The Echo Week 8 by The Val Echo

ISSUE 1408 | JAN 11, 2019

THE

ECHO

LUNCHING IN THE CORNER

FREE WEEKLY GUIDE TO VAL Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ISERE

M A G A Z I N E

CARVE IT LIKE BECKHAM

WAR ON COLD FEET

COVER ART By Heather Barette Interview: Page 10

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY THE FOLIE DOUCE ART PROJECT Each week, the front cover of The Echo is going to be a different artwork produced by mostly local artists, but also several from further afield. This project is being very generously supported by La Folie Douce, whose contribution is allowing the artists to be paid ahead of time for their work, as both Folie and The Echo firmly believe in paying people for their skills.

If you’re interested in drawing/painting/ collaging/ creating something in whatever medium takes your fancy, please get in touch by emailing contact@valecho.co.uk and we can discuss. Equally, if you’re interested in writing for the magazine or have ideas for a feature, drop us a line. At the end of the season, the plan is to

We want to encourage a community of creators and give people a space to use their talents, even if whilst out here, many are taking a break from “regular life”. Prints of the artwork are available to purchase on The Echo website, www. valecho.co.uk/shop, with profits going to the artists.

hold an exhibition of all The Echo covers from the winter, and again Folie Douce is supporting this endeavour, as it fits with their creative vision. We can’t wait to see what the artists come up with each week and look forward to talking to them about their work and life in or out of the mountains.

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CONT ENTS

Echo Publications CCK Intergalactic Ltd

www.valecho.co.uk contact@valecho.co.uk Please recycle the magazine once you have read it. Or better still, hand it on to someone else. Contributors: Sam Box, Ben Pryor, Caitlin Kennedy

RESORT GUIDE The down-low on everything from the best restaurants to the numbers to call in an emergency

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST

23 PRO GEAR TIPS Tips from the experts at Snowberry

THE CORNER

We sample the menu from Lou and Ryan’s lovely new cafe over in Val Claret and find out how they’re getting on.

CARVE IT UP

With at least a few more days of sunshine left before the promiseland of powder arrives, we tested out some piste skies and got some tips on how to get low.

EVENT GUIDE

What’s on this week: - Town events - Bar nights - Sporting competitions

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We chat to Heather Barette, the designer of this week’s cover art. The Echo’s cover is generously sponsored by La Folie Douce

14 OUT OF THE BUBBLE A satirical spin on the week’s events from further afield than the Espace Killy

LEGENDS OF VAL A deadly serious interview with our Seasonaire of the Week. This week, John Cooper takes to the limelight.

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST

Artist: Heather Barette

10 for an amazing Ceramics artist called Jane James, who focuses on coastal life made out of ceramics. And since I’ve been out here this season I’ve been loving graphic design. You could say I’m still trying to find my preferred medium! You’ve done a similar style graphic drawing of the Hidden Valley - what’s your favourite bit of the Espace Killy? Hmm... I don’t think I could tell you my one favourite part of the Espace Killy! It changes every day depending on whether I’m skiing or walking the dogs. If we’ve just had a fresh dump, I love going into the trees at Le Fornet, Les Brevieres and La Daille! However, this season ski-wise, because it’s been a little icy so far, I’ve mainly been doing the Grande Motte Glacier or laps of Palafour. Do you find living out here conducive to creativity?

Whilst I’m out here I get such a creative urge; I’m just constantly inspired by my beautiful How long have you been based in Tignes surroundings and the awesome people out and what do you do out here? here. This season I’m focusing on my artwork everyday, thinking of possible new paintings/ This is my second season in Tignes and designs and then working on them. The it’s definitely starting to feel like a bit of a mountain air is definitely good for creative second home. Last season I worked at Tignes minds. Spirit as a Ski Technician with an awesome bunch of people. However, this season it’s What did you used to draw when you more chilled. I want to focus on my art a bit were little? more, so I’m walking dogs everyday, doing more artwork and a little bit of cleaning. When I was really little I used to do a lot of fashion drawings. I’d usually do a fashion Tell us a bit about your artistic collection which included designs of background? surfboards, skateboards, snowboards or skis! My artistic background is quite broad. When I was 16 I went to Milan for a summer course on Fashion, then during Art A-Levels, I realised my main medium I work with was Acyrlic. I’ve had artwork displayed in two different galleries back at home, in Jersey. Whilst I was home in the summer I worked

Do you have any creative goals you can tell us about? My main creative goal at present is just to get my name out there. Longterm, I’d love to work together with some big brands and I’m very keen to design some skis one day!

