Ski the world

Skiing exercises made simple

sue.stevens — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:26:18 +0000

Walking machines and cross trainers are great for building cardio but a walk in the park each morning will do the trick too

Preparing physically for your ski holiday is important if you want to make the most of those precious days on the snow.

So much is written about skiing exercises – including the dreaded squats against a wall and hold for 5, 10, 20 minutes – yeah, sure!

What are some simple ways to help build endurance and body strength?

Build core strength

This is something we should be doing on a daily basis to enjoy a long, healthy life so that you will be skiing at 85!

If you are doing regular exercises that build core strength, that’s great news. Yoga, Pilates, Body Firm and gym circuit work can all be great for building that all important core strength that will mean easier skiing from day one.

Introduce some ski-specific exercises about a month before your ski holiday.

Build endurance

We suggest:

cardio work three days a week – fast walking, jogging running (or a combo of each), step aerobics or hitting the elliptical trainer are three ways for building cardio endurance. Duration: 20 to 50 minutes.
once a week add one slow-paced workout to get your legs and lungs in shape for some long days on the slopes. Duration: 60 minutes

Build muscle strength

Once you get to your ski hill, you’ll quickly develop addtional strength as you use just about every muscle in your body.

Before you go, concentrate on large muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes then smaller muscle groups such as inner and outer thighs and arms.

For quads: get in some squats and lunges.
Hamstrings and glutes: deadlifts in body firm classes are ideal.
Inner and outer thighs: side lunges, sliding side lunges, inner thigh leg lifts, inner thigh squeezes.
Calves: standing calf raises or machine calf raises.
Abs and back: spin classes on bicycles, and dumbbell rows are both excellent exercises.
Arms: for biceps and triceps, bicep curls and tricep curls will develop strength.

Exercise Tip

As you go for your walk or jog, use your full water bottle as a weight and do 20 each bicep and tricep curls as you walk. Repeat several times on your walk. Amazing how you don’t actually need purchased weights.

Ski Health Tip

When you get the ski hill, invest in some Epson Salts if you have a bath. Each night, soak in a bath of moderately hot water with two cups of Epson Salts. Amazing for stopping the pain that comes after that first day of skiing.

Ski Season 2011-2012

sue.stevens — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:31:00 +0000

The weather in the northern hemisphere is getting colder. This is good news for skiers in the southern hemisphere who are planning on heading to Europe, Japan or North America to get some great skiing in this season.

My favorite destination is Japan. I’ve skied Niseko and Myoko Kogan but there are hundreds of ski resorts all with sensational powder.

Why good-fitting ski boots are vital

sue.stevens — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:01:40 +0000

Don't worry about colour, make sure you get a ski boot that fits well

Many new skiers get hooked into buying their own skis but what they should buy first is their own ski boots.

Ski boots are the most important part of ski equipment because it is the ski boot that directly connects the skier to the snow. The movement of the ski boot controls the ski movement.

When you move your foot, the boot has to move too. If boots are too loose, you’ll be moving your foot in your boot and not the ski. This will make it very difficult to start and complete turns. It also makes it very difficult to control the ski. A good indication if your boots are too sloppy is if you are tempted to crank up the buckles until they are so tight that you start losing blood flow in the foot.

A properly-fitted boot will make all the difference when you are skiing. Your boots will give you the control you need to ski well and keep improving your skiing. Your feet will be warmer and comfortable.

So how do you get good fitting boots?

Find a professional boot fitter and purchase your new boots from them.

In Canada, skiing at Silver Star, the best boot fitter we’ve found is at Olympia Ski Shop in Vernon. There are two great boot fitters and they give ongoing service on any boots bought there. They’ll adjust and modify your boots so you’ll get long service from your ski boots.

So ask around at your mountain and find a great boot fitter. Your skiing will improve overnight.

Why Australians love Japanese ski resorts

sue.stevens — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:17:22 +0000

Powder, powder everywhere!

The first thing someone who has skied Japan says ‘The powder is amazing’. That’s because it is widely known that Japan offers some of the most amazing skiing and snowboarding in the world precisely because of its reputation for excellent powder conditions, all levels of terrain and literally hundreds of resorts to choose from including traditional Japanese-style living on the snow and more Westernised resorts.

