June’s Ski News in Brief

1st June 2025

Last modified on June 27th, 2025

– French Senate Supports Fast-Track Olympic Bill
– Scottish Wingsuit Flyer Dies in Alps
– The History of Freestyle
– Second Body Found in Canada Rockslide
– Ski Visits to Utah Fall… UPDATED

French Senate Supports Fast-Track Olympic Bill

27th June 2025

Senators voted in favour of the draft legislation aimed at accelerating preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

The bill aims to:

Streamline planning procedures
Accelerate construction projects
Introduce special security measures

More controversial provisions include the extension of emergency expropriation powers and a waiver from urban planning permission requirements for temporary structures.

📢 Le Sénat a adopté le projet de loi relatif à l’organisation des jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2030 #JOP #JOP2030
🔗 En savoir plus : https://t.co/LjbND8Xcaz pic.twitter.com/0hpVeNIOPk
— Sénat (@Senat) June 24, 2025

It will be presented to the National Assembly in autumn.

See more on Inside the Games

Scottish Wingsuit Flyer Dies in Alps

26th June 2025

British champion Liam Byrne, 24, was critically injured in a jump from the Gitschen mountain in Switzerland.

He was described as a very experienced wingsuit flyer and had completed more than 4,000 jumps during his 10-year career.

In a statement the authorities said three wingsuit pilots had jumped shortly before noon on Saturday, and the accident happened shortly afterwards.

His family have issued a statement.

“We would like to remember Liam not just for the way he left this world, but for how he lived in it.

“Liam was fearless, not necessarily because he wasn’t afraid but because he refused to let fear hold him back.

“He chased life in a way that most of us only dream of and he soared.

“Skydiving and base jumping was more than just a thrill for Liam – it was freedom.

“It was where he felt most alive.”

Mr Byrne from Aberdeenshire, featured in a 2024 BBC documentary called The Boy Who Can Fly.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Cantonal Police of Uri said the accident is being investigated.

The History of Freestyle

25th June 2025

Freestyle skiing debuted as a demonstration sport at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics, featuring moguls, aerials, and ski ballet.

Moguls became the first medal event at Albertville 1992, followed by aerials at Lillehammer 1994.

The sport continued to grow with ski cross added in Vancouver 2010, half-pipe and slopestyle in Sochi 2014, and most recently, big air and mixed team aerials at Beijing 2022.

Second Body Found in Canada Rockslide

23rd June 2025

It comes after after a rock slide in Banff National Park killed a person and injured three others.

The authorities have found the body of a second person and it has been recovered by rescue crews.

“RCMP is notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a news release after the second body was found.

“At this time, there are no additional persons reported missing and no additional unidentified vehicles at the trailhead located at Bow Lake.”

Ski Visits to Utah Fall

23rd June 2025

The US state’s 15 ski resorts recorded a combined 6,503,635 visits throughout the winter 2024/25 ski season.

This is 3.6% lower than the previous season, but was still the third-highest number of skier visits in the state’s history.

It’s also a 3.3% increase over Utah’s five-year average.

“To hit our third-best season ever and generate $2.51 billion for Utah’s economy is a major win,” said the President and CEO of Ski Utah, Nathan Rafferty.

“The ski industry in Utah supports approximately 25,000 jobs, and with the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, the eyes of the world will be on us once again.

“We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful to all who helped make this season a success.”

PlanetSKI’s Nick Dalton visited Park City and Deer Valley last season:

PlanetSKI reporter returns to Park City

Nick Dalton in Park City image © PlanetSKI

Hiker Killed in Canada Rockslide

21st June 2025

The accident happened near the Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, Alberta.

The location is 37km north of the ski resort of Lake Louise.

Two other people have been taken to hospital and their conditions have not been released.

“Parks Canada and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased,” said the authorities in a statement.

Bow Lake is closed to all visitors and a no-fly zone has been put in place to ensure public safety and for park operations.

Heavy precipitation including snow is expected on the Icefields Parkway.

New Direct Internal Flight to Jackson Hole

20th June 2025

United Airlines will be running direct flights from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) next season.

The new route is set to launch on December 20th, 2025.

The airline will run these flights on Saturdays on a Boeing 737-700.

Departure 9.00am
Arrival 11.40am

Return flights will depart from Jackson at 2:30pm and land in DC at 8:45pm.

Jackson has one of the most beautiful airports in the country. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/FNXO4sdwTE
— Dave Amirault (@ozskier) June 19, 2025

Jackson Hole, USA. Image © PlanetSKI.

Bear Spotted Above Davos

18th June 2025

The young male has been filmed by a camera trap near the summit of the Rhinerhorn mountain above the Swiss ski area.

Since the second half of May, there have been 14 confirmed signs of the presence of a bear have been recorded on an interactive map administered by authorities in Graubünden.

As well as the photo traps and physical sightings, signs have included footprints and droppings.

It is understood it is the same animal and tests are underway.

See more on Swiss Info.

Rise in Utah Avalanche Deaths

17th June 2025

There were five deaths last season – up from two in the previous season of 2023/24.

It is the highest number of avalanche fatalities in four years.

A persistent weak layer in the snowpack was the cause according to the Utah Avalanche Center

There were more than 800 avalanches in the backcountry during the 150-day season.

That’s almost 100 less than last year and follows a winter that saw less snow.

There were 803 reported avalanches during the 2024-2025 season.

366 of those were human-triggered with 73 people caught and carried and 13 buried.

Powder Mountain, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI

Snowsport England Coach Awarded MBE

16th June 2025

Snowsport England Coach, Jill Coulter-Sloan, has been named among the King’s Honours recipients.

The Head Coach at Craigavon Golf and Ski Centre has been named as a recipient of an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for 2025.