PLANKS PHOTO COMPETITION

Each week the winner of the Planks Photo Competition wins themselves a Planks beanie from the flagship store in town. Prize must be collected within a week of winning. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner: Tom Bartlett Enter at www.valecho.co.uk/competitions

OUT OF THE BUBBLE

14 Theresa gonebyMay continues to eat more humble pie than a low-rent male escort as she works on her Belgian fudge. Her latest ingredient is a handful of opposition MPs, courted with promises By Ben Pryor on workers’ rights and environmental concessions. A forced substitution after The US government shutdown enters DUP votes disappeared from her Hubbardits fourth week, with 800,000 federal like cupboard, turning down more cash employees not receiving pay, as the row and influence (normally milk and honey over the great wall of Mexico continues. The to minority parties; just ask Sir Nick of Donald remains uncowed ‘in the name of Facebook). Michael Gove, prepared to back national security’, abruptly ending a meeting any deal that furthers his political ambitions, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she refused likened hard-line Eurosceptics to ‘overhis $5.7bn funding request with a simple picky mid-50s swingers waiting for Scarlett ‘bye-bye’. If the stand-off continues, he’s Johansson to turn up’; an unusually witty threatened declaring a ‘national emergency’ metaphor from the 51-year-old. The Jeremy to get the wall built using military resources; continues suggesting a General Election the ones he’s pulled out of the parts of the is the best way to break the deadlock. Middle East with no oil production should So: something he can’t get; current polls be available soon. forecasting an even more hung parliament;

his only route to power a coalition with the rampantly pro-EU SNP; to then propose a customs union the EU have already ruled out; to break the deadlock on an issue which doesn’t break down party lines and for which there’s no consensus for any solution; has he let Diane Abbott at the calculator again. A woman found a drunk man sleeping next to her 150lb bull mastiff on New Year’s Day; hardly the first time someone’s gone big on New Year’s and woken up in a strange place next to a dog. Scientists have discovered brushing your teeth twice a day makes you three times less likely to suffer erectile dysfunction due to damage to the blood vessels from gum disease; they’re definitely doing something wrong but I don’t want to know what. A Japanese magazine apologised for ranking universities based

on how easy it is to seduce female students; of all the things published in Japanese magazines, that’s the thing which most requires an apology?!? A woman prescribed erectile dysfunction cream for a dry eye condition, Vitaros instead of VitA-POS, suffered chemical injuries and a swollen eyelid; too much of that will definitely make you go blind. European Tinder users complained after losing service for six hours, seeing ‘Error, 5000’ instead of profiles; must have crossed wires with Charlie Sheen’s profile. And finally, Ford has unveiled a ‘mechanised posterior’ which simulates a human bottom to test its car seats. Robutt is based on the dimensions of a large man and soaked in 450ml of water; there goes Adele’s job for life. Until next week, I’m off to brush my teeth so I don’t need this Optrex.

LEGENDS OF VAL

John Cooper has been here for 4 years and now works for Val d’Isere Location.

18 I literally have no idea. It was a total fluke to be honest. What I can tell you is that it was the frat party last year, we had played two rounds of beer pong, done a beer bong and then Jono persuaded me through the art of peer pressure to try my hand at Das Boot. How was the rest of the night? Good question. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve see in Val d’Isère? There was someone I saw today wearing Jimmy Choo Moon Boots. That was outrageous. And this year has been pretty good for watching people ski on the roads. Especially round Bananas, there is actual tarmac and people still think it’s a good idea to grind their skis over it.

You’re here year round right? Which do you prefer, summer or winter? Probably summer. Less work, more fun and more time to do cool shit, but obviously winter is awesome because skiing. And everyone comes back. Favourite run? The Face on a powder day with 40cm fresh snow on top of a freshly groomed piste. I got exactly that on the last day of the season in my first year. It was unreal. The last day the lifts are open always seems to be a powder day. Have you ever made it into the Echo? I would like to say no, but that would be a lie. I might have accidentally drunk a lot of beer very fast in the Fall Line. Oh Das Boot? You were the reigning champion! How did it feel to be beaten on something you’d worked so hard to achieve? I felt deflated. But probably not because you were full of beer… What is your game plan when opening your gullet to inhale beer?

