Skiing in Dolomites

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Val Di Fassa

VAL DI FASSA AND THE ITALIAN SKI CHAMPIONS
The unique Dolomites sceneries together with the variety of its slopes and a carousel of fast, modern ski lifts have made Val di Fassa the perfect location for the training of the Italian national Ski Team, especially welcomed by Chiara Costazza and Cristian Deville, the two home athletes.

LEGENDARY CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
The valley offers a wide choice ofroutes and circuits of varying difficulty, set in breathtaking scenery for a total of 51 km of pistes (up to 70 km including the Marcialonga route). Furthermore the Ciampac circuit and the Alochet cross-country ski centre at San Pellegrino Pass, situated at high altitude, guarantee excellent skiing right up to the end of the season.

THE MARCIALONGA
This historic competition, one of the classics among long-distance cross-country races, is an important sporting event which takes place every year on the last Sunday of January.

THE SILENCEOF THE SNOW
Routes to follow with your skis far from the pistes and surrounded by the most solitary and unspoilt nature: this is ski mountaineering. And in these spectacular surroundings two of the most famous international competitions take place, the Sellaronda Ski marathon and the Pizolada delle Dolomiti

AND AT NIGHT...
...the magic of skiing at the Aloch Ski stadium in Pozza di Fassa, ort he Christomannos piste at Carezza,open and illuminated some evenings during a week, to enjoy the charm of the Dolomites under the starry night sky.

GREAT ACCOMMODATION OFFERS IN VAL DI FASSA - http://www.skiingitaly.net/

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

Gardenissima Video - Skiing in Dolomites

Val Gardena: synonym of snow, sun and fun.

Follow the exciting events of the World Cup and spend a period of rest in romantic places enjoying the alpine view that is similar to a photo album. Val Gardena is a mix between winter emotions and special offers, fully respecting its tradition of “Leading Mountain Resort of the World." From the first snowfall until the end of the season in April, Val Gardena attracts visitors with all-inclusive proposals and prices within everyone’s reach, with special attention to the needs of families. The start of the season is as spectacular as the end. Gardena offers a winter with countless attractions for every need. Val Gardena as a sports valley is equally renowned for events like the "Val Gardena Sprint", that is a cross-country evening skiing race. It takes place in rotation in one of the towns of the valley and the protagonists are the best cross-country athletes at an international level. "Sella Ronda Skimarathon", is a night alpinism skiing race that takes place around the Sella massif. "Val Gardena Ciasp", this winter is the eighth edition of this peculiar race with snowshoes. 500 kilometres of ski runs through a Dolomite landscape without equals. Independently from the sports attractions, Val Gardena is also a winter destination of the highest order. The official confirmation comes from the Internet Website “tripadvisor.com" according to which Val Gardena is one of the best European ski centres. 81 very modern ski-lifts, 175 kilometres of runs set between the rocky masses of the Sella, of the Sassolungo and Cir. Val Gardena is also an integral part of "Dolomiti Superski", a skiing carousel that is unique in the world for its magnitude and grandeur: 12 skiing areas, 450 ski-lifts and 1200 kilometres of ski slopes. In inviting refuges and mountain chalets built in typical Ladin style, dishes are prepared that recall the ancient culinary tradition of Val Gardena. All these factors together with the traditional hospitality of Valley-dwellers create the ideal conditions for an unforgettable holiday. Another important aspect of Val Gardena is certainly the altitude, snow is always guaranteed right down to the bottom of the valley. The tracks have artificial snow plants ensuring perfect skiing during the whole winter season. Val Gardena: synonym of snow, sun and fun. A winter sport with different rythms in Vallunga and Mount Pana. Val Gardena offers different attractions for lovers of relaxing and romantic sports. The lovers of cross-country skiing find in Vallunga, at the foot of the "Stevia" in the Natural Park Puez-Odle, a network of routes for beginners and experts such as the ring of 12 km that leads to "Pra da ri". Mount Pana, a sunny plateau has, in addition to the skiing slopes, a centre designed according to the most modern requirements of cross-country skiing. For those who do this sport on an excursion level, there is the "panoramic" route, and for the most demanding or for races there are different routes for a total of 30 km of slopes that follow precise signs and make it possible to change route at any moment. To go back to a holiday with a different pace, there are also different ways to enjoy the beauty that characterizes Val Gardena. To admire the enchanting landscapes that nature has given to this valley with such generosity, one can go to Ortisei, S. Cristina and Selva. All different winter hiking places, some on the margin of the woods, others link towns. For example, the Planetary Trail in S.Cristina that follows a stretch of the hiking route that was once the train track of Val Gardena, built during the First World War and then removed in the early 1960s. A continuous coach service, the "Gherdëina Ski-Express" connects all the valley and allows the guests of Val Gardena to arrive close to the ski of runs and ski-lifts without having to use one’s car thus respecting the environment. The bus service is carried out throughout the season (please consult the timetables) and consists in the purchase of a weekly ticket. An evening bus service has been set up for those who wish to move around the valley in the late evening: "Val Gardena night bus"

