S-Magazine (January 2018)

+ SKI FITNESS Keeping fit on the road

*THE MAJESTIC

MATTERHORN The posh life in Zermatt, under the shadow of the Toblerone mountain

FERNIE VS. MONTSAINTE -ANNE Which of these resort giants is the best?

OVER THE HORIZON IN EUROPE THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT JUST ONE HILL AWAY JANUARY 2018 $4.95 ISSUE 43

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THE SPIRIT OF CANADA. AT 130KM/H. Olympians Manny Osborne-Paradis and Georgia Simmerling.

Mackenzie Investments is proud to be a part of their journey to greatness.

Good luck Team Mackenzie.

Catch the action on Mackenzie social media: #WEOWNSNOW /mackenzieinvest /mackenzieinvest /mackenzieinvestments

Talk to your finanical advisor or visit www.mackenzieinvestments.com

Georgia Simmerling 3 time Olympian World Cup podium

Manny Osborne-Paradis 3 time Olympian 3 World Cup victories Bronze, World Championships

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DEPARTMENTS 8

EDITOR'S NOTE

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FIRST LOAD

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ELEVATED LIVING

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SKI FIT

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SKI TIPS

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PARTING SHOT

The iconic Matterhorn continues to inspire

New 2018 gear, lifestyle and resort news

Chocolate, charcuterie and champagne beer in the Tyrolean Alps

Keeping fit on the road

Proper hip-to-ankle alignment will put you in the driver’s seat

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This way and that

FEATURES 22

A GREAT CANADIAN SNOWDOWN: FERNIE VERSUS

MONT-SAINTE-ANNE Ski travel writer seeks to determine once and for all which of these resort giants is the best. By Dave Fonda.

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OVER THE HORIZON

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COVER STORY THE MAJESTIC MATTERHORN

In Europe there’s always something different just one hill away. By Ryan Stuart.

Former World Cup skier experiences the posh life in Zermatt, Switzerland.

By Larisa Yurkiw. Photography

by Paul Morrison.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The gondola at Zermatt, Switzerland. Photo

by Paul Morrison. THIS PAGE, TOP: Seefeld, Switzerland, with its world-class cross-country trails. BOTTOM: The Hôtel de Glace, near Quebec City.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. ”

– Edmund Hillary

JANUARY 2018. Issue 43.

EDITORIAL/ART/ PRODUCTION EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gordie Bowles ART DIRECTOR Agata Piskunowicz COPY EDITOR Christina Newberry SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Morrison SENIOR WRITER Michael Mastarciyan CONTRIBUTORS David Carlier, Giuseppe Di Mauro, Claire Challen, Thomas Camus, Dave Fonda, Grant Gunderson, Michael Mastarciyan, Paul Morrison, Christina Newberry, Edith Rozsa, Ryan Stuart, Steven Threndyle, Larisa Yurkiw.

THE ICONIC AND MYTHICAL MATTERHORN, THAT MAMMOTH OF A MOUNTAIN

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that is Switzerland’s most famous landmark, has owned photographers’ film canisters and

ISSN: 1913-9861

Instagram feeds, as well as posters and chocolate labels, for many decades (less the feeds).

The isolated and cragged rock peak provides the perfect backdrop and incentive for skiers, ski dreamers and alpinists the world over, while also possessing an aspirational allure that no other rock, big or small, can match. When artist Emil Cardinaux designed a tourism poster of the Matterhorn in 1908, he likely had no idea that it would become an iconic image that would open the floodgates of travellers to Switzerland.

In this magazine, we have harnessed that aspirational attraction to find new sources of inspiration. In Over the Horizon, writer Ryan Stuart discovers that even though Verbier, Switzerland, and Courmayeur, Italy, are just across a valley from each other, the experiences are vastly different. In Majestic Matterhorn, former World Cup ski racer Larisa Yurkiw and

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ADVERTISING Craig Wagner sales@s-media.ca Mark Kristofic mark@s-media.ca SNOWSPORTS MEDIA INCORPORATED MANAGING PARTNER Mark Kristofic PARTNER Ken Villazor PARTNER Gordie Bowles DIGITAL Paul Solovyov SOCIAL Jason Pham CINEMATOGRAPHER David Stewart CAMERA Darren Rayner, David Peacock HOSTS Claire Challen, Edith Rosza, Larisa Yurkiw

photographer Paul Morrison went full luxury, discovering the posh life of Zermatt. And closer to home, writer Dave Fonda attempted to determine, once and for all, whether the resort town of Fernie, B.C., or Quebec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne should hold the honour of best resort experience.

Our contributors, like the readers holding this magazine, are dreamers – motivated to explore, discover and be inspired, along the way noticing those symbols of steadfastness in

S-Magazine is an independent publication of: S-Media Inc. 65 Simcoe St., Studio 4 Collingwood, Ontario, L9Y 1H7 E-MAIL: info@s-media.ca www.s-mediainc.com www.snowsportsculture.com

Gordie Bowles, editor

Photo by: Trevor Brady

an ever-changing world.

Children of Winter

never grow old

// FIRST LOAD

>People, news, gadgets and other chairlift ramblings

P

// LIFESTYLE

The Essence of Banff, Distilled

ARK DISTILLERY, BANFF’S AWARD-WINNING maker of craft spirits, is the world’s first distillery within the bounds of a national park.

Embracing a “glacier-to-glass” philosophy, Park sources its water from Rocky Mountain glaciers, its grain from farms in the Alberta foothills and it aromatics from the Banff forest – including the highelevation Engelmann Spruce.

Park has won awards for its small-batch vodka, gin and rye, so there’s a local spirit for every taste – or try all six varieties in a $20 flight.

Tours run daily at 3:30 and are often fully booked, so reserve your spot in advance. Or settle in for a meal at the onsite restaurant specializing in campfire-inspired cuisine, like a wood-fired wild boar porchetta or Bow River trout. – C. Newberry

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FIRST LOAD //GEAR

// G E A R

THE ENDANGERED TURTLE(NECK) MAKES A COMEBACK Has there even been a more essential piece of skiwear than the turtleneck?

FIRST LOAD //GEAR Whether you rocked a White Stag cotton turtleneck under a cable-knit V-neck in the 1960s or a pricey Maser pullover in the ‘70s, handspun cotton felt like pure luxury every time you put it on.

Next, Norwegian brands Lifa and Odlo popularized zippered turtlenecks made of petroleum-based fabrics – a style that really took off once Patagonia developed its soft-handed Capilene that rivalled cotton for next-to-skin comfort.

There was a downside, however – after a year or two of heavy use, synthetics would reek from accumulated sweat, spilled wine and other mystery odours.

The late ‘90s ushered in the era of merino wool, first in socks and then later in tops and bottoms. Pure merino absorbs more sweat than synthetics, dries quickly and, best of all, can be worn for days without accumulating body odour. The downside is that it’s expensive, develops holes and rips and can’t be abused in a dryer quite like cottons or synthetics.

For the 2018 ski season, the turtleneck is back in a variety of highperformance fabrics.

Here are five of the best from the current crop.

– S.Threndyle

HELLY HANSEN CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM Taking its cues from Helly’s role as official supplier to Canada’s alpine ski team, this stretchy merino wool/polyester blend is both durable and warm.

