SKIWEAR:If you're going on the piste, you've got to look the part. Here is a sample of what the serious snow junkies are wearing on the slopes, now that the season is in full swing and conditions are the best in years, writes Laurence Mackin
IN OCTOBER, THE winter season was shaping up to be another disappointment, with several consecutive disastrously mild winters playing havoc with the European ski industry. But as November drifted into December, snow fell from the skies in fabulous, fluffy torrents and across Europe those lucky enough to live near the mountains headed for their first ski of the season in the best conditions imaginable. The season was off to a brilliant fluffy bang.
The Alps enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, possibly the best in the past decade with heavy snow falls and piles of powders for those who were quick off the mark before Christmas. Conditions have remained largely good throughout Europe. Italy’s Milky Way is one of the current hot spots, with terrific skiing conditions, and Austrian resorts are reporting that nearly all their lifts are open, with Zermatt conditions said to be spectacular. In France, record low temperatures are maintaining the snow surface, despite the blue skies overhead in many of the resorts.
In Central and Eastern Europe, the situation has been steadily improving with a somewhat later winter bringing strong snowfalls over Christmas in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Closer to home, in Scotland, the ski resorts of Lecht and Glenshee should now both be open for business.
Although these conditions are terrific news for the industry, in some resorts heavy snowfalls have made off-piste skiing dangerous, due to unstable ground and the threat of avalanches. So be sure to check with the locals before leaving the comfort of the marked piste behind.
With the dollar taking a tumble, many people are now considering heading to the US for some quality slope time, but it’s not all snowy side up in many of the stateside resorts. Whistler in Canada, something of a mecca for snow junkies, has had a rough start to the season. Early snow falls were light, and subsequent heavy dumps have created an unstable snow pack that means many upper pistes are closed. In British Columbia alone, the death toll from avalanches is already at 13 for this season. And in December, a section of Whistler’s Excalibur gondola lift on Blackcomb Mountain also collapsed, leading to 12 injuries.
However, there is light at the end of the snow tunnel. The heavy snow falls combined with avalanche controls by the resorts’ management should improve conditions considerably. A new Peak 2 Peak gondola joining the Blackcomb and Whistler mountains has been a major success and travel deals for the resort are in abundance.There are plenty of other snow deals available (see this week’s edition of Go, The Irish Times’ travel supplement).
On the fashion front, things are anything but subtle: the trends for this season’s clothing have seen one-piece suits make a major comeback, with day-glow colours and prints that you can see coming for miles. It seems that for the trendier set on the slopes, it’s right back to the 1980s.
However, one-piece suits might not be the pure fashion folly they first appear. Yes, they might present some challenges in the bathroom but because it’s an all-in-one affair, there are no gaps that sneaky snow can creep into should you take a tumble on the piste. If you do go for the all-out 1980s look, though, it’s probably best to have the snow skills to go with it. Nobody likes a poseur who’s all pomp and no piste.
For those not quite confident enough to carry of the luminescent look, there are still plenty of cutting-edge pieces to pick from. Designers are leaving the baggy skater-style look behind, and going for more fitted, sleeker outfits that will cut a dash on and off the piste and are generally more flattering than a sack of Goretex. In particular, some of the jackets in the women’s ranges feature funky faux fur trims, fitted lines and details more typical of high-street fashion pieces, such as puffed sleeves and bling belts.
Many of the fashion houses that have made their names in surf and street wear are now also turning their attentions to the snow market, such as DC, Quiksilver and Roxy, but they’ll have a tough time competing with the established favourites, such as Burton and Rossignol, and the more cutting-edge snow fashion houses, such as Eleven. All the pieces featured here, though, give you the performance and insulation you need to make your ski or snowboarding holiday as comfortable and safe as it is stylish.