HISTORY OF SKI SPORT AND SKI RACES IN VAL GARDENA

1900–1930 /1908 first ski race in the Dolomites Skiing as sports activity in the Val Gardena is dating back to the end of the 19th century and in 1908 the first Ski Club was founded who became a charter member of the Tyrolean Ski Association. Its name was the Dolomiten Alpen Ski Club Ladinia, soon followed by the Ski Club Sella. Also in 1908 the first documented ski race is being held from the Grödner Joch/Gardena Pass down to Plan, a tiny village nestled at the end of the Valley. More races were following, not only in the Valley but all around the Dolomite Mountains. 1930–1939 In the thirties, races became more professional: In 1932, the Italian Ski Federation nominates the first ski instructors in the valley and the first lifts are being built: A cable car from Ortisei to the Alpe di Siusi in 1935, and two years later two different sledge cable cars of 20 persons each in Selva, one on the Ciampinoi, one on the Costabella. Also in 1937, the national ski school of Val Gardena is founded and the National Ski Championships are being held in the valley. In 1939, everything is being stopped by the eruption of World War II and after 1945 development would be slow due to the huge social and economic difficulties. 1945-1960 In 1948, race activity is being resumed and again National Ski Championships are being organised. Participants were also Zeno Colo, Rolando Zanni, Vittorio Chierroni, Hermann Nogler, Celina Seghi, and other champions who would become famous in the years to come. In the fifties, the economy is improving and so is the interest for tourism and winter sports. Scofone, immigrated into the valley, and Engelbert Senoner of St.Ulrich/Ortisei are again organizing international races and the idea of an Alpine Combine is born, the Coppa dei tre Comuni Ladini. in 1959, this race is classified as FIS B and it is with this award that the Gardena valley takes the road which 11 years later will bring her to the historical World Ski Championships. 1960–1961 In 1960 Tschucky Kerschbaumer, a keen and active sportsman was elected president of the Ski Club Gardena. His immediate aim was to organize high class international competitions such as the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm and the Wengen Lauberhorn races. Young people from the valley were sent to these places in order to study how to efficiently and professionally run such events. Meanwhile, Edmund Dellago, Ski Club secretary, placed the candidacy of Val Gardena to organize two international events with the Italian Ski Federation, a downhill race on the Ciampinoi 3 and a slalom on the Ronce slope of Ortisei. 1961-1962 For the following year no men’s race were allotted to the Gardena Valley due to the rotation system BY FISI so a ladies’ FIS A race was organized on the Ciampinoi 4 and a slalom at S.Cristina. 1962-1963 No FIS A races for that winter, but the Valley’s enthousiasm is increasing and two FIS B races are held, one at Selva with Felix Denicolò as a winner and the other one on the Seceda mountain won by Carlo Senoner. A new local racers’ generation is surfacing: Gerhard Mussner, Ivo Mahlknecht, Giustina Demetz, and others, and a new idea by Erich Demetz is born – the organization of a World Ski Campionship in Val Gardena. in 1963, Erich Demetz is becoming president of the Ski Club Gardena. As he remembers, at the general assembly in October 22, 20 out of 22 people present had less then 20 years. These boys made their dream come true. 1964-1965 – Invention of FIS Ski World Cup by Serge Lang In 1965 the last FIS A race is being held, as in 1966 the Fis World Cup is being invented by Serge Lang. A very important event. Not only for the Gardena valley, but in general, as for the first time an Italian ski event is being televised by Eurovision. There is so much enthousiasm that the idea of a World Ski Championship is taking more and more shape. But Fabio Conci, president of the Italian Ski Federation, is skeptical about logistics, finances, and the naivité of these youngsters from the valley. These, however, are insisting and already during the FIS Congress of Mamaia in 1965 Tschucky Kerschbaumer and Erich Demetz are distributing candidature pamphlets during parties organized by world renown candidates like Kitzbühel, Davos, and Jackson Hole. 1966-1967 No race is being organized in 1966 and in the following year a delegation from the valley is bidding for the championships at the Beyrouth FIS Congress. The organization is perfect and "congress participants are surprised by the perfect candidature organization run by Demetz, Kerschbaumer, Sanoner, Dellago" (Sciare, June 1967). Nothing is left to chance and after the second votation the FIS president Marc Hodler announces Val Gardena as winner with 39 votes.. 