General News

The partner of Australian snowboarder Alex Pullin has announced she is pregnant after retrieving his sperm when he died a year ago.

It was due to have taken place this October but uncertainties over travel restrictions and Covid-19 rules have led the organisers to put it back. A snowsports party will take place this November instead.

Ski resorts in the USA had their fifth best season on record in 2020-21, according to the latest figures produced by the National Ski Areas Association. Some areas had their best season ever. UPDATED

It is much higher than previous years and is nearly double the average over the past 50 years. Covid-19 restrictions, the growth in ski touring and unstable snow are to blame.

SnowDome, the snow centre in Tamworth, is joining forces with The National Snow Show to sponsor an ‘epic’ indoor slope and offer coaching to visitors to the show.

In the latest accident two Italian skiers have died off piste in the Mont Blanc Massif in France.  Two others died last week in the same area. Caution is urged by the authorities after fresh spring snow.

It happened on Sunday near the town of Stresa in Piedmont near Lake Maggiora. 2 children survived. An investigation is underway. UPDATED

The coach driver who died saving the lives of 51 people returning to the UK from the French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez, has been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

The British Association of Snowsport Instructors says Britons will not be allowed to take the European speed test needed for the top level of qualification required to work in the EU.

-Victoria in Australia Goes into Lockdown as Ski Season Approaches
-Swiss Fighter Jet Crashes in the Alps
-Austria Bans Direct Flights from the UK
-Crystal Ski Signs Up for London Ski & Snowboard Festival… UPDATED

The Swiss are able to return to cafes and restaurants outdoors from Monday. It is too late for an impact on the ski areas, with just a handful still open. With cases rising the government admits it is ‘taking a risk’. NEW

It was the year when skiing and snowboarding was stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic.  Winter 2019-20 was officially the worst of this millennium according to a major report just published.

England’s indoor snow centres are back in business as the lockdown eases still further. Most of the slopes have welcomed skiers and snowboarders for the first time this year.

It’s been a deadly winter season, with significantly more people killed than the average figure in the last 20-year period.  The majority of victims were off-piste skiers or snowboarders.

The operators of The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead are adding a second indoor facility to their business – the Chill Factore in Manchester. UPDATED

Investigators have recovered the wreckage of the helicopter. The condition of the sole survivor, a former Olympic snowboarder, is improving. The pilot, two ski guides & two of the three passengers died. One of the dead is the Czech Republic billionaire, Petr Kellner.

The Swiss health authorities say they plan to roll out a certificate for people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus. Austria is planning one for next month and other alpine nations are looking at the issue.

Cases are rising in many ski areas and countries, with restrictions changing as Easter gets underway. Check out all the latest developments in our rolling and updated blog. UPDATED

The eastern states of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland will re-enter a strict coronavirus lockdown on April 1st. It follows rising cases in the states with a record number of people in hospital in Vienna. What may the impact be elsewhere in Austria?

The restrictions will be in place over Easter when many head to the ski resorts and their cabins in the mountains. Elsewhere in Europe cases are rising in many countries with further restrictions.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on…

They are questioning Erna Solberg after she admitted breaching the country’s coronavirus regulations during her birthday celebrations in the ski resort of Geilo.

With cases rising & some criteria not met, the majority of the lockdown measures will continue from today, Monday 22nd March. Ski resorts remain open. Cases are showing a worrying surge across many ski nations in Europe.

The incident happened in the Romanian resort of Predeal as an instructor tried to lure the bear away from other skiers. Check out the video as it goes viral.

There are strict new measures across Italy including most of the main ski regions. The whole country goes into a new national lockdown over the Easter weekend. Any hopes for some ski resorts to open at the end of the season remains a distant dream.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Despite the pandemic and its restrictions, the Swiss Alpine Club said that 3,471 people had to be assisted after getting into difficulties in the Alps and the Jura mountain ranges.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Some are starting to ease restrictions, others are extending lockdowns or introducing new regional measures. Some resorts are opening while others are closing. It remains a complex picture with changes announced this week.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on…

It is a year since coronavirus started to spread across the world. In our occasional series we hear from PlanetSKI readers who have lived through it out in the mountains. Here’s David Brown from Wanaka in New Zealand.

Martin Nydegger has said in an interview that so far this winter there have been no big outbreaks of Covid-19 and no serious damage to Switzerland’s reputation. Not everyone agrees with him with Italy blaming Switzerland for spreading variant viruses to other countries.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

A 33-year old man was hiking with his dog when he fell and broke his ankle. He said his dog helped keep him alive until the rescue services arrived.

Hotelplan that runs Inghams, Ski Total and Flexiski has cancelled all holidays for 2020/21. Earlier this week Crystal Ski called it a day.

St Anton and Soelden have closed with others expected to follow suit. The Covid-19 test requirement makes skiing impractical for many. The Tirol has Europe’s highest outbreak of the South African variant.

One of the European countries that has battled Covid-19 well is Norway. Cases & deaths are low with skiing open for its own residents this winter. Conditions have so far been good. New restrictions have forced the cancellation of all remaining World Cup competitions.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Resorts in Lombardy, the Aosta Valley & Veneto have said they are opening next week under strict conditions. Trentino had hoped to open but has just been told it can’t. Resorts in the Milky Way in Piedmont are expected to open next weekend. The extent of openings hinged on regional travel restrictions that are now extended.UPDATED