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Double Win for Chalets Direct’s Sponsored Skier
We've just received the latest press release from Team Clissold – some great results for our sponsored skier Sam:Sam Clissold, Chalet Direct’s sponsored alpine ski racer, has made a great start to his first season as a Junior International racer winning a double title at the at the BARSC Championships National Junior Races in Champoluc, Italy, on January 3 and 4, 2011.
Fifteen year old Sam won Best British skier in his age group in both Giant Slalom and Slalom; and was actually the second fastest British skier overall in GS, despite competing against skiers up to four years his senior.
The BARSC Championships attracted entries from seven different nations and in the final line up Sam was second in slalom and sixth in giant slalom. He scored under 100 FIS (Federation International de Ski) points in each discipline, a considerable achievement for a first year racer, and particularly impressive as Sam suffered a minor injury while training in New Zealand in July so missed out on early season race opportunities.
While unable to compete, Sam used the summer to work on his technique and fitness directed by Olympian Sean Langmuir. Immediately, prior to Champoluc, Sam went to Colorado with the British Alpine Development Team, where he managed strong finishes in four out of six races, including two SuperG. He is currently training in St Johann, Austria, with Paul Telling’s Team Evolution, and waiting eagerly to learn if he is on the short list for the European Youth Olympic World Festival in which will take place in Liberec Czech in February.
Sam says: ‘It is real challenge to move from Children’s racing to the International circuit and I have worked really hard over the past months. I am really pleased with my results to date and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.’
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Diary of a Ski Mum
Way back in April 2010 Chalets Direct was pleased to announce our sponsorship of two of the best children's ski racers in the UK. Sam and Honor Clissold had worked their way to podium places for their respective age groups and finished the season as overall champions in the 2010 British Championships in Meribel.However very few of us are aware of the commitment and work required, not just with getting to the standard where one can compete in these races, but also with the logistical and practical challenges involved when you have two ski racers in the family, who most of the season need to be in two places at the same time.
The triumph of Team Clissold in Meribel at the end of the season was a positive note after a season of a lot of ups and downs. Injury, poor race management, appalling race conditions, even the Icelandic volcano, were just some of the challenges they faced.
Luckily how they faced them and what happened next has been chronicled by Lorraine Clissold – Sam and Honi's long suffering mum who has also lived the triumphs and disasters of her kids.
In her blog Taking Sport to the Extreme, Lorraine describes the events of last winter month by month. We live through the stresses and strains; driving out from North Yorkshire to the French Alps with an incontinent dog, losing two pairs of race skis courtesy of Easyjet, Abetone – one of the key international children's races and how a timing cock-up cost Honi a podium spot. The frustrations, disappointments, sheer hard work and determination - Lorraine tells all and shows us behind the scenes of the racing life. It's a funny tale told with self-deprecating humour, guaranteed to make you smile. Lorraine tells us not only of the children's experiences and how they are learning to deal with the pressures of success and failure, but also of her own learning experience:
"For the past four seasons…. I have been totally in awe of those mothers (well it is usually the mothers) whose matching luggage holds everything the family needs, neatly folded and in order. During my first ski race season I really wanted it to look as if I had nonchalantly tossed five pairs of skis and poles into the top box and packed the right gloves, helmets, cat suits, shorts, slalom guards, back protectors, face warmers, thermals and of course ski prep kit and schoolwork in the course of a well organised afternoon.
When I wandered round the shops of yet another new resort, weary and hassled, late at night, trying to rent buy or borrow the item or items that we had forgotten this time I would try to browse like a casual shopper and when told for the fourth time ‘no we don’t stock slalom guards’ swallow my rising sense of panic and leave smiling."
She recognises that they are lucky that Sam and Honi are in a position to compete, both financially and technically, but her warm-hearted tales will strike a chord with every parent trying to support and encourage children to do better.As well as a mother of four, Lorraine is an author and broadcaster. The family lived in China for ten years during which time she hosted a Chinese cooking programme on national TV and founded a cookery school dedicated to teaching Westerners the wisdom of the traditional Chinese diet. Her book Why the Chinese Don't Count Calories is available on Amazon and in all good bookstores!