Rumour has it that you have joined Cassandra in bringing the slut drop to Val d’Isere? I might have one time dropped my body in a manner that could be considered slutty. That’s all I’ll say on that matter. It was probably really sexy though. Do you have an alter ego? No I’m far too sensible for that. Ok, well we hereby christen her Lorraine. Or Loose Lorraine when boots or slutty moves are involved. What’s been your biggest cock up? Probably missing my birthday tour last year. We were supposed to be doing the Point de Grand Pré. But I decided to go to Danois the night before where I was bought the 6 pint Erdinger glass. And that was the end of that. Danny Crompton happened to find a balloon at the top of the mountain and said they’d carried it all the way up for me, just to rub salt into the wound. Fall Line is obviously your spiritual home. How was Christmas here? Yeah I use it as my front room and invited myself to their Christmas. Ben was a champion. He cooked an amazing dinner

19 and I managed to turn Jono back into a 15 carnivore cause it ‘promotes cruelty’; same could be Elysées for wearing ‘gilets in was the day. Butjaunes’ Fall Line actually very first place I came when protest. the Macron’s comment, ‘You cannot Ibe landed in Val. And I never left after pro-environment on Monday and that when fateful night. Tuesday comes be against rising fuel prices’ is the kind of irrefutable logic which goes Tell us something we don’t know about down like a fish milkshake with opponents, you. but should be deployed against those decrying and Google for tax evasion I’m halfAmazon South African. who wouldn’t forego a free internet search Ah no way! Andonline what’s your proudest for the cheapest deal in a month of life moment so far? Sundays. Probably winning best beard on the Indonesia when has launched a ‘heresy app’ to mountain I did a season in Canada. report anyone practicing ‘unorthodox interpretations’ ofwhat its recognised religions; well, Impressive, did you win? pass my lover a bacon sandwich. A teenagJust respect.with his sister on Tinder; yes, er matched that does mean they both swiped right and Word ondo the street that thishas is your yes they live in theisUS. PETA delast winter here. Do you have any final mandedgoals? the village of Wool, derived from season the Anglo-Saxon ‘welle’ meaning a water spring, change its name Get in some good tours,to skiVegan more,Wool work beless.

said of their abuse of the English language. US Coast Guard reported a giant turtle, enmeshed in a rope holding 800Kg of cocaine worth £41m; bet it was Donatello. A former Miss Moscow, 25, has married Malaysia’s King Muhammad V, 49, after converting to Islam and taking the name Rihana; better hope that heresy app doesn’t get rolled out across the region. And finally, if you could be any animal whatfinally, would you be? Christmas advert And Poundland’s has come under fire for be mocking A golden eagle would pretty Elton sick. But equallyadvert in Canada youLewis, see these massive John’s for John depicting one grizzly bears which are amazing. One of my elf orally relieving another on topbook of hisof favourite characters in my sat favourite all timewonder is Bjornif in a man piano; heThe wasHobbit singingwho ‘Canisyou that turns intoTonight’. a bear. And was a I’m kid, Feel the Love Untilsince nextIweek, I always remembered him. off to drink from a woolly spring. You’re definitely a bear. Thank you John.

OFF PISTE SNOW REPORT Brought to you by Henry’s Avalanche Talk www.henrysavalanchetalk.com Fresh snow is on its way … but if we get a lot, expect instability above 2500m. The snow is coming. It looks like less stable weather now. But high pressure still dominates until 21st January. So several small snowfalls in the next week and generally quite cold and windy. Then expect low pressure and more snow after 21st January. For the last week or so, we’ve been doing a lot of walking to find any decent off-piste snow. However, we’ve had a little fresh snow on Wednesday, and it looks as if more snowfall is on the way in the next few days. Avalanche danger ratings have been down to 1 out of 5 below 2500 m, and at 1 or 2 above this altitude. That’s pretty rare for this time of year. (See our descriptions of what all the avalanche danger ratings mean). We currently have two different types of snowpack, with 2400/2500 m (the rain/ snow limit) as the demarcation zone between the two. Below 2500 m, the snowpack has become very solid and stable due to becoming very humidified by rain and melting, followed by refreezing. Above 2500 m, snow profiles show a very unconsolidated snowpack consisting almost entirely of faceted grains (‘sugar snow’),

a situation which has come about because of very cold temperatures, particularly, cold clear nights. It’s fine as long as no substantial new snow lands on top of it. But when it does, it will become a very different story….

