Skipedia

The sad demise of the catered chalet ski holiday

by iain on Sep 25, 2023 • 8 Comments

Looking through a recent survey from Le Ski, I was struck by one stat in particular. While it was encouraging to read that the number of UK skiers and snowboarders is predicted to grow by 14% in winter 2023/24, the fact that only 13% stay in catered chalets highlighted how...

Ideas

Will ChatGPT make ‘ski experts’ redundant?

by iain on May 11, 2023 • No Comments

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is changing fast. A few years ago, it was just the name of one of Steven Spielberg’s less good movies, but in 2023 AI has moved from the world of ‘futurologists’ into the mainstream. The chances are that even if you haven’t tried ChatGPT (or Google’s ‘Bard’),...

Iain / Ideas / Tour Operators

‘Parrots in the Snow: the rise and fall of Bladon Lines’ – article in ‘Ski+Board’ magazine

by iain on Mar 8, 2023 • 3 Comments

Iain’s article ‘Parrots in the Snow: the rise and fall of Bladon Lines‘ has now been published in ‘Ski+Board’ magazine. It’s also now available as a special episode of The Ski Podcast My first experience of working in the ski industry came 35 years ago when I went to Chatel...

Iain / Resorts

Ski Touring in Morocco: A Photo Essay

by iain on Feb 8, 2019 • No Comments

Iain from Skipedia recently went ski touring in Morocco. Flying into Marrakech, and then travelling to Imlil (1740m), Iain then spent three nights at the Refuge des Mouflons (3207m), ski touring to different 4000m peaks. Ski hire was from Braemar Mountain Sports, guiding and logistics were organised by Toubkal Guide. You...

Resorts / Tour Operators

‘I’m a modern-day Batman’ says anti-ESF campaigner

by iain on Nov 2, 2014 • No Comments

These are difficult days for the ESF in the UK. The current legal cases against Simon Butler and Le Ski have stirred up plenty of negative sentiment within the British market against the ESF. Both cases – which deal with different aspects of the law – are currently at different...

Tour Operators

Why do chalet girls bake a cake every day?

by iain on Aug 13, 2011 • 2 Comments

Okay, not strictly anything to do with marketing, but just for fun… So why do chalet girls bake a cake every day? As far as I know chalets have always left out a cake for their guests to tuck into for ‘afternoon tea’. After a long day on the slopes,...

Latest entries

Events

Calgary SnowFest flashmob shows the way…

by iain on Nov 11, 2011 • No Comments

When Skipedia visited last month’s Ski and Snowboard Shows at London and Birmingham, a common topic of conversation was how the shows could be refreshed and less predictable. Maybe we could learn a lesson from our friends across the water. Check out this highly entertaining flashmob that livened up the Calgary SnowFest last week. Now that is...

Branding

A long time ago in a snowboard shop far, far away…

by iain on Nov 10, 2011 • No Comments

It is a dark time for the galaxy… Following the success of the Star Wars series of movies, Lucasfilm has so much power that it has franchised out the brand to every possible corner of the galactic Empire. A small band of rebels, known as Burton Snowboards, have refused to accept this. Their belief in...

Advertising / Resorts

Les 3 Vallees v. Chamonix: What’s in a strapline?

by iain on Nov 7, 2011 • No Comments

While flicking through some of the snowsports mags last month, we at Skipedia were struck by the contrast between these two print ads (shown below). It’s a way of life… The Chamonix strapline ‘It’s a way of life!’ perfectly captures the reason we head to the mountains each winter. The ad shows Chamonix’s most famous feature –...

Social Media / Tour Operators

Crystal Holidays launch new crowdsourcing campaign on Facebook

by iain on Nov 4, 2011 • No Comments

Possibly inspired by Colgate’s ‘Smile’ campaign or Converse’s current ‘In Case of Emergency’ campaign, Skipedia likes the new crowdsourcing campaign Crystal Holidays have recently launched on Facebook. Watch out for Mr Alberta… ‘Have you spotted Mr Alberta?’ asks people to take a photo of themselves in front of one of their billboard posters that are currently...

Advertising

Two Polartec Neoshell ads – one improved message

by iain on Nov 2, 2011 • No Comments

As the Skipedia team were looking through the latest issues of the snowsports magazines we noticed these two ads for Polartec NeoShell (‘the most breathable waterproof fabric ever’). The first, from one of the standard A4-shapes magazines, tells the basic story (that Neoshell gives you more air) using a picture of unhealthy-looking pro rider Nick...

Iain

Courmayeur article by Skipedia in ‘Tribe’ Magazine

by iain on Nov 1, 2011 • No Comments

This article about Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley was written by Iain Martin and published in ‘Tribe’ magazine in 2011.

Newer Older