This week’s skiing news saw one of the world’s leading ski resort operators have its assets seized, the launch of a new US green ski website and a ski fundraiser for the Haiti earthquake victims. On a lighter note, vikings, giants and hoards of women dominated the world’s most unusual skiing news this week.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES

Intrawest Future Unclear
Intrawest, once the world’s leading ski resort operator and still owner of nine major ski areas including next month’s Olympic host Whistler Blackcomb has had its “assets seized” by lenders after it reportedly failed to make repayments on a $1.4 billion loan at the end of last year. Full story….

New Igloo Village For St Moritz
Iglu Villages have opened for the winter at seven locations, each requiring 3000 tonnes of snow to provide their storm-proof lodging. Full story….

Giant Coming To Fernie
Griz the legendary Fernie giant is due to make an appearance at the resort in British Columbia shortly. Full story….

New Russian Ski Centre Uses Metal Frame To Increase Vertical
A huge metal frame has been built at the top of the short slope at the new Kvan Alpine Ski Centre near Kaluga in Western Russia. Full story….

New Green Ski Website Concentrates on Travel to Resorts
A new website has been launched in the US which concentrates on the key issue of climate change gas emissions caused by travel to ski resorts by skiers and boarders, which in most cases are far greater than the emissions in resort. Full story….

Xtreamcam Hits The Slopes
An ingenious new product that will create professional looking film of any skier or boarder descending the slopes of a ski resort for which users will pay just a few Euros for the film is currently being trialed at a major resort. Full story….

Crystal Ski Sends Resort Information Direct to Your Mobile
Customers of the UK’s largest tour operator, Crystal Ski, can this winter receive an essential ‘information pack’, including downloadable piste maps and details of rep services available in the resort, ready for their mobile phone. Full story….

Vikings On The Slopes Of Ischgl
This is the 17th annual Shapes in White contest is underway at Ischgl in Austria, this year’s theme being the mainland Euro-favourite Vickie the Viking and her friends and enemies. Full story….

Lock Up Your Husbands, It’s The Santa Agueda Party in Formigal!
Hoards of partying women will hit the bars of Formigal in the Spanish Pyrenees to celebrate Santa Águeda day on Friday 5th February. Full story….

Ski Aid For Haiti
Recognising the impact of the earthquakes that recently struck Haiti, Moving Mountains Chalets in Steamboat Springs is donating 5% of all lodging booked in the remainder of the winter ski season to Doctors without Borders Emergency Relief Fund for disaster relief in Haiti. Full story….

Pierre & Vacances Sales Up
Pierre & Vacances, one of the leading providers of accommodation in French ski resorts, with a market value of around €500 million, has reported that first quarter sales rose 10.7% to €329.3 million from €297.4 million a year ago. Full story….