July’s Summer Ski News

1st July 2023

Last modified on July 29th, 2023

– Fancy Working for FIS?
– Polish Ski Mountaineer Makes Skiing History
– 73-Year Old Skier Dies in Thredbo
– World’s Oldest-Known Glacier Identified
– TV Doc on Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Collision Court Case…LIVE & UPDATED

Here we cover anything that takes our fancy over the summer months.

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

Fancy Working for FIS?

29th July 2023

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation is hiring.

The body that oversees elite snowsport competition is looking to fill several positions:

Communications Coordinator
Content Production Coordinator Freestyle Freeski Snowboard
Alpine Content Production Coordinator
Nordic Content Production Coordinator
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

“Are you passionate about winter sports and driven to make a difference in the world of skiing and snowboarding?” said FIS.

“If you are eager to be a part of a dynamic team dedicated to promoting and advancing winter sports, look no further.”

To learn more about these job openings and how to apply then see here.

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation. Image c/o FIS.

Polish Ski Mountaineer Makes Skiing History

28th July 2023

Andrzej Bargiel is the first person to climb and ski down the summits of all the 8,000m peaks in Karakoram.

In 2018 he skied down K2 (8,611m) and news spread round the ski mountaineering community.

PlanetSKI was in Chamonix at the time with the British mountaineer, Alan Hinkes, who has climbed K2 and the other 8,000m peaks in the Himalayas.

Alan is the first, and remains the only, British mountaineer to have climbed all 14 Himalayan eight-thousanders.

Our editor, James Cove, spoke to him about Andrzej Bargiel’s K2 achievement.

73-Year Old Skier Dies in Australian Resort of Thredbo

27th July 2023

The man hit a pole on the edge of a piste.

Passers by administered CPR until the rescue services arrived.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation is underway.

Thredbo, Australia. Image © PlanetSKI

World’s Oldest-Known Glacier Identified

26th July 2023

Scientists have made the discovery near gold deposits in South Africa.

The glacial sediments date back 2.9 billion years.

The study published in the journal Geochemical Perspectives Letters also suggests the presence of continental ice caps at the time or that the area was closer to the Earth’s poles.

The period saw low concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and led to a reverse greenhouse effect, that caused much of the planet to freeze.

See more here

TV Documentary on Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Collision Court Case

25th July 2023

Q Discovery+ documentary is set to be made in two parts and will be called, Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial.

Terry Sanderson accused the US actress of colliding into him during a 2016 ski crash in Deer Valley, Utah.

The recent court case was widely reported:

Gwyneth Paltrow wins ski crash court case

It took the jurors two hours and twenty minutes to decided Sanderson was to blame for the crash.

The verdict meant Sanderson must hand Ms Paltrow a symbolic $1 in damages – but also must pay his and Gwyneth Paltrow’s legal costs.

The TV programme is set to air later in 2023.

Deer Valley, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI

Christian Snowboard Coach Sues After Sharing His Views on Transgender Athletes

23rd July 2023

David Bloch lost his job at a school in Vermont, USA, in February following a three-minute discussion with some of his athletes.

He said that biological males have a physical advantage over female-born athletes.

He founded the Woodstock Union High School snowboarding team and had served as its head coach for more than a decade.

Bloch made his remarks after overhearing two snowboarders on his team talking about a male-to-female trans athlete from another school who was competing against girls.

He has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Vermont.

See here for further details in the New York Post.

Skiing in the USA. Image © PlanetSKI.

270 People Helicoptered from Swiss Cable Car

22nd July 2023

A cable car at Glacier 3000 near Les Diablerets in Switzerland broke down as it approached the top station.

There was an electrical failure in the engine system in the second section up to the top.

Two helicopters made 54 trips taking the stranded tourists to the mid-station where they took the cable car down to the resort.

All people were taken off and there were no injuries.

An investigation is underway and the cable car remain closed.

Here is the cable car in question in the winter months:

Italy Court Suspends Culling Order for Two Alpine Bears

21st July 2023

A court in Rome has ruled that a culling order for two bears in northern Italy should be suspended.

One bear is a 17-year-old female called JJ4.

She killed jogger Andrea Papi in the Alps.

