Lesley grew up skiing in Aviemore and has become a double Olympian and Scotland’s best known snowboarder. A pioneer of the women’s snowboarding scene, she’s the only British snowboarder to have won a half pipe World Cup event. As well as starring in and producing her own snowboarding films, she’s also a fully qualified BASI coach and runs the annual Roxy snow camps.

Here’s what Lesley has to say about Les Arcs, part of the Paradiski ski area:

“Les Arcs was one of the first of the big ski resort developments to take place in the swinging sixties, designed for funtionality, ski-in ski-out and to open up the slopes to the masses. Well, is has certainly managed that! A total of 4 seperate villages with all the fun and apres you could ever need, Les Arcs is one of the most beautiful mountain resorts in all of France.”

For more info on Les Arcs and the rest of Paradiski including a piste guide and piste maps, check out Snowfinder Paradiski.

In times where everyone is fighting over taking you to the mountains we thought we would enlighten you about what costs incur when flying with various airlines.

British Airways
The British flag carrier has always been pretty good with ski/snowboards, however recently they have changed their stance on it.
Charge: Up to 23kg ,Free. Up to 32kg and in addition to your normal luggage allowance; £30.

Swissair
The Swiss national airline, Swissair, is renowned for being reasonable towards skiers and snowboarders and this year they do not fail to impress in these hard times.
Charge: 1 piece of ski/snowboard equipment (skis, boots, poles/snowboard, boots) may be carried free of charge on SWISS airlines. However, this is within the 23kg that has been given as allowance. Above this, the charge is €35

Ryanair*
Ryanair have a habit of taking money off the customer as much as possible, and taking skis or snowboards on a flight is no exception.
Charge: Up to 20kg, £40

Easyjet*
Easyjet have a tendency of advertising a lot regarding their winter flights and their baggage rules are quite impressive.
Charge: Up to 32kg, £18.50 (pre-paid) or £26 (at the airport)

BMIBaby*
BMI have a complicated way of explaining their sport baggage, however it seems like they have quite decent prices.
Charge: Unlimited weight (possibly up to 32kg) £18.99

Snowjet
Flying out of London Stansted, London Gatwick and Bristol to Chambery and Sion, Snowjet call themselves the ski flight specialists.
Charge: £10 each way for bags up to 20kgs, £4 each way for boot bags, £18 each way for ski/snowboard bags

Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic obviously only fly to North America, however due to their frequent flights to Canada, Colorado, Utah etc we feel we should mention them (they also have a great ski/snowboard policy!)
Charge: Up to 23kg and in addition to your normal luggage allowance; Free.

Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines only just recently change their policy regarding ski/snowboard equipment.
Charge: Up to 23kg and in addition to your normal luggage allowance; €30

(Asterisks denotes normal checked in luggage incurs a cost on these airlines)

As you can see from our list the airlines differ highly and even though the ticket might be very low, the costs add up if you are heading out to pump the powder in Chamonix or Les 3 Vallees.

That considered, it can also be worth noting that Easyjet, for example, run a Grenoble service only during the winter ski season. This proves, along with their mass winter sports advertising, that they are committed to delivering a good service to skiers and snowboarders even though they are a so-called low-price airline.

Written by: Tord Nilson

One of the best snowboarders to have come from the UK, Scott caught the boarding bug when he was just 12. With character and bags of natural talent the sponsors (namely Red Bull and Oakley) came calling and Scott has spent much of the last decade getting extensive coverage in the UK and global snowboarding press, as well as featuring in a host of breathtaking movies.

So, here’s what Scott thinks about Avoriaz:

“Part of the Portes du Soleil, Avoriaz offers some of the best riding in Europe. It boasts 2 terrain parks and has some epic off piste areas, which allow you to get away from the crowds. I did my first season there about 7 years ago and I’ve uncovered pretty much every area there is. Compared to a  lot of places in Europe, Avoriaz still comes out on top. Just over an hour’s drive from Geneva you can be having breakfast in the UK and carving the slopes by lunch time. I’ll usually start the day with a few warm up laps down “Starwars”. This is an epic run and if you ever bump into someone who’s ridden here they’ll know exactly where I’m talking about.”

For more info on Avoriaz and the rest of Portes du Soleil including a piste guide and piste maps, check out Snowfinder Portes du Soleil.