Wear it with pride while cheering on Canadian skiers at Pyeongchang 2018. $110 | hellyhansen.com

SMARTWOOL MERINO 250 BASELAYER 1/4 ZIP Merino underwear comes in different weights that usually correlate to number of grams per square metre. This toasty Smartwool zip-neck strikes an effective compromise across a wide range of temperatures and conditions. $130 | mec.ca

ICEBREAKER DESCENDER LONG SLEEVE HALF ZIP New Zealand’s Icebreaker is synonymous with merino wool, but lately their proprietary fabric has featured strands of nylon spun around the core of the wool fibre to provide freedom of mobility while keeping its shape. $230 | icebreaker.com

DALE OF NORWAY OLYMPIC PASSION SWEATER Known for its distinctive snowflake patterning, Dale of Norway wovens look as great sitting around the fireplace as they do on the slopes. This official sweater for the Norwegian Olympic team features the Norwegian cross, which Norse mythology says wards off evil spirits and guarantees gold medals. $299 | daleofnorway.com

PATAGONIA SYNCHILLA SNAP-T FLEECE PULLOVER The basic design of Patagonia’s original high-loft fleece Synchilla (synthetic + chinchilla) pullovers is unchanged after 40 years, but now the lush, comfy polyester is made of 80 per cent recycled material. Even better, Patagonia’s Fair Trade Certified program sends a percentage of the sale of each garment to local factory workers and communities. $169 | patagonia.ca

SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM | S–MAGAZINE

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//LIFESTYLE

Après-Axe PHOTO: JUSTA JESKOVA & TOURISM WHISTLER

//GEAR

From Space to the Slopes: NASA Tech Extends Your Phone’s Battery Life On the Hill YOU’VE JUST FINISHED YOUR LAST RUN, and it’s time to meet up with your friends for après – which would be a lot easier to coordinate if you had any juice left in your phone. Cold temperatures can zap smartphone battery life, leaving you with a useless brick in your pocket at the end of the day.

Helly Hansen’s new Life Pocket+ uses a special NASA-designed Primaloft Gold Insulation Aerogel to keep your pocket three times warmer, babying your phone through a frigid day on the slopes so it will work all day long without a charge.

Originally meant to protect electronics in the harsh conditions of space, the serious science behind this aerogel serves an equally important purpose here on Earth – making sure you never miss an Instagramworthy moment on the hill.

For 2017, you’ll find the Life Pocket+ on the HH Ullr Powder Suit as well as the Elevation, Icon and Stoneham jackets for men and Aurora Shell, Platinum and Whitestar jackets for women. Several other jackets in the new line include the regular Life Pocket (sans +), made with a slightly less sciencey insulation that still keeps your phone twice as cozy as a regular jacket so you can take plenty of selfies on the lift. – C. Newberry 14 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

TRADE YOUR SKI GEAR FOR plaid flannel and embrace your inner lumberjack at Forged Axe Throwing, Whistler’s newest way to après. Book an hour-long drop-in session for up to 10 people to learn some basic axe-throwing techniques, then work out your lift line frustrations by chucking axes at a bulls-eye. (Think darts, but much more

therapeutic.) You’ll feel a little more Canadian with each satisfying thunk as the axe blade sinks into the wood.

For safety’s sake, you can’t drink and throw – but you’ll find both Coast Mountain Brewery and Whistler Brewing within an easy stroll when you’re ready to hang up the hatchets and toast your success. – C. Newberry

//GEAR

ROBOCOP OR FUNCTIONAL? All-in-one visor ski helmets have not yet turned the mainstream corner, but brands – like helmet manufacturers CP and Bollé – are plugging away at the function and style to come up with more palatable options. The concept and integration have been tweaked and refined over the past decade, and what you see here with the CP Camurai is getting pretty close. – G. Bowles

The B-Flex technology allows quick Ta hn ed Be -aFs lye xa dt jeucshtnmoel o i cek, n gt y o af l lt oh w e s f rqaum ap nr od v iedai snyg a d j usst tom e of rr ya mfei ,t cu mei sn et do f mt eh m pa rnodv iodpi tni gm a cl ucsotm om f oirste. d m e m o r y f i t and optimal comfort.

FIRST LOAD //RESORTS

Skiing Dreams in the B.C. Wilderness W

HERE THE HELL IS VALEMOUNT? That was a pretty universal question for all but keen students of B.C. geography when Oberto Oberti announced that the backers of Valemount Glacier Destinations were proposing a four-season mega-resort pretty much in the middle of the B.C. wilderness.

Oberti has been involved with several major B.C. recreational projects in the past four decades including Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, the misunderstood (and moribund) Jumbo Glacier Resort in the East Kootenay, and now Valemount Glacier.

His son Tomasso explains, “Decades ago, consultants recognized three possible locations for a world-class year-round skiing destination – in the Mount Waddington region of the Coast Mountains, Jumbo Glacier in the Purcells, and the Premier Range near Valemount.” The Village of Valemount asked Oberti’s firm to see what sort of potential might lie in this snowy mountain range above

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the North Thompson River.

Nestled in the Premier Mountain Range (so called because the peaks are named after Canadian prime ministers, including one for the famous skier Pierre Elliott Trudeau), the skiing here will extend high into the alpine zone at an elevation of over 3,000 metres. The projected vertical drop will be an astonishing 2,050 metres, and if all of the skiable acreage is used, Valemount Glacier Destinations will be the third-largest ski resort in the world.

Right now, Valemount is popular with snowmobilers, many of whom drive 12 to 14 hours from as far away as the oilsands towns in Alberta and Saskatchewan to get their sledding fix. However, the town is losing both population and traditional resource industry jobs in mining, forestry and agriculture. And while climate change is always in the back of developers’ minds, Valemount’s 3,000-metre upper elevation lies in a bountiful snowbelt.

Indeed, three major helicopter skiing companies operate nearby.

But there’s far more to Valemount than just the skiing. Every summer, record numbers of tourists travel the Yellowhead Highway from Jasper National Park down to Vancouver on a well-maintained highway, surrounded on all sides by rugged wilderness. The Rocky Mountaineer, one of the world’s deluxe vacation experiences, chugs through Valemount on its way to Kamloops. Perhaps a stop for lunch and to take a gondola up to a glacier might be a nice diversion. With a decades-long timeline and an estimated half-billion dollars in capital needed to create the vision, Valemount’s backers, Oberti says, “definitely see this as a long-term investment.”

The answer is that Valemount is pretty far out in the boonies: about a three-to-four-hour drive from either Prince George or Kamloops.

Both cities are well served by airline service, but winter driving on the Yellowhead is best left to the pros. The Oberti family and their partners, to say nothing of the town, are in for one hell of a ride. – S. Threndyle

FIRST LOAD //TRAVEL

SWEET STAYS: PRIVATE SKI CHALETS AROUND THE WORLD Why rent a room when you can book an entire chalet? Settle in with your friends or family at one of these swish homes, all available to rent through Airbnb. -C. Newberry

PHOTOS: AIRBNB

MONT BLANC, FRANCE This ski-in, ski-out chalet in SaintGervais-les-Bains puts you in the heart of the Evasion Mont Blanc Ski Area, and the enormous windows seem to bring the mountainside indoors so even the non-skiers in your group (there are always a few, right?) get a real alpine experience. With a six-bunk room to house the kids, this designer home sleeps up to 14 – and has room for all of you in its projection movie room, too.

NENDAZ, SWITZERLAND In the heart of the 4 Vallées, this ski-in, ski-out chalet boasts a sauna and a heated pool for postski soaks, or those who want to keep the workout going can head to the in-house gym complete with elliptical trainers, treadmill and weight machine. With seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, all 14 guests can get some privacy when needed, or come together for a meal at the harvest table with glorious mountain views.

WHISTLER, B.C. This cozy chalet-style townhouse sleeps you and up to 10 of your best ski friends for an epic adventure at Canada’s largest ski resort. The outdoor hot tub and spa-like master en suite mean you won’t miss hotel amenities – and with ski-in access, a wood-burning fireplace and a gourmet kitchen, you can slide from your last run directly into home-based après.

ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND This 5,300-square-foot chalet offers an elevator to convey you between its four enormous floors (including the master suite, which takes up the entire top storey). The wellness area with massage room, sauna and Jacuzzi will help get you recover after a tough day on the slopes, and the sprawling rooms offer plenty of space for your group to relax. For the ultimate in rock star access, you can reach the chalet by private funicular.