We reported on the death on PlanetSKI in April’s News in Brief on Thursday 13th:

News in Brief

The other is named MJ5 and attacked a hiker in the same area weeks earlier.

Italy’s Council of State said the slaughter ruling “appears disproportionate and inconsistent with supranational and national rules”.

The bears’ cause was taken up by animal welfare groups who said the animals were a protected species in Italy.

The case will now referred to a local court for a final appeal by the end of the year.

Don’t Eat the Red Snow

20th July 2023

We all know that eating yellow snow is not a good idea, now Park City in Utah are advising people away from the red variety.

The US ski resort has a a type of algae that thrives in cold temperatures moving to the surface of the snowpack to bloom and divide.

This typically happens in snow patches at high elevations during the summer.

The specific type of algae that creates watermelon snow is called Chlamydomonas nivalis.

Summer E-Bike Festival in Verbier

17th July 2023

The Swiss resort hosts the Verbier E-Bike Festival from 10th-13th August.

This year there are more routes, more participants, and new challenges to discover.

“With a 20% increase in sign-up compared to last year, the Valais resort will be alive with the buzz of e-biking, with more than 500 e-bikes on-site and more than 30 exhibitors expected to attend,” said the resort.

“This year participants no longer have to choose between food and sport with the Gourmet Tour,” it added.

There are three routes that combine sports, conviviality with friends, and culinary discoveries all in an authentic natural setting.

The itineraries include food stops, which offer a variety of local delicacies:

Fresh pastries
Aged meats
Fine wines

This summer activity brings together local culture and the great outdoors.

Tickets are priced from 79 CHF / £64 pp.

See more here: www.verbier.ch

Biking in Verbier in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI

PlanetSKI was recently in E-biking in the Alps – in neighbouring Austria.

We rather liked it.

PlanetSKI goes E-mountain biking in the Tirol

E-biking in the Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

Summer in St Johann. Image © PlanetSKI

New Ski Resorts Planned for Ukraine

16th July 2023

Despite the continuing war started by Russia there are plans afoot for ski areas that could accommodate 65,000 skiers and snowboarders.

It was first mooted in 2016 and now there are plans for three resorts near the Romanian border:

Bystrytsia
Turbat
Bukovel.

The government says it will bring an economic boost once the war is over.

In Ukraine the fighting disrupted the manufacture of skis as we reported at the time.

Ukraine is one of the main centres for ski production in Europe.

Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupts ski manufacture

PlanetSKI logo

New Zealand Talks About A Winter Olympics Bid

14th July 2023

The former New Zealand Olympic Committee vice-president Bruce Ullrich says the country could hold the Winter Olympics in 2034 or 2038.

He claims the South Island would make a suitable location for the Games and has called for a feasibility study to be conducted into the possibility of a combined Christchurch and Queenstown bid.

He says New Zealand could hold ice events around Canterbury while Mount Hutt could host downhill competitions.

See more on Inside the Games

South Island, New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI

UK Airport Drop-Off Charges Soar

13th July 2023

The RAC says charges for drivers have gone up by by almost a third at UK airports over the past year.

Stansted airport remains the most expensive at £7 for 15 minutes.

The biggest rises are at Southampton and Belfast.

Southampton International airport raised its fee from £4 to £6 for 20 minutes.

Belfast International airport has hiked prices from £1 to £3 for 10 minutes.

London’s Heathrow costs £5 with no time limit
London’s Gatwick charges £5 for 10 minutes
Manchester airport costs £5 for 5 minutes
London Luton charges £5 for 10 minutes
Edinburgh costs £4 for 10 minutes.

Airports say the higher fees are to stop drivers from lingering and they help to keep flight costs down.

The Airports Operator Association told the BBC the increased revenue helped “keep charges to airlines lower” and helped “maximise the range of flights that can be offered to all passengers.”

Gatwick airport. Image © PlanetSKI

2022 Was Hottest Year On Record in Switzerland

It led to its glaciers melting at three times the rate previously considered extreme.

“For Switzerland, 2022 was the hottest year in history,” said the Swiss Environment Ministry.

“The year 2022 was the warmest and sunniest year since measurements began in 1864. While the annual average temperature for 1991 to 2020 was 5.8 degrees Celsius (42.4 degrees Fahrenheit), that of 2022 was climbed to 7.4C (45.3F)”.

