The magic on the bottom of your skis!

Its a fascinating subject- well, it is to us ski wax geeks!, but here's a little insight into the eco friendly waxes we use in the workshop at Doorstep Skis-

MAGIC POTION designs and distributes the eco friendly “wax” for alpine, snowboard and Nordic skiing. MAGIC POTION is an innovative & ecological formula designed as a substitute for traditional waxes. Its originality lies in its high gliding performance combined with it’s long term efficiency.

FAST, EASY,EFFICIENT, and especially MOUNTAIN FRIENDLY

• MAGIC POTION is an ecological “wax”. It contains no paraffin or fluorine additives.
• Its formula is composed only with non-toxic, environmentally-friendly ingredients.
• In contrast to traditional waxes, MAGIC POTION does not gradually disintegrate in contact with abrasive snow and does not leave any harmful residue on the mountain.
• Our products are 100% biodegradable

You‘ll be doing nature a favour by choosing it!

MAGIC POTION is the 9th french company donating 1% of their sales to support environmental associations, and make things change.

Made in the French ALPS

To read on click here

Ski Host-ski training course date's!

Bit of a title there, but does exactly what it says on the tin!

Pete at Freedon 2 Ski is offering the following ski host training course date's in Avoriaz.

Dates and times:
Tues 13th Dec: 1.30-4.30pm - 3 spaces left
Wed 14th Dec: 09.30-12.30
Thurs 15th Dec: 09.30-12.30 and 1.30-4.30pm

They meet in Avoriaz, at top of Les Prodain Telepherique.
Private chalet sessions and mixed one's too.

Ski Hosting Course info:
A 3 hour course aimed at ski and snowboard hosts working for quality chalet businesses in the PDS. The course is designed to equip, help provide knowledge and confidence to new and returning ski hosts. This will enhance your product as the ski host will be better prepared to serve your clients on the hill.

Session Content:
Customer care, the ski way code, practical group leadership and safety, to include - mixed ability groups, chair lift safety, weather hazards, snow hazards & general mountain hazards, a practical accident scenario / dealing with incidents, resort awareness, what to do and what not to do, where to ski and where not to ski.

Numbers: 4 - 8 in a group.
Cost: £35 per person. Payable by credit / debit card or bank transfer.

Many of you know that Pete work's as a Trainer for Basi and examine's the Basi Level 1 and 2 instructor courses. He'll cover a lot of the above content in these courses.

To book or for more info, better contact Pete pretty sharpish!

Pete Hughes - Director
Freedom 2 Ski Ltd
Personal Ski Coaching

UK mobile: 0044 (0) 7762 59 66 22 (From May - Nov)
FR mobile: 0033 (0) 673 049 412 (From Dec - Apr)
mail: pete@freedom2ski.com
net: www.freedom2ski.com

Freedom 2 Ski Limited, Registered in Scotland No. 379487 Registered office. 17 Springvalley Gardens, Edinburgh EH10 4QF United Kingdom

Winter Driving Tips

With snow forecast going into the weekend, local mag "Yodel" asked Ian McKeller, an advanced driver trainer registered with the Driving Standards Agency in the UK for his tips on staying safe on the mountain roads this winter.

Ian runs skid prevention courses in the UK and in Morzine so we asked him - how does a skid happen?

'A vehicle skids when one or more of the tyres loses normal grip on the road, causing involuntary movement of the vehicle. This happens when the grip of the tyres on the road becomes less than the force or forces acting on the vehicle.

A two-wheel drive vehicle with winter tyres will outperform a 4x4 with normal tyres. Snowchains are essential as the local police may insist you fit them before ascending to Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz. Know how to fit them.

You're at risk of skidding on snow, ice and heavy rain while driving in the Alps in the winter. But remember - wet mud, damp leaves & oil cause sudden slippery patches too. Look out for cold spots in shaded areas such as under trees where black ice can form. A change in road surface & worn road surfaces can also cause your car to skid.'

How can we avoid skids?

Leave plenty of room for manoeuvre, reduce speed and increase the distance you allow for stopping. On slippery roads a vehicle can take up to 10 times the normal stopping distance.

Use a higher gear in slippery conditions to avoid wheel spin, especially when moving off or travelling at low speeds.

On slippery roads aim to brake, steer, accelerate, and change gear as smoothly as possible, so that the grip off the tyres is not broken.