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The winter’s bright, the winter’s orange…and lime green, purple, powder blue, pink…
What’s hot in ski and board gear for this winter If you’re looking at updating your ski/board wear for this winter, then it’s an exciting time in the gear market to do it. Carrying on from last winter’s trends for brights, this winter’s jackets and pants can be found in a riot of colours – purples, yellows, pinks, baby blues, acid oranges – it’s all out there. Loud and lively prints are still available but it looks like the stylish skiers and boarders this year will be wearing big, bold blocks of colour which can be carried through to goggles, helmets and accessories.
For the extroverts amongst you clashing brights is the order of the day – think blue with lime green, pink with purple, yellow with just about anything. If going out on the slopes and drawing attention to yourself is something you really don’t want to do – then you can play it safe and tone down a bright pair of pants with a neutral jacket, or vice versa.
Hard working as well as good looking:
There’s a great choice of wintersports clothing coming into the shops right now to suit a wide range of budgets. Plus there are a few real technical innovations to help keep you warm and dry whether on a chairlift, a nursery slope or a 60 degree off piste run on a powder day.
The Columbia Omni-Heat technology for example helps keep body temperature stable when warming up and cooling down after physical exertion, whilst wicking moisture away. Columbia garments also tend to be good value – “great technology at the price” says Claire Collins of Snow and Rock.
Another innovative design to look out for is the Salomon S-Line range – a new range of high tech garments with a technical spec to compete alongside Arc’teryx, long regarded as one of the best brands for mountain sportswear.
Meanwhile Kjus, the prestigious Swiss brand developed in partnership with retired world champion Lasse Kjus, continue to push the envelope with their Schoeller PCM (Phase Change Materials) linings. Designed to “actively balance out temperature peaks above or below the wearer’s personal comfort climate”, these smart textiles were originally developed for NASA. The PCMs change their state of matter at a certain temperature, from liquid to solid and vice versa. When the temperature rises, the excess heat is stored. When temperature falls the previously stored heat is released again. “It’s ideal for skiing where you’re moving down the mountain but then are sitting still for several minutes in a chairlift,” says Nico Serena, Kjus’ head of design.
Something for everyone:
For the budget conscious Snow and Rock can offer a good choice of good value technical gear starting at around £100 – look at Helly Hansen, Bonfire, Burton, Protest and the previously mentioned Columbia. If you can afford to splash the cash a little take a look at Peak Performance, Arc’teryx, The North Face etc. There’s a lot of great styles out there so if you want to treat yourself before your next ski holiday the sky’s the limit.
Just for good measure we’ve included a great pic of three of the As We Are girls below – taken whilst skiing yesterday (9th October) on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun, Sandra, Melissa and Pia are proudly modelling the new brights – Sandra in Peak Performance, Melissa in Ziener and Pia in Sweet.
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Girls getting in on the act – extreme girls ski movie teaser trailer on Facebook.
Every autumn a handful of extreme ski movies are released – the Matchstick Productions movies or La Nuit de La Glisse series are two of the bigger names. They all have several things in common; spectacular scenery, awesome camera work, great soundtracks and superb skiers making their way through untracked expanses of virgin snow or popping off enormous cliff jumps with grace and style.
Another thing they have in common is that they very rarely feature female skiers. Ingrid Backstrom is one of a very few girl skiers to make it into the big league and is a regular member of the Matchstick stable of big mountain skiers. Since her first movie in 2004 Ingrid has earned her stripes in the freeski mens club with her fearlessness. To see what we mean, see her in the movie below on the making of Steep (with the legendary Shane McConkey) .
Now a group of enterprising European freeskiing females are doing it for themselves with the release this autumn of As We Are – a girls’ film project shot in some of the best backcountry in the Alps.
The driving force behind the film is Sandra Lahnsteiner, an Austrian freeskier and national ski cross champion. The idea came to her after spending a whole winter skiing and making films with just guys.
Whilst there are fewer girls in the business there are excellent skiers amongst them and this is what she wanted to show. She got in touch with good friend and freeskier Melissa Presslaber, who loved the idea. Between them they found another four girls from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland to complete the team. They spent last winter skiing each others’ home mountains, getting to know each other and making the film.
The film goes from Austria’s Gasteinertal, to Lech/Zurs, Hochfugen and Verbier in Switzerland. Due for release this autumn As We Are will be going on tour throughout Europe – you can see a short teaser trailer on the girls’ Facebook page and a longer trailer should be released imminently.
