April’s Skiing Snippets

1st April 2022

Last modified on April 28th, 2022

– My Ikon, My Ride
– Fluorinated Wax Set to be Banned by FIS
– Lucky Escape!
– Avalanche Transceiver Recall … LIVE & UPDATED

Here we cover anything that takes our fancy.

Short news stories, eye catching videos, amusing cartoons, things that make us smile/things that make us shout at the screen… in fact anything that catches our eye in the world of snowsports.

Check out all the ‘snippets’ from the past few months:

We’re mixing it up:

My Ikon, My Ride

A story about love for community and the ride it takes you on.

Community, to some, is more than a bond but rather essential to the fabric of success and happiness.

For Russell Winfield and LJ Henriquez, the ride is their passion and the community behind them is their love.

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Fluorinated Wax Set to be Banned by FIS

The International Skiing Federation, FIS, has said it is to enforce a full ban of fluorinated waxes for the 2022-23 winter season.

Research suggests that the perfluorooctanoic acid compounds in the product is a danger to the environment and the health.

The US Ski and Snowboard body banned fluorinated wax in October 2020 because they “have been scientifically studied for their negative environmental and health impacts”.

The European Union banned specific fluorine compounds in July 2020.

Last season, the FIS did not impose a full ban on fluorinated waxes.

See here for more on Inside the Games

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Lucky Escape!

The video of a skier getting caught in a slab avalanche was published on April 8^th by bRo on You Tube.

We don’t know when the incident happened or where it was, but it makes sobering viewing nonetheless.

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Avalanche Transceiver Recall

“We have observed a small number of devices with malfunctioning electronics,” said the manufacturer, Pieps.

“In this case, the device might not switch from send mode to search mode.

“All customers who are in possession of the devices below are therefore asked to check it using the following instructions or to contact our customer service department for support.”

Pieps micro BT button

Pieps micro BT race

Pieps micro BT sensor

Pieps powder BT

Pieps pro BT

Pieps dsp pro/ sport

Black Diamond recon

Black Diamond guide

Instructions for checking can be found at https://www.pieps.com/safety-check-mode-failure/

People are advised that if they have an affected device then they should stop using it immediately and contact Pieps for a replacement product.

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It’s Hannibal Time!

And what exactly is Hannibal?

Look no further that when it last took place in 2019 (pre-covid) and PlanetSKI was in attendance:

Hannibal returns to the Alps

Hannibal. Image c/o PlanetSKI

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Sharp Fall in Avalanches in Scotland

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service, SAIS, logged 158 avalanches this winter compared to 212 in 2020/21.

SAIS covers the six areas of Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon.

There has been less snowfall this year, which broadly explains the low number of avalanches.

The SAIS daily forecasts have now come to an end.

People heading to the mountains are urged to be alert to snow patches posing potential hazards.

There is snow in some mountain areas mostly above 900m, and there is still extensive snow cover at summit levels, notably in the Northern Cairngorms and Ben Nevis areas.

The highest number of avalanches in Scotland in a single winter was in the 2014/15 season when 350 avalanches were recorded.

Skiing in Scotland. Image c/o Rod Frazer.

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Happy Easter!

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Summer Booking for Winter Skiing

There are lots of benefits of booking your ski holiday during the Summer/Autumn period. ⛷
Read our blog on the top 5 reasons to book your ski holiday here: https://t.co/zOxdAy3Q4d pic.twitter.com/EFITQ3rLNI
— Ski Solutions (@skisolutions) April 13, 2022

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Best Moment of the Season: Dave Ryding

Never any question, was there?
The @fisalpine moment of the year: the one and only @daveryding becoming our very own Kitzbuehel King 🇬🇧👑
A moment for the ages. pic.twitter.com/gNEpszMxOa
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) April 13, 2022

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Skiing & Snowboarding at The Nines

Stylish Women and Go-Big Men:

On the ski side, a motivated pack of stylish female riders led by Lara Wolf (AUT) and Kirsty Muir (GBR) set the tone for the week, spurred on by veteran Nines attendees like Sarah Hoefflin (SUI), Coline Ballet-Baz (FRA) and Maggie Voisin (USA).

Meanwhile, a new generation of outstanding ski men including Max Moffatt (CAN), Mac Forehand (USA) and Finn Bilous (NZL) soared to new heights over The Nines features alongside a strong crew of Nines regulars like Fabian Bösch (SUI), Kim Gubser (SUI) and Andri Ragettli (SUI).

Big Spins & Bigger Style: Snowboarding Takes Over

Snowboarders made an indelible mark on the 2022 Nines.

Japanese rider Reira Iwabuchi joined her countryman Hiroto Ogiwara in the “world’s first” club with her own never-been-done trick, a frontside triple 1260, while other established and up-and-coming riders like Valentino Guseli (AUS), Judd Henkes (USA), Luke Winkelmann (USA) and 15-year-old Mia Brookes (GBR) strengthened their claims to stardom with standout performances.

Even skiers got on the action, with Olympic Big Air gold medalist Birk Ruud (NOR) swapping his skis for a snowboard to land a backside triple 1440.

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Fancy a Job in the UK Ski Industry?

