Sun Screen Alert: Torino & Lake Tahoe

Stowe Mountain Resort in full operation this weekend with great conditions!

Photo: Stowe Marketing Pic of The day
Thanks to a surprise storm Monday night that left 10" of new snow in it's wake, followed by more snow the following day, we're back in great mid-winter shape! And there is more snow forecasted right through the weekend. Winter is back!
With the more seasonable temps, we're also making snow and grooming around-the-clock to make the already great conditions that much better. It all adds up to us being in full operation, with all lifts and all trails open this weekend! Come up and join us!
The infamous Front Four (Starr, Goat, National and Lift Line) are arguably the most exciting runs in the East. For the novice skiers and riders, there's an entire mountain (Spruce Peak) criss-crossed with easygoing runs. And with the longest average trail length in New England, be prepared to spend some time on the mountain.
Midweek (2/6-2/10) – 9 Lifts & ALL Trails (100%), including our halfpipe, which is still Northern Vermont's ONLY halfpipe!
Stowe

***

Olympic News
RAHLVES FASTEST BY 1.21 SECONDS IN DH TRAINING #1 Will Sit Out of Friday's Training
SESTRIERE, Italy (Feb. 9) - Three-time Olympian Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) topped the field in Thursday's first Olympic downhill training run as he blistered the Kandahar Banchetta course and won by 1.21 seconds over the next fastest competitor.

Obviously happy with his result on the hill, Rahlves will not take part in Friday's training run to rest and will return for Saturday's third and final practice session.
Read the whole story here:
US SKI Team
RAHLVES NOMINATED FOR FLAG BEARER TORINO, Italy (Feb. 9) - Three-time Olympian Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) was nominated by his U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding teammates to serve as the Olympic flag bearer to kick off the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino.
After 62 days Relay and over 10,000 kilometres covered, the Olympic Flame has reached Torino. Today, a little before 12.21, the Holy Fire of Olympia entered the city welcomed by 4,000 kids and begun it meander among streets, avenues and roads of a city whose inhabitants descended to salute and pay homage to the principal symbol of the Games.
Out of the 84 events and 252 medals at stake during the XX Olympic Winter Games – Torino 2006, the six International Skiing Federation (FIS) disciplines will be responsible for 38 of the events and 114 of the medals. This is two golds and a total of six medals more than four years ago in Salt Lake City, USA.
Cross-Country Skiing
Since 2002, the most changes for any FIS discipline have taken place in cross-country skiing. While the total number of events has remained at 12, six for both women and men, one of the individual competitions has been replaced by a new team event: the team sprint, in which nations are represented by two-member teams. In Turin, the team sprint will use the classical skiing technique with each team member skiing a 1.5-km loop three times. Another big change within cross-country has been the continuing development of the pursuit race. In Salt Lake City, the pursuit was staged as two separate competitions on a single day, with a several-hour-long break in between and with the starting order for the second, the freestyle race, being determined by the time differences in the first one. In Turin, there will be no break but rather the skiers will switch their equipment during a “pit stop” with the clock running. As in 2002, the combined time is what counts, only now the entire race is staged as a single, mass start event. Similarly, the long distance races, 30km for women and 50km for men, are also staged as mass start races rather than using the traditional individual start method still in use in Salt Lake City.
Ski Jumping
In ski jumping, there have been three main changes since the last Olympic Games: first, the athletes are now required to have a minimum Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18.5, though the measurement takes into consideration that the athletes are wearing their jumping boots and suit. They need to fulfil minimum weight requirements to be allowed to jump with the maximum length of skis (146% of the athlete’s height). Second, to provide all athletes with more equal weather conditions, the permissible starting time, the so-called “Green Period” during which the jumper must leave the start bar, has been increased from five to ten seconds. Finally, in the team event, only the best eight teams will continue to the second round. To keep the excitement high until the end, the starting order of the last jumper group is reversed so that the representative of the leading team will perform the very last jump of the competition.
Nordic Combined
In Nordic combined, the same BMI and equipment control rules apply as for ski jumping. The only other changes include a change in the point/time equivalent in the team event, with 60 points on the jumping hill now equalling 1min on the cross-country course. To make the competitions more spectator-friendly, the course length has also been reduced from 5km to 3.75km, ensuring that the athletes pass more regularly in front of the grandstands.
Alpine Skiing
In Alpine skiing, the only critical change has been the increase in the required minimum length of the racing skis. Contrary to 2002, when the minimum length for all events was 150cm/155cm for women/men, there are now specific minimum length requirements for each event and sex in order to protect the athletes’ health and safety.
Snowboard
The additional six Olympic medals for the FIS disciplines are awarded in snowboarding where snowboard cross is now an Olympic event, in addition to half pipe and parallel giant slalom. As opposed to the races in Salt Lake City, delayed start gates will be in use in the parallel giant slalom in Turin. This means that during the second run, competitors will start based on the time differences gained in the first run and the athlete crossing the finishing line first will be the winner!
Freestyle Skiing
Last but not least, in freestyle skiing the greatest change is that inverted jumps, i.e. off-axis jumps and flips, are now allowed in the moguls competitions. Before, only upright and straight jumps were allowed. As a result, the audience in Turin will see jumps with a higher degree of difficulty and up to 720° rotations.
TORINO 2006
The Olympic Winter Games will run from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin. The Winter Games comprise seven different sports and 15 different disciplines, which will be played out in eight different competition sites. Around 2,500 athletes, 650 judges and umpires and one million spectators are expected to participate in this 20th edition of the Winter Games.
torino 2006

