Ski Blog: News and Views from the slopes.

Skimpy snow, loud machines . . .

It’s good to know one can depend on a killer snow vacation to take one’s mind off those nimrods at work, or those in-laws from hell who still somehow managed to produce one’s beloved spouse. These days, though, snow is in jeopardy in the Alps, and, with a downhill slide in tourist bucks over recent years, European resorts are pinning their hopes on the marketing of ever-evolving sporting goods to keep those euros rolling in. Still, what with the expense of winter resort vacationing, sporting goods sales can only add so much to the overall picture.

Still, isn’t iffy snow the reason they invented snow machines? Sure, but endless use of them in the Alps is causing environmental concern. They use water (duh!), lots of it, apparently, in some cases depleting rivers to the point of nonexistence, pending the inevitable melt. Although this might seem like a reasonable answer, tell that to the fish, and the mountain goats that might occasionally want a slurp or two. And the tendency of resort managers to use the machines to extend the ski season exacerbates the situation. Those enormous water-sucking pumps throw out excessive noise along with the snow, further distressing the wildlife the forests along the ski runs depend on .

The answer: pray for a few good snow years!

This guide needs a time out . . .

Alright, already!  How difficult can it be to include actual research and information in a publication which presents itself as a ski guide?  There are fine such books available in your everyday bookstore, but according to John Sherwood, Time Out Skiing and Snowboarding in Europe 2005 isn’t one of them. He finds it deficient in information and insight, so why bother?

Those Vikings know their snow . . .

Was it creative insanity, festive zaniness, or just a waste of good snow? Whatever you call it, 9,000 spectators came out to watch, and apparently everyone had a great time.

Here’s the deal: a downhill competition in Westendorf, Austria, pits teams of costumed revelers in wildly innovative vehicles rolling downhill into … a pool of icy water. The goal isn’t the best time; ostensibly, it’s an award for best costume and for best vehicle, but a dunking in the pool seems to be the end result most showed up for. Consider the crew of a quasi-tank, which came to a disappointing stop at the edge of the water; most of them jumped in, anyway. One assumes they were well-sauced up before the event.      

Nonetheless, the crew of an ersatz Viking ship, decked out in furs and horned helmets, were the heroes of the event. They propelled their ship across the pond without the dunking. The winning vehicle, however, was a Trojan horse (a prop from the Brad Pitt movie, perhaps … well, maybe not), which dumped its crew of skimpily clad Greek soldiers into the drink, and a group of walking dynamite sticks won for best costume.

   

It’s like riding a bicycle . . .

. . .except that it has no wheels, and it involves barreling down a mountain at high speeds, in the snow. Intrigued? Of course you are.

Remember Help!, that around-the-world frolic with the Beatles, circa 1965? North Americans were treated to the sight of the boys on snow bikes, having their usual don’t-you-wish-you-were-me fabulous time, and they were intrigued. It seems the sport existed in the Alps a century earlier (pictures exist to prove it; apparently we’re not always cutting edge); the contraption, a frame outfitted with a seat and handlebar on skis, was commercially available in Europe by the 1940’s, and by the 1970’s they were being made in Canada. Though known to be a blast by anyone who had tried one, the snow bike didn’t gain official status until 1967, when the Federation Internationale de Skibob organized a world championship, and, more recently, the North American Snowbike Championships have been held (www.skibikes.ca).

So, you ask, what’s up with this thing? It involves a lot of body language as you propel the snow bike downhill, using short skis attached to your boots to steer, and to stop. After all, you’re used to finessing the slopes on skis, aren’t you? Once you get over the idea that you’re able to steer like a bike, you’ll be a natural.