Are you looking for a great new job opportunity? Are you a keen skier with sales / product experience? We’re excited to share that we have a host of new job opportunities available, please click the link below for more information. https://t.co/VN8LJZQeYZ pic.twitter.com/0KmryejywA
— Ski Solutions (@skisolutions) April 4, 2022

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Bear Warnings in Banff

Bears are awake in the national park! 🐻If you see a bear in Banff National Park…
From a safe distance of 100m+, or the safety of your vehicle – try to identify the species, note the animal’s description & behaviour.
Report all bear sightings to Banff Dispatch 403-762-1470. pic.twitter.com/uTUANPkZTH
— Banff National Park (@BanffNP) April 6, 2022

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Snowbird Tram Bows Out…

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British Father & Son Die in Landslide in Australia Mountains

They were trekking in the Blue Mountains near Sydney. Two other family members, a woman and her son were seriously injured.

A 15-year old girl has been treated for shock.

The 49-year old man and his nine-year-old son were killed by falling rocks near Wentworth Falls after recent heavy rain.

The family was on holiday at the time and questions have been raised about whether the path should have been open.

“Unfortunately there’s been a landslip while they’ve been bushwalking. It’s quite a tragic scene,” said Supt John Nelson from New South Wales Police.

The authorities say the surviving teenage girl is extremely distressed.

“We’ve focused on caring for her while the best medical care is given to her mum and brother and just trying to get that support for the young 15-year-old,” said Supt Nelson.

Some walking tracks in the area have been closed “due to flood damage and ongoing rockfall risk”, according to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website.

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Worker Shortages in New Zealand Ski Resorts

Tourism NZ is supporting a call for exemptions to immigration rules in order to get specialist staff for the coming ski season

250 people are needed including piste basher drivers, ski patrollers and top-level instructors.

There are warnings that some areas of ski resorts may have to remain closed if there are not enough staff.

The ski areas in New Zealand start to open in June.

Skiing in New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI.

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Collapsing Glacier in Canada Caused Tsunami

Ir has implications for glaciers across the mountain ranges of the world

50m tons of rock dropped from a mountainside into Elliott Lake in a remote valley on British Columbia’s central coast back in late 2020..

The results of a new study show it triggered a tsunami 100m tall.

The study also has some startling findings including how fast that wave was moving.

Glaciers in central BC are melting faster than almost anywhere else in the world.

As Ted Chernecki reports, researchers fear the event is a red flag for any region where glaciers are melting.

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Boy Ski Racers Raising Money for Ukraine

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FIS President to Re-stand Unopposed

The International Ski Federation President, Johan Eliasch, will face no challengers when he stands for re-election in May.

He was appointed to the post in June 2021 as we reported at the time on PlanetSKI:

Johan Eliasch is new president of FIS

Eliasch was nominated for the position of President by GB Snowsport.

Elections are set to take place at the FIS Congress in Milan, Italy, on May 26th.

Some delegates will be present in person, with other joining online.

Johan Eliasch, image c/o FIS.

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April 1st Marked in the Ski World

First up it’s Val Thorens.

And it seems a few other ski and snowboard organisations are marking the morning of April 1st.

The mythical two-headed, eight-legged mule deer is only seen once a year in Jasper National Park, on April 1st.
📸 A rare sighting shared by elaurel87 on Instagram! pic.twitter.com/NCrdVNyLYE
— Jasper National Park (@JasperNP) April 1, 2022

Throughout the winter, many of you ask how our instructors ski so fast… Today we let you into their secret! ⛷#oxygeneskischool #raclette #ski #snowboard pic.twitter.com/6GUuDSYANr
— Oxygène Ski School (@Oxygene_Ski) April 1, 2022

We are egg-cited to announce the launch of our new sister show. The National Egg and Spoon Show.
To find out more information head to https://t.co/E713pl7xEB #egg #spoon #events #show pic.twitter.com/YpZh1m5n9v
— The National Snow Show (@natsnowshow) April 1, 2022

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Record Number of Rescues in Swiss Mountains Last Year

Figures released this week by the Swiss Alpine Club show that 3,680 people were involved in accidents in the Alps and Jura mountains in 2021.

201 people died.

The previous highest total was 3,471 in 2020.

It came as there were fewer foreigners in the mountains due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

30% of accidents involved foreigners, but that figure is more normally around 40%.

There were more accidents involving ski touring, off-piste skiing and snowshoeing with a higher number in January, February and March.

The Swiss Alpine Club puts that down to heavy snowfall at the beginning of the year.

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Milan-Cortina Olympic Boss Set to Resign this Month

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica has reported that the chief executive of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, Vincenzo Novari, is set to step down this month.

He is expected to make the announcement at a Board of Directors meeting on April 6th.

The newspaper reports that his lack of experience in the sporting industry was cited as one of the main reasons for his expected departure.

The 62-year old has been the CEO since November 2019.

La Republicca reported that UEFA director of football and social responsibility, Michele Uva, is being consideration for the job.

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place between February 6 to 22 in 2026, with the Paralympic Games March 6 to 15.

Milan-Cortina 2026

Staying with Olympic news….

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Salt Lake City Continues to Show Interest in 2030 or 2034 Olympic Bid

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee says there will be a meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Utah in April and at the IOC base in Switzerland in June.

Others interested include Sapporo in Japan, Vancouver in Canada and Barcelona in Spain.

Salt Lake City previously held the Winter Olympics in 2002.