If you get the chance to see the film – grab it – it’s a rare opportunity to see some of Europe’s best female pro-riders in action.
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Eurostar tickets for the Alps now on sale!
Let the train take the strain this winter! Tickets for the popular Eurostar service from London to the French Alps have gone on sale today. The service starts on 19th December through to 16th April and will take you direct from St Pancras or London Ashford to Moutiers, Aime or Bourg St Maurice – meaning that the Three Valleys, Paradiski and Espace Killy resorts are just a short transfer from your arrival station.
Mary Walsh, Eurostar’s Director of Communications, commented: "As well as our popular French ski destinations, tickets for resorts in Switzerland will be available later in the year thanks to onward connections in Paris. More and more of our passengers are discovering the ease and convenience of onward travel thanks to Europe’s high speed rail network.”
If you've not tried the train before it is certainly an interesting option. Leaving London at 10am on a Saturday you'll be in the heart of the Alps by 7pm. Along the way you can enjoy fantastic scenery and relax. There is also a night train, which means you can leave work on Friday evening and be on the slopes on Saturday morning. Prices start at £149 for a return ticket – for full details and booking take a look at eurostar.com
And don't forget that Easyjet and other low cost airlines are already selling seats for this winter – with very low prices for early bookers. Whilst we may have been basking in a heatwave recently, it's not too early to start planning your next ski trip!
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Get the taste of your last ski holiday!
Enterprising Meribel ski chalet company, Fish and Pips, have come up with the definitive answer to all those guests who want the recipes for the delicious dishes they had on holiday. They have put all their favourite recipes in a cookbook. The cookbook, A Portion of Fish and Pips, came out late 2009, and inspired them to then enter The Times chalet chef competition, which saw them walk away as winners. Holly Fisher, one half of the Fish and Pips partnership, has been kind enough to answer a few questions:
What made you decide to publish a cookbook – and when did you first have the idea?
We have been thinking about doing it for a while now, probably 2 years ago or so.
It’s something that I have always wanted to do. The final decision was prompted mainly at the request of so many of our guests and also by one of our staff members who said we’d be mad not to. The more we thought about it, the more we thought that it wasn’t such a bad idea not only would it be a new challenge, but also a great piece of marketing and no one else in the chalet industry had done it before.We’re really proud of the final product, but never in a million years could we have predicted how much work would be involved and I take my hat off to anyone would publishes a book! I think taking on a new resort will actually be less work than producing a cookbook, but that hasn’t put us off and we’re looking to bring out ‘A Second Helping of Fish&Pips’ next year. It has been worth it though in so many ways and really enjoyed working with our fab little team on it.
Did winning The Times chalet chef competition inspire you this season – and did many guests comment on it?
Actually it was the other way round, the cookbook inspired us to enter The Times chalet chef competition! If it wasn’t for the cookbook then the journalist from The Times would never have prompted us to enter the competition. It’s amazing what a little 120 page book can do.
I hope people have really enjoyed the book, we’ve had good feedback on it so far. They made really good Christmas presents especially for people who have stayed with us or worked with us, we had some guests buying up 10 at a time!
Who is actually responsible for the recipes in the book?
It was an almighty team effort. The recipes are representative of the food we produce in the chalets and are a combination of mine and Philippa’s, the chefs and even some of hosts who often make better cakes than the male chefs! We couldn’t have done without the help of the team.
A Portion of Fish and Pips is available to buy from their website at just £20. So why not get hold of a copy and try out some of those fabulous recipes!
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Where to get your snow fix over the summer months
In Europe the ski season is pretty much over and done with. Most of the remaining open resorts will be shutting down this weekend, and the last few stragglers next weekend. So that's it for snow skiing, and boarding, in the northern hemisphere. Or is it?All over the UK there are places where putting on your boots over the summer months is not that weird. The indoor fridges which have grown up in the last few years are the ideal places to get your snow fix and keep your skills sharp over the warm summer months.
These snow zones, centres, and domes offer slope time, coaching, lessons for beginners and beyond, and have lots of fun events going on to entice you through their doors. See below for a quick round up.
The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead:
Opened last May, the Snow Centre is celebrating its first birthday next weekend, 8-9th May. To celebrate they are offering some great special offers – lift passes for just £10, or a 45 minute lesson for £15.