Avoid speed or acceleration, which is excessive for the road surface.

Steer in the direction you wish to go.

What should we do if we start to skid?

Release the accelerator an...read on

Morzine- The virtual tour

If you've not already seem it then the Morzine tourist office has a great virtual tour of the area, seen in all its glory with a full coating of snow. Check it out and then tell us you don't fancy going skiing or snowboarding in Morzine, Avoriaz or anywhere in the Portes du Soliel!....LINK

Economy drive: To The Alps by car

A few weeks back we had a quick look at the cost of taking trains to the Alps so how does it comparewith packing up the car and heading over...

Well, driving to The Alps can often work out cheaper and more ecological, especially with four or more people in the car. It also allows you to pack as much luggage as you want and there's no waiting around for trains, taxies or coaches to and from the airport.

Access to a car in The Alps also enables you to take daytrips to surrounding resorts, towns, and cities. Self-catering guests can also save money by accessing out-of-town supermarkets which are considerably less expensive than resort shops.

The cost

Eurotunnel is offering journeys to Calais from £58 each way, per car this winter and ferry company SeaFrance is offering crossings from £23 each way.

SeaFrance recently researched the total costs for a family of four travelling to Chamonix in France on a week-long holiday, comparing driving with flying. SeaFrance concluded that it costs from £263.32 on SeaFrance/self-drive; £625.41 with easyJet; and £662.59 with British Airways.

Prices were based on a week-long break in January. The ferry/drive cost included ferry fare, fuel, and motorway toll costs from Calais with SeaFrance, while for the flying costs included airfare, ski carriage, parking at the airport, rental car from airport and fuel costs. Read on...

Interview with Chris Davenport

Nice little interview worth watching featuring the world famous ski mountaineer Chris Davenport. Inspirational stuff that's got us chomping harder at the bit for the snow to arrive...Watch

Morzineweather.com

Get live video updates direct from the resort, and indeed direct from the pistes this season with Morzine Weather. To give you a taster of what to expect this season, check out their "remember last year" vid here.
The boys at Morzine Weather will let you know exactly how the pistes are skiing, what shape the snow's in, what's forecast and just about anything else you need to know from the hill. Live and direct!

Emergency! Emergency!

If you're in and around Montriond you've probaly seen it, but if not then there's been a British ambulance parked outside the Tabac for quite a while now. Some folks like Yodel, worried that it was stolen and someone was moonlighting as a British paramedic in Morzine! Now we know the full story and it is an absolutely brilliant one...Read on

Transform you carving..

Ski Skills #1 - Transform you carving - with Warren Smith Ski Academy. Some fresh ideas on how to get the most out of yourself, and your skis. Check it out on- http://vimeo.com/6925178

The new swimming pool complex in Morzine

Ou est la piscine?

It's been two years in the making but finally we are just a couple of months away from the opening on the new swimming pool complex in Morzine. Details have just been released from the Morzine Office de Tourisme.

Here's an artists impression of how the new building will look, with the Super Morzine bridge above and the existing outdoor swimming pool in the foreground.

The new indoor swimming pool in Morzine will open on 17th December - it coincides with the opening of the lift system in the resort. The new swimming pool itself is 25m x 15m and the complex also includes 3 saunas, 2 hammams, a learners pool and a kids pool. The whole site has been constructed with sustainability in mind - it has a grass roof and the pool is heated from the town's wood fired generators.

We've tried to get confirmation on the entry prices for adults and children to no avail! We'll let you know as soon as we have them.

A new lift will run from the top of the ticket office at the Super Morzine to the skate park at the bottom, opposite the Palais du Sport, making access to the new swimming complex easier during the winter. The new lift is expected to open in February.

After a hard days skiing or snowboarding what could be better!

Ski School for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

Ski School for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad is a series of apps that will help all levels of skier develop and improve their ski technique with a series of simple, effective lessons. Each app has been tailored to a specific level of skier, from absolute beginner to advanced, and will guide the user through the natural skiing progression.

Watch high quality videos, filmed in stunning scenery, presented by professional ski instructor Darren Turner. The videos are accompanied by intuitive cue cards to help reinforce the topics and enhance your learning experience.

The apps have been designed to complement on-slope tuition with a qualified instructor; to clarify the basics, give you a head start and make sure your skiing is heading in the right direction. www.skischoolapp.com