The second thing they mention is the ‘onsens’ or the hot springs and baths that attract visitors after a day on the slopes.

The third thing is ‘I don’t suffer from jet lag because it’s not that long to fly from Australia to Japan – about 10 hours from memory. Vancouver direct from Sydney is 14 hours and if you go via LA or San Francisco in the United States (also about 14 hours), add another six or seven hours minimum with customs to go through, changing flights and the inevitable time spent in airport land.

Experience Amazing Powder Snow

So where does all this great powder come from? The prevailing cold winds from Siberia hit Japan and fall as quality powder snow from November to April. The Nagano, Niigata and Thohoku areas on Honshu also receive consistent high-quality snow throughout the season.

The problem for most Australians is that skiing powder is not familiar to them. It can take a while to get used to the experience even if you are a good intermediate skier. That’s why many Japanese ski resorts have English-speaking instructors who can help new powder skiers to get the most out of their ski or snowboarding holiday.

Where to go for powder in Japan

Here’s a couple of ideas but there are plenty of resorts to choose from.

Niseko, Hokkaido

Think powder snow, think Japan!

Many powder hounds head to the northern island of Hokkaido in search of deep powder, off-piste runs and challenging terrain. Hokkaido is the coldest and most northern Japanese island and receives some of the best snow in Japan. Probably the most popular resort, and one of the most well-known on Hokkaido, is Niseko.

Nagano, Honshu

Hakuba, about an hour’s drive from Nagano, is arguably the most popular winter sports region in Honshu and has lots of snow resorts set against an impressive backdrop of a 30km stretch of mountains.

There’s more than 200 runs for skiers and boarders of all ski/snowboarding levels. Hakuba features 14 ski areas joining together to form six large ski resorts. For example, Hakuba Alpen Resort has three resorts – Happo-one, Hakuba Iwatake and Tsugaike Kogen – serviced by one lift pass. can ski all the three ski areas on the same pass on the same day and a free shuttle bus connects all ski areas.

Located one hours drive west of Nagano is Hakuba – One of the best ski resorts in Japan. Hakuba is ideal for skiing and snowboarding.

Nagano is best remembered by older skieres for hosting the 1998 Winter Olympics. The Olympics promplted the fast Shinkansen link to Tokyo making access to the ski area fast and very easy to manage.

Shiga Kogen resort near Nagano

Shiga Kogen is a ski resort set in the Joshinetsu National Park near Nagano. It is one of the largest ski areas in Japan with over 21 ski fields and 70 plus lifts, gondolas, ropeways and tows.

Myoko Kogen on Honshu

Under an hour’s drive north of Nagano City is Myoko Kogen which has an annual average snowfall of more than 13m of deep powder.

With 25 ski areas in the Myoko Kogen ski region, Myoko has been a ski resort since the 1930s, making it one of the oldest ski resorts in the world. At Myoko, it’s like being in a traditional village rather than some of the more modern resorts.

These are just a few of the Japanese ski fields which will be coming to life in mid-November when the 2011–2012 Northern Hemisphere ski season takes off.

The best place to ski in Australia

sue.stevens — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:11:25 +0000

Australia is the only place where you can ski among the native snow gum trees

When you think ‘skiing’ Australia is not the first place that comes to mind. New Zealand and South American ski fields are better known for Southern Hemisphere ski resorts.

The beauty of skiing amongst the snow gums – something that can only be done in Australia – is quite special despite the drawbacks. Skiing in Australia can be expensive and the resorts are few and far between.

In New South Wales, best known perhaps is Thredbo which has long runs though the bottom of Crackenback (the longest) can be slushy or non-existent in bad seasons.

Perisher Blue is a short tube ride away and has some good runs across three ski areas.

Charlotte Pass requires an oversnow transport ride in. While the highest of the Australian resorts, it has limited terrain and short runs. It is reasonably remote and has a limited on number of people who can stay on the mountain, so fewer people to avoid on the slopes.

In Victoria, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham are both renowned for having fewer skiers and snowboarders to compete with as these mountains are further away from Melbourne than Mt Buller, a three-hour drive from the big city.

There are other resorts in both Victoria and New South Wales and you can always stay off mountain to keep costs down.