1968-1969 In 1968, pre-championships are being held and in 1969 the first men’s and women’s downhill races are run on the newly built Saslong and Cir slopes. And there is a first rough time for the new Saslong slope: Karl Schranz refuses to start, pretending that the slope is "too easy". Infact, prior to the construction of this new slope, downhill racing was extremely difficulty and risky. Gates were being placed as few as possible and the racer put his life at risk on a slope which almost wasn’t marked. Typically, the winner was whoever found the shortest and most direct line. Gerhard Mussner, one of the local racers, remembers that once he had put a piece of wood in the snow so he would remember where to curve. Then he removed it so that his adversaries couldn’t "steal his personal line". The design of the Saslong slope was the result of a new philosophy of the FIS: No more horror-downhills, no more holes and mogus, no more dangerous rocks and extreme jumps (where Karl Schranz was undoubtly the best), but more safety in order that the race be won thanks to technique and not to the extreme risk. As a matter of fact, in the same Summer, the most extreme points of the "Lauberhorn", the "Hahnenkamm", and the "Tofane" would be shaven due to FIS instructions. The difference of the new Saslong slope towards the other "old" slopes is evidenced by its average speed of 111,600 km/h compared to 90,720 km/h for Kitzbühel, 84,240 km/h for Wengen, and 90,360 km/h for Cortina. World Ski Championships 1970 The 1970 World Championships have been an important mile stone not only for the history of Val Gardena - Gröden but also for the evolution of the organization of big sports events. They have been a work bench for new technologies, for experimenting new advertising means, but foremost for making this jewel of a Dolomite valley known all the world over. The Seventies The Post-Championships The 1970 World Ski Championships achieved a strong impact on the development of the Gardena/Gröden Valley. In the years right after the Championships, the (money and non) aristocracy of Europe (e.g. Sachs, Flick)flocked into the valley by helicopter. However, we were fully unprepared to be up to this elite level, as by the end of the sixties most of the hotels of Selva/Wolkenstein, due to refurbishing, were short of money and unable to offer top treatment. However, it took only a couple of years until they were able to double their room capacities. The 1970 had been financed, directly and indirectly, by the Italian Government, by the Trentino/South Tyrol region, and by the local South Tyrolean provincial government with a total of about 9.000 million liras and the local authorities of the valley hadn’t to come up but with 0,5% of the total expenditure. The 1975 Finals After the successful but tiresome organization of the Championships, it wasn’t that easy to begin from scratch again, until Erich Demetz, by founding a "Coordinatin Committee Gardena/Gröden) proposed to the FIS to organize a World Cup event which as of 1972 has become part of the yearly world cup circuit. The 1975 Finals became a historical event, when the three leading competitors Franz Klammer (21 years), Ingemar Stenmark (19 years), and Gustav Thöni (24 years) had to run the final event, a parallel slalom at Ortisei/St.Ulrich, all three of them with an equal amount of world cup points (240). Klammer was ousted right at the beginning by Helmut Schmalzl (at present FIS race director). The final race was run between Thöni and Stenmark. When they were ready for the start, 40.000 spectators held on their breath and when departed, a roar filled the valley. They did the run almost parallel until the third last gate when Thöni succeeded in beating Stenmark, to the delight of the public. These Finals also proved to be historic for the innovation of having for the first time a sponsor: Parmalat had bought sponsor rights for 25 million liras, thus opening new horizons for alpine ski race sponsoring. 