Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Rock The Pistes

Rock The pistes

2nd November 2017 | OFFICE DE TOURISME MORZINE AVORIAZ
RESORTS IN THIS ARTICLE: MORZINE
Festival Rock The Pistes  - ©Office de Tourisme Morzine Avoriaz
Festival Rock The Pistes
Copyright: Office de Tourisme Morzine Avoriaz

AT A GLANCE

Started in 2011, this festival adventure was originally a wild concerts event. The idea: Informing the festival goers of the artist name and the location by text message on the day, giving a chance to discover the great playground in which they were set. Just 100 spectators were present for the first few concerts, today, 5000 to 7000 people meet here. It has become a landmark in the world of festivals and is the 1st to take place in the season. A fantastic atmosphere where dancing is done in ski boots, snow ball fights are XXL, and «Encore» calls are attempted with gloves on… A unique experience in a magical setting. French and international artists take the temporary stages, set above 1500m high between France and Switzerland. Each day a new place, therefore an event requiring impressive logistical skills. Stages and equipment are installed and taken down within a few hours to be transported to different locations sometimes at night. No margin for error, all transportation is made by piste basher and snowmobile… Past artists have included: Rag’N Bone Man, Deluxe, Izia, Lilly Wood and the Prick, Caravan Palace, Selah Sue, Charlie Winston, Breton, BBrunes…

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Ladies Night Tour

Ladies Night Tour

2nd November 2017 | OFFICE DE TOURISME MORZINE AVORIAZ
RESORTS IN THIS ARTICLE: MORZINE
Ladies Night Tour Morzine - ©Office de Tourisme Morzine Avoriaz
Ladies Night Tour Morzine
Copyright: Office de Tourisme Morzine Avoriaz

AT A GLANCE

The French Ski Federation has launched a new downhill ski racing format, the Ladies Night Tour, in partnership with 5 ski resorts, including Morzine.  This new circuit is aimed at the promotion of women skiing, with an innovative concept for parallel slalom as this one takes place at night, in the spotlights and a fun party atmosphere. It’s important to note that this competition will be part of the 2018 winter Olympic contests as a team event. A show of high performance sport that promises to be unforgettable with the new hopes and successors of French downhill skiing who will compete against the French national team athletes, familiar with World and European championships. They’ll compete against each other in a parallel slalom, from the 1st round to the big final. A total of 32 women skiers for a stunning show. Giving Morzine the chance of spoiling its visitors by offering them the opportunity of a unique experience in a festive atmosphere.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

What To Know When Buying New Ski Boots


With so many choices, how do you know what type of ski boots to get?

While few purchases are as exciting as new ski equipment, the act of shopping also comes with a healthy dose of consternation. Nowhere do we get more flustered than trying to figure out how to find the right pair of ski boots.

As a reflection of our many different skiing styles and desires, the industry has produced specific boots to match our ever-segmented world. From fit to style to design to whether or not you want a walk mode and grippy soles, just knowing where to begin can be intimidating. This is true for professionals on down to beginners.

But this issue applies best to those who ski all the time: Boots, which cost a pretty penny, mean a great deal to us. In fact, boots can make or break a season. Since we depend on them all the time, we need them to be comfortable and work as intended. But even those of us who ski regularly have a hard time knowing exactly how a boot should properly fit.

In search of professional advice, I reached out to one of the industry's foremost experts in bootfitting and design. Matt Schiller, 46, has spent the majority of his career dialing equipment for some of the world's best skiers. From the World Cup to big mountain athletes to the X Games, he's been responsible for making sure boots, skis, and bindings are precisely tuned to get every possible advantage on the biggest stage. That includes three years as the service manager for the U.S. Ski Team, six years as Nordica’s race director, and three years as competition director for Atomic, where he helped Mikaela Shiffrin find the best fit for her equipment as she launched her career.

As the saying goes: You don't choose the boot—the boot chooses you. Schiller says finding new boots starts with having an open mind about fit, mechanics, and function. During an appointment, Schiller takes at least a half hour to collect several measurements before he even puts a boot on someone's foot. "I look really hard at mechanics," he says. "That will give them a short list of boots where they can think about fit, stance, and flex, and then they can go pick their top three boots with some guidance. I think that has to happen, no matter if you're a pro or a layman."

