Several Swiss Ski Areas Forced to Close Due to Lack of Snow Several smaller Swiss ski areas have been forced to close in the middle of the Swiss school holidays — a disaster for some smaller ski areas, especially because of a slow start to the season in Europe. While the eastern part of the European Alps has had decent snowfalls this season, the western region, in Switzerland and France, has been experiencing […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | February 21, 2023 0 Comments
Climate Activists Damage Snow Cannons in Europe Reports have been coming in from across the Alps for several months now of climate activists repeatedly damaging snow cannons in European ski resorts. In Swiss and French ski resorts, such as Villars, Les Diablerets, Verbier, Les Gets, and La Clusaz, damage to snow cannons has been reported across December and January. Sometimes confessions were posted on militant websites, and […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | February 13, 2023 0 Comments
French Ski Resort to Ban Smoking on the Slopes Les Gets, a ski resort located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, has elected to ban smoking on its slopes. The decision takes effect on December 17th and will make the French resort the first European ski area to enact a ban on smoking. This decision is primarily motivated by environmental factors. Over 3,000 cigarette butts were found scattered across […] Industry News Matt Scribner | December 16, 2022 1 Comment
The Future of Ski Resort Ownership and Viability There were 473 ski areas in the United States that operated during the 2022-23 season. In 1970, there were over 1,000. Over the last 10 years, the number has fluctuated mostly in the 470 range. Some new resorts have opened, some have closed, and even others have re-opened. Of the 473 ski areas that operated last season, 103 of those […] Industry News Brent Thomas | December 15, 2022 4 Comments
These 5 Ski Resorts are the Most Resilient to Climate Change in North America It is no secret that the snow sports industry relies on the weather. Climate change is being pushed to the top of governments’ agendas as the threat worsens. Certainly, some resorts are uniquely positioned to combat climate change better than others, but which ones do it the best? The Savills Ski Resilience Index ranks global resorts according to their conditions’ […] Industry News Brent Thomas | December 1, 2022 7 Comments
Luxury Chalet Company Offering 20% Discounts for Guests Who Choose to “Ski Green” AliKats, a luxury Chalet company in Morzine, France, has announced new sustainability initiatives for the coming winter. The company has been taking steps to be increasingly more environmentally friendly over the years and now they are offering incentives to their guests who do the same. Related: How to Be a More Sustainable Skier They will offer a “low impact reward” […] Industry News Brent Thomas | October 5, 2022 1 Comment
Patagonia’s Founder Will Avoid Paying $700 Million in Taxes With Legal Loophole On September 14, Patagonia made headlines and shocked the outdoor industry when owner Yvon Chouinard announced that he was transferring 98% of the family-owned company, including all its non-voting stock, to a new nonprofit called Holdfast Collective. Made in the name of saving the planet, the donation hands the company off to an advocacy group with a mission to “fight […] Nick DeRiso | September 21, 2022 3 Comments
Study Shows Refreezing the Poles is Highly Practical and Could Reverse Global Warming The north and south poles are critical to the planet’s climate. The mass amount of ice in both regions acts as the earth’s refrigerators to cool it. It is no secret that the ice is diminishing and threatening our planet. Some experts estimate that the Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the rest of the planet. This […] Weather Brent Thomas | September 18, 2022 3 Comments
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