Once any substantial (say 20 to 40 cm) fresh or wind-blown snow lands on top of this unconsolidated snow above 2500 m there will be serious instability at these high altitudes, particularly on steep North’ish facing slopes of 30° and more. Below 2500 m, any fresh snowfall will be landing on a much more solid base. See Henry’s video update on the current situation and what to look out for when we do get any substantial fresh snow (possibly at the beginning of next week). Of course, it remains to be seen how much fresh snow we actually receive, and when. But beware of this instability, particularly on steep high North-facing slopes where the best quality snow often is. Be especially wary on the first sunny day after fresh snowfall, when we’re all itching to get out and enjoy the powder! Off-piste weather forecast for 12 to 17 January Currently, the western Alps are under a high pressure drawing in cold air from the N and NE. We expect some light snow, wind and clouds on Saturday to Sunday night. Then a period of very variable weather with some more light snow, sun,

Chamois by Wayne Watson

clouds, wind, cold and milder temperatures changing day by day.

This is because the French Alps are sitting on the edge of two weather systems right now. A cold low-pressure system drawing snow into Austria and High pressure over the Atlantic and the Azores. The weather in the French Alps is unpredictable since it depends on which one of these is dominant. This persists until around January 20th or 21st.

Cloudy on the summits, the snowfall will lessen temporarily, before resuming more at the end of the day and into the night. The rain/snow limit rises to around 1000 m before descending. Strong northwest wind (gusts 80 to 100 km / h from 3000 m). Temperatures rise from -3 to 4 degrees to 1000 m and -6 / -9 to -1 / -3 degrees to 2000 m ( 0 degrees temporarily 1500/1800 m). MONDAY 14 and TUESDAY 15 January Monday - cloudy with snowfall that lightens throughout the day. Northwest wind still strong in altitude (60 to 80 km / h). Temperatures lower at night (0 degrees on valley floor) Tuesday - return of the sun in the mountains after a few morning clouds Temperatures increasing from -4 to 4 degrees to 1000 m.

From 21st January, it looks like the jetstream will sink south and place the Western Alps under a low-pressure weather influence. This will bring the chance of more significant snowfall interspersed with sunny days. What we can say is the the weather is much more unsettled now and we will see a lot more variation than in the past two weeks.

WEDNESDAY 16 and THURSDAY 17 January Wednesday - probably sunny, before possible clouds and snow Wednesday night and Thursday Temperatures a little low for this time in the season.

SATURDAY 12 January A lot of sun despite banks of high clouds. The wind is from North to Northwest (40 then 60 km / h from 3000 m). The cold is still prevalent in the morning but the temperatures rise a bit, moving from -6 to 2 degrees to 1000 m and -13 to -3 degrees to 2000 m.

The snowfall will sit on a persistent weak layer above 2500m in the snowpack, always be on your guard after fresh snowfall, even when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little sign of recent avalanche activity.

SUNDAY 13 January

Tip of the week

After substantial amounts of fresh snowfall, always treat steep slopes above 2500 m with a lot of caution.

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PRO GEAR TIPS Cold Feet? In the last few days it’s been really cold up the mountain and a lot of people have been complaining of freezing feet. Cold feet can be a misery and are usually a bigger problem for ladies, for those with poor circulation and for anyone suffering from circulatory conditions such as Reynaud’s Syndrome. When it gets down to minus 30, there’s not much you can do but here are a few tips to keep your feet warmer in most conditions: Start off by making sure your whole body is warm – if the rest of your body is cold, it reacts by shutting off the supply of warm blood to your extremities to protect your core. Wrapping up well and wearing a hat/ neckwarmer will keep your feet toasty too. Don’t be tempted to wear more, or thicker, socks. More bulk inside your boots reduces circulation. Make sure your socks are warm and dry when you put them on, damp socks will soon freeze so you might as well put your feet in a fridge! Dry your shells and liners every evening and warm your boots before you put