READ ON..

Monday, January 22, 2018

It’s More Fun When You’re Fit

It’s More Fun When You’re Fit: How to Physically Prepare for Skiing and Snowboarding

PAUL BEARD

There’s no doubt about it: skiing and snowboarding are fun. Whether you’re hurtling down the side of a mountain on your snowboard at 40 mph, or exploring backcountry terrain on one of our off-piste skiing courses with your new powder skis, snowsports always bring about a sense of excitement and adventure.
But here’s the thing: skiing is much more fun when you’re physically fit. ‘There is nothing worse than having to head in early from the slopes because you’re tired or sore,’ says sports medicine specialist Dr. William Roberts interviewed in The Wall Street Journal.
Dynamic, active skiing or boarding demands a combination of both technique and the muscle strength and flexibility to keep yourself balanced and able to accurately steer your way down the slope run after run. Over the course of a day on the mountain you’re going to be working a lot of the same leg and arm muscles used when running and cycling – and develop some of the same strength and stamina you’d get from those sports, too.
In other words: spending your time on the ski hill might seem like a purely enjoyable experience, but if you’re doing it right then it should also come with its fair share of hard work.
So if you’re spending your hard-earned cash on an extended trip to the mountains, you really can’t afford to be lazy. Hit the slopes underprepared and it can be really easy to burn out. Whether you’re looking at starting a career in instructing, or thinking about taking a break on a ski or snowboarding course, I’ve got some useful ideas on how to give yourself a good head start.

WHAT KIND OF FITNESS IS NEEDED TO BE A GOOD SKIER?

There are few sports that exercise as many areas of the body as skiing and snowboarding.
Creating the angles necessary for high-quality carving requires flexibility, particularly in the hips and lower body. Equally the constant vibrations and other forces acting on the body ensure that the leg muscles – not least the quads and hamstrings – and core muscles are constantly being used to make small readjustments to maintain your speed and balance.
Skiers also need decent stamina (known as aerobic fitness, the same kind needed to run long distances) if you want to have enough energy to last the day, and anaerobic fitness – the kind needed to perform short sprints.
Because skiing involves stamina and short-burst aerobics, the most effective preparation is a combination of high-intensity training and longer, more sustained efforts. The key to the training is to maintain a high heart rate, concentrating on short sprints. Exercises that require short bursts of intense activity are ideal.
Really though, anything that gets you out of breath will be strengthening your heart, and improving your lung capacity. Walking, running, and swimming are all good ways to work your cardiovascular system, and cycling is an excellent way to ensure your muscles are toned and limber.
There’s are some other ways you can put yourself in prime position to succeed in your ski boots, like optimising what you eat and developing your technique. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

WARM UP PROPERLY AND TRY YOGA FOR BETTER FLEXIBILITY

Even a professional can expect to regularly fall, so it’s essential for skiers and snowboarders to be supple. Dedicating time to warming up and paying particular attention to staying flexible is key.
Skiing is unique in the way that it pulls on your limbs and puts pressure on your hips and lower body, so warming up properly before you start will help enormously.
Anything that loosens up your hips and moves your pelvis will increase your range of movement. Hip flexors are important – with the amount of time people tend to spend at desks and in front of computers these days, hip flexors are often a tight and inflexible area. Not such a big deal if you spend your days in an office, but a definite problem and source of discomfort when you’re working on ski technique.
Likewise, stretching after workouts is crucial to a fast recovery. A thorough warm up and warm down regime is therefore something all advanced riders should develop for themselves, and it’s something we always explain in great detail and encourage during the courses on offer at Alltracks.
Aside from warming up and warming down, yoga and pilates are two great forms of exercise worth exploring. They can help build up core strength (more on that in a moment), improve your posture, and can also improve technique, coordination, and correct any muscle imbalance – significantly reducing the risk of injury.
Check out this range of yoga poses for skiers, which are ideal for preparing your joints and muscles ahead of your next trip.
This might all seem like a pain to begin with, but keep at it. The improved flexibility you’ll experience will ensure that you get the most out of your time spent skiing or snowboarding.

