Author: nicola

Boom time for UK’s indoor snow centres?

Anyone else resigned to another DNS ski season? Like us, you probably have wintersports pals who have abandoned trying to pre-plan a ski trip. Maybe you’ve held back from the Eurotunnel crossing in favour of the increasingly common ‘wait and see’ approach – particularly if you’ve got school-age kids.

The complications of daily testing in resort, the risks of possibly racking up a Covid19 positive before starting the journey home and the dread of forcing children to miss yet more schooling through self-isolation on their return, make a pre-booked ski trip simply not feasible for many families.

Disappointing for us – but good news for the UK’s indoor real snow slopes that look set to mop up the thousands who are not going to make it to the mountains this winter.

The fact is that not being able to get to the Alps or Dolomites doesn’t mean you and the kids have to miss out on your piste time. This could be a bumper season for indoor snow centres as, to be frank, there really isn’t much in the way of outdoor skiing infra unless you’ve got Glencoe on your doorstep.

If you want your fix of the white stuff, you’re probably going to have to ski and snowboard indoors this winter.

Snow centres have come a long way since the Tamworth Snowdome opened back in 1994. Now there’s a growing network of indoor ski and snowboard centres across the UK. Check out the Ski Club of Great Britain info page here for the full range of real snow and dry ski slopes across GB.  

A word of advice: get your sessions booked NOW – we predict high demand this winter, with so many families disappointed by not being able to get their mountain fix. Why not take the opportunity to learn the basics on a snowboard, grab a few lessons to spruce up your technique or even take your Level 1 instructor exams (could be the perfect Christmas present for an older teen…)?

And fingers’ crossed that the health climate improves enough between now and Easter to allow that long-awaited trip to our favourite pistes before the season is through.

Five things we learned at the National Snow Show

Thanks to all who joined us at the NEC for the National Snow Show last month. It was a great opportunity to spread the #SkiGreen message and gauge your views about our circular economy goals.

We loved chatting to skiers and boarders from across the country – all so excited to get back on the slopes after an enforced absence. Here are some of our takeaways from those conversations…

  1. Virus permitting, it is going to be a bonanza season on the piste. LOTS of us have multiple ski trips planned for the ‘back to the slopes’ 2021/22 season. We lost count of the number of skiers who told us they had three, four even FIVE ski holidays booked. Go Brit skiers – it’s going to be an epic year in the mountains.
  2. There are THOUSANDS of bags of unwanted ski clothing neatly stashed in loft cupboards across Britain. It was a rare visitor to the WhoSki.com Snow Show stand who didn’t own up to being a ‘just in case’ hoarder. Much of it is apparently in A1 condition and never likely to get worn as it no longer fits.
  3. Skiing en famille is a great British tradition that shows no sign of waning. Bank of mum and dad is still paying for wintersports wear AND holidays for the kids – even when those ‘kids’ are well into their 20s. Well, if ma and pa are footing the bill, who are you to deprive them of your delightful company – and let them pay for that £14 bowl of spag bol when lunchtime comes? Who says millennials haven’t got a clue about money?
  4. While the general population saw their weight increase during lockdown, many skiers took advantage of enforced leisure time to get active and actually LOST weight. We spoke to numerous visitors who said they were looking for new outfits because the old ones were now too roomy. There is no better excuse for a ski kit upgrade – just remember to sell on the jacket and pants that no longer fit.
  5. The #SkiGreen message is front of mind for increasing numbers of brands, resorts and wintersports enthusiasts. Eco-products like Face Freeze plant-based wax and GROUNDTRUTH luggage made from recycled plastic bottles were among our favourites at the Show.

Recycle is good but re-use is always better. That’s why it is our mission to keep wintersports clothing in circulation through the WhoSki.com peer-to-peer marketplace. Your old is someone else’s new: look out for the re-launch of our buy-sell platform coming soon. Register for our newsletter to be among the first to know.

Join us at the National Snow Show!

The slopes are re-opening, the kit is being dusted off, so rather than filling up landfill with your old ski and snowboard clothing, come and see us at stand D70 at the 2021 National Snow Show and discover how you can ski greener this season.