Jindabyne is the big town about half an hour down the hill from Thredbo and Perisher.

Mt Beauty sits at the base of Falls Creek resort. Why is the creek at the top and the mountain at the botton. That’s always struck as odd!

Merijig is a cute little village at the base of Mt Buller and Bright is a very pretty town servicing Mt Hotham.

The Australian Alps are beautiful in winter and this winter, with great snow falls, skiers and boarders tell us that it has been a superb ski season. The resorts needed it but since the 2008 stock market fall, there haven’t been the numbers heading to the ski fields in such numbers. Let’s hope the resorts did well this year in spite of this.

Best snow falls in Australia this ski season

sue.stevens — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:56:19 +0000

Bumper ski season in Australia

Ski season is a cracker but where are all the people?

It’s been a bumper ski season in Australia this year: one of the best snow falls in years.

Ski bunnies who have been to Falls Creek tell Ski The World that the skiing is truly wonderful. And good for the skiers and snowboarders, the runs are not crowded. Disappointing for the resort businesses who have been needing a great season for a while. Seems that many Australians are keeping their hands firmly in their pockets in these times of economic uncertainty.

However, there are sure to be plenty of deals for those who want to give the snow fields a boost and do themselves a favour by getting some great skiing in this year.

Ski Deals on the Internet

Ski.com ski deals 2011

Snow holidays 2011 ski tour discounts

Snow NSW Ski Deals

Great snow photos

sue.stevens — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:16:55 +0000

We’re starting a campaign to find the best snow, ski or winter photos taken starting with this one by Phil Carter.

Taken at Silver Star Resort in British Columbia, it’s a favourite of ours at Ski The World. You can upload images on the Ski The World Facebook page as well.

Do you have a snow photo that is your favourite? Send to Ski The World

Ski and travel shows in Australia

sue.stevens — Mon, 30 May 2011 05:17:43 +0000

Displays from Big White, Silver Star and Whistler were just three of the many North American ski resorts at the Sdney Ski and Travel Show 2011

The world turned up to the Ski and Travel Show at the Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour in Sydney on 22 May 2011.

Asian ski resorts were particularly well represented. Japan and Korea lead the charge from Asia. Ski Japan Holidays were representing many resorts in Hokkaido which has buckets of powder snow every season.

Korea is not as well known for ski fields but YongPyong is worth a look at resorts in the Gangwon-Do region. According to the literature, Gangwon-Do has international-standard ski slopes and convenient, welcoming facilities. Given that Korean ski resorts are less known than those in Japan, there could be good value for money visiting some of the Korean slopes.

North American resorts in USA and Canada also turned up in force. Banff and Lake Louise representatives spruked their stuff as did the teams from Fernie and Jasper and the Big White, Silver Star twin resorts. Let’s not forget Whistler. From the USA, Red Mountain and Park City in Utah were resorts of interest.

European ski fields were present in Sydney tempting skiers to their ski mountains

Italy and Switzerland came along for the ride as did New Zealand and the Australian ski fields. Opportune time for Oz and NZ resorts with the weather favouring the possibility of a good season ahead.

For Australians travelling to Canada for the Northern winter, Air Canada were talking up the extra FREE baggage including a pair of skis and boot bag as free additional baggage per person. With direct flights from Sydney to Vancouver, Air Canada provide the fastest way for Australians to Canadian resorts.

The competition is fierce: Big White or Silver Star?

sue.stevens — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:53:46 +0000

The main street at Silver Star mountain ski resort

These two ski resorts in the Okanagan in British Columbia are owned by the same family – who once owned ski resorts in Australia.

Interestingly, there is fierce competition between the two resorts and I’m not talking about the company that owns them. Skiers in the Okanagan are either fans of Silver Star or Big White. Rarely do you find someone who doesn’t belong to one camp or the other.

Me? I’m a Silver Star skier though I’ve met plenty of people who argue that Big White is the better mountain to ski. I’m an outsider (from Sydney, Australia) but many locals have strong loyalty to one or the other resort.

Silver Star advocates say that Big White should be renamed Big White Out. Apparently, in foggy conditions, you’d better be good in whiteout conditions at Big White. When the weather is foggy, Silver Star wins as there are plenty of runs to ski without hitting whiteout conditions. The two runs that are the most problematic in such weather are Milky Way and Christmas Bowl. Other than that, it’s the better mountain in fog one could say.