SIMPLE EXERCISES TO IMPROVE CORE AND MUSCULAR STRENGTH

Skiing requires a strong abdomen, and powerful legs. If you can keep these muscles toned with a good exercise regime, you’re less likely to grow tired. If fatigue creeps in, your form can start to deteriorate, and then you’ll quickly lose strength and find it difficult to last the day.
There are many ways to increase your posture, balance and core strength. Squats, lunges, and jumps are all good and you can significantly strengthen your abdominals, back, and hips with the use of a stability ball.
Like gymnasts, skiers usually have a high strength to weight ratio, and maintaining this ensures that stress to bones, muscles, and ligaments is kept to a minimum. In the gym, lift lighter weights with more repetitions, and focus on those exercises that use your own bodyweight like sit ups and pull ups.
Although lifting weights can be useful for overall fitness, it’s more effective to concentrate on your legs and back. A great way of working the thighs is to use a squat machine, and the wall sit is a good method to replicate the way in which the muscles move during skiing – you’re always adjusting your position as you attempt to stay steady.
There are few disciplines of all-mountain skiing that can improve your core strength like bump skiing. Head Coach Guy Hetherington recently put together this great video on improving your skills in the moguls, and it’s clear from it that working on your bump skiing will also improve strength, conditioning and flexibility.
If you’re looking for some useful exercises you can do at home that cover the ski muscles I’ve talked about so far, the following should be useful…

Workout: The Wall Sit
Ski boots alter the way that you stand, forcing the body into a position ready for skiing (back straight, legs slightly bent). If you don’t have strong thighs (or strong butt muscles), you can easily become tired.
These muscles can be strengthened if you put your back flat against a wall, and slowly slide down until your legs are bent at the knees. Stop at a position where you can feel a pull on your quads, and remain there for one minute.
A strong butt is really quite essential for any kind of movement, helping to keep your footing on uneven ground, and push you down the slopes. Again, you can work on this with squats, deadlifts, and lunges.
If you really want to improve this area, try something like the 30 Day Wall Sit Challenge, where you do the wall sit every day for a month whilst slowly increasing the time day by day. You’ll build up your core body muscle strength gradually, ensuring you’re able to complete the final day of the challenge easily.

Workout: Lunges
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a step back with your left leg and cross it over to the right, behind your body. Squat down and lower the knee, like you’re curtsying. Lunges like this are perfect for working your ski muscles. If it’s good enough for Jen Hudak, who won the gold medal in superpipe at the Winter X Games, it’s good enough for any skier – right?
This article on huffingtonpost.com is a nice guide to performing the perfect lunge, and you can expand it to 30 different variations of the classic lunge with this visual guide on the subject.

Workout: Core Strength Exercises
The all-important balance that is necessarily for skiing comes from developing your core strength. This can be achieved with sit-ups, Russian Wists, and planks. Here are four key exercises for developing your core.

LEARN EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE TO USE LESS ENERGY

One of the most effective ways to keep your energy reserves high during a long ski day is to be efficient in your technique. It’s much more tiring to throw yourself around all day, and to spend long periods picking yourself back up after a huge fall.
Just one reason why it makes sense to work on your technique as much as possible. Don’t be content to just cruise around all week on your next ski holiday – engage yourself mentally with how you’re performing, and work on improving it.
Alltracks Head Coach Guy Hetherington recently put together a useful post on the subject, called Three Simple Techniques You Can Use on Your Next Holiday to Improve Your Skiing – well worth checking out for just this reason.
When you’re not skiing, anything that mimics the shifts in your body’s centre of gravity and the shifts in the terrain underfoot will help you when you reach the slopes. Developing your ability to do this will allow you react and work naturally with the skis when it comes to it.
Skiers should concentrate on activities that do this whilst working their quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Skating is a good one, and hits all three of these targets. Other activities like surfing, rollerblading and skateboarding all require similar movements to skiing and boarding.