MONT TREMBLANT, QUEBEC This cottage in Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré, less than 15 minutes by car from Mont Tremblant, is all wood, leather and stone for a classic ski lodge feel – but since it’s all yours, you won’t have to fight for a spot in the Jacuzzi or in front of the fire. Put that competitive spirit to better use over a round of pool or foosball in the games room instead.

SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM | S–MAGAZINE

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2:13 PM

The moment you earned your après.

Experience winter in the Canadian Rockies by immersing yourself in our magical snow globe. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is located in the heart of Banff National Park and amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Take advantage of countless winter activities right at our door step. Grab your skis or snowboard and hit the slopes, strap on a pair of snowshoes or cross country skis, or lace up your skates and begin exploring Lake Louise. After an exhilarating day of winter adventure enjoy rejuvenating spa treatments, delicious food, tasty drinks and a luxurious yet relaxed mountain atmosphere.

View our winter offers at fairmont.com/lakelouise

Photo by Reuben Krabbe courtesy of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.

FIRST LOAD //TRAVEL

Japan: HONSHU GLAD YOU CAME?

Though he grew up skiing at Whitecap Lodge in B.C.’s southern Chilcotin Mountains, mountain guide Lars Andrews became infatuated with “Japow” powder from photos that appeared in Paul Parker’s FreeHeel Skiing instructional book back in 1985. “I finally got over there seven years ago, and it has totally blown my mind,” he says.

HOKAIDO

HAKUBA HONSHU TOKYO

Andrews now offers week-long “slackcountry” trips using resort lifts, four-wheel drive vans, climbing skins, and “quad power” to get the best goods. Guests stay at the Morino Lodge in Hakuba, on the island of Honshu, located several hours (and train connections) from Tokyo.

“My guests tend to want the touring experience and to get away from the resorts regardless of snow quality.” Andrews says. “It’s just a more pleasant experience to find your own zone. Our groups are small, agile and dynamic and can utilize the terrain in ways that larger groups cannot. We take our guests to the limit of their abilities when conditions allow.”

It’s more than just the snow, Andrews explains: “The Japanese Alps are formed from fault/thrust mechanics, not volcanic processes as is the case in Hokkaido. This makes

for taller, more complex and much steeper mountains that translate into a much more interesting and varied ski experiences. Hakuba has 8/10 snow quality and 8/10 terrain.”

As for the resort itself, “Hakuba has a very laid back vibe,” Andrews says. “There is some western influence but it is still very culturally Japanese. You don’t see large western hotels or restaurants.”

The lift infrastructure here is old, slow and stuck in the 1980s. In fact, the region is better known for its hot springs (onsens) and as home to the snow monkeys of National Geographic cover fame than it is for skiing. Still, Andrews’ week-long trips are sold out for 2018 – but you can still get in on the action by hiring an “a la carte” guide right from the Morino Lodge. Find more info at whitecapalpine.ca and morinolodge.com. – S. Threndyle

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ERMINE T E D O T S K E E S TER SKI TRAVEL WRI R ALL WHICH OF THESE ONCE AND FO ANTS IS THE BEST RESORT GI A

BY DAVE FOND

L

AST WINTER I SET OUT ON A MISSION IMPROBABLE: compare

Fernie, B.C., with Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec. I know: Pitting a premier Western powder haven against the Grande Dame of the East is like equating Coldsmoke powder with prime Eastern corduroy. Yet that’s what skiers do every time we ski. Should we go to Hill A or Mount B? Take a green, blue or black run? Head out west, east, to Europe, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand or Japan?

Undaunted, I packed my trusty roller bags and ventured forth. Like a snow-addled Don Quixote, I wanted to transcend the requisite numbers of trails, lifts, vertical metres and centimetres of snow. I wanted to unravel each resort’s DNA through the people who live, work and ski there.

PHOTOS: TOURISM FERNIE

FERNIE: THE CURSE, THE GHOST, THE MYTH AND THE LEGEND In the late 1800s, William Fernie came to southeastern B.C. seeking fame and fortune. He met an Indigenous princess whom he promised to marry, but only if she revealed the provenance of the black stones in her necklace. She did. He fled, abandoning her unwed. When coal miners came exploring, followed by lumbermen lured by the area’s magnificent cedars, the princess’s father placed a curse on all things Fernie.

Then disaster struck. Repeatedly. Backto-back fires in 1904 and ’08 levelled the bourgeoning town. Henceforth, all buildings within the municipal boundary were built of stone, brick or mortar – which is why downtown Fernie today is resplendent with early 20th-century architecture.

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Though the curse was eventually rescinded, the princess’s ghost often appears at dusk on nearby Mount Hosmer in the form of the Ghostrider – a shadowy rider leading a young girl.

Fernie rebuilt itself, prospered and grew.

By 1910, it had 6,000 people. “Back then, Fernie was (one of) the most important cities in British Columbia, second only to Vancouver,” says T. Keith Liggett, a local author, ski instructor and casual historian, Unfortunately, population growth ceased and Fernie settled into a rough-and-ready redneck existence. “It had an Italian section, an English section and a Slovak section,” says Craig Blair, supervisor of grooming, who came here to ski in 1977 and never left.

“If you were looking for a fight, you didn’t have to go that far. Just start talking.”

Alpine skiing began here in the ‘50s, first at Mount Proctor, then at Liverwurst Bowl (now Island Lake Lodge) before settling five kilometres from town at its current Snow Bowl location. Enter Heiko Socher.

The German-born forester and his wife, Linda, transformed the once-modest community hill into a world-class powder haven.

Linda ran Fernie’s ski school. They began its first ski shop and ski-in/ski-out motel.

Heiko opened up Lizard Bowl, cut trails on Cedar Bowl and laid the groundwork for Curry, Timber and Siberia bowls. They also kept skiing affordable. “A family season pass would cost my mom a few hundred bucks,” says Fernie native and S-Magazine editor Gordie Bowles. “It was a blessing, as she could leave us at the hill all day.”

To promote Fernie’s epic powder ski-

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE PAGE: Fernie’s Griz Days, an annual winter carnival fills the streets and the ski hill for three days each March; Mount Fernie provides a dramatic backdrop to the resort village; Fernie recently added the Griz Express quad chair seen in the background, making the terrain into the Currie Bowl more accessible.

ing, Heiko invented a mythical half-man, half-Sasquatch named the Griz. Using his trusty musket, the Griz would shoot passing clouds, releasing the nine-plus metres of snow that fall here annually. Fernie still celebrates Griz Days with beer guzzling, axe throwing and beard growing contests for adults, and milk guzzling and tall tale competitions for kids. “Fernie was Heiko’s hill,” Craig says, “and it developed a cult following. The word among skiers was, ‘Fernie is fantastic! Don’t tell anyone.’”

All that changed in 1997, when Heiko sold Fernie to Charlie.

UN-LOCKE-ING FERNIE’S POTENTIAL In the 1990s, Charlie Locke, who owned the Lake Louise ski resort, added Fernie, Fortress, Kimberly, Nakiska, Wintergreen, Stoneham and Mont-Sainte-Anne to his Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) portfolio.

Like Heiko, Charlie recognized Fernie’s dependence on drive-through traffic, so he created the RCR Super Pass. “It gave holders unlimited access to ski all RCR resorts,”

Craig says. “Calgarians, who’d always skied Lake Louise, discovered Fernie was just a three-and-a-half-hour drive away. And unlike in Banff, they could afford to buy or build second homes here.”

Thus began the Califernian Gold Rush as well-heeled skiers and outdoors people flocked here seeking powder-white gold. But they discovered much, much more. Every Califernian I meet repeats their golden mantra: “We came here for the skiing, but we stayed for the summer.”

Even though mining still drives the economy here, this influx has transformed the town. Local merchants have opened smart bookstores, tasty cheese shops, scrumptious chocolate factories, bakeries, furniture stores, swish restaurants and cool bars.