We are revamping our website, but – like your favourite pistes! – we will be back in business soon, with our eco-focused peer-to-peer marketplace where wintersports fans can buy and sell pre-loved ski wear. Saving money and supporting the circular economy.

We are the UK’s only website dedicated to helping you pass on secondhand ski and snowboard clothing, enabling you to ski green AND look good on the slopes for less.

It’s been a long time since we were at the last Ski Show in Battersea Park, but we are looking forward to meeting skiers again in person at the NEC in Birmingham, Saturday and Sunday October 23-24. You’ll find us between the Snow and Shred Stages, at stand D70.

Do pop by and say hello: we’d love to hear how you’re planning to reduce the carbon footprint of your ski or snowboard trip next season #SnowShow

Before you visit: current NEC guidance here: https://www.thenec.co.uk/visitors/plan-your-visit/

Making a difference: helping young people during lockdown

Challenging times make the work of our charity partner stem4 more important than ever, so we were pleased to catch up with what difference our – your – donations on every sale are making during the pandemic.

We charge 20% commission on sales at WhoSki.com, and pass on a quarter of that sum to teen mental health charity stem4. By doing good for the environment through extending the use of your preloved ski and snowboard clothing, you are also helping support the wellbeing of young people.

Lockdown and its limitations on travel mean that sales at WhoSki.com have been hit. Let’s face it, how many of us have gone anywhere near the piste since last March? However, we are keen to honour our commitment to our charity partner, so recently made an extra donation to the stem4 coffers. We believe that the work of stem4 is more important than ever during this difficult period.

Supporting mental health

We were therefore pleased to hear that our donation helps provide free access to vital resources for thousands of young people via Calm Harm, a potentially life-saving app for those experiencing urges to self-harm.

A spokesperson for stem4 explains: “Your support is so important to us, and never more than at a time when many young people are finding it hard to adapt to new and ongoing restrictions and a way of living which may have a negative impact on their mental health.

“Having support such as yours, enables us to reach as many teenagers and young people as possible through our award-winning apps, digital resources and informative website.

“stem4 pledges to reach 100,000 young people annually, has 543 schools signed up to our Head Ed secondary school mental health programme and seen over two million downloads of our free digital apps to date.

Responding to need

“Whilst our face-to-face conferences are on hold, we continue our aim to extend our reach to highlight the importance of early identification and intervention of mental health conditions and improve and enhance access to free clinically informed resources. I’m delighted to report that two parent conferences were digitally delivered to audiences of several hundred parents and support such as yours enables us to deliver when and where it’s most needed.

“stem4 has worked tirelessly over the past year to respond to urgent need, to secure funding to create and deliver new COVID-19 specific resources and video guides and to culturally and linguistically adapt our resources through translation to support BAME communities most affected by the pandemic. We aim to expand our reach further into 2021, and to support the inevitable negative impact on young people’s mental health from COVID-19.”

We proudly donate 25% of the commission we take on every sale at WhoSki.com to stem4. You can make additional private donations via their website here.

WhoSki.com join SATI (Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative): how to green up your wintersports habit

WhoSki.com was delighted to join a panel of major players in the snowsports field for last month’s virtual SATI conference.

SATI is the Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative which promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainability in alpine tourism. The circular economy was a focus for this conference. It’s exactly what we are trying to promote in the wintersports clothing sector by enabling you to buy and sell preloved items from your ski and snowboard wardrobe, extend their lifecycle and keep them out of landfill. Find out more about our eco-motivations.

Our SATI webinar back in December discussed the impact of mountain tourism and how to make the right choice for the environment when enjoying snowsports. Here are some of the tips we picked up from the event:

1 Booking your ski holiday

Look for a smaller, specialist company which works with specific resorts and can book you into accommodation providers with established sustainability plans to reduce their carbon impact. For example, bookdifferent.com will give you a “staygreencheck” rate, public reviews and carbon footprints as well as clear top tips for responsible holidays. The platform is simple and easy to use.
If you book though a major ski company, ask what they are doing to reduce environmental impact, how they are working with resorts and why they don’t do more to help consumers understand how to #SkiGreen.