NUTRITION: EAT WELL TO SKI WELL

It’s important to eat a balanced diet of healthy nutritious food. You’re going to be cold, at high altitude, and doing all-encompassing physical activity, so carbohydrates are your friend. You’ll need snacks to keep your energy levels up, and having a good breakfast is vital.
Some people go up to altitude and drink a lot of alcohol, and they quickly become dehydrated. It’s absolutely crucial to take water up on the slopes, as dehydration can affect your balance (which means you’ll end up in the snow).
There’s some good advice on nutrition for skiing to be had in this article on ultimate-ski.com by Kristen Gravani, sports dietician for Florida State University Athletics and previously of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).

A BIT OF ENDURANCE TRAINING GOES A LONG WAY

Aerobic endurance helps your body to efficiently distribute oxygen to your muscles. Doing these exercises will help you stay out on the slopes longer, and keep you energised.
Activities you can do to help include running, swimming, and hiking. Just half an hour three times a week, up to an hour five times a week will significantly improve your aerobic base.

SKIING IS A SERIES OF SHORT SPRINTS, SO TRAIN LIKE IT

To improve your ability to repeatedly sprint from the top of a chairlift to the bottom in a few minutes, train like a sprinter would. This means working on intensive exercises that trigger lactic acid to form.
Doing so promotes power, speed and strength, and leads to a better performance in short, high-intensity activities. A good example of an anaerobic workout is Fartlek training.
Equally, to replicate the stop and go movement used in skiing, sprint for 20 seconds up a hill or stairs then tone down the exertion and follow up with 40 seconds of running at a pace. Repeat this for 20 minutes, and you’re good to go.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Skiing and snowboarding are both athletically demanding, and we’ve just covered some of the ways that you can prepare for your time on the slopes. Whether you’re doing circuit training, or just keeping active with a cardio workout, anything that replicates the movement of skiing and keeps you flexible is a good thing.

By the way, it should go without saying but please consult your doctor before embarking on a new exercise regime. All this advice is for nothing if you seriously injure yourself trying to follow it!



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Sunday, January 21, 2018

BEST MEN’S ALL MOUNTAIN SKI 2017/18


BEST MEN’S ALL MOUNTAIN SKI 2017/18: VÖLKL RTM 86


VÖLKL’S RTM 86 IS THE PRODUCT OF YEARS OF TESTING AND REFINEMENT, RESULTING IN ONE OF THE MOST SMOOTH, STABLE AND POWERFUL ALL-MOUNTAIN CARVING SKIS ON THE MARKET

For 2018 the RTM 86 been upgraded with what Völkl are calling ‘3D Glass,’ an update to their 3D.Ridge technology featuring extra fibreglass extending to the edge of the ski and then out to the sidewall for noticeably increased torsional stiffness, dampness and power.
The updated RTM 86 then is a frontside weapon, with best-in-category carving performance and the smooth unflappable character V̦lkl do so well. The ridge-style construction Рa powerful central spine tapering down to razor thin edges Рplus a full sheet of metal provides incredible edge feel and sensitivity, yet somehow only the good feelings are transmitted through to the foot: the UVO (Ultimate Vibration Object) absorbs any unwanted vibrations, leaving the ski to slice cleanly into the snow whatever the surface quality or hardness.
Catching some air on the Völkl RTM 86 all mountain ski
The 86mm waist brings some forgiveness to the mix and improves performance offpiste, though ultimately the RTM craves to be worked and needs to be actively driven to unlock their full magic. They have the power and aggression to steamroller through ungroomed snow, rewarding precise technical turns and good balance more than sheer speed. They’re a joy in tight terrain and moguls, feeling more like a fencing sabre than a great sword – jab and thrust rather than hack and slash. The subtle early rise rocker helps here by speeding up turn initiation and planing quickly at lower speeds in soft snow than other similar-width skis.
They permit a bit more license and abandon on groomed snow, but are still fundamentally high performance skis. Stay up on edge and give them some welly and they cut clean carved arcs through April slush as well as they do January hardpack, with enough sensitivity to accurately tighten turns and adjust course by flexing deeper into the ski at will. Drive the tips and they’re amazingly agile – you can fling them about like a Spitfire in a dogfight – or load up the powerful tails once you’ve crossed the fall line and slingshot into the next turn, but if you don’t maintain dynamic balance they’ll make their displeasure known!
As you’d expect from Völkl the build quality and finish is truly excellent. They’re reassuringly expensive, but you get what you pay for with the RTM: a full bore carver capable of gunning the frontside all day in any condition.

