SnowJapan.Com#2 0 Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 International Snow News - 21st Nov 03 (brought to you in association with Snow24 ) THIS WEEK: --First Official FIS Half Pipe Ski Contest as Saas Fee this Weekend --World's 40th Snowdome Opens in India --Mammoth Opens First 2003-4 Season Superpipe as more Resorts prepare to open --Sugar Bowl Expansion Phase One Partially Complete This Winter ================================================= First Official FIS Half Pipe Ski Contest as Saas Fee this Weekend Switzerland's Saas Fee will play host to a historic FIS contest on Saturday, 22nd November when an FIS half-pipe competition for skiers will be held for the first time. The event marks the official sanction of these new freestyle sports for skiers, which until now have only been competed for by boarders at this level. The best freestyle skiers from America and Canada and the top competitors from Europe will compete in the half-pipe and skiercross disciplines high up on the glacier, 3600m above sea-level. Those who have seen the events on the Winter X-Games from the US will be aware that skiers can produce even higher and more spectacular jumps than their colleagues on snowboards. The action will continue with a skiercross on Sunday 23 November. A skiercross is a course with various obstacles such as jumps, banked turns and rollers. A special feature of skiercross is that four racers always start at the same time. These four competitors battle it out particularly ferociously on the turns and in the jumps. The international format consists of two time trials and the final, in which the 32 fastest men and the 16 fastest women battle for victory. The knock-out system applies in the finals, in which the two fastest in each race advance. ---------- World's 40th Snowdome Opens in India The world's 40th indoor snowdome is due to open this month in India, the 13th country to open an indoor snow facility. The new facility is a joint venture operation between the Indian theme park operators Polo, who also have plans for a new indoor snow facility on Australia's Gold Coast and the Japanese Pantine corporation, the company behind more than a dozen indoor snow centres in Japan and other countries in the region. The centre, an addition to Polo's existing Fun-n-Food theme park, covers 2000 square metres and includes an ice ring, 110m ski and tubing slope and a snow play area. Polo's managing director Mr Balwant Chawla says that the centre is the first of ten indoor snow slopes planned by the company across India. ---------- Mammoth Opens First 2003-4 Season Superpipe as More Resorts Prepare to Open Mammoth Mountain's Superpipe opened this week - the first Superpipe to open in North America (and possibly the world) for the fourth year running. The resorts Unbound Park crew has been working tirelessly to have the Superpipe and other terrain park features ready for anxious skiers and riders, as well as both the US and Canadian Snowboard Teams who are in town to train. This year's Superpipe is 475 feet (150m) long with a 15.5 degree pitch, 15 foot walls and 18 feet of transition. Mammoth's Unbound Terrain Parks were ranked #1 in North America by Transworld Snowboarding, Freeze, SKI, Freeskier and Skiing Magazine in 2003. Meanwhile resorts to the north of Mammoth are set to join in the season. Northstar-at-Tahoe's slopes offer good early season conditions on a 12 to 24 inch (30-60cm) base and is set to open this Saturday. The resort will open with top to bottom skiing/riding on eight trails for all ability levels. The resort plans to open some freestyle terrain this Saturday, including a small number of jibs and terrain features. The resort will open additional terrain as snow conditions permit. Further north still conditions for Opening Day at Whistler Blackcomb look to be excellent as 66 cm or 26 inches, of snow fell on the mountains over the weekend and start of this week, as measured at the bottom of the Catskinner Chair (elev. 1500m) on Blackcomb Mountain. Opening Day on Blackcomb Mountain is this Saturday, November 22, and Whistler Mountain opens on Thursday, November 27. Snowmaking operations have been going at capacity since early November, laying down an excellent foundation of snow. After expanding reservoirs over the summer, Whistler Blackcomb snowmakers have been taking advantage of the extra snowmaking resources. In the last three weeks, over 47 million litres of water have been used to create on-mountain conditions that already surpass what was available on opening day last year. Further inland Big white also opens tomorrow at 8.45am with 4 lifts serving 39 or more runs open sand a snowbase of 76cm (30 inches). Lake Louise meanwhile, already open, is adding more terrain thanks to near record levels of early season snow. All lifts at the area are now running and backside of the mountain is scheduled to open. ---------- Sugar Bowl Expansion Phase One Partially Complete This Winter Sugar Bowl believes it has taken the lead in Tahoe with the completion of 500 new slopeside parking spaces plus drive-up access to their new 7,000 square feet Mountain Sports Learning Centre where guests will find lessons, rentals, and tickets all under one roof. As Lake Tahoe grows and resorts experience bigger crowds, Sugar Bowl's new spaces promise easy, shorter walks to both lifts and ticketing. Located adjacent to the new parking lot, guests will find Sugar Bowl's new interim 7,000 square foot Mountain Sports Learning Center with ticketing, rentals and lessons all under one roof. Guests will be invited to pull up, drop off the family, park the car and rejoin everyone all geared up and ready to go. Located within a few feet of the beginner's White Pine chairlift, Mountain Sports Learning Center is Sugar Bowl's answer to the busy family looking for convenience. Chris Parker, Director of Planning and Development, projects the permanent 12,000 foot state-of-the-art Learning Center to be built within two to three years due to the extensive nature of the project and Tahoe's short building season. The New Village Hall is one of the cornerstone projects for the redevelopment of Sugar Bowl's classic village. Once completed, the building will bring together Sugar Bowl's community of homeowners and ski team athletes under one roof. "This beautiful new nearly 11,000 sq. ft. facility will provide great east and west views of the forests and nearby peaks" stated architect Stephen MacCracken. "In keeping with the turn-of-the-century theme of Sugar Bowl's original structures, the Village Hall will be built with a beautiful wood finish inside and out. Our aim was to be consistent with mining-style buildings, similar to the original Gondola building." Almost completed, the new building will be constructed with two floors and is centrally located next to the classic Gondola building, slope side. The Hall will function as a Village meeting place for homeowners and guests of the Inn at Sugar Bowl to enjoy distinctive dining and special events. Sugar Bowl Ski Team (SBST) members will occupy the first floor. The second floor will include a multi-purpose great room equipped with a commercial kitchen to be enjoyed by homeowners and their guests for weekend/holiday dining options as well as special dining functions during peak periods. A teen area will include an entertainment centre, pool and football tables. ================================================= The above news items were brought to you in association with Snow24. Visit their website at www.snow24.com . Link to post Share on other sites
egglesby 1 Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 India gets new ones opening. Japans get closed. At least we have REAL SNOW - when it comes, maybe Link to post Share on other sites
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