In this week’s skiing news – there’s no snow in Vancouver but there is snow in Dover. You probably know this already, but what else has been happening in the world of skiing news this week? A new chairlift in New Zealand, a drunk man joyriding an ambulance and a torchlit descent in Scotland – just a few of the stories we’ve got for you this week.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES

The Eye of the Wind Welcomes the World
Grouse Mountain ski area in Vancouver, currently open 24 hours a day for snow sports in celebration of the Olympic Games, is also celebrating the inauguration of its impressive new 65m high wind turbine, The Eye of the Wind. Full story….

Another New Quad Chairlift for New Zealand Will Be Southern Hemisphere First
A second new quad chairlift has been announced as being under construction in New Zealand ahead of the southern hemisphere’s 2010 season. Full story….

Whistler’s Green Energy System Goes Live In Time For 2010 Games
Innergex, the company operating the new hydro-electric power plant at Whistler Blackcomb, which will meet 100% of the resort’s energy needs, has announced that it has started commercial operation of its Fitzsimmons Creek power plant, located between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Full story….

1500+ Snow Reports In One iPhone App
Skiinfo’s snow reports are now available on the iPhone thanks to a new app from the world’s leading snow information provider. The new application allows users to search for snow data from more than 1500 ski resorts in Europe. Full story….

Marmot Basin Wins ‘Best Longest New Lift’
Jasper’s Marmot Basin ski area in Alberta, Canada has recently been awarded the ‘Best Longest New Lift’ title by Ski Canada Magazine. There may not have been many contenders in Canada this year, with few new lifts added but nonetheless the award recognises the significance of the massive new ski lift project and the vast improvement it has made to the ski area. Full story….

Man Goes Joy Riding In Ski Area Ambulance with Injured Skier And Medics In Back
A drunken man is reported to have stolen an ambulance that had been called to the Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Wisconsin, USA last Monday. Full story….

“Olympic Flame Descents” at CairnGorm Mountain
To mark the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada, CairnGorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands is inviting the public to take part in or watch “Olympic Flame Descents” on Wednesday 17th February 2010. Full story….

How Whistler’s Olympic Dream Began
The online publication Ski Rebel Magazine (www.skirebel.com) has published a story on how the current 2010 Games came to happen in Whistler, based on an interview in the late 1990s by Ski Rebel’s Frederick Wallace with the man who ‘discovered’ Whistler 50 years ago. Full story….