Every Friday evening the centre plays host to their Freestyle Academy and stages "Park & Ride" events with a dedicated freestyle park and a rookie park for those wanting to try it out. Freestyle coaches will also be on hand to give tips and advice. You can see the park layouts on their Facebook page.
The Hemel centre is also taking part in the DSUK 666 Skiathon on 18th May - an event which is running across all the indoor snow centres – where 6 teams of 6 will be aiming to ski 666 runs in just 6 hours to raise money for Disability Snowsport UK .
Hemel offers lots of opportunities to improve your skills whatever your level and discipline and is also a centre for adaptive skiing. Of course you can just go along to enjoy the slope too! For more details take a look at the Snow Centre website.
SnowDome, Tamworth:
Tamworth's SnowDome was the first indoor ski slope in the UK. Billed as "the ulitmate snow, ice and leisure experience", Tamworth's dome also offers a gym, swimming pool and ice rink.
Snowside events include some cool stuff; such as the Salomon Freeski Grom Camps for junior recreational skiers taking place over the summer. These camps are sponsored by Salomon and Oakley and are run by Pat Sharples, the Freestyle Ski Team Manager for those two companies. The camps cover all aspects of freestyle with coaching, video feedback and prize giveaways.
Other events include snowboard performance courses, park nights,and airbag sessions to practice your aerials. You can also book a full day course in skiing or snowboarding, aimed at the absolute beginner to get you on your feet and sliding down on your chosen equipment by the end of the day.
For all prices, dates and activities see snowdome.co.uk.
Chill Factore, Manchester:
Manchester's "all-year round Alpine village" is where you can ski, board, climb, shop and dine! As well as the slope the centre has a 12m indoor climbing wall to learn or practice climbing skills.
This summer's events include the Fun Summer Race League. Over 4 Saturdays in May, June, July and August, skiers of all ages and levels can try their hand at ski racing in a slalom course - and either do a one off event or enter into the league and try all four races. There are prizes on offer for the winners but it's a chance as well for the recreational skier to experience the thrills of ski racing.
As well as freestyle, airbag and other cool events, the Chill Factore also has the Monday Moguls sessions taking place twice a month from May onwards. Learn how to master moguls and have fun in the bumps with some useful tips and tricks from the experts.
Get more information on Chill Factore!
Sno!Zone, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Castleford:
There are three Sno!Zones up and down the country offering summer courses, freestyle sessions, bumps sessions and much more.
Events that stand out include Trickology at Castleford – designed for freestyle novice boarders and early intermediates. Snowboarders who would like to take their first steps towards learning a few tricks, or those that already know a few, but would like to improve and fine tune techniques, can get coaching on landing that jump or riding that rail.
At Milton Keynes, the Maverix Snow Camp is a snowboard clinic devoted to progression in various park skills. Whilst in Scotland upcoming events include regular airbag events, and the Beginner Blowout, a weekend loaded with introductory lessons to skiing and snowboarding to get you hooked.
Find out what's on at all the Sno!Zones.
The message is that you don't have to wait till next winter to get on the snow. The indoor centres give you a chance to learn and practice on real snow, and can provide some great coaching and instruction too, whether you want to start from scratch, perfect some moves or try something completely new!
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Chalets Direct become first sponsors of top young GB ski racers Sam and Honor Clissold
Chalets Direct are pleased to announce the sponsorship of British junior ski racers Sam and Honor Clissold, the brother and sister duo who triumphed in the 2010 British Championships in Meribel last week.
Sam and Honor were both overall champions and individual winners of their respective age groups in the British Children’s Championship, an annual event which is also used as a selection tool for the GB ski team.
They are a unique brother and sister combination who whilst having the good fortune to begin skiing at young ages, have worked and trained hard to achieve the level required for a national team.
They were both selected for the children’s GB squad after the 2009 British Championships and joined the training programme provided by Snowsports GB.
Sam, who will soon be turning 15, has not only been competing internationally, but has acquired lots of race experience by racing with the top French boys in his age group. He was also selected by the French to race in La Scara, considered in the ski world as a real “Children’s World Championships” and used as qualification for the selection process for the French team.