It’s the only ski town I’ve been to where art galleries and studios outnumber ski and snowboard shops. And only one shop actually sells Fernie tees and swag. There’s also a terrific museum, a gorgeous library, public schools and an 18-hole golf course where, come August, anyone on the fairways is fair game for migrating grizzlies.

My last day here, Keith shows me the town. Everyone we meet has at least two jobs. Bubba, who serves to protect the rights and wages of the United Steel Workers of America Local 9346 in nearby Sparwood, is a professional musician and the world’s leading exponent of “Hoss Zombie” music. Ace ski shooter Henry Georgi also works at the mine. The young woman who just opened the kiddies’ clothing store also serves with the RCMP. The dude manning the bike shop is a ski coach and golf pro. Given that a basic, three-bedroom family home here now costs about $450,000, I guess that’s the price of success.

Last year, 200 babies were born at Elk Valley Hospital, and Fernie’s population finally surpassed 6,000. When I ask Craig if Fernie has become a ski town, he shakes his shaggy head, pauses thoughtfully and says, “No. I’d say it’s a real town.”

BIENVENUE À MONT-SAINTE-ANNE: THE PERFECT SUBURBAN SKI AREA? With its endless traffic lights, garages, repair shops and shopping centres, Highway

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138 between Quebec City and Mont-SainteAnne looks and feels like suburbia. It isn’t until I crest Boulevard du Beau-Pré and pull into Mont-Sainte-Anne’s parking lot that it registers: I’m only 30 minutes from downtown.

To ease the transition, I recommend using Avenue Royale instead. Though it takes a bit longer, it also takes you back in time to exquisite French habitant villages, farms, homes and seigneuries dating back to the 17th century.

Mont-Sainte-Anne and Quebec City are bookends of a beautiful plain or beau pré that was once the breadbasket of New France. The Saint Lawrence River abounded with fish then. The rich, arable farmland grew anything that could withstand the climate. The forests yielded seemingly endless supplies of wood and game, and the escarpment surrendered the limestone that built North America’s oldest walled city and most vibrant UNESCO World Heritage site.

If Fernie was rough, tumble and redneck, Beaupré was pious and devoutly Roman Catholic. The mountain, the village and the Basilica are all named after Sainte Anne, 24 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

In 1658, Monseigneur François de Laval ceded some land for the first Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. During its construction, a crippled stonemason named Louis Guimont was miraculously healed by Sainte Anne. It was her first of many miracles here.

Today, the third and newest Basilica draws between 850,000 and 1,000,000 pilgrims a year, depending on whom you believe. Entering its stupendous nave, my eyes are drawn to two massive stone pillars adorned with hundreds of canes and crutches discarded by the grateful faithful who came, prayed and were healed. One left a solitary white ski bearing the numerals 3 26 01.

SAINTE-ANNE: LE SKI Skiing was already popular in Quebec City at the turn of the 20th century. In the ‘40s, some enterprising skiers cut a ski trail down Mont-Sainte-Anne and staged an inferno downhill race. (You can see photos and footage in the Ski Museum.) The first

lift and lodge were erected in 1966. The community hill was then taken over by Sépaq (the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec), a provincial body that governs parks and recreation in Quebec.

Private investors held it briefly from 1994 until 1997, when it was sold to the inimitable Charlie Locke and RCR. Despite the mountain’s massive (by eastern standards) size, it feels surprisingly close knit and intimate. Perhaps that’s because many of its trails are named after the pioneers (la Pichard, la Bélanger) who developed the mountain and the legends (la Mélanie Turgeon, la P-A Rousseau) who still ski here. Maybe it’s because most of the skiers I meet are locals.

They live in nearby villages like SaintFerréol-les-Neiges, Beaupré, ChâteauRicher and Saint-Tite-des-Caps. Their numbers are growing because they can enjoy the best of both worlds here. They’re minutes from Quebec City, with all its big city perks,

PHOTOS: TOURISM QUEBEC AND MONT-SAINTE-ANNE

CLOCKWISE FROM THIS PAGE: The views of the Saint Lawrence Seaway are stunning from most parts of Mont-Sainte-Anne; The enchanting Hôtel de Glace, near Quebec City, is the first and only ice hotel in North America; A trip to Quebec would not be complete without maple taffy.

TWO PEAS IN POD? To my growing astonishment, I discovered that both Fernie and Mont-Sainte-Anne… … are must-ski destinations drawing skiers from around the globe. … were snapped up by the legendary Charlie Locke and RCR in the ‘90s. … are now owned by RCR’s N. Murray Edwards. … are serious skiers’ mountains where even experts could benefit from a lesson or two. … have schools, instructors and programs to help improve anyone’s skills. … are children of the ‘60s: Fernie Snow Valley was founded in 1963, MontSainte-Anne in ‘66. comforts, requisites and amenities. And they’re next door to world-class alpine and nordic skiing, and cycling, hunting and fishing. The kicker is that it’s still surprisingly affordable. “There are big chalets that cost half-a-million dollars here, but you can buy a nice family home for $250,000,” says Canadian Olympic XC skier and cyclist Pierre Harvey, who lives in Saint-Ferréol.

The area has become so popular that the landmark Château Mont-Sainte-Anne is becoming a condo hotel. Its owner and GM, Sébastien Roy, and his Swiss-born wife, Nadja (who met while working out west), settled here to be close to their families and raise their own. “Over the past 12 years, we’ve watched our tiny bedroom community grow into the ideal place to live for active, sports-minded Quebec City natives,” Sébastien says. Not to mention Canadians, Americans and Europeans, notably Belgians and Brits.

Despite this growth, the area’s character and charm remain fundamentally unchanged. Take Dominic “Dom” Smith.

A working-class lad from Cardiff, Wales,

he’d taught snowboarding for 20 years from Scotland to Australia before coming here to teach, have fun and party. “At first,” he explains, “I thought I’d made a huge mistake. It was too quiet – not at all what I expected in a ski town.” A broken ankle prolonged his stay. “By the end of my first year, I’d fallen in love with the place because it was so different,” he says. “So safe.” People he’d once found cold, distant and cliquish welcomed him.

He’d proven to them he could “feel the local love.” Dom still doesn’t lock his doors at home.

THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD Quebec City’s close proximity is both a blessing and a curse for Mont-SainteAnne. A blessing because it’s just 30 minutes away. And a curse because few people are willing to invest in making a slopeside village that can rival Fernie’s.

But there are believers. One is former Canadian national snowboard team head coach and restaurateur David Ruel. He and his partner, Carole, own the Les Trois Becs and Le Petit Bec restaurants. “You

… were community hills founded by locals determined to share alpine skiing with their families, friends and neighbours. … had Olympic dreams: Fernie bid on the 1968 Olympic Winter Games, and Mont-Sainte-Anne was part of Quebec City’s bid on the 2002 Games. … have given us Olympians: Emily Brydon, Ryan Oakden, Ralf Socher and Tyler Werry hail from Fernie, while Mélanie Turgeon, P-A Rousseau, Pierre Harvey and his son Alex all call MontSaint-Anne home. … boast fine craft breweries: The Pask family’s Fernie Brewing Co. has been devising scrumptious ales, lagers and stouts since 2003, while Luc Boivin and Johanne Guindon’s Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés is go-to the après-ski hangout in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

– D. Fonda

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have to invest in your business, be competitive and give as good as you get,” David says. It also helps to serve tasty casual French cuisine and take-out both in Beaupré and on the mountain.

WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION: FERNIE OR MONT-SAINTE-ANNE? Sitting in the airport lounge in Cranbrook waiting to board my flight home, I wonder if I’m not going about this backwards. My week at Fernie made me wish I were 20-something again, footloose, fancy-free and arriving here to look for work and cheap accommodations to live my ski dream. From what I’ve seen, it would take me years to explore and master Fernie’s “five bowls, one hundred trails and one thousand lines.” Who knows, I might even start a business

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or two here, providing Fernie keeps booming.

