Ep 33 Conquering Dunes at Record Speeds: and other ways to meet the Pisteurs !

Good morning, Val d'Isère.

Another sunny day.
Bit of a breeze. With a temperature as high as 11 degrees centigrade.

Who needs snow or plain dry slopes for skiing? You can go for extra dry, abrasive sand skiing.
Last week a Savoyard broke the world speed record
121 km per hour down a dune in Peru.
Nearly 30 kilometres faster
than the record set in 2010.
Luckily it worked first time
as the record breaking descent burnt his skis.
Imagine what falling would have done to his body when the
friction wrecked his skis.

I'm sure you appreciate how much it costs to feed one
teenage male.
How do they eat so much?
Now? Triple that.
Then add in the cost of ski racing
at a high level.
The training, the travel,
the equipment, the accommodation
Team Carrick-Smith
Luka, Freddie and Zach.
The sons of four times
British Olympian Emma Carrick Anderson
and ski instructor Phil Smith.
They are all in the top 100.
Their parents are raising funds to continue to support their dream
World cup victories would be nice
If you can help in even a small way, 
 have put the link on the website.

More rules from Italy.
Apart from the €200 fine
and lift pass confiscation for the wrong helmet
or no helmet,
the following are also forbidden.
Eating or drinking on ski lifts,
walking up a piste with snowshoes and
no drinking or drugging while skiing.
On top of that,
you have to have third party liability insurance.
And if you ski off piste, Italian law demands
that you have a beep, shovel and probe.

Hopefully you'll also know how to use them.

Last year our super ski patrollers were called after
a man had fallen and knocked his head.
When they got there, he was standing up.
"No, no, no, I'm fine". He insisted.
"Please sir, get in the sledge."
"No, no, I'm fine."
Then he looked down at his feet, astonished.
"Why have I got skis?"
"Please sir, get in the sledge."
"No, no, no, I'm fine"
Then he looked around.
"Why does everyone have skis?"
"Please sir, get in the sledge."

It is at times like this that the wise patrollers don't take no for an answer.
People can still appear normal with a severe concussion.

If you are skiing with someone who hits their head or wrecks a knee,
stop there and then,
move to the side of the piste,
surround them with upright cross skis and
call the pisteurs.
There are no medals for being brave.
It can be tricky to ski safely on one leg or
with a bruised brain.
It would be easy,
very easy.
Very, very easy.
To make things worse,
just dial P for Pisteur.
The number is on the back of your lift pass.

While you are planning your holiday.
Remember that if you book childcare with Jelly and Ice cream
they can also do the drop off and pick up from ski school.
That takes the pressure off you.

As part of the new and improved website
I have added a calendar page
events that I mention
more details and links.
If you know of an event that you would like to share,
please email me the details and I will add it.

Almost the weekend.
Don't forget if you might be tempted to buy
a place in Val, there is an online property event tomorrow.

Also if you can't wait for the London version,
the Northern Snow Show is in Manchester this weekend.

Are you a yoga fan? Lucy Marguet will be in Val
from the 18th to the 23rd of October.
If you would like a session or two, contact her via Facebook.

Still looking to book for the winter?
Alpine elements are advertising
beautiful chalets, catered dinners on six nights,
all at sensible prices.

Maybe France is a bit foreign? What about considering
the all area Pass which covers all five Scottish resorts?

That is all from me this morning.
Have a full day's work ahead so better get on.

Chat tomorrow.