Grown not far from Fernie, Kootenay Powdersticks offer a variety of skis that are giving skiers a new take on skiing. Light, flexible, clear sintered bases with no paint to scratch, durable bamboo and maple cores give these skis a fresh feel on powder, a sharp edge on moguls and everlasting dazzling look.

Skiers are claiming they can handle anything and their build makes them virtually impossible to break. This new season brought about a new line of skis by the name of Valhallas that come in five unique shapes and sizes and a new snowboard by the name of Nirvana that comes in three sizes. These affordable new lines can be found at: www.boomtownskis.com

Girls Day Out and Rossignol have teamed up this winter and will be visiting five major locations around British Columbia. They are searching for a “groovy” female skier.

“Girls Day Out provides a positive environment where females can be motivated and inspired by highly recognized female ski coaches,” says a press release. “Have you ever dreamt about skiing backwards or jump a cliff? Set your goal, get on your skis and join Girls Day Out pro skiers that will empower you to reach it. In addition to that, you will get the opportunity of networking with other female skiers, try Rossignol women-specific demo skis, enjoy an educational workshop, win prizes, indulge in a shopping session, listen to motivational speakers and get pictures from a pro photographer on the spot.”

There are five events during the season:
Fernie Alpine Resort (December 29-30)
Red Mountain (January 12-13)
Kicking Horse (January 26-27)
Sun Peaks (February 9-10)
Big White (March 22-23).

Rossignol built a team of committed female skiers, under the name of True Colors. These women, who are deeply involved in product development and testing, are strong women in all aspects of their lives, on and off skis. They are mothers, professionals, artists, from all ages, culture and background. Girls Day Out events is in search of female skier who grooves in all aspects of life, on and off skis, as Rossignol athletes do! The contest is simple: submit 2 photographs (skiing shot, lifestyle shot), a brief summary of how you have stayed true to your passion and submit it to contest@girlsdoski.com. The brightest out of all submissions will win a prize package worth of over 1500$ including Rossignol skis and outerwear. The contest closes March 23 and the winner will be announced at Girls Day Out Big White session.
For complete details and registration, visit www.girlsdoski.com

Quatchi, Miga and Sumi. These are the names of the three critters who will meet and greet athletes, visitors, and fans in Vancouver and Whistler for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Each of the creatures is distinct and special – both in personality and in appearance. One is big, gentle and shy . . . one is small, mischievous and outgoing . . . and one is a natural-born leader with a passion for protecting the environment. All three are mythical creatures with roots in local legend. One is a sasquatch. One is a sea-bear. And one is an animal guardian spirit. They are all, to say the least, unique.

There was a method to the creative madness that spawned such imaginative critters. “We wanted mascots that could achieve a great deal,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), who underscored, “They had to appeal to children from all over the world, they needed to represent the people, geography, and spirit of British Columbia and Canada, and they had to personify the values and essence of the 2010 Winter Games . . . . In short, they needed to be many things all at once.” We think they are.

The first step was a call for designers. A total of 177 professionals from around the world (including Canada, Australia, Austria, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) expressed their interest in submitting a proposal, including credentials and a portfolio of previous work. Five were invited to Vancouver to meet the VANOC team to present their creative abilities and credentials. Eventually, one designer’s concepts were selected – to become the Vancouver 2010 mascots.

“When we met Meomi Design’s Vicki Wong, and saw the portfolios of her and her partner, Michael Murphy, I think we all felt they were born for this project,” said VANOC Brand & Creative Services director Ali Gardiner. “Not only is her work warm, endearing and imaginative, but she’s a very proud Vancouverite and Canadian, and was excited to share our culture and environment with the world through these Vancouver 2010 mascots. Vicki also understood immediately how the mascots could communicate Olympic and Paralympic ideals and values to children, and get them engaged in our Games.”

Following conceptual development, top secret research and focus testing, and numerous meetings for review and approvals, under security arrangements that would make even James Bond blush, the final three mascots were selected – two for the Olympic Games, and one for the Paralympic Games.

A fourth character was selected as a ‘mascot sidekick.’ “We never intended to have a sidekick,” said Gardiner, “but Mukmuk was so cute and such a perfect friend to the other characters that we had to keep him!” So history was made – the Vancouver Games is the first to have an official mascot sidekick.

Now the Vancouver 2010 team is preparing for perhaps the most exciting part of the mascot process – sharing them with the world. “I’m very pleased with the mascots, and I do love them, but it’s a lot like being a parent and watching your kids go off to school . . . you hope desperately that everyone else will love them, too,” said Leo Obstbaum, VANOC’s director of design.