2 Travel to your ski resort

Flight costs look likely to rise in the wake of last year’s enforced shutdown, plus we all know the environmental damage air travel causes. Driving might be tempting from a Covid-secure point of view, but the train is your most eco-friendly alternative.
Visit snowcarbon.co.uk for timetable information and travel options to your chosen resort. They’ve done the hard work to make booking easier for you. Or follow theskipodcast.com where host and creator Ian Martin touches on many snowsports-related topics, including vehicle-free resorts.

3 Do your research

Attend the www.NationalSnowShow.com this autumn. The #SkiGreen agenda will be a big part of their offering at the show at the NEC in October 2021 with input from a number of emerging green companies across the whole snowsports sector. Come along and find out more.
PS: bring your preloved ski clothing – WhoSki.com will be present to help keep your jackets and pants out of landfill and in circulation. We’ll be providing more info closer to the date.

4 Dress green

No longer wanted wintersports clothing is notoriously difficult to recycle with its mixed fabrics, coatings, zips and fastenings. That’s why so many brands are now using sustainable materials in their collections. But however eco your clothing’s credentials, re-use always beats recycle. Ensuring every item of clothing gets the maximum number of wears should be your goal.
That’s why we created WhoSki.com as the online marketplace where you can buy and sell good quality secondhand ski and snowboard clothing. Perfect for families and students on a budget. It’s also the ideal solution for Instagrammers wanting to snap a different look every day for their channel.

Look out too for brands like Planks, Picture, Surfdome and EcoSki which offer transparency in manufacturing and sustainability credentials. Some brands will repair damaged clothing including Patagonia and Norrøna. In Scotland, try Scottish Mountain Gear.
Even skis are going green, with some marques using wood and other natural materials to make them increasingly recyclable.

5 Get your voice heard!

Finally, we recommend you sign up to protectourwinters.uk which is lobbying government and business to act on the environmental impacts of wintersports. Follow us on twitter @wewhoski for more eco-ski inspo, and spread the word: it might just be the best thing you do this winter while ski and snowboarding is off limits.

Stay warm outdoors this winter

Covid-19 tiers are in near-constant flux, but there is one thing that remains consistent: exercising outdoors. We are all encouraged to wrap up and step outside.

Transmission risks are low provided you don’t mingle, and maintaining/improving fitness levels will help you fight the virus or remain healthy.

Since first lockdown all those months ago, there has been a rise in numbers of people discovering the great outdoors. Now winter’s here, it is as important to ever to keep venturing out – safely – but this time around you’ll need to be well wrapped up.

Thankfully, wintersports wear from base layers to waterproof outers is perfect for hiking, walking, rambling – or simply taking the kids to the park.

Pull on your ski and boarding clothes to defy the wind, rain, frost and snow. Not only will you feel toasty and dry, you’ll look great – and have plenty of pockets for mask, phone, keys and snacks.

 Check our listings for everything from socks (perfect to keep your feet warm and dry in walking boots) to thermal underwear and wind resistant overwear for the whole family. #PassItOn

Is cross-country skiing having a moment?

With a British cross-country skier making the FIS podium twice in a fortnight, and the Alps beyond reach for most of us this season, is it time to turn to Nordic skiing?

Cross-country skiing has always been hugely popular in Scandinavia, where almost everyone practises the national sport of ‘langlauf’. It’s so important, in fact, that Norway, Sweden and Finland recently pulled their champion cross-country ski teams from international competition to protect athletes’ health during the pandemic. Professional skiers enjoy massive aerobic capacity, so the risk of respiratory damage to x-country mega-stars like Therese Johaug and Johannes Haesflot Klaebo is simply not worth taking, the Scandi pros have decided.

Their absence has left the competition wide open to athletes from countries like the UK, which don’t normally stand much of a chance against the all-conquering Nordic nations (and Russia). In the last event before the self-imposed travel ban was imposed (Ruka, 27-29 November), for example, Norway’s men took 12 of 16 possible medals. The remaining four went to Russia.

Medal success for Team GB Snowsports

As a result, Team GB Snowsport’s Andrew Young has stepped up to the plate and currently sits in fourth place overall and for sprint in the FIS rankings. His team mate Andrew Musgrave is third in the distance rankings.