them on (you can use a hairdryer on a low setting if you don’t have boot-warmers). And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t leave your boots on the balcony overnight! As well as improving your skiing, skier orthotics can also help keep your feet warm. An unsupported foot tends to collapse as you flex, so most people overtighten their boots to hold the foot more solidly, but this constricts the arteries that supply blood to your toes. A proper skier orthotic supports and stabilises the foot, meaning you can ski comfortably in a boot that’s the right size. It also releases the flow of blood to your toes. Make sure your boots fit properly – too small a fit and your circulation is restricted and there’s no room for warm air to circulate around your feet. But boots that are too big or the wrong shape can mean you lose circulation as you clamp the buckles tighter to gain control. Make sure you don’t over-tighten the power strap or the clips over the forefoot – they should be finger-tight only. Overtightening the third clip from the top is one of the most common reasons for freezing feet. Once you’re on the mountain, start gently and tighten your boots after a couple of runs. And give your feet a break every now and then – releasing the clips while you’re on a lift or having a coffee eases the circulation to your toes and warms your feet up before you start again. If you’re really suffering, treat yourself to the ultimate solution with heated socks or footbeds. They’re certainly not cheap but they do make a difference – you can even go all out for the ones you can control from your phone!

THE CORNER They say good things come in small packages, they say it’s the little things that one appreciates, but enough about the owner. The newest addition to Tignes’ eateries is small but perfectly formed and named, astonishingly enough, due to its location amongst the restaurants at the bottom of the Tufs chairlift over in Val Claret. This fresh new cafe is the venture of Lou, owner of Blue Note with her brother Matt for 13 years, and fiancé Ryan, a badass mountain man, who ran the Planks kitchen in Tignes last year and is now heading up the cooking department of The Corner. It’s tough to embark on something new out here, especially when it comes to standing out from a crowded market of lunchtime eateries. But this powerhouse duo have managed it, and done it with flair. From the homely decor to the mouth watering meals, they have created somewhere perfect for a mid-ski stop off that is sure to be a hit with Val d’Iserians taking the trip to Tignes for the day. We battled through a blizzard to get to Lou and Ryan’s opening trial day and were met by a gorgeously warm ambiance and an even more inviting scent of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee. The vibe is chilled and the menu reflects that with hearty hashes,

26 bacon butties and crumbly pies. In other words, exactly the kind of tummy warming sustenance you fancy after a morning shredding the hill. On sunny days, the outdoor seating will be a complete suntrap and the fresh, fruit filled smoothies will serve as a perfect pick me up for flagging legs. I chose the vegetarian hash and was met with a mountain of deliciousness. Meanwhile Sam, who hadn’t got the memo about eating at The Corner and so foolishly arrived on a stomach full of eggs, went for the simple, but classic, bacon buttie. Conversation was replaced by happy, satisfied smiles and comfort food was washed down with damn fine coffee. All in all, a thoroughly delightful experience. We’ll be back! Especially for the banoffee pie, which wasn’t yet available, but definitely caught our eye. Afterwards we caught up with Lou to find out how things have been going their end. What made you want to open a restaurant? We fancied a change. Plus Ryan is a banging chef and neither of us wanted to work nights anymore. What has been the best and worst thing about starting this new venture? Worst was waiting on banks and French bureaucracy, hence opening in January. The best bit is working with Ryan and Ferg but I’ll definitely miss working with my brother and of course, Al. Favourite thing on the menu? Shakshuka - our spicy baked egg dish. It’s to die for. Could banoffee pie perhaps be replacing wedding cake on the big day? Ha. Yes. Although the big day depends on if me and Ry don’t kill each other this winter!

Tell us about the coffee, it was absolutely perfect! The bloody grind ratio! I never knew it was such a science. We spent 2 days learning about extraction and brew times. I can’t believe it took 2 days to learn how to make an espresso! But I am very glad to hear it was all worth it. We’ve had really good feedback. How did you guys put together the menu?

We spent the whole summer having cook offs and taste tests. The end result is a mix of ready to go tasty treats and made to order options, which is vital because in a tiny cafe, you need quick options. Some things are there by popular demand and Emma Spruce wouldn’t let us drop the Chilli Veggie Pie! Who took the lead on the decor? I decided on most of the design but Ryan was the best painter/decorator ever and Ferg is a true handyman. We still have lots to put up on the walls but the retro coffee machine led the look. What are you most excited about? Finally bringing Cornish pasties to the Alps! When will you be opening? Friday 11th - tomorrow!! Shit!! We still have no plates. But big thanks to all our tradesmen who nailed the build and Pat Rossi for his calm amazing finishing stint. Good Luck with everything Lou and Ryan. We’ll be back soon.