James started snowboarding over 20 years ago and was recently voted the UK’s 4th best snowboarder ever. He began his career perfecting tricks in the snow park, and then developed into a pure backcountry boarder. He’s done over 10 seasons based in Chamonix and last season won 3rd place in the highly coveted World Freeride Tour event held there. His knowledge of the slopes in and around Chamonix is second to none.

Here’s what James think of Chamonix:

“Chamonix is situated in one of the most unique valley’s in the world. It never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I drive up the valley at the start of the season and Mont Blanc comes into view, followed by the jagged peaks surrounding the Aiguille du Midi that dominate this long deep valley.

Chamonix is a traditional mountain town steeped in mountaineering and skiing tradition, winter after winter attracting mounatineers, skiers and snowboarders from all over the world looking to prove and challenge themselves. The valley has probably got the bext lift accessible terrain in the world, from the mind boggling Aiguille du Midi lift that puts you at the foot of Mont Blanc to the famous slopes of the Grand Montets.”

For more info, including James’s favourire runs and apres ski spots in resort, check out Snowfinder Chamonix.

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At eighteen, Ed Leigh did his first season in Val d’Isere and the resort captured his heart. After five seasons in the Haute Savoie, his professional career was cut short by injury. As editor of Whitelines magazine Ed visited every continent on earth in search of snow. He is now the snowboarding half of the BBC’s Ski Sunday presenting team and the voice of Olympic snowboarding commentary.

Here’s Ed’s view on Val d’Isere, after five seasons:

“I have visited a lot of resorts in a lot of countries and I still haven’t seen anything that rivals Val d’Isere’s diversity. With one of the highest tree lines in Europe it has fantastic bad weather riding, but it equals this with some fantastic high altitude big mountain riding. All this epic terrain is serviced with one of the fastest and best maintained lift systems in the world. In recent years the town’s reputation has certainly fallen from grace, from its heady days as the jewel in French skiing’s crown attracting the rich and famous, it is more of a stag do heaven these days. However, for those in the know there are lots of different areas to avoid the raucous nights, most notably the world’s most underrated resort next door, Tignes.”

For more info on Val d’Isere, including Ed’s favourite runs, piste maps and more, check out Snowfinder Espace Killy.

Zoe Gillings is Britain’s most successful Olympic snowboard cross athlete of all time. Zoe fell in love with the Portes du Soleil area at an early age and Morzine, with its mixed terrain, has always been a favourite. Ten years in the Portes du Soleil has seen Zoe compete in two Olympic Games, win world cup snowboarding competitions and regularly stand on World Cup podiums. For the last 4 years Zoe has been, and currently maintains the position of Great Britain’s highest ranked Olympic snowsports athlete.

Here’s Zoe’s take on the resort of Morzine:

“Ideally placed between Avoriaz and Les Gets, Morzine has a fantastic selection of tree lined runs where kids rarely get lost and access by road is easy. It boasts a vibrant night life and even an ice hockey rink! Though these days closely linked with Avoriaz, Morzine has kept its identity as one of the preferred resorts of the Portes du Soleil, with larger pistes and an “old town” feel bringing together excellent riding, a vast selection of restaurants and a fun night life. The only drawback with Morzine is sometimes a lack of snow, but being on the doorstep of higher resorts removes this problem and a little known gondola at Ardent takes you straight into a nice Portes du Soleil circuit where the snow is in abundance.”

For more info on Morzine and other resorts in the area check out Snowfinder Portes du Soleil, including Zoe’s favourite runs in both Morzine and Chatel. You can follow Zoe at www.zoegillings.com.

Sitting on a freezing chairlift trying to unfurl a soggy piste map will be a rare experience on the slopes of a dozen major ski areas this season as we unveil a brand new range of pocket-sized guidebooks.

Top names have contributed to the range of 12 guides, including Ed Leigh (co-presenter of Ski Sunday and High Altitude), Olympian snowboarder Zoe Gillings and top British freeskier Pat Sharples, who all pass on their insider’s knowledge of the slopes.

Covering ski areas in France, Austria and the USA, the compact books combine full colour piste maps with individual descriptions of each run to help skiers and snowboarders of all abilities plan their day on the slopes.

Each guide features a pro in the know who, as well as describing their favourite runs in each resort, reveal the best apres-ski in the area, top tips on places to go eating, drinking, dancing or clubbing.

- pocket sized piste guides
- easy to use & practical
- includes full colour piste maps & resort info
- knowledge & insight from pro’s in the know

Over the next few weeks we’ll be profiling the skiers & snowboarders featured in the new guides and will be featuring insights into their favourite ski areas.