Racers Prize Money Up 10%

15th June 2025

Prize money across all World Cup disciplines will increase by at least 10% next season, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, FIS.

FIS said it will guarantee a 10% increase and hopes that race organizers add an extra 10% on a voluntary basis.

“It is clear that we still have a lot to do when it comes to rewarding our athletes as they deserve,” said the FIS President, Johan Eliasch.

“This is an important step, but only another one in a long way ahead.”

Currently there is at least CHF 144,000 (£131,000) divided among the Top 30 finishers in Alpine.

Alpine skiing is the most lucrative, with CHF 47,000 (£42,000) awarded to the winner.

Prize money varies significantly between the disciplines.

Cross-country skiing events have a total of CHF 55,000 (£50,000) per race, with CHF 15,000 (£13,000) going to the winner and prizes for the top 20.

Snowboarding and freestyle skiing have CHF 30,000 (£27,000) per event and CHF 13,500 (£12.2) to the winner, split among just the top 10 athletes.

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

British Climber Dies in the Alps

10th June 2025

A British climber in his sixties has died following a fall on a glacier in the Alps in Savoie, France.

The accident occurred the Grande Casse, the highest peak in the Vanoise massif in Savoie.

The man has not been named.

He was descending the glacier des Grands Couloirs with a companion when he slipped and fell.

They were not roped together at the time.

An investigation has been opened by the Albertville public prosecutor’s office.

Colorado Reports Third Best Ski Season

9th June 2025

The US state had 13.8m skier visits in the season of 2024/25.

Significant snowfall in 2022-23 helped the state set a record of 14.8m skier visits.

Visits in 2023-24 were 14m.

“This season brought a little bit of everything, starting off strong with solid snowfall in November, followed by weather variability mid-season and a snowy spring that kept many ski areas open well into May,” said the CEO of Colorado Ski Country, Melanie Mills.

“This season showed the many ways Colorado’s ski areas provide places for people to connect with the mountains and with each other.

“In a chaotic world, skiing remains a meaningful touchstone for so many.”

Arapahoe Basin remains open for weekend skiing and snowboarding.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (@arapahoe_basin)

Melting Glaciers Reveal Their Bodies

6th June 2025

As glaciers in the Alps retreat due to climate change the bodies of missing skiers, climbers and hikers are being found.

The body of a hiker was found 37 years after the person went missing.

These discoveries highlight the rapid pace of climate change, with alpine glaciers losing over half their ice since the 1930s.

See here for a full and in-depth story on the BBC.

And here for some past PlanetSKI articles:

Franz Josef glacier, New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI

FIS Launches Global Fan Survey

3rd June 2025

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, FIS, hopes it will gather insights that will guide the evolution and development of winter sports and the FIS World Cup media product and distribution strategy across all disciplines.

Fans are encouraged to share their views on discipline formats, live data integration, content and engagement features, and innovation opportunities.

The survey will also be promoted with the support of National Ski Associations and athletes to ensure broad participation and representation.

The survey is now live and open to all snow sports fans.

FIS thanks all fans for their valuable contributions, which will help shape the future of the FIS World Cup experience and inform FIS’s strategic decisions.

RIP Tony Hierons

2nd June 2025

Tony was a central figure at the Chatham Snowsports Centre in Kent.

Afriski Opens Today

1st June 2025

The ski area in Lesotho is the only ski resort in Southern Africa likely to open this year.

It sits at 3,222m and relies on its snowmaking system.

Despite limited natural snowfall, consistent overnight temperatures below freezing and modern snow guns allow the resort to open.

It is usually open from June the end of August.

Tiffindell Ski Resort is the only other ski area in Southern Africa, but it is currently up for sale and may not open this year.

Iglu Ski Heads to Andorra from Scotland

1st June 2025

From December 28^th 2025 there will be a new direct ski holiday flight flight from Glasgow to Toulouse in France.

It will serve the resorts of Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, El Tartar Arinsal and La Massana that connects to the ski resort of Pal.

PlanetSKI was last in Andorra in January 2024:

The new flight route will depart weekly on a Sunday from December 28th 2025, through to March 15th 2025.

The flights arrive at 18:15.

Transfers are from 3 to 4 hours depending on the resort.

Sun Peaks Summer Snow Storage

1st June 2025

The Canadian resort is using an insulated blanket to preserve the snow over the summer.

The grooming team at Sun Peaks has team collected 14,000 cubic meters of snow.

It was then covered by mats developed by the Finnish company, Snow Secure.

The insulated mats are filled with a material called Finnfoam and arranged over an oblong dome-shaped pile of snow.

The stored snow is 300 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 30 feet tall.

CBC reporter, Shelley Joyce, shows how this latest snow technology can give ski competitors an edge.

The installation of the Snow Secure system comes in conjunction with a multi-million dollar upgrade to the resort’s existing snowmaking system that began in 2024.

Park City Claims Successful Winter

1st June 2025

The Utah ski town had its highest revenue ever based on transient room tax, a value combining room rate and occupancy levels.

This comes despite lower then average winter snow.

“The two seasons before this one had exceptionally high snowfall levels that resulted in the top two skier day numbers in history,” said the vice president of communications at the Park City Chamber, to Dan Howard.

“Last year was the highest collection in Park City history until this year’s collection.

“So, in brief summary, the past three years have seen exceptional economic performance in the tourism sector in Park City during the winter season.”

Park City has two ski resorts on its doorstep, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley.

PlanetSKI’s reporter Nick Dalton, stayed in Park City and visited Deer Valley last winter:

PlanetSKI reporter returns to Park City

“These numbers reflect a healthy and thriving ski industry, and we’re happy to play a role in continuing to grow snowsports in Utah,” said the director of communications at Ski Utah, Alison Palmintere.