Despite breaking her hand a little more than a month ago whilst training for Topolino, a major event in the children’s international race calendar, 12 year old Honor has finished the season on a high with two golds and a silver at the British Championships. Sam achieved a ‘Bode Miller style’ gold, silver and bronze. For both of them their points totals put them way ahead of their UK competitors.Chalets Direct is proud to be associated with these two young racers and we wish them all the best in their future racing careers.
Sam and Honor in action, and on the podium at the British Children's Championships in Meribel last week.
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Four Seasons in One Week
There comes a time in every ski season where you start to feel the beginning of the end. Sometimes it happens in February, but usually in March.It's when the temperature rises and the sun shines. Rows of deckchairs appear outside the piste-side restaurants, faces develop that tell-tale souvenir of panda eyes, the snow is slushy by lunchtime, and scores of ski bums begin to feel a little knot of anxiety deep inside as they realise that the "real world" is calling them back to the 9 to 5.
Fortunately, just as the posters have gone up for the end of season barbecues, winter returns. Snow starts falling and the general whoop of joy and excitement is drowned out in the rush to dig out the powder skis and get to the first lift.
It looks like we've reached that point of the season. After a week of warmth, with double digit temperatures and brown patches of earth appearing on the lower slopes, snow, and lots of it, is forecast in the Alps for today, tomorrow, and possibly much of next week.
As I write it's already snowing heavily in the Haute Savoie where temperatures have dropped rapidly since this morning. Webcams in both Chamonix and Flaine are showing that the weather has closed in.
Netweather, one of the most reliable weather websites, is forecasting snow across French, Swiss and Austrian resorts for most of the weekend with more during the course of next week. Bring it on!
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Meribel kicks off the ski party season
If you're heading out to Meribel in the Three Valleys over the next couple of weeks, don't forget to pack your party shoes. Tomorrow, 13th March, sees the start of the Little World Festival, a new event masterminded by The Feeling, which runs until the 19th March.
The 20th-26th sees the return of Meribel's Altitude Festival, combining comedy and music, and with a great line up for 2010, including Al Murray, Rufus Hound and music from Newton Faulkner.
It's the first time for Little World and third time for the Altitude and both events promise to be fun, frenetic and fairly unique. Set in the magnificent Three Valleys with excellent skiing, both festivals are packed with afternoon piste performances, apres ski parties and evening entertainments.
It's a Little World
The Little World Festival has been organised by The Feeling who played their earliest gigs in Meribel, performing three sets a day in the resort's bars. In 2008 the band made a triumphant return to the resort, giving a free concert to around 6000 fans. That trip formed the basis of a live DVD, 'Come Home', featuring narration by friend-of-the-band Kiefer Sutherland.
'We organised that trip ourselves and it really opened our eyes to the possibilities,' says bass player Richard Jones. 'More bands should try doing things for themselves. This whole event is exactly the way we want it. We've really enjoyed pulling it together alongside recording the new album.'
Over the six days there are some 30 events taking place including concerts from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Glenn Tillbrook and Graham Gouldman. The week culminates in a free concert on the slopes headlined by The Feeling and with numerous special guests. For more information, prices and full programme take a look at the Little World website.
Say it with Altitude
Now in it's 3rd year the Altitude Festival, in its own words, is "a festival packed with hilarious comedy talent performing in a fantastic skiers paradise. They will be joined by the best DJ’s and musicians both home grown and internationally renowned. Altitude is the only bilingual comedy event in Europe."
The event takes places at various venues throughout the resort, from small intimate bars to the Meribel Auditorium. Artists include Four Poofs and a Piano, Rich Hall, Al Murray, Rufus Hound and of course Altitude regular and co-founder Marcus Brigstocke.
The Altitude Festival has also partnered with mountain riders with the aim of making the festival carbon neutral and raising awareness of global warming. For full details of events, venues and prices can be found at www.altitudefestival.com.
If you're looking for somewhere to stay to enjoy the festivities take a look at our Meribel section on Chalets Direct. Some of the current deals on offer include; Chalet Madeleine - free tickets for the Altitude Festival when you book your holiday there; 5 nights catered in La Grange a Charlotte from 22nd – 27th March, with free airport transfers; luxury catered chalet discounts for 21st – 28th March. For more Meribel offers look at our Promotions page.
