Ten Things We Learnt at This Year’s Ski Show
- When the ski show rolls around each year, you know it’s going to be manic. Ski fanatics from far and wide descend on London in their thousands, hungry for their first taste of what the coming season has in store for them.
Although this year it may have been drizzling in west London, once we stepped inside Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, the only words on our minds were “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”.
So without further ado, here’s 10 things we learnt at this years Telegraph Ski and Snowboard Show:
- It’s moving: Next year the Ski Show will be packing up and waving goodbye to it’s home at Earl’s Court and moving onto greener pastures (quite literally), by setting up shop for 2015 in Battersea Park.
- People will go to great lengths for free cheese: There’s something about freebies that whips us all into a frenzy. From the confident grabber, to the subtle side-swiper and the ones who go full 007 (we’re almost positive we saw someone do a roly-poly for free cheese), you can spot them from a mile away as they slink off, weighed down by all their goodies.
- We found Park City! As Canyons and Park city are joining next year to form the US’s largest ski area, the lovely James Rivers from Ski Safari decided to help us all out and show us just where Park City really is. So now you know.
- Skiing’s going green: Eco is officially IN and resorts are jumping on the green bandwagon like the aforementioned hoarders on freebies. Alpe d’Huez is the first French resort to introduce i-Moov; a car sharing initiative in partnership with the Renault Twizy. With just a simple card and rather snazzy geo-tagging technology, skiers can nip round the resort guilt-free.
- Folie Chic vs. Retro: The question to ask yourself when you’re kitting yourself out this season has to be; “Folie Chic or Retro?”. One requires an all black ‘Canny-G’ jacket (that’s Canada Goose to you and I) and oodles of fur, whilst the other involves digging through your attic and squeezing into the brightest, tightest onesie you can find – bonus points if you manage to find a full matching outfit.
- Some people will do anything for a freebie: For the die-hard freebie lovers, winning a competition is no obstacle if it means goodies at the end. Planks were offering a free beanie to the person who could break their record of ‘Number of clothings pegs on the face’. A gruelling and daunting challenge, one lucky punter managed to smash the record of 50 with a whopping 63 pegs! We’re sure the bruising was worth it…
- Toffee Vodka: It’s a smell most seasonnaire’s will recognise, reminiscent of apres sessions and bar crawls; we are of course talking Toffee Vodka. As its sickly sweetness permeates the nostrils before being knocked down in one, it definitely evokes fond memories. Fortunately for us, there was Toffee Vodka on hand at the Ski Show to kickstart the apres vibes in time for the 3 Vallees Party.
- When did kids get so stylish? In skiing years gone by, many of us will remember the days when our parents will have forced us into some undoubtedly questionable outfits (see above for one such #heavenly throwback). Fast forward to this year’s Ski Show and we saw some seriously cool kids in outfits that, quite frankly, we wouldn’t mind owning!
- The award for best prop: This adorable pup wins hands-down. Swarmed by visitors all day, this charming canine was more than happy to receive several belly rubs from his adoring fans and served as concrete proof that it doesn’t matter how fancy your stand may be, if you bring along a dog you’ll never be short of punters!
- The one thing that’s better than just being on the mountain? Why, being on the mountain with music of course! Whether you’re a boarder or a skier, a first-timer or an old-hand, seasonnaire or just nipping out, nothing brings people together on the mountains more than music. This year at the ski show the music was blaring and you knew that where the tunes were playing was where the atmosphere was electric.
Until next time, Ski Show, thanks for a fabulous few days!
