix of funky retail, backcountry Q&As and live music.
Article by Iain Martin
- Most Comfy Location – The Drop InnTurn up, tune in and chill out. The Drop Inn was definitely the zone for the kids to hang out – a brilliant mix of funky retail, backcountry Q&As and live music.