Young took sprint silver on the Dresden city centre course last weekend – the best ever World Cup result for a British cross-country skier. He won bronze in Davos seven days earlier.

Brilliant results for Team GB Snowsports, who are encouraging young skiers to get in touch if they’d like to join the crew, with an eye on the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Milan.

The current absence of two of the world’s top three cross-country skiing teams in international competition is doing wonders for the profile of the sport in places like the US whose athletes are also podium-ing. If you can’t do it – watch it.

Where to watch it

We are big fans of Nordic skiing here at WhoSki.com, and thoroughly recommend checking out the races you can find on YouTube, Eurosport and the FIS site even if it’s not possible right now to get out on the mountain.

Join us in supporting the Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative

Our co-founder Sally Warren is preparing to speak at this week’s SATI conference on Friday December 18, discussing the how and why of a responsible ski wardrobe, with insights into the reasons behind the founding of WhoSki.com.

The session, entitled ‘How can snowsports tourists progress sustainability?’ starts at midday GMT (UK time) and is open to all – simply register for FREE and log in on the day.

Other guests on the panel include leading lights in the #SkiGreen movement:
Dan Elkan – Snowcarbon, Founder | Low carbon ski travel
Lonneke De Kort – CEO, Bookdifferent.com | Booking Sustainably
Maria Kuzma – Professional Snowboarder, architect & entrepreneur | Using your agency for good
Lauren MacCallum – General Manager, Protect Our Winters UK | Engaging the outdoor community

Friday’s online forum is a chance to find out more about how the choices you make as a skier, snowboarder or visitor to the mountains in any capacity, can help reduce your carbon footprint and improve sustainability within the wintersports industry.

We will be talking about everything from travel to architecture, wax to clothing, hotels to chalet location, with input from experts at the forefront of tackling climate issues in the sector.

All taking part are welcome to contribute questions and comments, with a 25-minute breakout networking session for audience reflection and group collaboration discussions.

The Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative (SATI) is an international conference series aimed at progressing knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainability in alpine tourism.

SATI2020 is unique in convening senior corporate executives, industry leaders, hotels, resorts, policymakers, and sustainability experts in academia and innovation to share ideas and insights that tackle key sustainability challenges in alpine tourism.
Find out more

Ski resort safety this winter

Face masks, table service and hand sanitiser are the means that French resorts are employing to help keep skiers and boarders safe this season.

Wearing a face mask whilst on and queuing for ski lifts, in public indoor spaces and on ski buses will be compulsory for everyone aged 11 and over. Meanwhile, it’s bye-bye buffet as bars and restaurants will have tables spaced 1m apart, with table service only.

“In some public spaces, capacity may be reduced,” the guidelines say.

Rules have been devised by France Montagnes, the association bringing together the major players in the French mountain tourism industry.

Dress like a Norwegian to survive Covid-19 winter

It’s the new hygge: ‘friluftsliv’, literally free-air-life, or the art of living an outdoor lifestyle.

Apparently, it’s what has seen Norwegians through lockdown. More than one in three citizens have spent even more time than usual outdoors this summer.

Typical friluftsliv activities include relaxing, fishing, hiking and sleeping in “camping hammocks”, the Guardian reports. If you too have enjoyed getting out and about or simply hiking in local countryside Norwegian-style over recent months, you may be wanting to continue through autumn and winter.

Great idea! Just make sure you are properly equipped to enjoy rather than endure our colder, damper, darker months.

Wintersports clothing is perfect UK winter wear as it’s breathable and waterproof. Importantly, it also has plenty of pockets to store face mask and hand sanitizer too. A pre-loved ski jacket is just the thing: low cost and high value. Check our listings for everything from socks (perfect to keep your feet warm and dry in walking boots) to thermal underwear and wind resistant overwear for the whole family.

You’ll stay warm and dry, look stylish, do your physical and mental health a favour, and give good-as-new textiles an extended life. #PassItOn

Have you signed the Ski Train petition yet?

More than 10k people have signed the petition to Save the Ski Train – which Eurostar has cancelled for winter season 2020/21. And there’s still time to add your name to the list.

