Hemsedal News 2014/2015

Hemsedal’s skiing area

Ski-in all the way to the centre of Hemsedal with a new descent

The new, 4-km-long Sentrumsløypa descent will be ready to open around the start of the season. Sentrumsløypa starts next to the Fjellheisen lift and takes skiers all the way from Hemsedal Ski Centre to the heart of Hemsedal itself. The descent is easy to ski, with less challenging options at the steeper sections. To return to Hemsedal Ski Centre, simply catch the ski bus which departs at regular intervals throughout the day.

“The Sentrumsløypa will be a real shot in the arm for Hemsedal. The descent links the centre directly to the skiing facilities, adding a whole new dimension to guests’ holidays in Hemsedal. In addition to excellent skiing, the new descent will provide guests with quick and easy access to the shops, restaurants and bars in the centre of Hemsedal – straight from the slopes,” explains Andreas Smith- Erichsen, Destination Manager at SkiStar Hemsedal.

Even more skiing with Non-Stop Skiing and Late Night Skiing

Hemsedal is now introducing extra long days on the slopes with Non-Stop Skiing between 09.00 and 19.00 several days a week. In addition to this, guests will have the chance to ski freshly groomed pistes between 18.00 and 22.00 on Fridays, starting on 28 November. Non-Stop Skiing will be held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 23 December through 26 March.

Valle news We at SkiStar are particularly committed to keeping our youngest guests satisfied, because we know that happy children mean both satisfied parents and new skiers. Last year’s new initiative – the children’s concept headed up by Valle the Snowman – was welcomed with open arms by children and parents alike. SkiStar is now building on last year’s success, introducing a host of new Valle events that are sure to generate wonderful memories for our youngest skiers and their parents.

“We are delighted by the warm reception that Valle received. A huge amount of work went into our children’s concept, which is built on pedagogical foundations where music and movement are key ingredients for learning and joy. Everything we do is built on Valle’s Values, i.e. the right children have to enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle, along with a love of snow and skiing,” relates Linda Morell, Head of Nordic Advertising & PR at SkiStar AB.

The lovable children’s favourite will be releasing new songs this winter and encouraging children to join in the music on site in Valle’s World. Music also plays a key role in Valle’s app, which registered more than 20,000 downloads last year. And Valle naturally has his own playlist on Spotify as well…

In Åre, Vemdalen and Hemsedal, Valle is taking on a new role as a DJ and inviting everyone inside his very own recording studio, built in unique ‘Vallmoge’ style. At the studio, children can give free rein to their creativity, make music and play with Valle’s music gadgets. Several times a week, Valle and his friends will be on site to tell magical and fascinating Valle stories, and to sing and dance to Valle’s own songs. And, of course, it all ends up with a giant group hug.

In addition to a new music studio, Hemsedal will also be unveiling a new stage in Valleland and opening the ‘Valles Våffelstuga’ waffle house.

In Trysil and Sälen, Valle continues to work with his incredibly popular theatre, where he and a troupe of professional actors gave more than 500 performances last winter.

To be able to keep up with all the ski games and Valle fun, it is essential to fill up with the right kind of energy. Good, nutritious and well-prepared meals are part of any holiday in the mountains, and go hand in hand with the healthy lifestyle that skiing entails. To make it as simple and straightforward as possible to eat well, Valle is now opening his first restaurant at the Experium centre in Sälen. Valles Världshus (Valle’s World House) serves good, wholesome meals for skiers of all ages. In unique ‘Vallemoge’ style, with flashing lights and levers, every visit to the restaurant is an adventure in itself. And of course, Valle himself will be dropping buy several times a week.

When the day’s skiing is done, it is time to relax and think back over all the great experiences. In order to encourage more skiing and to spread snow-delight, SkiStar is publishing Valles Sagobok (Valle’s Book of Fairy-tales), a hardback book packed with newly written, modern Valle Fairy-tales. The book, which is all about daring to get things wrong, is perfect for cosy story-telling get-togethers in the cabin on holiday or back home once school and chores are done. It is written in verse, as researchers have proved that reading rhythm is important in developing children’s reading skills – and Valle is naturally keen to help in this area, too! The book is published in both Swedish and Norwegian, and will be on sale in SkiStarshops and Concept Stores, as well as via the skistarshop.com website.

Food, accommodation & entertainment Skigaarden – a new meeting place for authentic skiing enthusiasts

The big news this year with regard to service and accommodation is the opening of the new Skigaarden area in Hemsedal Skiing Centre. The apartments are of a high standard, and the main building features facilities including a restaurant, a café and a SkiStarshop selling SkiPasses, mittens and beanies, for example. Skigaarden is located right in the heart of the skiing system, where the Tindenløypa and Veslebreidalen runs meet, 1,013 metres above sea level.

Helselaben – new training centre with a full range of health solutions

At the Helselaben centre, professionals from several fields work together to provide holistic health solutions. The centre offers a range of treatments including physiotherapy, manual therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and massage. External experts with other skill sets – nutritionists and dietary specialists, for example – can also be involved on request. The training centre organises group lessons and yoga classes, as well as individual follow-up by personal trainers. Helselaben is located in the Hovtunsenteret building near Shell in Hemsedal, and it is open to everyone. Visitors can choose between a monthly pass, a 10-session ticket or one-time sessions.

Transport German charter tourists to Hemsedal

In partnership with two other destinations in the region, Hemsedal has signed an agreement with Troll Tours for a charter route from Düsseldorf in Germany to Leirin Airport in Fagernes. The route will operate weekly departures between 20 December 2014 and 7 March 2015. The new charter connection is a quick and versatile way for guests to get to snow, skiing and the wonderful mountains of Hemsedal, and it is anticipated that the arrangement will bring in an additional 3,500 or so German guests for the three destinations. The Dutch company Tui Holland will also be selling charter trips from Düsseldorf to Hemsedal, and this is sure to boost sales and marketing opportunities on the Dutch market as well. The transfer from Leirin to Hemsedal takes just one hour.

Hemsedal in brief:

Hemsedal is one of the biggest and most popular skiing destinations in Scandinavia, and is often referred to as ‘the Scandinavian Alps’. Located in the north of Norway, at an altitude of 625–1,920 metres above sea level, Hemsedal is a snow-filled skiing destination with a long season. It is also easy to reach on account of its location between Oslo and Bergen, two of the biggest cities in the country. Hemsedal is perfect for skiing and snowboarding as it is home to 52 finely prepared hills, 24 lifts, 4 terrain parks, 2 ski cross runs and the biggest children’s area in Norway. Hemsedal is popular with both experienced skiers and novices, young and old, because everyone has a favourite hill here.

SkiStar in brief:

SkiStar AB (publ), whose B-shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Mid Cap Stockholm, owns and operates skiing resorts at the alpine destinations of Sälen, Åre and Vemdalen in Sweden, at Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway, and at Hammarbybacken in Stockholm. The company holds a 49% share of the market in Sweden, 28% in Norway, and 39% in Scandinavia as a whole. The core business of the company is alpine skiing, with the focus on the guests’ skiing experiences. Other businesses include organising accommodation, running skiing schools and renting out skiing equipment.