MARCH SKIING SECRETS

1st March 2020

Last modified on May 21st, 2021

SKIING SECRETS STORIES FROM FEBRUARY 2020

THURSDAY 26th MARCH
TRAVEL PLANS

How to make your immediate travel plans sound exotic….

Your immediate travel options

MONDAY 23rd MARCH
COVIDIOT

Our editor, James Cove, is hoping this new word doesn’t enter the Oxford English Dictionary.

Oh dear…

SUNDAY 15th MARCH
PLANETSKI: AN APOLOGY

We are covering a fast-moving news story on the impact of coronavirus on snowsports.

We pride ourself on being first, but also on accuracy.

On spelling and fact checking.

We seem to have got it about right again.

First with the news

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

Our editor, James Cove, who wrote it wanted to keep it up, but he was over-ruled by the others. 😉

FRIDAY 6th MARCH
GLENCOE IN WINTER & HIGHLAND PONIES

This short video below of a snowy scene in Scotland, shows off the beauty of Glencoe in Winter.

… and by all accounts the skiing has also been pretty good in Scotland this year  ⛷?

Read more here about the Best Skiing of the season in Scotland

Moreover, we’re also loving the wildlife in the snowy Cairngorms.

THURSDAY 5th MARCH
DOWNHILL

Have you seen the latest ski movie, ‘Downhill’?

Starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus it’s a movie shot on location in Ischgl, in the Austrian Tirol.

Things get a bit fraught for the married couple on a family ski trip to the Alps.

An avalanche strikes, and Pete (Will Ferrell) swiftly exits with his phone intact, abandoning his wife  Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and two children on the restaurant terrace, facing the avalanche without him.

Needless to say their relationship goes adrift ….

That aside, there’s some great footage, fabulously showing casing the ski slopes of Ischgl.

Downhill Trailer below:

The logistics of filming in a ski resort are not easy.

One cabin (number 64s) of Ischgl’s Silvrettabahn gondola was reserved for the film crew only, so as not to disturb the general public.

So on your next visit to Ischgl check out cabin #64s for the commemorative plaque installed to mark the occasion.

WEDNESDAY 4th MARCH
VASALOPPET

Sweden’s oldest and most famous cross country ski race, the Vasaloppet, took place at the weekend.

Some 15,800 skiers collected at the start in Sälen to tackle the 90km race to Mora.

This is one of ‘the’ epic annual cross country ski races that was first held in 1922.

The photo in the tweet below emphasises the extraordinary number of participants collecting for the mass start of the race.

Today, 15.800 skiers participate in the world’s oldest and biggest #CrossCountrySki race @Vasaloppet. The skiers tackle a 90 km stretch from Sälen to Mora in the Province of #Dalarna, #Sweden, followed by two million tv-viewers. 🇸🇪 #Vasaloppet2020 📸: @vasaloppet pic.twitter.com/LvTpg1ij3B

— swedennewyork (@swedennewyork) March 1, 2020

The lead up to the race this year was slightly marred by the lack of snow.

The good news, though, is that the race was rescued by a last minute dump of snow.

Around 10cm of fresh snow coated the track and surrounding landscape just hours before the start.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

So, if you are lucky enough to own a chalet what would you call it?

Perhaps Chalet Edelweiss.

Or Chalet Neige.

We’d probably call our establishment Chalet PlanetSKI.

But Chalet Fried Ham?

Zermatt, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI.

TUESDAY 3rd MARCH
DID YOU MANAGE IT?

You can do it

MONDAY 2nd MARCH
HEAD-TO-HEAD ON SNOW ON SNOWSKATES

Snowboard Olympian, Mark McMorris, challenged Terje Haakonson head-to-head in a Snowskate race.

So what is a Snowskate?

It’s a hybrid of a skateboard and a snowboard, intended to enable skateboard-style tricks to be performed on the snow.

Snowskates are smaller than the traditional snowboard, they don’t have a way to attach feet to the board, such as snowboard bindings, so they require more balance and ankle strength than a traditional snowboard.

One of the best aspects of snowskating is that you can ride practically anywhere.

Like a skateboard, snowskates can be ridden on snowy streets and used for grinds, ollies, and many other skateboard tricks.

Watch the video below as Mark and Terje race down the snowy slope on their snowskates, both displaying excellent balance and skill.

Mark McMorris triumphed (only just) winning the first #Mine77  Snowskate trophy.

Preparations are now underway for next year’s rematch ?

Watch the video below as there is some speculation ahead of the challenge as to who had the potential to win the Snowskate Mark v Terje race!

SUNDAY 1st MARCH
POLISH PRIESTS RACE IN GS & SLALOM

Watch the videos below as Polish priests, wearing ski helmets and goggles and cassocks flapping in the wind, took part in an annual skiing competition in Wisła, Poland.

It’s the John Paul II cup they’re attempting to win, and it’s a competition that’s been taking place for 23 years, named after the Polish Pope John Paul II who was a keen skier.

From 1962, during his decades as Bishop and Cardinal of Krakow, Karol Józef Wojtyla spent two weeks each winter skiing in Zakopane, Poland’s largest resort.

Karol Józef Wojtyla became Pope in 1978 and continued to ski until the end of the 1987 season, nine years into his papacy.

He was nicknamed the ‘Daredevil of the Tatras’.

⛷️🎿⛷️ Priests in Poland hit the slopes on Saturday for the 23rd year of the country's John Paul II skiing competition in Wisła. The priests, in their traditional black cassocks, warmed up with prayers before the tournament. pic.twitter.com/RkicbA6Tvn

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 17, 2020

Here’s a slightly longer video of the GS and Slalom competition that took place in Wisła:

“CHESTITA BABA MARTA” OR HAPPY BABA MARTA

Today is ‘Baba Marta’, a day celebrated in Bulgaria by the exchange of Martenisti.

Martenisti are like friendship bracelets to be worn from 1st March until the first day of spring or until blossom appears on trees, or storks, swallows or cuckoos are sighted – after which the Martenisti are tied to objects at home bringing prosperity to the family.

Traditionally the Martenista is made from twisted red and white strands of wool or silk; the white strands symbolise long life while the red strand signify health and strength.

Wearing the red and white Martenitsa is like a plea to Baba Marta, asking her to end winter and to bring on warm spring weather.

The weather on 1st March is luck-indicator for the year; if its sunny and warm luck is on our side, and bad luck if its cold and dark!

According to Bulgarian folklore Baba Marta (Grandma-March) is a grumpy old woman who changes her mood as rapidly as the March weather changes, she’s a symbolic figure who marks the end of winter.

When Grandma Marta smiles the weather is sunny and warm, but when she gets cross the cold weather will continue longer and it may even snow ❄️ .

With no disrespect to Bulgarian folklore, we hope Baba Marta remains very cross for a lot longer! ❄️❄️❄️

These two beautiful Martenisti were sent to us by our friends at Balkan Holidays.

“Chestita Baba Marta!”

EXCUSE #23 MORE WHITESPACE

Excuse #23 works well for us – we’d do anything for more skiing!

And the good news, for those who are interested the 2021 Ikon pass goes on sale on 5th March with the price starting from USD $699 for Adults.

Check out full details here ➡️ Ikon Pass to go on Sale for Next Winter

41 #ski resorts on 5 continents – the #IkonPass for Winter 2020-21 goes on sale on 5th March – Full details ➡️ https://t.co/1RuGrNZHJ5 @IkonPass #Alterrapic.twitter.com/AlgsB8XGna

— PlanetSKI Snow News (@planetski) February 27, 2020