2018 VÖLKL RTM 86 SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Length: 167, 172, 177, 182
  • Sidecut: 132-86-114 (177)
  • Turn radius: 18m (177)
  • RRP: £795
2018 Völkl RTM 86 product image


Want to learn all about the best new ski equipment for the 2017/18 season? Head this way to get the bumper Fall-Line Skiing Gear Guide.

Source: http://www.fall-line.co.uk/volkl-rtm-86-best-mens-allmountain-ski-2018/

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The latest ski industry trends from Consensio Chalets


The latest ski industry trends from Consensio Chalets





Anyone with any interest in the ski industry (and anyone with a love of infographics!) will find the results of this year’s Consensio Chalets ski trends report interesting. Morzine continues to be the 5th most popular resort in France amongst skiers, and actually increased in popularity over the previous 12 months. Now that’s not news to those of us who run businesses here, but it’s nice to see the resort’s popularity recognised in the report. At the same time chalets continued to trounce hotels as the accommodation option of choice across the whole industry, while catered versus non-catered options also won hands down.
While lift passes and ski hire are usually the largest items of expenditure during a winter holiday, the report also looked at other spendy items. At the top of the list are private ski guides followed by group ski schools, both of which increased in terms of share of expenditure on the previous season. Childcare was the third largest in-resort expense, while spending on massages fell by quite a large amount on the previous winter season, perhaps being replaced by the activities category, spending on which grew by the same amount during Winter 15/16.
72% of winter holiday makers travelled to their destination on a scheduled airline, of which Easyjet continued to be the most popular, followed by British Airways, Swiss and Jet2.
The report also studied booking trends patterns, demonstrating that September to December continues to be the most popular booking period for winter holiday makers. Bookings taken between January and May were down slightly on the previous winter. Holiday prices were listed as the number one factory influencing a client’s booking during the Winter 15/16 season, with choice of resort in second place, location in third and service in forth place.
67% of operators reported a better level of bookings for this coming winter season when compared to Winter 14/15, while 39% of operators reported an increase in overall spend.
On the whole, the report suggests that the winter holiday industry is very much alive and kicking as we head towards this coming winter season, but there was some caution too. Although 46% of operators claimed the snowfall of Winter 15/16 had no impact on this year’s bookings so far, 42% believe it’s having a negative impact. And as every good survey needs a Brexit question nowadays, 77% of operators expect a negative impact on their business if the UK leaves the EU.

Monday, January 15, 2018

A Beginners guide to a Morzine ski holiday

A Beginners guide to a Morzine ski holiday

If you’ve ever skied before I challenge you to take a long hard look at the picture above, and tell me all that fresh powdery snow doesn’t make your heart beat faster with excitement.
Skiing is just too addictive; this was only my first trip and I’m already trying to work out how soon I can get back there.


Read on...

Friday, January 12, 2018

Revealed: Morzine is one of Europe's cheapest ski resorts!



Big news for budget-conscious travellers – according to a new report this week, the Slovenian resort of Kranjska Gora has the lowest prices in Europe, knocking Bansko in Bulgaria off the top spot for the first time in seven years.

Produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, the 11th annual ski costs survey from the Post Office compared prices in 22 European resorts – five French, five Italian, five Austrian, three Swiss, and one each in Andorra, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Finland.

Acclaimed as Europe's best-value family resort in December last year, Kranjska Gora has now been confirmed as the cheapest resort overall, followed by Bardonecchia, in Italy. Of the 10 cheapest destinations on this year’s Post Office report, four are Italian, providing an alternative to the Eastern European resorts which are usually seen as a good bet for a lower-priced winter sports break.

The biggest decrease is Morzine in France, with a price index that’s 13 per cent lower than October 2016. Prices have also dropped significantly in other French resorts, including Les Deux Alpes (down 11 per cent), Serre Chevalier (9.3 per cent) and Val d’Isère (7.6 per cent).