We’ll be launching the guides at the Metro Ski & Snowboard Show at London Olympia (20th-24th Oct). For a full listing of all the resorts we’ve got covered just go here: Snowfinder ski & snowboard guides.

A charity that supports people living with multiple sclerosis is looking for skiers and snowboarders to sign up for its upcoming Monster Ski event, which will take place in Tignes, France from 3-7 February 2011.

Monster Ski is an exhilarating ski and snowboarding challenge, organised exclusively for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust. If you’re confident on a red run and want a ski trip that challenges and thrills, then Monster Ski is for you! Be part of this fast, exciting downhill adventure that will see you skiing the height of Mount Everest every day in one of Europe’s premier resorts.

Monster Ski is an endurance challenge to ski 90,000 vertical feet over 3 days. It might sound daunting, but if you are a confident and capable skier or snowboarder, with a good level of fitness, it should be within your grasp. This charity event offers you a unique way to experience the expansive Espace Killy ski area, whilst being part of something really special to benefit people living with a difficult life-long condition.

Located below the towering Grand Motte, Tignes is a high altitude haven with links to Val d’Isère. Due to its altitude, Tignes has a very reliable snow record with snow-sure slopes and superb glacier skiing. It costs just £150 to register for Monster Ski and each participant will be required to raise a minimum of £1,700 in sponsorship for the MS Trust. Included in this price are flights & transfers, accommodation (half board), a 3 day lift pass and ski guides.

Previous Monster Ski events in Colorado, Engelberg and Whistler have raised over £250,000 to support the MS Trust’s vital work. This is your chance to put your passion to a good cause and help people living with MS today. The Monster Ski experience will leave you with a real sense of achievement and great memories that will stay with you forever.

“I’ve just about recovered from the Monster Ski challenge! What a fantastic week… Fantastic place, fantastic friends, fantastic charity.” Keith, Monster Ski Whistler 2010

For more information about Monster Ski, please contact Laura Percival at the MS Trust on 01462 476707 or download a registration pack from: www.mstrust.org.uk/monsterski

Notes:

• MS is usually diagnosed in young adults. It is a complex and unpredictable life-long condition that attacks a person’s central nervous system, often leading to physical and cognitive disability. We currently know neither cause nor cure.
• The MS Trust is working to enable people with MS to live their lives to the full by providing evidence-based information; educating health professionals about multiple sclerosis; and funding research to help people living with MS now.
• In January 2008 18 people took part in Monster Ski in Colorado; 16 people took part in Engelberg, Switzerland in January 2009; 15 people took part in Whistler in April 2010. Case studies are available on request.
• More information about Monster Ski can be found at www.mstrust.org.uk/monsterski, including the Monster Ski blog and photos from previous events on Flickr.
• Monster Ski is run by Ski Independence, the UK’s leading independent ski tour operator. Visit their website at www.ski-i.com.
• Contact Laura Percival, Fundraising Officer for further details or photos on 01462 476707 or [email protected]

If you’re an athlete signed up with Red Bull, you can be pretty confident that they’ll do everything possible to make you better. With that in mind, here are some highlights from their recent Snowboarding Performance Camp held at Snowpark in New Zealand, which brought together top snowboarding talent from around the globe. Bradford’s own Jamie Nicholls was there, flying the flag for British snowboarding.

Absinthe Films launched the trailer for their new snowboard flick last week. We’re pretty excited to see what the full production looks like, but in the meantime here’s a little something from their press release and then the trailer:

“Movement can give the illusion of progress. And they say that all the world is illusion. So what is the difference between exploring and being lost? In a winter that brought an exceptional amount of challenges to riders all over the world, Absinthe’s newest snowboard film reminds us how much our reality is affected by what we make of it. Whether you are lost … or exactly where you want to be … all depends on how you look at it.”

NowHere trailer by Absinthe Films from Absinthe Films on Vimeo.

NOW/HERE RIDERS: Dan Brisse, Jake Blauvelt, Gigi Rüf, Lucas Debari, Fredi Kalbermatten, Sylvain Bourbousson, Romain deMarchi, DCP, JP Solberg, Annie Boulanger, Marie-France Roy, Bjorn Leines, Taka Nakai, Tadashi Fuse, Jules Reymond, Cale Zima, Blair Habenicht, Terje Haakonsen, Bode Merrill, Wolfgang Nyvelt, Nicolas Müller