The mascots have now been revealed to the public and the world. A special theatrical event was held for 800 schoolchildren in the nearby city of Surrey, British Columbia, and a global audience of thousands have met the mascots ‘virtually’ through the Vancouver 2010 website, vancouver2010.com.

“Embracing the power and potential of the internet to extend the Vancouver 2010 experience to the rest of Canada and the world is a key goal of ours,” said Furlong. “We hope this initiative will make the mascots immediately accessible to children and adults in all corners of the world.” The mascot microsite features an animated video of the mascot story, mascot character profiles, a personality quiz, an online game, e-cards and more.

“The mascot launch is a much-anticipated celebration leading up to the Games. I believe the mascots will become cherished icons – especially for children – and symbols of our Games, our country and our moment on the world stage,” concluded Furlong.

And so begins the story of Quatchi, Miga, Sumi … and a sidekick named Mukmuk.

Colliers International and the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association today announced a three-year partnership in which Colliers will be an official sponsor of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team.

“At Colliers, we pride ourselves on bringing innovation and leadership to our business and clients, and the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team represents exactly those qualities,” says Ron Bagan, Managing Director of Collier’s Vancouver office. “This is also going to be something our employees can really rally around, as we get closer to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Our goal as a company is to ‘Accelerate the Success’ of both our clients and employees. We’ve been very impressed by the Association’s commitment to success and view this as an opportunity for us to contribute to the development of these young champions.”

Colliers International will become the sponsor of the Moguls event at the FIS Freestyle World Cup to be held at Cypress Mountain just outside Vancouver; and a gold sponsor at the FIS World Cup at Mont Gabriel outside of Montreal (the Canada Post Freestyle Grand Prix). Dates for the events this year will be January 25-27 at Ski Mont Gabriel, and February 8-10 at Cypress Mountain. Colliers will also become an Official Supplier to the Canadian Freestyle Team.

Peter Judge, CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association says the support from sponsors is critical to the athletes’ success. “We enjoy some great corporate support already from sponsors like Canada Post, Bell and RBC. Colliers International has already proven that they are totally committed to our athletes and our events so I know that this is going to strengthen our program and help raise the profile of our athletes. Corporate support from companies like these is so important – both financially and psychologically. We truly value this partnership.”

Panorama Mountain Village will host Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Ladies Slalom and Giant Slalom races on November 24th and 25th, 2007.

Panorama first welcomed the Ladies World Cup in December 1989. The downhill, which ran the length of popular Skyline and Horseshoe, was then described by Canadian coach, Glenn Thomsen, as the best women’s downhill in North America and top five in the world due to the sheer vertical drop that Panorama is renowned for.

When considered for the return of the World Cup, Panorama Mountain Village was chosen by the International Ski Federation (FIS) not only for its long history in ski racing, but because it is a secure location for early season races.

Current temperatures are below freezing, and the snowmaking team is preparing Old Timer and Hay Fever for the upcoming events.

“The snow crystals we are currently producing have higher moisture content than average. The snow is fast and perfect for ski racing”, explains Snowmaking Manager, Todd Partington.

Grooming Supervisor, Mark Tripps, is working closely with Bruce Hampstead, Executive Director of Canadian World Cup Events, to shape the runs. The biggest challenge is the steeps of Hay Fever, which require the use of winch-cats fixed down by large cables to climb steep pitches.

Although Hay Fever is a challenging run to prepare, it promises to be among this year’s most exciting slalom events on the World Cup circuit. According to Dusan Grasic, Alpine Canada Program Director, “The slalom event will be fantastic. First, it’s a brand new run on the circuit, so racers haven’t had a chance to ski it before. Second, no slalom event is more challenging because Hay Fever is much steeper than what racers are used to on slalom runs. The breakover at the start of the course will be a great feature and will bring some excitement to the course.”

More Canadian ski resorts are opening this weekend thanks to continuing snow in all regions. Here’s news on openings at Sun Peaks, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Sauveur, Lake Louise, Norquay and Sunshine.

Sun Peaks
BC’s Sun Peaks Resort opens for the winter season on Saturday November 17th. The first ski resort to open in the Interior of the province, Sun Peaks has an alpine base of 60 centimeters with the forecast calling for more snow through the week.

Mont-Sainte-Anne
Mont-Sainte-Anne opens this Saturday at 8h30. First in the region to open, the resort was blessed with more than 50cm of snow in the past weeks!

Among the first trails to open are La Paradeuse, La Mélanie Turgeon and La Quanik. The north side of the mountain was covered with a thick white blanket in the past days. If tomorrow’s predicted cold front and snowfall come true, the resort could open up to 15 trails! Also, the team is working hard at making snow to offer the biggest playground as soon as possible!

Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Norquay
Sunshine Village opened their slopes earlier this week and kicked off the official start to the tri-area ski season in Banff National Park. With Sunshine’s official open, all three resorts are ready for the season. Lake Louise Mountain Resort opened to the public November 10th. Ski Norquay opened for two weekends on November 3rd and November 10th, before beginning private race training for the remainder of the month.

Sunshine opened with a base of 68cm topped by 34cm of fresh power over the past four days. The eight passenger high-speed Gondola, Mount Standish Express High Speed Quad Chair, Strawberry Triple Chair, Wawa Quad Chair, Jackrabbit Quad Chair, Wolverine Express Quad Chair and two magic carpets are all operating with over 50 runs available.

Lake Louise Mountain Resort opened Glacier Express Quad Chair with the Wiwaxy run and beginner terrain at the base of the resort last weekend. The resort enjoyed over 38cm of snow this week and with more winter weather in the forecast, Mother Nature is predicting a positive outlook for additional terrain openings in the near future. Ski Norquay completes the tri-area and was the first resort in Canada to open their slopes the first week of November. The resort is now hosting pre-scheduled national race training until December 7th.

Banff National Park’s tri-area resorts offer one of the most consistently lengthy ski seasons in the world from early November until late May. Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine is offering fifth night and day free specials to guests booking packages by November 30th. Visit www.skibig3.com for more information.

Mont St. Sauveur
Mont Saint-Sauveur, the only centre open in Québec, has had a satisfactory first week of operations; the early opening of the centre is already showing a positive impact on the region’s economy. Impatient for the launching of the season, skiers and snowboarders were present, ready for their first run down the mountain.

«The attendance of the past weekend and the enthusiasm proves that skiing and snowboarding is still as popular as ever. Contrary to last year, when the industry had a disappointing beginning, this year’s early start to the ski season has perked up the interest of snow enthusiasts; an increased number of people are purchasing season passes this year. » says Louis-Philippe Hébert, president and chief of operations at (MSSI) Mont Saint-Sauveur International.

The industry’s spokes people feel the same way. Alexis Boyer-Lafontaine, director of public affairs at l’Association des stations du Québec (ASSQ), believes that the news is positive for Québec’s ski centers. « The Québec ski industry is proud to see that centers are prepared to open their doors this early in the season. . . It proves that snowmaking systems are efficient during this lack of snowfall», says the director.

After a six month wait, Saint-Sauveur’s business owners were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the early opening date of Mont Saint-Sauveur. «Numbers go up once the ski center opens its doors. During the opening weekend, the increase in clientele was evident. » said Pascal Pagé, owner of La Belle Province restaurant.

It is a known fact that the ski industry plays a huge role in the economy of the Laurentians. The Vallée de Saint Sauveur’s ski centers alone create more than 3000 jobs.

Kästle announced the addition of Canadian freeskiing champion Hugo Harrison to its professional team. Harrison is the first North American named to the inaugural Kästle Pro Team, which includes Martin “McFly” Winkler (AUT), Sascha Schmid (SWI), Giulia Monego (ITA), Baptiste Blanc (FRA) and Jennifer Farde (SWE).

“Hugo personifies the new Kästle,” says Kästle Ltd. president, Siegfried Rumpfhuber. “He uses his strong racing background to ski with a smooth and powerful style—characteristics that perfectly describe our high-performance skis.”

A former professional downhill racer, Harrison burst onto the big mountain scene by winning the Freeskiing World Tour in 2000. He won the tour again in 2001 and 2002 and has racked up impressive regional wins at the Courchevel Freeride Classique and the Red Bull Snow Thrill in Alaska, among many others. He has appeared in countless ski movies including films by Teton Gravity Research, Matchstick Productions, Poor Boyz Productions and Warren Miller.

“I am super stoked to join the Kästle team,” states Harrison. “Kästle is a new, progressive company using its race technology and heritage to build all-mountain skis. These skis are going to help me quickly get back to the top of the freeskiing world.”

Race organizers have been given approval from FIS to proceed with next week’s Women’s races at Lake Louise, following this weekend’s men’s events.

“The course crew and staff of the Lake Louise Mountain Resort are to be commended for their hard work getting the course ready. The track they have prepared is absolutely second to none,” said Alpine Canada Alpin Director of World Cup Events John Cassels.

Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON), who won bronze in the Bombardier Winterstart Super G last season, is joined by Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC), Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC), Sherry Lawrence (Calgary, AB) and Danielle Poleschuk (Calgary, AB).