But I’m 64 and happily married to an avid non-skier. Being close to great skiing is important, but so is proximity to everything a big city has to offer, starting with an international airport, a great university and major hospitals. Mont-Sainte-Anne delivers the best of both worlds, in spades. Of course, living here means learning to live in French. But the way I see it, if Dom Smith can do it, anyone can.

So, who wins the Great Canadian Snowdown: Fernie or MontSainte-Anne? It’s your call.

The miracle workers at Fernie and MontSainte-Anne are the instructors who help make wannabes into experts.

Kathy Murray co-founded Fernie’s acclaimed two-day Steep & Deep Camp: a perfect introduction to Fernie’s best and gnarliest skiing.

“I’ve devoted my life to helping expert skiers break their bad habits and raise their game a notch,” Kathy says.

We started on “lower angle terrain,” where she assessed my skills and helped me improve before moving onto steeper slopes.

(The two-day camp includes video analysis.)

Kathy leads by example, dropping into the fall line and demonstrating how to handle every slope, terrain and snow condition. Her observations and advice are to the point and spot on.

Mont-Sainte-Anne’s J.F. Beaulieu is,

many say, one of the best technical skiers in the world. The former Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance Interski Team member has been MSA’s snowsports director for 10-plus years. Working also with the Rookie Academy Mont-Sainte-Anne, J.F. established the Ski Instructor Training Academy, where topflight ski instructors from around the world come to improve their game. The ski week includes 15 hours of personal coaching and video analysis on “the most challenging and consistent fall-line skiing in Eastern Canada.”

“Everyone talks about how challenging Mont-Sainte-Anne is,” J.F. says. “But what people tend to forget is just how nice it is. If you know how to ski the mountain, there are no lift lines. Today, we got 15 centimetres of fresh snow and Mont-Sainte-Anne feels like your own private ski resort.” - D. Fonda

PHOTOS: TOURISM QUEBEC AND TOURISM FERNIE

LEFT: The appeal of Quebec City, including the historic Old Quebec, is alive with history ... and, of course, shopping. BELOW: Fernie’s main street (2nd Ave) is lined with quaint shops, bakeries and restaurants.

In Europe there’s always something different just one hill away

BY RYAN STUART PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID CARLIER AND GUISEPPE DI MAURO

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THIRTEEN DEGREES AND SUNNY IS NOT the forecast you hope for when heading to the Alps in early March. But in the age of climate change, the only way to stay sane as a skier is to adapt a happy warrior motto: there is no bad skiing, only bad attitudes.

So as the van careens around another hairpin turn on the final climb to Verbier, I choose to look past the grassy slopes, the flower baskets, the road cyclists in shorts and the paraglider flying by, and instead focus on the possibilities: The sun-warmed chutes high above the village that must be perfect corn right now. The freezer power of almost 2,000 metres of vertical above me. The perfect Swiss chalets lining the road promising cheese fondue and meticulous order. And most of all, the gondola racing towards a ridge high above and still carrying passengers. Like a mountaineer, I dream about the possibilities of what’s over the horizon, the one after that and beyond to the next resort. In the Alps, it often seems like there is a resort over every ridge.

By some counts, there are more than 3,000 ski areas in Europe, ranging from mega resorts with 170 lifts to tiny local hills with a T-bar.

There’s overwhelming variety even in the better-known destinations.

During a week skiing at Verbier and Courmayeur, I realized that the differences go way beyond scenery and ski terrain, extending to the culture, the architecture, the whole experience. A different valley and an international border can change a lot in the Alps.

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VERBIER: HIGH-SPEED HIJINKS TOP: View of Verbier. Bottom: The group touring towards Rosablanche, a classic ski touring peak just outside the ski area and part of the iconic Haute Route.

“Okay everyone, follow me. Stay close and let’s go.”

Normally I’m pretty nonchalant with that kind of instruction – my sense of direction is pretty good and my independence even stronger – but at Verbier, I’m tailing my guide like my life depends on it. Even before we load our first lift, I almost lose the group in the on-ramp to the gondola.

The village of Verbier perches on the side of the mountain, nestled into a giant bowl. It’s part of the 4 Vallées, one of the largest ski areas on earth. What this means slowly emerges as we leave the village, climbing stairs, ramps, elevators, gondolas and more.

Lift after lift, peak after peak, valley after valley, every time it feels like I’ve reached the boundary, another lift appears.

I’d be lost on my own, struggling in my grade-school French, disoriented and jet lagged. Instead, I’m part of a group mindlessly following a local guide. We spend the morning skiing away from town, flying down firm groomers at speeds that leave my eyes watering and jacket flapping. The terrain is rolly and fun and fast, perfect for chasing friends and popping airs and, with Continued on page 52 SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM | S–MAGAZINE

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LEFT: Enjoying a sunny lunch picnic mid-way down the Valée Blanche between Courmayeur and Chamonix. BELOW: The author dropping the knee old-school style high on the Verbier off piste.

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: The Skyway Monte Bianco lift rising above Courmayeur to the flank of Mount Blanc. BOTTOM: Picturesque Courmayeur is surrounded by towering mountains, none more impressive than Mont Blanc.

Photos: © Courmayeur Mont Blanc.

the cloudless sky, Instagramming the view every time we stop.

The lifts are mostly new and high speed. The runs are immaculately groomed. But there’s also a hint of tradition, a nod to skiing heritage: stone shepherd huts where summer meadows are good, timber frame chalets serving beer and food, a St. Bernard dog at the top of one of the lifts, and the old cable car that sways and bounces in a decidedly non–21st century way.

Eventually, we reach the edge of the resort at the 3,300-metre summit of Mont Fort. In the distance we can see the bulk of Mont Rosa, the slopes of Zermatt and three other resorts, and in the other direction the hulk of Mont Blanc. Somewhere along its flanks are Courmayeur and Chamonix. We turn away from both and arc down the Glacier de Tortin. The 1,500-metre run, mostly on moguls, leaves my travel-and-altitude-weary legs crushed. I’ve got just enough left in the tank to finish the day with a ski down a 32 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

technical chute and then a slush push through a sun-baked bowl right into town for après at Pub Mont Fort A pint settles into a few and then in a blur we’re hiking up a cat road in the dark towards La Marmotte, a traditional restaurant high above the twinkling lights of Verbier. I stumble into the fire-warmed restaurant with rosy cheeks, the warmth of the day quickly fading outside. Before long, the waiter is cutting raclette cheese off a huge wheel warming next to the fire. As is traditional in this part of Switzerland, there’s a bucket of potatoes and some pickles to eat with it. Just as the simple meal has me heading into a coma, it’s time to leave. I’m handed a luge to toboggan down the pitch-black road into town and somehow survive the high-speed return trip – it’s all in the positive attitude.

The next day I ski tour to the summit of Rosablanche, a classic peak and glacier run, to find boot-top powder, despite the heat.

COURMAYEUR: PERFECT PIZZA – AND NEARLY PERFECT TURNS We leave Verbier behind, driving over a pass into Italy and up a long valley to Courmayeur. As we prepare to load the lift up to the ski resort, it’s obvious we’re not in Switzerland anymore. Cars jam into the parking lot at the ski hill’s base. Stone buildings with raw slate roofs replace the neat timber frame lodges and chalets of Verbier. Mobs shuffle towards the gondola instead of standing in orderly lift lines.

The skiing’s different too. It’s more North American in feel: more contained and simple. It’s a network of chairlifts and gondolas spreading out across both sides of a ridge, runs cut through forest of evergreens and larch.

The view, though, is all Alps. The resort stares across at the south face of Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), a towering rock wall dripping with ice and topped with glaciers.