***
Swiss Info

Downhill racer Ambrosi Hoffmann represents one of Switzerland's best hopes of winning a medal in alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics in Turin.
Four years ago in Salt Lake City he was the highest-placed Swiss in the downhill competition, finishing in eighth position. The Swiss men's downhill team is doing well, but the athletes of the technical disciplines are lagging behind, according to Marc Wälti, spokesman of Swiss Ski. Experts say in the Swiss women's team it is Nadia Styger, Fränzi Aufdenblatten and Sylviane Berthod who stand good chances of qualifying for Turin. Sonja Nef, who has been struggling to keep up with the best, is less likely to make it to the Olympics. Swiss INfo Org.

***
Jackson Hole
Events
Feb 5 - Backcountry Camp 2
- Coney Classic Fun
- Steep & Deep Snowboard Camp 6

Feb 7

- Wyoming Winter Special Olympics 8
- Wyoming Winter Special Olympics 9
- Wyoming Winter Special Olympics
- Steep & Deep Ski Camp III 10
- Steep & Deep Ski Camp III 11

- Bro Down Show Down in the Rodeo Grounds ..then a Hoe Down
- Steep & Deep Ski Camp III

Feb 12
- Bro Down Show Down in the Rodeo Grounds ..then a Hoe Down
- Steep & Deep Ski Camp III
March 18-19
Chevy American Evolution Tour
See the latest in American automotives from Chevy. Featured vehicles will include an array of 2006 cars and trucks such as the SSR, HHR, Cobalt, Equinox, Colorado and the all new 2007 Tahoe. Stop by and pick up a “Quick Pass” to the front of the line at either Teewinot or Bridger Gondola!

March
21- Jackson Hole Free Ski Open
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is proud to host the 3rd stop on the US Freeskiing Series. One hundred (100) of North America’s best freeskiers will compete for $7500 prize money in Casper Bowl in an event not to be missed!

Spectators welcome! www.usfreeskiing.com

Jackson Hole

***
Maison de la France / French Office of Tourism ,br> Travel Deal Six-day "Paris Value Vacation" from just $399
Head to Paris for next to nothing! Check out Gate 1 Travel's four-night package to Paris, starting at just $399!!! Package Inclusions: * Roundtrip airfare NYC-Paris including all fuel surcharges * Four nights in a tourist-class hotel * Breakfast daily * Hotel...
France is a skier's paradise.
With over 8000 km of pistes, France has the largest ski areas in the world. There is something for everyone, from family-oriented village resorts to the purpose-built resorts where you can ski from your doorstep. There is alpine skiing, nordic skiing, all the new snow-riding techniques, as well as a large range of "natural" activities (snow-shoes, dog-sledding, tours following marked routes...)
Maison de la France

Rail Europe - Passes & tickets