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Why the Portes Du Soleil keeps solo skiers coming back!

Why the Portes Du Soleil keeps solo skiers coming back

The solo ski experts at The Ski Gathering tell us what is attracting first-timers and veteran solos to Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets.

The Ski Gathering offer singles ski holidays for individuals and sociable pairs. They have chalets in Morzine, Les Gets and Meribel. To find out more, visit www.theskigathering.com.

Across the board, solo travel has grown enormously in recent years, mirroring a general trend in ‘independent’ and socialising hobbies. Today, people use apps and websites to find flatmates, meet gym buddies, arrange car shares… and plan their solo-travel adventures.

This is particularly noticeable with ski holidays, where solo travellers are increasingly making their mark. Some solos prefer to ski alone, enjoying the total freedom of the mountain. But most see it as a social opportunity to meet other skiers or boarders and avoid paying the empty-bed supplement. For the latter group in particular, the Portes du Soleil has become a focal point in the solo travel revolution. Why is that?

It’s Perfect for Mixed-Ability Groups
It’s Day One of your solo ski holiday and you’re heading out with a group of people you’ve never skied with before. Head for the Les Gets Bowl - the perfect starting point for mixed-ability groups. Here, five lifts serve twelve interconnecting pistes of varying levels of difficulty. Perfect if you all want to try out different slopes but still meet for the lift ride back up or a swift vin chaud.
The speed demons can head straight for the steep Tulipe red run off the Ranfoilly lift; the less flamboyant can find their feet on the more slow-and-steady Reine des Pres.

Beginners won’t be left out
Resorts like Les Gets and Morzine are perfect for beginners. Friendly people, great ski schools, plenty of beginner slopes, and an easy(ish) descent back into resort. While you’re having lessons, the rest of the group probably won’t be too far away, so meeting up for a long social lunch is still on the cards.

Find time for yourself
One of the best things about solo travel is having the total freedom to do what you want, when you want. You can opt out of group activities and blaze your own trail any time you like. For an afternoon in your own company, intermediates and advanced skiers should head over to the back of Mont Chery in Les Gets. It’s so quiet over there, you can virtually have the mountain to yourself. Soak up the silence and get away from it all for the afternoon.

Looking for an adventure
Solo travel is all about creating unforgettable experiences, so set your alarm and have a crack at the Portes du Soleil ‘Loop’. A big day even for serious skiers, this will take you around the perimeter of this, the world’s largest ski area. Probably not one for snowboarders or inexperienced skiers, this is a demanding day’s exercise and you’ll probably need a guide who knows the way without consulting a pistemap. But those who finish the Loop will never forget the experience. Or stop bragging about it.

Have a guide show you the backcountry off-piste
If you’re traveling independently but are not joining a group of solo skiers, a week can be a long time to ski in splendid isolation. One way to break this up is to get lessons or a guide. The Portes du Soleil has vast off-piste skiing opportunities which are essentially off-limits without an experienced guide, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Explore the road less travelled while getting a bit of company for a day.

Discover hidden treasures
If you’re skiing with other solos, you will probably soon forget that you ever travelled out on your own: we often say that solo travel holidays are for groups of friends who haven’t met yet. A great way to cement this kind of dynamic is to discover new things together, and the Portes du Soleil has plenty of hidden treasures for you to seek out. One example is ‘Les Lindarets’, better known as The Goat Village. Named after the many goats which fill the village in summer, this magical location could scarcely be more picturesque and is the perfect spot for a lunchtime stop-off. It’s a skier’s heaven.

Those looking for an equivalent hell might head for the Swiss Wall. Only to be attempted by the most experienced mogul skiers, this near-vertical drop marks the entry point into Switzerland. Ski or snowboard down it, or watch in admiration from the chairlift to meet up at the bottom. You’ll need a head for heights either way.


So, if your group can’t make it this year, or your friends just won’t even try skiing this winter, there’s really no excuse for staying home. 

Partying Hard In Morzine and Avoriaz

  Partying Hard In Morzine and Avoriaz ...