Even though the conditions are loud – edges scraping on the firm snow leaves a hum – the morning sun on Mont Blanc makes the turns some of the most memorable

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The author showboating on the final run of the day with Verbier below.

of the trip. By the time the day starts to warm and the snow turns from rock-hard to perfect corn to slush, I’ve got Courmayeur figured out. I’m skiing solo with no fears about my ability to find the tiny rock building where I’ll rendezvous with friends for lunch.

Of course, this being Italy, the food is amazing. I chow down on simple but perfect pasta and oven-fired pizza. All the wine comes from vintners in nearby valleys. And at breakfast, the pastries are almost worthy of France – no surprise since we’re only a 15-kilometre tunnel away from Chamonix.

Skiing to Chamonix is the next day’s mission. In addition to the main Courmayeur ski area, a spectacular two-stage tram climbs high onto the flank of Mont Blanc. The Skyway Monte Bianco is the most expensive cable car in the world, costing 110 million euros when it was rebuilt in 2015. It gains more than 2,000 metres on the way to Punta Helbronner, the station at the top. From here skiers 34 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

can descend glaciers and snow back to Courmayeur or ski the Vallée Blanche into Chamonix and catch a bus back to Italy.

I opt for the latter and spend the next four hours sliding 24 kilometres down the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France.

The skiing is easy. The biggest obstacles are other skiers and the odd crevasse, which are harder to navigate than they sound since I spend most of the run looking around at the walls of rock and ice banking the glacier.

As I wait for the shuttle bus back to Courmayeur, I realize it was a completely different skiing experience from anything else I’ve done on this trip, anything else I’ve done in Europe and anything else on earth. And from where I sit, I can see lifts spinning up three other ski resorts. More lie out of sight over the horizon and the one over that. As the bus pulls away, heading back to Italy, I start scheming and dreaming.

1.800.663.2929 \ PanoramaResort.com/Monster

C OV E R S TO RY

THE

M JESTIC M TTERHORN V

V

F O R M E R WO R L D C U P S K I E R E X P E R I E N C E S T H E P O S H L I F E I N Z E R M AT T, SW I T Z E R L A N D, U N D E R T H E S H A D OW O F T H E TO B L E R O N E M O U N TA I N

BY L A R I S A Y U R K I W P H OTO G R A P H Y BY PAU L M O R R I S O N

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A S H OT E L A L P E N H O F P U T S I T, “ E V E RYO N E I S V I P I N Z E R M AT T.”

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HERE IS SOMETHING SO ROMANTIC A B O U T T H E T R A I N S I N SW I T Z E R L A N D. A S I T R AV E L L E D A LO N G S I D E T H E R I V E R S I N A N D O U T O F T H E VA L L E YS A N D W E AV E D A R O U N D T H E M O U N TA I N S , I T H O U G H T O F H OW M A N Y D I F F E R E N T T I M E S I H A D V I S I T E D Z E R M AT T.

This small Swiss town has been a second home to me throughout the last 15 years.

Many times I’ve rented an apartment during training camp in preparation for another World Cup ski season. It was an absolute pleasure to return this time without one piece of Lycra in my bag. After travelling the world all those years, I could revisit this resort and see it through a completely new lens.

V I P T R E AT M E N T To say that Zermatt is posh is an understatement – but never mistake Zermatt for being pretentious. The town has such a beautiful balance of luxe and laid-backness. The kids play soccer in the street right next to talented alphorn musicians. There’s a chapel on the hill built almost 400 years ago, and the doors are open. There’s no tourist office, no fee, just a doorknob and candles to light at your leisure. The history in this town invites you in and feels so fully accessible. A graveyard in the town centre is beautifully kept and shares many stories of courage. Many of the stones are devoted to the men and women who attempted the Matterhorn summit (4,500 metres) as what would be their last badge of bravery.

The unique feel of Zermatt is partly attributable to the lack of vehicles in the streets. The town is car-free and quiet and seems to keep just the right pace. This completely eliminates the status symbol of pulling up in a jazzy whip. The train and parking lot are the closest arrival

options, at which an electric car meets you for transport to your accommodation.

In addition, the hospitality is genuine and the opportunities are endless. As Hotel Alpenhof puts it, “Everyone is VIP in Zermatt.”

With a bäckerei on every corner, fresh Swiss food on the mountainside and a bumping nightlife, Zermatt provides a dream destination. There are hundreds of restaurants, and the surrounding farmland makes for exquisite daily specials. Chez Vrony, owned by a man and his boss (ahem, wife), is a charming restaurant nestled on the side of the mountain. The owners are light-hearted and proud, personally serving each of their customers with food from their backyard. With fur on each chair and cozy embroidered blankets, the restaurant exudes that comfortable Zermatt feel.

As the honeymooners beside me kissed between photos of the Matterhorn, I thought about how to accurately share this moment. People speak of ambiance, lighting or full-bodied wine – this was a full-bodied experience I will never forget.

T H E M AT T E R H O R N W I L L L I G H T T H E WAY Skiing is a passion for so many of us. I have grown a tad picky over the years, but I can assure you that Zermatt is epic.

Every trail is “the scenic route,” complete with your perfect Matterhorn backdrop for adventurous terrain and winter snow conditions. I was fortunate to take a few fast runs with Demian Franzen, a local

Z E R M AT T G I V E S YO U T H E A B I L I T Y TO S K I A L M O S T A L L Y E A R R O U N D, B U T N O M AT T E R T H E S E A S O N , O P P O R T U N I T I E S TO E X P LO R E A R E E N D L E S S . T H E TOW N S O M E H OW M A N AG E S TO M A I N TA I N A S M A L L-TOW N F E E L D E S P I T E AT T R AC T I N G P E O P L E F R O M A L L C O R N E R S O F T H E G LO B E .

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“ E V E RY T R A I L

I S ‘ T H E S C E N I C R O U T E ,’ CO M P L E T E W I T H YO U R P E R F E C T M AT T E R H O R N B AC K D R O P . . . .”

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who instructs skiing 300 days a year. Demian is a former World Cup racer who didn’t seem to mind having a Canuck chase him down the Swiss Alps. What a relief to finally experience what my rentals were capable of. My good friends at Stoked Zermatt outfitted me for the weekend with the right equipment depending on the day. I always recommend renting on ski trips so no day goes unused. There’s nothing worse than having the wrong tools for the job.

And since we’re talking about this dream job, I assure you, we worked. In every direction I looked, there was a new piste I had yet to experience.

The heated gondola rides and chairlifts provide just enough rest to tackle the 200 kilometres of trails. And if it’s not rest you desire, I can promise you that après-ski is taken very seriously in these parts and begins earlier than anything I’ve experienced on Canadian soil or snow. Ski legs are one thing, but the liver is a whole other can of Spätzli.

One evening, in the middle of getting low on the dance floor,

I realized there was a man next to me in his ski boots getting equally as low. The Papperla Pub is another must-see.

B O DY, M I N D …

AND LEGS Another activity they take seriously here is wellness. It is a Swiss standard to have a spa attached to the hotel. I am not talking about a small chlorine pool. I am talking about endless rooms infused with heat and eucalyptus, tea and towels, daybeds and silence. It is absolutely the norm to prioritize health and rest in the middle of the afternoon. It is absolutely their norm to leave bathing suits in the hotel room. You can literally shed all your worries and your clothes.

Zermatt deserves more than words on a page. It is a magical Swiss experience in a comfortable mountain town.

The Matterhorn (also known as the Toblerone mountain) draws the tourists and is powerful to be around, but the town itself creates an aura of home no matter where you’ve come from.

E X P LO R I N G

L E F T : A S I M P L E R O C K C A N H AV E P R O F O U N D I M PAC T R I G H T : W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E H I T T I N G T H E T R A I L S , T E A R I N G U P T H E DA N C E F LO O R O R J U S T B E I N G A TO U R I S T, Z E R M AT T I S U N F O R G E T TA B L E .

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ZERMATT

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Zermatt is a whole-body experience, but here are some extraspecial spots: 1

2 1 4

3

5

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S N OW B OAT B A R A N D YAC H T C LU B Great food, fun atmosphere.