The Ski Train, which has been running between London and the Alps since 1997, is hugely popular with UK-based skiers. For the last two years, tickets for travel during for the peak February half term week have sold out within five hours of going on sale.

‘Take the train to the slopes’ website Snowcarbon – whose founder Daniel Elkan took part in our #SkiGreen webinar recently – has long championed Eurostar for its convenience and eco credentials.

24k travellers opt for Ski Train over flying, driving

Some 24,000 travellers a year choose to take Eurostar’s Friday overnight and Saturday daytime services. For ski season 2020/21, the Ski Train was likely to have been the option of choice for even more skiers wanting to avoid airports and busy roads.

That’s why it seems a bonkers time to cancel the Ski Train – and why Snowcarbon launched its Save the Ski Train petition.

So why has Eurostar decided to bin the train to the Alps for the coming season? There has been speculation in the French press that the operating company was hoping to convince the Government to offer subsidies as it has done for other coronavirus-affected businesses / sectors.

Eurostar itself says that it is focusing on high-demand routes between major cities, and would find it challenging to maintain correct hygiene measures on longer distance routes.

Cancelling the Ski Train has led to an avalanche of complaints from ski resorts and operators, already facing a likely drop in visitors for the coming season.

#SkiGreen to cut your carbon footprint

The way you choose to travel to and within your ski resort is by far the biggest contributor to your trip’s environmental footprint at some 57%, according to the Mountain Riders sustainability charity.

Swapping plane for train saves an estimated 80% in CO2 emissions, Snowcarbon says, as well as being more relaxing and often quicker than flying.

A large part of the reason we set up WhoSki.com was to help reduce the eco footprint of wintersports – so the Save the Ski Train campaign is one we 100% support. If you do one thing today: sign the petition.

Expert #SkiGreen tips from our webinar

We were delighted to assemble a super-knowledgeable panel of experts for our #SkiGreen webinar today, so we couldn’t let them get away without sharing their quick tips for improving your eco profile on the piste. Perfect timing for #WorldEnvironmentDay, and with one proviso: no one was allowed to promote their own business.

Our experts’ #SkiGreen tips:

1 Keep harmful microfibres out of the waste stream: use a Guppy bag when you wash your clothing.
– Rachael Westbrook, Founder of EcoSki clothing

2 Choose veggie or vegan food when you can, even while out on the mountain, to help make best use of the world’s resources.
– Iain Martin, Founder of Ski Flight Free and presenter of The Ski Podcast

3 Take the train to the slopes – it’s more fun, less hassle and massively reduces your carbon footprint.
– Jim Stewart, Founder and MD, BUTTA eco ski/board wax

4 Favour resorts that use renewable energy (there are plenty of them)
– Peter Speight, Team GB Olympic freestyle skier and account executive Futerra

5 Don’t wash ski clothes more than you have to – spot clean hot chocolate or vin chaud stains rather than putting the whole thing through the machine.
– Nicola Davenport, Co-founder, WhoSki.com

6 Provide environmental feedback to your ski resort, operator, supplier as it will encourage them to do the right things and address the things they are getting wrong.
– Daniel Elkan, Founder of Snowcarbon and sustainable travel journalist

Circular Economy Week, London 2020

The WhoSki.com #SkiGreen webinar, chaired by WhoSki.com Co-founder Sally Warren, formed part of this year’s ‘virtual’ CE Week London, with a a series of snappy presentations from our expert panellists followed by a Q&A session.

Topics covered included:

  • how to spot a ‘green’ ski resort
  • why we should all choose environmentally conscious wintersports clothing
  • how to organise your ski train trip to the mountains
  • why secondhand is no longer second rate when it comes to pre-loved
  • why PFCs are ‘the forever chemical’
  • how we can protect our mountains for the next generation

Many thanks to all who took part, Circular London for proving us with a slot at this prestigious event, and Sustainable Merton for supporting us with the advice and tech expertise that powered the #SkiGreen webinar.

Watch the video of our #SkiGreen webinar: 

https://youtu.be/ZfiL6yiNme4

Read the presentations:

See also: 3 ways to #SkiGreen this and every season