12TH Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: The Blazin’ Strings

13TH

Le Hibou - Curry Night - Curry & A Pint/Glass of wine for only €15. Served 14.30 - 21.30. Old Skool Garage Night

Victors - Seasonaire Saturdays. Tacos & Tequila.

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Hobo Chic

Dick’s Tea Bar- Industry Night (Glitter Box Resident DJ Megan (Tinta))

Fall Line - Seasonaire Party

Le Lodge - DJ K2 11:30pm-1:30am

Dick’s Tea Bar - Dirty Sunday with Alex Mar-

shall (Hip Hop and RnB)

Petit Danois - Live Music - Joe & Will 5pm

Petit Danois - Live Music - Mardy Johnny Deps 5pm

Ice Driving Circuit - SSV Quad Ice Tour. 2 day buggy racing competition open to the public

Ice Driving Circuit - SSV Quad Ice Tour. Day 2

16TH La Folie Douce - WTF Party where you can sign up to become the next Echo cover artist

Cocorico - Après Ski L Ski

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: The Trends

Le Hibou - Quiz Night

Le Hibou - Wings Wednesday IN TOWN - Free Cross Country Relay Ski Race 18.30. Prizes for winners. Vin chaud for all.

Dick’s Tea Bar - After Dinner Club with Pocket Size Dave accompanied by Sax and Violin Petit Danois - Live music - Gallie 5pm Saloon - Pole Dancing competition. Win 50€ Bar Tab. All Jugs 15€ all night

- €50 bar tab, 2nd Prize -

Vie Val d’Is - Free Box 8pm at the CCAS with

Petit Danois - Live Mu 5pm

Dick’s Tea Bar - LUNA Villard (Techo House)

IN TOWN - Airstar Nig

entertainment and free v

COCORICO - 2-4pm Happy Hour, Live Music every day from BLUE NOTE - Happy Hour with Hot Gin and Nibbles from 3 to 6pm FALL LINE - Happy Hour 3-5pm PETIT DANOIS - Happy Hour 2 for 1 on Beers and Drinks 4-5pm & 9-10pm. Food served all day. DJ Jack Igglesden every day from 10pm. BANANAS- Seasonaire Menu: 3 Courses and a beer/wine/soft drink for €20

14TH

15TH

La Folie Douce - Discopolis: Back to the roots

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Queens of the Snow Stage

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Chop Shop

CATEX visit (3pm) - Discover how avalanche detonation works with a free 1 hour guided tour. Sign up at the Tourist Office.

of House Music

IN TOWN - Free Avalanche talk with the ESF in English at 6pm at snowfront kindergarten chalet

Dick’s Tea Bar - Resident DJs Megan (Tinta)

and Alex Marshall

Saloon - DJ Raze on the decks Petit Danois - Live music - The Revolverlites

5pm

Petit Danois - Live Music - Mullit & The Machine 5pm

Dicks Tea Bar - Techno Tuesday w/ Tinta

The Park - French U16 National Freestyle Championships

IN TOWN - Ski Mountaineering Night Race.

17TH

6.30pm start with Dynastar Touring skis for winner and buffet +vin chaud on the finish line

18TH

Live Music: Tenacious

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Pink Miami

21.30 Kick off! 1st Prize - Bottle of wine

Le Hibou - Prosecco Fridays with Prosecco Cocktails for €5.50

xing for Beginners. h Romain

Petit Danois - Live Music - Karen & Andreas 5pm

usic - The Guinea Pigs

Saloon - Flo on the saxophone IN TOWN: Dynastar Floodlit knockout Slalom

A Thursday with Thomas

ght. Light show, street vin chaud on main street

competition. Free entry but limited places. Sign up at the Club des Sports from Monday. Dynastar skis to be won.

Dicks Tea Bar - After Dinner Club with Pocket

Sized Dave accompanied by Sax and Violin

UNDERGROUND - Après Ski Tapas from 5pm LE PETIT CUISINE - Daily 12 - 3pm - Seasonaire Meal Deal VICTORS - Cocktail Hour 9-11pm LE LODGE - Happy Hour 4:30-7:30pm €4 large beer SALOON: 3-6pm Happy Hour 2 for 1 on beer wine and more.

