THE Dec 11/Jan 12 NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL SKI SLOPE OR SKI CLUB pTHE MiAGAZsINE OF SNOtWSPORTe ENGLAND £2.50 SWITZERLAND’S SAAS-FEE P12,13 FOUR GREAT COMPETITIONS P6,8,10 & 23 ALSO INSIDE CHEMMY ALCOTT – ON HER WAY BACK P8 FROM THE SLOPES WITH GRAHAM BELL P7 PLUS COACHING, VOLUNTEER AWARDS AND MUCH MORE Fostering, promoting and developing the interests of English skiers and snowboarders CHOOSE THE BEST IN SCHOOL SKI Enjoy the best pre-travel and in-resort support with PGL: F Established school ski provider F A dedicated PGL ski rep for your group F Outstanding value for money F No supplements for small groups F No-surcharge guarantee F Helmets provided as standard F ABTA & ATOL bonded F 4 hours of ski tuition each day F Great Après-Ski options F High quality full board accommodation F Teacher Previews available - call for details 2012 offers for small groups still available Our 2013 Ski Brochure is H`^^c\ HcdlWdVgY^c\ Europe and USA for Schools and Colleges now available. Visit www.pgl.co.uk/brochures to order your copy. L^ciZg&'$&( www.pgl.co.uk/ski 0333 321 2143 INSIDE FROM THE NEWS EDITOR 4 Tour operators continue to offer ‘value for money’ 5 Berkeley group partners with British Ski and Snowboard 6 Skiers set new world record With the ‘seasons openers’ now in the the days I attended. Many people are 7 Graham Bell – from the slopes past, World Cup opener at Soelden, the vowing to take a ski holiday this year, 8 Chemmy’s coming along fine Ski shows in London and Birmingham having missed out on the past two years. 14 Coaching tools – Profiling and the ‘Big’ British event at Battersea, Looking around there seems to be plenty 21 New products our thoughts now turn to snow and of offers flying around at present with the real start of the winter ski & board tour operators eager to get some early COMPETITIONS season. bookings in. If you are thinking of booking study the advertisements and 6 Win a Meet & Greet airport package Snow is what we all want to hear about, get around on the internet and consider 8 Win Atomic Vario Scandium skis where is it, how much of it has fallen the options. 10 Win a 2 hour slope pass at Chill Factor e and can I manage a winter holiday this Well what have we got in this issue, 23 Win a Power Monkey Extreme year. Well heavy snowfalls have landed an interview with Chemmy Alcott, telling in the USA, even New York managed to us the story so far on her return to skis get caught out with some unseasonal after her accident nearly a year ago. RESORT REVIEW snow, Europe has been getting some Chemmy is working hard on getting fit 12 Saas-Fee, Switzerland as well, Italy had some then the and her recovery is going well. Four temperatures rose again and it competitions appear in this issue, thanks SSE UPDATE disappeared, Formigal in Spain had to Atomic for providing us with a some 60cms fall in a couple of days, then fabulous prize of a pair of Atomic Vario 16 A day to remember at the All England announcing that there season opening Scandium in a size to suit the eventual Championships will be November 27th. But there is still winner, Holiday Xtras for giving away a 17 A night of celebration at the 2011 Club plenty of time left before the holiday Meet & Greet plus Airport lounge prize, season really takes off for snow to make Chill Factor e providing a pair of 2 hour and Volunteer Awards it’s appearance. lift passes and firebox.com for the prize 18 SSE Grand Prix Series 2011 round-up The London and Birmingham ski of a Power Monkey Extreme, so if you shows seemed to be a little busier this want to win a great prize get the scissors FREESTYLE UPDATE year than last, particularly noticeable on out, fill in the entry forms and get them in the post. You will also find lots of Beginnings of a freestyle club, plus a 20 other interesting and informative round-up of clubs around the country articles for the coming season. So let’s all get ready for the season MY STORY ahead, if you are heading out over 22 Jo Willoughby – riding high again Christmas and the New Year, have a great time. Let us have your resort review of 2012. SPONSORS Happy Skiing, have a great Christmas We acknowledge our grateful thanks to the following and New Year from all at Snowsport organisations which provide us with sponsorship or products. England and the Piste magazine. For sponsorship opportunities call 0121 501 2314 SPONSORS Sport England; Energiapura, AOSTA Valley, ExxonMobil, click4quote.com ALPINE SKI TEAM SPONSORS Leisureshack; Ski Bartlett; wastelandski.com; Ski Out of the Blue; Chill Factor e AFFILIATES snowrental; skiweekends.com; gear-zone.co.uk ALPINE SKI TEAM SUPPLIERS BeyondX; Holmenkol; solutions4feet Barry Spouge SUPPLIERS ‘Piste magazine’, Countrywide Publications, Marker; Carrs of Sheffield; John Nike Leisuresport; Sharks Ski Club; Ski