1975-1980 With Thöni’s victory, the "blu avalanche" of Italy showed a steady decline and also showed the end of technical events in the valley, where mainly downhill talents were promoted. There was, though, and italian victory 1977 with Herbert Plank, but it took twenty years to see another italian racer on the podium (Ghedina 1996, 1998, 1999) while Peter Müller also ahd three firsts (1979, 1980, 1988) and only "emperor" Franz Klammer succeeded four times (1975, 1976, 1976, 1982). "Lost times" A strange thing happened in 1978 when after competitor No. 9 (Sepp Walcher) the time taking equipment went out of order. The event was repeated and won by Erik Haker (NOR) who already in the first run was first when interrupted. Second was Peter Müller who in the following year would win the Saslong downhill. The Eighties The big jump Uli Spiess’s (AUT) long jump over the Camel Hunches on December 15, 1980 was considered sensational. With a speed of 100 km/h this athlete made a 70 m jump right over the last two hunches, "flying" 10 m high. (For more details, click here). Lots of competitors tried to copy him and ran into bad accidents, like Peter Müller (SUI), Anton Jimmy Steiner (AUT), "Much" Mayr (ITA), and Giorgio Piantanida (ITA). As a consequence, the OC, backed by FIS, decided to to shorten the jump to 50-60 m "only". The great Marc Girardelli, however, was never tempted to try the jump and created his own line which to this very day is called the "Girardelli line". (more over the jump) Club 5 In 1987, the Saslong race was the second event (after Val d’Isère) to open the circuit of the 5 "classic" downhills, i.e. "Big 5", after Rich Demetz’s and Herwig Grosch’s (Kitzbühel OC) idea. Their intention was to put these five races on Europe’s most famous slopes (Daille – Val d’Isère, Saslong – Gardena/Gröden, Lauberhorn – Wengen, Streif – Kituzbühel, and Kreuzeck -- Garmisch-Partenkirchen to top level world wide. After a FIS intervention, the name "Big 5" was modified into "Club 5"). For more information of Club5+ click here. The Nineties When in 1993 a genuine outsider, Markus Foser (LIE) had won the downhill, the starting time was definitely delayed to 12.45 when virutally identic light conditions would be available for all the competitors. The most outstanding fact of the past ten years was certainly the technical and the technological development: Competitors improved their performances, manufacturers their hard-ware and the organizers the slopes. A direct consequences of these improvements was the necessity to "defuse" some of the fastest and most insidious parts of the slope by slightly changing the line, by enlarging the "walls" and the entering of the "Ciaslat". By doing this, the track has been brought back to its natural morphology, increasing the technical demands of this classical course. Thanks to these achievements, the Saslong has remained one of the few courses world wide where the running time has stayed above the two minutes. The Future The Saslong Cable Car Company wants to complete its plans of enlarging the slope, including the finish schuss. Once completed, together with the new electronically-deviced snow making equipment and the completed finish building inaugurated in 1998, the Saslong will be one of the most complete and reliable courses of the entire World Cup Circuit. 40th anniversary of the Ski World Cup In 2005 the International Ski Federation FIS celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Alpine Ski World Cup. Alto Adige/Südtirol was the centre of attention as it played host to this important celebration. The World Cup winners of all times were invited to Val Gardena and Alta Badia for the "Champions Celebration", which took place during the world cup competitions (Super G, Descent, Giant Slalom) on the 16th, 17th and 18th of December 2005.

