3 Takeaways from the latest SnowSports Industries America survey
The SIA survey is one of the largest snowsports surveys in the world. Their annual report questioned 18,000 US citizens and delivered some interesting data. Ski Touring is booming The number of people participating in ski touring has more than tripled from 700,000 to 2.2 million in the last three years. The closures during the...
French ski lift strikes cause little or no disruption shock
Bad news travels fast, or as my gran used to say, “Misery loves company”. Whichever aphorism you prefer, the recent strikes in French ski resorts appear to have had little impact on holidaymakers. Not that you would have expected this after the multiple and calamitous stories by most of the UK media, with headlines such...
Pack of wolves spotted in Swiss ski resort
Last month a piste basher driver in the Swiss ski resort of La Tzoumaz enjoyed an increasingly common sight when he encountered a pack of four wolves on the slopes. La Tzoumaz is part of the ‘Four Valleys ski area, which also includes Verbier, Nendaz and Veysonnaz. According to Nicolas Bourquin, head of the Cantonal...
Why do dictators love skiing?
Nothing says you have no friends more than this photo of Kim Jong-un, smoking a cigarette, sitting on a chairlift, on his own. This photo was taken in 2013, when Kim took a test ride at the new Masikryong ski resort, built by soldiers from the North Korean army. Educated in Switzerland, the supreme leader...
Chamonix preparing bid to host 2030 Winter Olympics
UPDATE (10 January 2023): Mayor of Chamonix, Éric Fournier, has confirmed that a joint bid (with Valais and the Aosta Valley) for the Winter Olympic Games “is not on the agenda” ————- Chamonix is currently preparing a bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, in partnership with the Valais region of Switzerland and the...
Interview in ‘The Independent’
Iain Martin, presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, was recently interviewed by ‘The Independent’ for an article about climate change and the lack of early-season snow in the Alps. Iain Martin, a lifelong skier and host of The Ski Podcast, pointed out that there was still plenty of skiing this week...