Village; Swadlincote Ski & Snowboard Centre; 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX Head; Tyrolia; Waymark Holidays; Atomic; Volkl; Fischer; email: [email protected] Rossignol; ukskiersresource.co.uk; Salomon; Tecnica Produced by Countrywide Publications (a division of Micropress Printers Ltd) 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BX Tel: 01986 834216 / Fax: 01986 834270 Published on behalf of Snowsport England, SportPark, Loughborough University, 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3QF Tel: 01509 232323 / Fax: 01509 220410 Email: [email protected] e-mail: barry.spouge@ snowsportengland.org.uk Web: www.snowsportengland.org.uk Snowsport England is the trading name of English Ski Council Ltd., a company limited by guarantee and registered in England No. 1517634 VAT No. 388641703 All editorial and advertisement copy should be sent to Countrywide Publications at the above address. Correspondents: Snowboarding: Tom Allen; Freestyle: Martin Carr, Nordic: Iain Ballentine, Telemark: Andrew Clarke. Publishing Director: Barry Spouge, Tel: 01986 834216/ Mob: 07802 824120, e-mail: [email protected] Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd, Tel: 01986 834200 Opinions expressed by contributors in The Piste are not necessarily those held by the publisher or Snowsport England. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the specific written permission of the publisher. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in The Piste, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or matters relating. Cover Picture: In the powder at Saas Fee. the piste Dec 11/Jan 12 3 NEWS TAKE A BREAK TOUR OPERATORS BY AIR... Ski weekends by air from just £314 per CONTINUE TO OFFER person – giving maximum time on the slopes with fantastic value for money – are being highlighted by SkiWeekends.com. ‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ This twin-share price is valid for a four-night break departing Luton on 15 December to the resort of Chamonix in Despite an overall drop of 4% in the France and includes return flights, snowsports market, a 1% rise was seen in the transfers and accommodation with number of bookings made through a tour breakfast at the family-run Hotel operator, according to the Ski Club of Great des Lacs. Britain’s annual Snowsports Analysis report. The number of skiers and snowboarders travelling with tour operators has risen steadily by 5% since 2006/07, with more ...BY LAND... people seemingly attracted to the ‘value for SkiWeekends.com and its sister money’, inclusive deals and financial security programme SkiWeeks.com has introduced of booking with a bonded operator. Due to flexi stays by coach to France’s Three unfavourable exchange rates and rising fuel Valleys, Chamonix and Morzine into its prices, the cost of booking holiday 2011/12 programme. components individually remains higher than This means there’s the opportunity to booking a package holiday. This could account ski for three, four or five days over a for the subsequent drop in the independent weekend with departures on a Thursday or and self-drive travel sectors’ market share. Friday, returning Monday or Tuesday. Awkward holiday dates led to a difficult For those wishing to enjoy a longer ski season structure in 2011 and may have break, there’s the option to stay between deterred bookings. A very late Easter, sporadic six and eight days on a flexi week snow conditions and early spring thaw are arrangement with departures on a thought to be the main catalysts for the 4% Thursday, Friday or Saturday, returning on drop in the snowsports holiday market. a Saturday, Monday or Tuesday. Caroline Stuart-Taylor, Chief Executive of Weekends start at £219 per person, the Ski Club, commented on the report: twin-share, alternatively, a Saturday to “Tour operators are innovating and adding Saturday trip – with six full days’ skiing value to their holidays in a number of ways – and five nights’ half-board costs from from introducing more all-inclusive packages, £239. to offering deals on lift passes and free child More details on all breaks can be places. Resorts are also doing their bit by found at www.skiweekends.com or call revising their pricing and offering special 08444 06 06 00. promotions in an effort to win back the UK Tour operators have seen a 1% rise in market. We hope this, combined with a more bookings despite an overall drop of 4% positive season structure (including an earlier in the snowsports market. Easter), will entice more people back to the ... AND BY SEA slopes for the forthcoming winter.” Travel to the slopes from just £30 each Despite the hard economic climate and capacity offered by tour operators to Austrian way for a car and up to nine passengers - fluctuating exchange rates the average cost of resorts.