Video - Val Gardena

Thursday, 25 June 2009

2010 U.S. Alpine Ski Team

Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, and Julia Mancuso lead a talent filled group of athletes named to the 2010 U.S. Alpine Ski Team. Vonn, two-time World Cup overall champion and double World Championships gold medalist, joins Olympic gold winner Julia Mancuso, on the A Team. For the men on the A team, 2006 Olympic combined gold medalist Ted Ligety and World Cup winners Marco Sullivan and Steven Nyman will lead the way.

"This is a larger Team than we've had in the past, but it's still a very young Team" said Men's Alpine Head Coach Sasha Rearick. "The average age of the A Team is 26 and that says a lot about the future of this program."

Here are the complete team placements as announced today:
2010 U.S. Alpine Ski Team (including birthdate, hometown and club program; * indicates Olympian):

A TEAM - Men
Erik Fisher (3/21/85; Middleton, ID; Bogus Basin)Tim Jitloff (1/11/85; Reno, NV; Park City Ski Team)TJ Lanning (8/27/84; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Team)Ted Ligety (8/31/84; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Team)*Scott Macartney (1/19/78; Crystal Mountain, WA; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club)*Steven Nyman (2/12/82; Provo, UT; Park City Ski Team/Sundance)*Marco Sullivan (4/27/80; Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team)*Andrew Weibrecht (2/10/86; Lake Placid, NY; New York Ski Education Foundation)

A TEAM - Women
Julia Mancuso (9/9/84; Olympic Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team)*Lindsey Vonn (10/18/84; Vail, CO; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/Buck Hill Ski Team)*

B TEAM - Men
Thomas Biesemeyer (1/30/89; Keene, NY; New York Ski Education Foundation)Will Brandenburg (1/1/87; Spokane, WA; Schweitzer Alpine Racing)Jimmy Cochran (5/29/81; Keene, NH; Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)*David Chodounsky (6/25/84; Crested Butte, CO; Dartmouth Ski Team) Tim Kelley (5/20/86; Starksboro, VT; Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)Cody Marshall (11/15/82; Pittsfield, VT; Burke Mountain Academy)Paul McDonald (6/25/84; Bellevue, WA; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club) Jeremy Transue (6/1/83; Hunter, NY; Green Mountain Valley School)Jake Zamansky (6/26/81; Park City, UT; Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club)

B TEAM - Women
Stacey Cook (7/3/84; Mammoth, CA; Mammoth Mountain Ski Team)*Hailey Duke (9/17/85; Boise, ID; Park City Ski Education Foundation/McCall Ski Team)Sterling Grant (6/1/87; Amery, WI; Buck Hill Ski Team)Keely Kelleher (8/12/84; Big Sky, MT; Rowmark Ski Academy)Jessica Kelley (10/5/82; Starksboro, VT; Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)Chelsea Marshall (8/14/86; Pittsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School)Megan McJames (9/24/87; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Education Foundation)Kaylin Richardson (9/28/84; Edina, MN; Team Gilboa)*Sarah Schleper (2/19/79; Vail, CO; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)*Leanne Smith (5/28/87; Conway, NH; Mt. Washington Valley Ski Team)Resi Stiegler (11/14/85; Jackson Hole, WY; Park City Ski Team/Jackson Hole)*

Also announced today were the C Team and the U.S. Alpine Development Team.

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Dolomites - Trentino region - not only skiing

Winter promises not only skiing and many activities in unspoilt natural surroundings, but also relaxation, great exhibitions, events, the pleasures of the table, well-being…

Winter in Trentino means snow, but also nature, relaxation, flavours, events, art and well-being. Skiing in Trentino is terrific, but not everything.
Needless to say you can enjoy all the opportunities offered on the snow: Alpine skiing, cross-country, snowboarding, ski touring, snow-shoeing, Nordic walking, plus skating, sleddogging and ice-climbing. Almost 800 km of pistes, technologically advanced lift passes, two circuits only (Skirama and Dolomiti Superski) covering nearly the whole region, about a dozen fun parks for board enthusiasts, enchanting routes through woods and on plateaus, silent peaks to explore on touring skis, 500 km of trails and about twenty centres for cross-country skiing. And what else? Over 300 modern lifts, programmed snowmaking covering 90% of the pistes, hotels and other accommodation establishments boasting a potential of over 400 thousand beds of excellent quality divided between 1551 hotels, 174 guest houses and then camp-sites, agritours, B&Bs and second homes. Not only excellent lodging, but also board: here wines are superb and local dishes delicious. Overall we thank nature: statistics show that snowfalls are abundant (on average 4 metres at an altitude of 2,000m) and eight out of ten days are sunny. Families seeking snow will find a great number of packages and services planned specifically for them. For example free lift passes and discounts. There are also Kindergartens where infants are looked after by qualified staff.