Big White fans argue quite correctly that their mountain is higher and the lowest run at Big White is the top of the Silver Star mountain. Hence, there is better snow at Big White. Many also argue that there are more runs and there’s more diversity of runs. In response, Silver Star fans argue that the ski conditions are consistently good from top to bottom at Silver Star so does height matter? (Try Revelstoke top to bottom if you dare!).

Another plus for Silver Star (perhaps according to Silver Star skiers) is that the village is more accessible and easier to get around. It’s prettier – a really pretty ski village. If looks count, Silver Star wins but are we really there for the looks?

Do you have a preference for Big White or Silver Star and why do you prefer your mountain? It’s a debate that isn’t going to go away any time soon.

Read about other ski mountains in Canada.

The best places to eat and drink at Silver Star

sue.stevens — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:05:39 +0000

Silver Star Mountain Resort, via Vernon, British Columbina, Canada

Every ski hill has its eateries however finding the best ones is often trial and error if you are not a regular visitor.

Here’s the lowdown on where to eat and drink at Silver Star Mountain in British Columbia, Canada. Note: the recommendations in this article are based on the personal experiences of the writer and should not be read as factual information.

Best coffee and cakes at Silver Star

The difficulty getting a table at Bugaboos on any morning between 9.30 am 11 am speaks volumes about the quality coffee, delicious pastries and other delicacies served at Bugaboos.

Ski The World voted Bugaboos Bakery Cafe for best coffee at Silver Star

For visitors used to excellent expresso coffee, Bugaboos is the place to go. Frank and his team know how to make a great-tasting, caffeine-rich coffee fix. While other cafes serve coffee (The Den: too weak, Bean to Cup: slow service), Bugaboos comes through on service and quality of coffee and produce. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is too – it’s definitely the place to meet friends and discuss snow conditions ad nauseum.

Bugaboos also serves up an amazing array of home-baked pastries: to die for. The soups of the day which always includes Hungarian Gulash are home made, great flavours and help to keep the energy up for a power skiing afternoon. Pick up a loaf of Frank’s wholemeal bread to take home. Delicious!

Best lunch service

You can’t beat Long John’s Pub for a fast, great tasting lunch. Lots of beer and local wines to go with an express sandwich and soup, burger or quesadilla. Just one glass if you are going out for an afternoon ski.

Long John's Pub voted best for lunch and apres ski drinks by Ski The World

The team at Long John’s under the guidance of the two Johns know how to do fast, friendly service to get skiers and boarders back on the slopes without making them feel like they are being rushed out the door – it’s quite a balance but they do it extremely well.

For value, for service, for the best tasting food on the mountain, it’s Long John’s for this girl’s money.

Best après skiing drinks

Long John’s Pub once again takes the honours. It’s got loads of atmosphere and great afternoon snacks to have with a round of drinks when you come off the slopes for the day.

The Den is popular but quite noisy which makes conversation difficult (dead giveaway for the writer’s age! You’re right, I am not 25).

Why I didn’t select other eateries at Silver Star

Bean to Cup for coffee. The service is way too slow.

Paradise Camp for coffee. If you are an expresso coffee lover, this is off the list. They simply do not have a expresso coffee machine. For tea and hot chocolate, great. Despite requests for soy milk, they still don’t have it. How hard would it be to add to the list of supplies? The upside: If you are skiing the back side of the mountain, Paradise Camp is convenient and warm. And they do make the best cinammon buns on the mountain. Shame about the coffee.

For lunch, The Bulldog didn’t come through with the goods (service or food quality). Slow, slow, very slow service and the salad I ordered had wilted, half-dead salad leaves. Despite requests for a bit of haste, the service did not improve. No tip and no recommendation.

Paradise Camp lunch food just didn’t come up to the mark. Some things on the specials menu were not available and the service was slowish. Given that at lunch time, tables are at a premium, faster service would be handy to say the least.

The Den has a good lunch menu which is a bit more expensive than Long John’s. I had the soup of the day which was very good. Service can bet a bit slow. Long John’s has a better range on their menu and at better prices.