In the summer of 2022 Swiss glaciers lost 6% of their mass.

We reported on it at the time last year:

Mont Fort glacier, Verbier. Image © PlanetSKI

There used to be around 1,500 glaciers in the Swiss Alps.

All have shrunk and many no longer exist.

British Man Dies in Mont Blanc Fall

12th July 2023

The man, in his 50s, was hiking on the Nid d’Aigle (Eagle’s Nest’) path.

It is a steep track near the Bionnnassay glacier in France.

He fell 50m but didn’t survive the fall, the emergency services said.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in France.”

Chamonix in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI

The Passage Exhibition in Verbier

9th July 2023

This year’s Palp Festival exhibition in Verbier will take on a subject as fascinating as it is frightening: death.

Whether creating a playlist for a funeral, writing a death notice, going on a tour of flowers that can kill or visiting a haunted house, this year’s exhibition in Bruson will give you a different perspective.

It will offer various points of view on the theme of death and that of funeral rites, to give visitors a moment to immerse themselves in how the dead have influenced us through time and in the present.

The exhibition will take place until 10th September 2023 and is free to attend.

PlanetSKI logo

Chinese Use Blanket to Try to Stop Glacier Melt

8th July 2023

Scientists try to stop glaciers from melting with innovative thermal blanket.

Jenny Jones Becomes a Mum

6th July 2023

Bouldering in Ischgl, the Austrian Tirol

As well as being physically demanding bouldering is also social; no surprises then that it’s becoming a popular alternative to lifting weights.

It’s a healthy whole-body workout that trains coordination, body awareness, mobility, grip strength and is mentally stimulating.

This summer Ischgl are launching 300 newly developed routes in Silvapark Galtur bouldering park at the foot of the Ballunspitze.

Tirol’s largest natural rock boulder arena (1,800 to 2,000 metres) features 445 different routes and is aimed at beginners as well as experienced climbers.

“With beginner-friendly slabs, technically challenging elevation cracks and far overhangs, it’s a great for all abilities,” said the resort.

Crash pads and climbing shoes are available for rent.

Ischgl: www.ischgl.com

Austrian Tirol: www.visittirol.co.uk

New Boss of Milan Cortina 2026 Coordination Commission

5th July 2023

Kristin Kloster has been appointed as chair of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Coordination Commission.

She takes over from Sari Essayah who resigned after becoming the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland.

“Kristin Kloster was a member of the Evaluation Commission for the Olympic Winter Games 2026, and also brings the experience of having chaired the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad from 2019 until 2021,” said the IOC.

Milan-Cortina 2026

Summer Ski Jumping World Cup

4th July 2023

The event in Courchevel takes place on the 29th and 30th July 2023.

110 athletes from 15 countries will take part, with around 5,000 spectators expected.

The world’s best male and female ski jumpers will be competing on the K120 Olympic ski jump in Le Praz.

Competition Saturday 29 July – HS 132

Morning – Ladies Competition

8:30 am: Officiel practice
9:15 am: Qualifications
10:15 am: Competition
12:00 pm: Women’s prize-giving ceremony

Afternoon – Men’s Competition

4:00 pm: Officiel practice
4:45 pm: Qualifications
6:00 pm: Competition
08:00 pm: Men’s prize-giving ceremony

Competition Sunday 30 July – HS 132

Morning – Ladies Competition

9h00 am: Qualifications
10h00 am: Competition
12h00 pm: Women’s prize-giving ceremony

Afternoon – Men’s Competition

4:30 pm: Qualifications
6:00 pm: Competition
8:00 pm: Men’s prize-giving ceremony

Bronze Age Artefacts Found in Switzerland

2nd July 2023

Around 80 rare artefacts from the late Bronze Age, including jewellery, sickles and axes, have been unearthed in the Albula region in southeast Switzerland.

The objects date from the 11^th and 12^th centuries BC.

Most of the metal objects are made of cast iron or copper.

There are several Bronze Age sickles, axes, a fragment of a saw and pieces of jewellery and clothing.

It is described as “by far the largest and most important” find from this period in the Swiss canton.

See here for further details and images.