In Trentino it doesn’t take much to be filled with a feeling of effervescent pleasure: strolling in a Nature Park, recognising the scents of the forests, admiring the superb panoramas. As scientific studies have shown the body gains important benefits from even a brief stay at a medium altitude, between 1000 and 2000 metres. Not only: at the same time the mind is regenerated and everyday stress is forgotten, perhaps while listening to a babbling brook, or admiring the peaks as they turn pink in the setting sun, or breathing in the mountain air, or sipping the water of spring.

Not to be forgotten the three Nature Parks in Trentino (Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino, Adamello-Brenta and Stelvio) that also offer visitors a rich calendar of activities and events in winter.

As a fitting complement to the outstanding Alpine environment, Trentino boasts hotels able to ensure the best in the field of well-being, those with the sign “Vita Nova – Trentino Wellness”. Here the guest will find an oasis entirely dedicated to relaxation and fitness with gyms and equipped rooms, various kinds of saunas, special water jets and showers, pools and Jacuzzis , a beauty centre with qualified staff and a wide range of personalised treatments.
The spas also offer well-being treatments and together constitute a real health circuit. Four of these are open in winter.

First nature, then history forged this land leaving an indelible mark of art and culture. Lying between northern Europe and the Mediterranean, Trentino has been a country of transit and encounters since ancient times and therefore has many layers of styles and memories. Today monuments, churches, castles and small elegant towns remain. First and foremost Trento, the capital of the province, renowned for having hosted the longest and most famous Council of the Catholic Church (1545 – 1563). There are 17 museums of considerable importance scattered throughout Trentino and many small collections and displays in the civic museums. The two main museums, Buonconsiglio in Trento and the Mart in Rovereto, constantly host international exhibitions.

Worth mentioning is the “Fiemme Ski Jazz”, the most important jazz festival on the snow in the whole of the Alps, held in mid-March.

Various types of traditional and extremely attractive events are held during Christmastime and Carnival. The atmosphere created around the street markets is really incomparable: the coloured lights, sounds and scents around the stalls selling local products announce the arrival of Christmas in many towns and villages.

At Carnival, instead, ancient, pagan rites resurface in the popular folk traditions. Not to be missed the traditional Ladinian masks.

Saturday, 13 June 2009

Trentino, a paradise for cross-country skiing

The Super Nordic Skipass is dedicated to cross-country skiing, giving access to 19 cross-country centres and a total 1.200 kilometres of tracks, between Trentino and other districts. A paradise for Nordic skiing that includes the facilities of Viote-Monte Bondone, Lago di Tesero, Passo Lavazè, Passo San Pellegrino, Passo Cereda, San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Coe, Millegrobbe-Lavarone, Passo Campo Carlo Magno-Campiglio, and Vermiglio in Trentino; Asiago, Campolongo Rotzo, Enego, Cesuna, Monte Corno Lusiana, Fontanella Lusiana, Recoaro and Lessinia in Veneto: Frassinoro, on the Modenese Apennines.

This is the largest circuit of cross-country tracks in the Alps and a single card gives access to all the centres in it. «SuperNordicSkipass» can be purchased in all the cross-country centres associated with the system, with special conditions for families and operators.
The skipass is proposed in several combinations: seasonal for 80 Euro (access to all the centres valid all season) and weekly (7 consecutive days from the first day of admission). Admission is free for children up to age 10. Each associated centre has a Skipass-Keyring station that records access to the facilities.

The tracks in these cross-country centres are always in perfect condition – in fact they are constantly groomed and closed when the quality of the ski surface cannot be maintained – updates on the state of the centre can be found on the website (http://www.supernordicskipass.it/).