2

V E R N I S S AG E CINEMA Wine and dine at a beautiful theatre.

3

CHEZ VRONY On-hill après-ski with a front row seat to the Matterhorn.

4

B R OW N COW P U B Location, location, location.

Pick up your rentals and a fresh Florentiner cookie across the street after a hearty Swiss meal.

5

S T. M AU R I T I U S CHURCH If you’re lucky, you’ll see an authentic alphorn performance right in front.

6

E LYS I A N COLLEC TI O N For the luxe-minded, these chalets are heavenly and, consequently, heavily priced.

There’s a reason their motto is “anything is possible.”

7

C H A M PAG N E R B A R Located slopeside along your ski out. Why not make the legs a bit more wobbly?

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Secret Seefeld Chocolate, charcuterie and champagne beer in the Tyrolean Alps

BY MICHAEL MASTARCIYAN

It’s just past the witching hour on a frigid December night as I creep down a steep, dark, medieval stone staircase into a crypt-like wine cellar.

My guide on this nocturnal voyage of discovery is Alois Seyrling, the dashing young owner and managing director of the Hotel Klosterbräu, a luxury five-star establishment housed in a 500-year-old building once inhabited by a brotherhood of craft

beer–making Augustinian monks who loved brewing suds almost as much as praying.

“Nosferatu was a German vampire, right?” I ask, my voice cracking from a semi-real vampire-phobia I’ve nursed since childhood. “There’s no chance he’d be lurking about in the Tirolean Alps on a cold night like this?”

“No, Michael,” Seyrling replies, “no vampires – just a lot of very old stone arches and some fantastic wine.” He smiles, pointing to nooks in the thick walls stacked with some very fine looking old vintages.

“It’s all good vibes here.”

This ancient town, Seefeld, has never

been on my ski radar, even though it sits on a beautiful high alpine plateau overlooking Innsbruck, which I’ve visited more than 20 times over the years.

“Seefeld is a global hotspot for cross-country and nordic skiers, and is hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2019,” says Sammy Salm, a seasoned Swiss tourism veteran who now fronts Best of the Alps, a PR umbrella group representing a who’s who of high-end European ski resorts. “It’s also been an Olympic venue twice, but for many alpine skiers it’s a lesser known destination with many secret treasures waiting to be uncovered.”

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Secret No. 2:

Tre Culinaria – Italian charcuterie in the Austrian Alps

Secret No. 1:

Chocolate spa treatment One of Seefeld’s most unusual secrets, and perhaps the most exciting if you’re a chocoholic, is an extensive cocoa confection spa treatment. The tip-off to this wellness/ chocolate crossover came as I checked into Seefeld’s ultra-elegant Astoria Relax & Spa Hotel and noticed an affiliation with another luxury hotel. A five-star alpine gem, the Astoria is owned by the Gürtler family, who also operate Vienna’s famed Hotel Sacher, which both the Queen and John F. Kennedy called home during visits to that city.

The Hotel Sacher shares its name with Franz Sacher, who created the Sachertorte, a confectionary masterpiece of chocolate, apricot jam and whipped cream, in 1832 at the behest of Prince Wenzel von Metternich.

Seefeld visitors can enjoy this scrumptious Austrian treat with a cup of coffee – or as a guilt-free, non-caloric “dessert for the skin” in the form of a deep cleansing peel or rich body wrap at the Astoria. The Original Sacher treatments include body and face masks, as well as massages using a fragrant cocoa butter that is rich in protein, antioxidants and minerals. But beware, this chocolate spa experience from heaven has a bittersweet downside; it leaves your skin feeling moisturized and supple, but you’re not allowed to lick the bowl!

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PREVIOUS PAGE: Once an Augustinian Monastery, the 500-year-old Hotel Klosterbräu is now home to ski pilgrims from around the globe.

ABOVE: Guilt-free zone: The Astoria’s spa room, where chocoholics can indulge in zero-calorie full-body and facial treatments. BELOW: The finest cured meats, alpine cheeses and gourmet condiments all under one roof at Tre Culinaria.

It’s fairly easy to miss Tre Culinaria while wandering around the medieval labyrinth of cobblestone streets that snake around Seefeld’s majestic 15th-century gothic Parish Church of St. Oswald, but once you’ve discovered this hidden culinary jewel, you’ll never stroll past it again without popping in.

Located inside the Plangger Delikatessen, Tre Culinaria serves up some of the most unusual cured meats, gourmet cheeses, and rare condiments you’ll ever have the good fortune of consuming. My smorgasbord included a wide assortment of Austrian specks and Italian salamis and sausages made from pork, lamb, ibex, moose, ostrich, wild boar and venison that were deliciously paired with a fragrant Prosecco flavoured with fresh rose petals.

The meats, cheeses and breads at Tre Culinaria are to die for, but the real finds here are the condiments you can savour with your meal or purchase on your way out.

Some of the standouts: a 150-year-old balsamic vinegar from Modena, a speck pesto from Austria’s Vorarlberg region, onion jam, homemade saffron honey, and the Holy Grail of mustards – the ultra-rare “black gold” from Lustenau, Austria. Simply put, this mustard is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Black in colour, this magical mustard is a bold, alchemic concoction made from grape seed oil, balsamic vinegar, raw cane sugar, sweet cider and salt – and it’s delicious.

Secret No. 3:

Cruiser’s paradise As much as I enjoy the steeps and deeps of the powdery Austrian Alps, sometimes I’m in the mood for a nice, long, ski cruise, especially if I’m spending the day with friends or family who are intermediate-level skiers.

Located 1,200 metres above sea level, Olympiaregion Seefeld is a super-chill ski resort with long, wide boulevards and very little skier congestion because most of Seefeld’s ski tourists are of the crosscountry variety.

With 37 kilometres of quiet pistes and 34 lifts spread out over the Gschwandtkopf and Rosshütte areas, Olympiaregion Seefeld has on occasion been an under-the-radar training area for World Cup superstars like Lindsey Vonn and the recently retired Maria Höfl-Riesch. And it’s no surprise that the world’s best come here to hone their skills.

Seefeld is rich with alpine skiing history as the birthplace of the modern parallel turn, a technique invented at the resort by four-time World Champion Toni Seelos in the early 20th century. His grandson Werner Seelos still skis and instructs here, and if you’re lucky, you may get him to give you a few tips on your turns.

ABOVE: The Olympi-

aregion Seefeld is a cruiser’s paradise with tons of elbow room. LEFT: Located on a high mountain plateau between the Wetterstein and Karwendel mountain ranges, Seefeld offers visitors lots of scenic eye candy. BELOW: The Hotel Klosterbräu’s vaulted stone arches seem to be floating – or maybe it’s just that glass of champagne beer from the hotel’s eternal beer fountain?

Secret No. 4:

The Hotel Klosterbräu, where beer and meditation become one If the hip-looking proprietor of a chic European hotel ever asks you to follow him down a dimly lit flight of stairs into a wine cellar/beer microbrewery that could easily double as a castle dungeon in an episode of Game of Thrones, say yes!

My midnight journey into the netherregions of this 500-year-old converted monastery is a trip anyone can take when they visit or stay at the Hotel Klosterbräu.

Tucked away in the deepest part of this stone behemoth lies a rabbit warren of romantic candlelit rooms with vaulted ceilings that look like they may have been decorated by Dracula himself. Fortunately, as an ex-monastery, the Klosterbräu’s hallowed grounds probably have enough “holy” left in them to dissuade any potential bloodsuckers from sinking their fangs into the guests.

With little chance of becoming vampire food, patrons of the Bräukeller & Grill

restaurant (bräukeller is German for brew cellar) can sink their own teeth into a juicy cut of Black Angus steak with a view of the hotel’s award-winning in-house microbrewery through a glass partition.

