British ski instructor- fined €30,000 or go to jail

Simon Butler found guilty 

The British ski instructor has been fined €30,000 or go to jail for teaching in France without the correct qualifications. He appeared in court in Bonneville, France, today.

The court gave its verdict on Monday afternoon and he was found guilty.

He was sentenced to pay a fine of €30,000 or got to jail for 200 days instead.

"If he does not pay, he may be compelled to go to prison", said the President of the legal tribunal at Bonneville in the Hautes-Savoie region of the Alps.


Simon Butler has lodged an immediate appeal and has said he is prepared to go to jail if necessary.

Read on...

Best Resorts for Beginners

It may not be the prettiest resort in the world, but there’s no denying Avoriaz is one the hottest places to learn the ride. With 650km of piste at your fingertips, Avoriaz and the Portes du Soleil area have to be on the list of places to shred.
The nursery slopes are right next to the resort centre and the park is nearby if you’re part of a bigger group with some experienced guys. Many of the gentler runs can be easily lapped with a decent lift system in place too.
Whilst the resort is not solely dedicated to beginners, it’s a good introduction to the Portes du Soleil area which can keep you coming back for years.

Read more...

A Surgery Free Way to Fix an ACL

It’s one of the most dreaded injuries imaginable for anyone, an excess of tweak on upon landing or an overstretch through total wipe out can alter the course of a season, or even a career.

It’s the classic riding injury and one that no one wants to hear in the emergency room: ACL damage. God, even broken bones are a better prospect.

Surgery is the usual recovery route, and for many it can be a complete success, though as it changes the internal structure of the knee it can induce stresses and wear and tear in new areas, leading to new injuries and even arthritis in later life

However, we stumbled across this story on theskichannel.com that is reporting on a new method of repair: stem cells.  READ ON...

Les Gets’ electric skibus

Les Gets, Portes du Soleil, reports that their first season using an all-electric ski bus resulted in 18 tonnes less CO2 being emitted in to the atmosphere.

The new bus service is operated by Tourisme Gavot, thanks to the efforts of their president , Mr Chevallay, who have operated in the resort for 14 years.

The company is working in partnership with BE Green who have supplied 50 seater fully electric vehicles which also offer access for people with reduced mobility.

The ski shuttle bus was operated seven days a week for five months from December to April on a loop of 120km without any air or noise pollution, serving all strategic points around Les Gets.

“Through our initiative, we want to convince our elected officials that the future of skiing is clean public transport," said Mr Chevallay.

25 Things You’ll Experience Working A Ski Season

1. Waiting for the season to start will stretch out endlessly.

How has it been this many months without doing the only thing that matters?

2. When you do get to the snow, you’ll be way over-excited.

Via awwwanimals.tumblr.com

I want to do everything all the time!

READ ON...

How to save a ski resort

The Espace Rod d’Enfer straddles the two valleys on either side of the Col de Graydon (1800m). Because it’s tucked out of the way, it’s often very quiet, and consequently there hasn’t been much investment in the lift infrastructure over the last few years. A committee on the Saint Jean d’Aulps sector of the mountain proposed a development plan, which the Mayor of Belleveaux on the other side of the Col, opposed. At the end of Winter ’12, the future of the Espace Roc d’Enfer was uncertain to say the least. Read on...

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Summer Snowboarding in Avoriaz

Summer Snowboarding in Avoriaz

Really?  Yes really...

Burton Snowboards’ Riglet Park initiative to encourage kids to learn to snowboard will be available at the Village des Enfants in the centre of Avoriaz this summer. Available for children aged 6 to 12 years, the synthetic snow will be propped with loads of beginner features. There’ll be miniature rails, pyramids and small jumps. Maybe they’ll let a few big kids have a go to?

See Morzine Source for opening times, dates and prices.