CARVE IT LIKE BECKHAM With the gargantuan quantity of snow that fell this week, (take that with several hefty pinches of salt and a side serving of sarcasm), we’re sure you’ll all be grasping the fattest skis you can find to float on that thrilling 3 centimetres of pow. But just in case you’ve decided on another week of piste cruising, we’ve put together a beginner’s guide to carving so aggressively that the slopes will be left wondering which family member they insulted to deserve such a hammering.

32 If you are in the mood for long, deep turns then you may want a GS or super G ski with lesser sidecut. These skis can have up to a 33m turn radius. If you want to do some short, quick turns then opt for more of a slalom ski that will have a bigger sidecut. These can have a turn radius as low as 12m. We took out skis with a 15m turn radius. This allowed for some very snappy turns and also some slightly deeper carving. Both being used to 100+ underfoot, fairly blunt skis, we found using these an absolute joy.

The Ski Instructor Long radius carved turns use edges of the skis and pressure control - ie the skis should simply turn along their entire length without any pivot The Layman And Woman or rotational turn of the feet. In effect you are We certainly don’t profess to have all the allowing your turn to be entirely controlled by answers as to how you should be skiing, but as the shape of the ski. late arrivals to the art of the carve, we’ve been happy to discover how much fun it can be. So You need to edge the skis enough to grip the here are our two cents - pick up some piste snow and avoid drifting to the outside of the skis, even if just for a day or two. We went to turn. As the speed of the turn increases, the Snowberry and got kitted out with a pair of pressure builds up on the outside ski, and Rossignol Hero Masters and Dynastar Speed your centre of mass must be sufficiently inside Zones and could not keep the whooping at the turn to be able to balance the build up bay on the slopes. Seasonaires especially can of pressure and keep two clean lines of the be loathe to part company with their chunky carved turn. skis, but when the snow isn’t the best off piste, it’s hard to beat zooming round a perfect arc To begin with try and practice on gentle of a turn feeling torque and momentum doing slopes to really feel the edges of the skis their thing. gripping the piste - and without building too much speed. When practising long radius When renting or buying piste skis, you first turns for the first time, trust the skis and allow need to consider what kind of skiing you want the shape and size of the turn to be dictated to be doing as the sidecut of the ski effects by the ski, rather than trying to define by the turn radius. The sidecut setting a specific is a measurement of the width. difference in width between the narrowest part of the To get real good ski and its widest point. A at carving, we ski’s sidecut forms an arc. recommend booking The radius of the imaginary yourself a session circle formed by completing with TDC. They that arc is referred to as a still have spaces ski’s turn radius. A deeper on their Seasonaire side cut means a smaller Programme and can turn radius, which allows for be found in Snowberry tighter turns. Slopeside.

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SO Hot Right Now

This brave soul gave the middle finger to the coldest day of the season so far and decided a T-shirt was enough armour against the elements. We’re pretty sure he was Russian though, so perhaps in comparison to the motherland, our blizzard was a tropical paradise.

What more could you want?

Seasoned Life You’ve been Marshall’d

Ross Marshall was at it again, this time choosing to disguise his bar-nap with goggles. We can’t decide whether this is genius or ridicuous.

Connie at Bananas had suspiciously red eyes when we talked to her this week. However, the full story had nothing to do with the devil’s lettuce. When Rob asked Sam from Bananas to pepper spray him, he did not hesitate to oblige. The only problem was that Sam did not anticipate the effects of the spray in the confined space of Bananas. Consequently, everyone in the room was coughing and spluttering so badly that they had to go upstairs where they found the diners in the restaurant to be suffering some equally unpleasant effects. Seems like quite a farfetched excuse Connie, maybe just lay off the erbaliser.

SPORT Shown at Le Petit Danois: FOOTBALL Saturday 12th Jan: West Ham V Arsenal 1.30pm Chelsea V Newcastle 6.30pm Sunday: Everton V Bournemouth 3.15pm Spurs V Man Utd 5.30pm Monday: Man City V Wolves 9pm Tuesday: Blackburn V Newcastle 8.45pm Wednesday: Southampton v Derby 8.45pm

42 HANDBALL Saturday 12th Jan: Denmark V Tunisia 8.15pm Sunday: Sweden V Argentina 8.30pm Monday: Denmark V Saudi Arabia 8.15pm Tuesday: Denmark V Austria 8.45pm Wednesday: Sweden V Qatar 8.30pm Thursday: Denmark V Norway 8.15pm Live sport also shown at The Fall Line, Blue Note and Le Hibou.

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