The opening Men’s training run of “Bombardier presents Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup” is scheduled to get underway in Alberta Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

EVENT SCHEDULE
BOMBARDIER PRESENTS THE LAKE LOUISE WINTERSTART WORLD CUP
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007 – Men’s Bombardier Winterstart Downhill Training at 11:30 a.m.
Friday, November 23rd, 2007 – Men’s Bombardier Winterstart Downhill Training at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, November 24th, 2007 – Men’s Bombardier Winterstart Downhill 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, November 25th, 2007 – Men’s Bombardier Winterstart Super G at 11:30 a.m.

Wed., November 28th, 2007 – Ladies Bombardier Winterstart Downhill Training at 11:30 a.m.
Thurs., November 29th, 2007 – Ladies Bombardier Winterstart Downhill Training at 11:30 a.m.
Friday, November 30th, 2007 – Ladies Bombardier Winterstart Downhill Training at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 1st, 2007 – Ladies Bombardier Winterstart Downhill at 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 – Ladies Bombardier Winterstart Super G at 11:30 a.m.

TELUS PRESENTS THE PANORAMA WORLD CUP
Saturday, November 24th, 2007 – TELUS Panorama Giant Slalom – 1st run at 10 a.m.
Saturday, November 24th, 2007 – TELUS Panorama Giant Slalom – 2nd run at 1 p.m.
Sunday, November 25th, 2007 - TELUS Panorama Slalom - 1st run at 10 a.m.
Sunday, November 25th, 2007 - TELUS Panorama Slalom - 2nd run at 1 p.m.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE
BOMBARDIER PRESENTS THE LAKE LOUISE WINTERSTART WORLD CUP
Saturday, November 24th, 2007 – Pontiac Alpine Ski Series on CBC – 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Sunday, November 25th, 2007 – Pontiac Alpine Ski Series on CBC – 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, December 1st, 2007 - Pontiac Alpine Ski Series on CBC – 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Monday, December 3rd, 2007 – CBC Sports Late Night (Encore) – 12:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Local

TELUS PRESENTS THE PANORAMA WORLD CUP
Saturday, November 24th, 2007 – Pontiac Alpine Ski Series on CBC – 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Monday, November 26th, 2007 – CBC Sports Late Night (Encore) – 12:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Local

*** All start times are tentative. A final decision with respect to start times will not be made until following the Team Captain’s meeting the night before each race

Organizers of the “Bombardier presents Lake Louise World Cup” are encouraged following today’s snow conditions inspection by the International Ski Federation. Preparations are proceeding as planned for the earliest start ever to World Cup races in Lake Louise after the course inspection by FIS technical experts.

“The course is being constructed thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the efforts of dedicated staff at the Lake Louise Mountain Resort despite challenging weather conditions,” said John Cassels, Alpine Canada Alpin Director of World Cup Events. “A lot more work remains but we are as committed as ever to making the Bombardier presents Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup one of the best ski racing events in the world.”

Almost 30 centimetres of new snow has fallen at the top of the mountain in the last week according to web reports, creating quality early season conditions with more snow in the forecast.

Canada’s CBC will televise the opening Men’s speed races of the World Cup season starting on Nov. 24. The Lake Louise races are also expected to reach more than 140 million viewers worldwide with the international networks that attend.

Lake Louise, which first hosted a World Cup race in 1980, saw three Canadians find the podium last year to launch a record-breaking season for Alpine Canada Alpin and the country’s national team racers.

Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Vancouver, BC) got it started with silver in the Men’s Bombardier Winterstart Downhill. John Kucera (Calgary, AB) followed by becoming the first Canadian male to win a Men’s Super G race on home soil. Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON) then earned the first World Cup podium of her career, finishing third in the Women’s Bombardier Winterstart Super G.

Lake Louise is the first resort outside of Europe ever to be named to the prestigious Club 5+, the organization that brings together the most famous and historic World Cup alpine racing courses in the world.

Snow control for the “Telus presents the Panorama World Cup” takes place Saturday.

A Western Canadian tour company is giving ski racing fans the chance to inspect the upcoming World Cup course in Lake Louise. Luxury Tour Company, Canadian Mountain Experience is offering a limited number of participants a chance to:

1. Ski on the official World Cup Course (inspect the course)

2. Rub shoulders with the fastest skiers in the world

3. Experience a variety of opportunities for autographs and pictures

4. Stay in the same luxury, 5-star hotel where the skiers will be lodging (this is not available to the public at any price)

5. Enjoy private access to the V.I.P. hospitality tent and media events

Alberta Alpine Members Save: Alberta Alpine members will save 5% of the package price when they book this package, plus Canadian Mountain Experience will donate a further 5% to AASA.

The men’s races at Lake Louise are November 24-25 and the Women’s Dec 1- 2.

For more info visit: www.cmeski.com/worldcup