“It’s an honour to be making beer here, just like the monks did 500 years ago for the pilgrims who visited,” Seyrling tells me proudly as we raise a glass of the champagne beer he helped create to celebrate Klosterbräu’s 500th birthday in 2016.

And, finally, for brew lovers who want to take their affection for beer to a more spiritual level, the Hotel Klosterbräu offers its guests a cushy meditation room and an “eternal beer fountain” conveniently located near a magnificently curvy Hobbitinspired wood sauna. The circuit here is simple: sweat out your toxins in the sauna, immerse yourself in cold water, and then lay back and chill out on a chaise longue with a nice, frosty brewski.

SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM | S–MAGAZINE

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// SKI FIT FEATURING CLAIRE CHALLEN

ON the ROAD Days are long and time is short.

When we travel and spend full days on the mountain, it’s not feasible for most us to manage an regimen.

Days areepic longworkout and time is short.However, When maintaining respectable level of we travel and spendafull days on the fitness with short for workouts, mountain, it’s not feasible most useven after days, empowers to manage anlong epic ski workout regimen. us chase our winter pursuits.level Not However,tomaintaining a respectable only is itshort important for strength of fitness with workouts, even after but exercise after skiing long ski retention, days, empowers us to chase our is vital toNot recovery will help winter pursuits. only is and it important to keep chronic but injuries at bay. for strength retention, exercise after in your base layers skiing isBarefoot vital to recovery and will helpinto the privacy room,in keep chronic injuriesofatyour bay.hotel Barefoot complete this your base layers in thelow-impact privacy of workout your to aid in your recovery, activate hotel room, complete this low-impact andrecovery, core muscles and workoutupper to aidback in your activate release thosemuscles infamous skier tight upper back and core and release hip flexors.

Power the those infamous skier tight through hip flexors. high-paced finisher to keep thatto Power through the high-paced finisher metabolism ticking. keep that metabolism ticking.

46 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

PART A 15 MINUTE LOW IMPACT COMPLETE 3 ROUNDS OF 4 EXERCISES

1 T BACK EXTENSIONS 20 REPS Lying face down on the floor, stretch your arms out to form the letter T. Lift your arms as high as you can, engage your upper back muscles, exhale and raise your chest off the ground. Pause at the top position for an extra shoulder blade squeeze. Inhale and release back to the ground.

2 REVERSE LUNGE WITH KICK UP 15 REPS EACH SIDE (COMPLETE ONE SIDE BEFORE SWITCHING) Inhale and step back into a deep lunge position. Keeping your back straight, place both hands beside your front foot. If you are unable to reach the ground, just go as close as you can. Press through the heel of your front foot, exhale and bring your rear leg forward into a straight-legged high kick.

This movement challenges balance and coordination and gives a great dynamic hip and hamstring stretch.

3 REVERSE PLANK HOLD FOR 30 SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE Sit down with legs straight. *Place hands behind your hips slightly wider than shoulders with fingers pointed towards your hips.

Lift hips and torso off the floor and gaze up towards the ceiling, keeping your neck relaxed and body in a straight, long line.

Squeeze tight, no sagging! *Perform on forearms if you have sore wrists.

4

LATERAL PLANK TRAVEL WITH PUSH UP

10 REPS Begin in high plank. Keeping hips low and core tight, step into a straddle and cross one hand over the other. Step again and uncross hands, moving into regular plank position.

Repeat 3 times in one direction. At each end, perform 1-2 push ups.

[3 steps + push up(s) = 1 rep]

PART B 5-MINUTE HIGH INTENSITY FINISHER – PUSH HARD! SET INTERVAL TIMER FOR 20 SECONDS WORK/ 10 SECONDS REST X 10 ROUNDS

1 SEAL JUMPING JACK 20 SECONDS Stand with feet together and hands together at chest height. Staying on the balls of your feet, jump into a small straddle and open your arms wide. Think quick and light! Aim for 20-30 reps

10 SECONDS: REST

2 BURPEE 20 SECONDS Start in standing position. Quickly squat down and kick feet out into plank and immediately drop chest to ground*. Push yourself up, leading with chest first followed by hips. Jump or walk feet in, stand up and perform a light jump, stretching arms overhead. No rest! *If it takes too long to do chest to ground burpees, opt for a high plank burpee instead.

Aim for 4-8 reps. 10 seconds: Rest.

+ IF YOU WANT MORE OF A CHALLENGE, SKIP THE JUMPING JACKS AND PUSH THROUGH 10 ROUNDS OF BURPEES! SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM | S–MAGAZINE

47

// SKI TIPS

FEATURING EDITH ROZSA

DRIVING TURNS //Proper hip-to-ankle alignment will put you in the driver’s seat

Wait! What on earth are the toe, foot, ankle and leg bones? This song often used to teach kids basic anatomy may not be too useful for skiers who need to understand the order of movements that result in dynamic, balanced, efficient turns.

Let’s pick just one bone that when focused on closely will yield an impressive result. As the largest bone in the body, the femur plays an important role in your turn. By honing in on that long and strong structure, you will find strength, power and mobility.

Stand up for a moment. Shift your weight to your right leg. With the left leg relaxed and knee slightly bent, rotate its femoral head in the pelvic socket. You can try this in your living room, but you will feel the rotation more accurately when you’re 48 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

out on the snow with your leg weighted down by a ski boot.

Now use your left leg to make a J shape around your stationary right foot. Starting with your left leg shoulder width apart from your right foot, push it forward while rotating your femoral head in the pelvic socket. If you do enough of these correctly, you will start to feel some fatigue.

Pretty simple, hey? Now it’s time to apply this movement to your skiing. Find a run that is groomed to start, not busy and with moderate terrain for your ability.

As you test your new movement, keep speed slow to start and increase as you become comfortable. Unlike when you were standing stationary, here you will want most of your weight on the ski that you use to make your rotation: your outside or downhill ski.

Here, your toes act as an extension of your femur, as do your ankle and knee bones. They all stay aligned and strong.

Traverse across the hill or fall line, creating a strong platform on that downhill ski. Reach that leg out and away from your body or centre of mass. Your skis will both

begin to tip on edge. Then, because of the side cut, they will begin to turn. This is where you apply the J shape. Gradually, from the middle to the end of the turn, rotate that femur in the pelvic socket, moving it forward and across as you do so.

I think of this as driving the turn. You are in control and actively creating it.

You will find that this movement also sets you up for your next turn beautifully.

Be sure to take the time to practise patience at the start of the turn. Get set up and then begin pushing the uphill ski away from you.

As you increase your speed and the angle of the run, you will find that you can displace your skis farther away from your body. Have fun with this: challenge yourself to see just how far out you can get them.

When I am out skiing, this one movement is something that I think of frequently. It is a simple focus that creates an anatomically correct position for dynamic, controlled, energy-efficient skiing in all conditions. I would love to know how this works for you. Let me know at: skitips@s-media.ca.

PHOTO: PAUL MORRISON

The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone. The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone. The ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone…

// PARTING SHOT

THIS WAY AND THAT You’ve seen the fences made from skis that sometimes line small-town streets.

Benches too. Pinterest shows a bunch of practical and artistic options for repurposed straight boards, but none as colourful as the sign at the top station at Ischgl-Samnaun Silvretta Arena in the Austrian Tyrol region.

50 S–MAGAZINE | SNOWSPORTSCULTURE.COM

LIFE PEAKS HERE Life Peaks in friendly conversations on the chair, the air in your nostrils, in the clompity-clomp of ski boots in the Lodge. It Peaks in the smiles on our children's faces. And the smiles those create on ours. Life Peaks in starting gates, toes cold enough to let us know we're alive and beers so cold, they don't get any better.

LIFE PEAKS IN THE PRESENCE OF HAPPINESS Annual Memberships are available for only $4,000 Join the Georgian Peaks Club and give your family the winter of their lives.

georgianpeaks.com | 519.599.6771 | marg@georgianpeaks.com

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