Copper Mountain brings superpipe to Colorado

Much to the delight of snowboarders everywhere, Copper Mountain ski resort opened the first 22 foot Superpipe in the state of Colorado last week, paving the way for future Olympians to hone their skills on its massive walls. The addition of the new pipe further bolsters Copper’s reputation as a great place to learn how to snowboard and ski, with unprecedented facilities that aren’t found anywhere else in the country.

This newest attraction on Copper Mountain is just one more reason the resort will be a popular destination for winter fun. With over 2450 skiable acres and 125 total runs, Copper really does have something to offer skiers and snowboarders of all ages and levels of experience. The resort has also seen more than 40 inches of snow already this fall, which means they have a great base heading into the prime ski season.

The opening of the Superpipe comes just in time for Copper Mountain to play host to the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix snowboarding and freeskiing competition next week. That event, which runs from December 5 – 10, will pit some of the best skiers and riders in the country against one another as they begin to tune-up for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Sochi, Russia.

For those of us who can’t make it to Copper at the moment, or would prefer to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, there is an awesome webcam aimed directly at the Superpipe to keep us entertained. Watching snowboarders zip through the pipe on the cam truly gives you a sense of the scale of this monster. Check it out by clicking here.

Olympics resorting to using dry ice on Cypress Mountain

Last week we told you about Cypress Mountain, one of the venues for the Vancouver Winter Olympics which at the time was actually having snow delivered to the mountain. Unseasonably warm weather, and an uncharacteristic lack of of snowfall, had caused Olympic organizers to scramble to prepare the slopes for the snowboarding halfpipe competition, as well as several downhill ski events. But conditions haven’t improved much, and now they’re having to come up with more creative ways for keeping the snow that they trucked in from melting away as well.

Earlier in the week it was reported that dry ice would now be used to artificially cool the snow, particularly on the moguls and aeriels courses. Apparently, black tubes resembling flexible plastic drainage pipes, have been buried under the powder, and the dry ice is being pumped into those tubes. It is then frozen for 12 hours, and later used to help maintain the quality of the snow throughout the day. Officials hope that these efforts will allow them to maintain a steady base of snow throughout the two weeks of competition.

Meanwhile, weather forecasts continue to predict warmer than usual temperatures. For the week ahead, highs are expected to be around 38ºF, with little snow predicted. Workers are also expected to be busy around the clock continuing to deliver snow to the mountain, with helicopters being used to dump it on the slopes themselves. It seems they have an Olympic sized challenge ahead of them as well.

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Cypress Mountain has snow delivered in time for Olympic Games

With just one week to go until the opening ceremonies, the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver are struggling to find enough snow for some of the planned events. In particular, Cypress Mountain, which will host snowboarding and freestyle competitions beginning February 13, has been scrambling to complete their halfpipe, as well as the ski and snowboard cross courses. The resort has so little snow in fact, that they’ve resorted to using over 1000 bales of straw to construct the needed infrastructure, and have had more than 300 truckloads of snow delivered from elsewhere around the area.

It has been an unusual winter so far in Vancouver, with average temperatures at their highest point in more than 70 years. Experts are placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the El Niño weather pattern, which has been warming the Pacific Ocean for several months. The result has been little to no snowfall across the region in January, which means no new, fresh powder for the athletes, who began arriving yesterday in preparation for the games. The forecast for February doesn’t look much better, as more unseasonably high temperatures, and rain, not snow, are expected in the days ahead.

International Ski Federation president Gian-Franco Kasper told the Canadian press that he isn’t worried, as just 10 cm of snow is needed to cover the straw and make it ready for the athletes. Other event organizers say that while the lack of snow has been an issue across all the venues, Cypress Mountain is the only one that has caused significant concerns. They also promise that everything will be ready when the games officially open next Friday.

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Ultimate Christmas gift: Flexjet to the Olympics

Have you booked your ticket to Vancouver yet? The Winter Olympics are coming, and you can count on flights being packed. When that happens, even first class flying’s a drag. And, there’s no upscale treatment for every other part of the travel experience — from curb to gate and baggage claim to the door — which is were you’re bound to spend at least several hours on your journey. If you want to make your trip to the Games memorable, skip the airlines and go private. The Flexjet 25 Jet Card program offers the travel experience you deserve, and a partnership with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will get you access to behind the scenes action that the regular fans won’t even know is possible. Quantities are limited, and you’ll need to travel between February 26 and March 1, 2010.

Guests buying the Flexjet 25 Jet Card — 2010 Gold Edition will receive exclusive access to an award-winning athlete and a look behind the action in Vancouver. But, this is nothing compared to tickets to the events that everyone wants to see: the Closing Ceremony, Men’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game, Figure Skating Gala Exhibition and three Short-Track Speed Skating gold medal races. You’ll also receive three nights at Vancouver’s Sutton Place Hotel and access to the city’s top restaurants. And you’ll have your choice of jets, including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60, Challenger 300 or Challenger 604 business jets.

This is far more than mere private jet travel: the latest from Flexjet 25 is an unparalleled experience in one of the world’s most memorable athletic traditions.

“We continually search for ways to create unique travel opportunities that provide unparalleled access for our owners, wherever their travels take them,” said Sylvain Levesque, Vice President, Marketing, Flexjet 25. “In a time when consumers are more discerning with their spending, we are excited to offer this once-in-a-lifetime experience that jet card owners will remember for years to come.”

Sead Dizdarevic, Chairman and CEO of Jet Set Sports, which is partnering with Flexjet, “Our partnership is a winning combination of the best in private aviation with the premier hospitality our customers have come to look forward to at the Games.”

This is the second jet card inspired by an expert offer. Last year’s involved exclusive access to private meeting experts, with packages offering inside looks at the art world with Barbara Guggenheim and learning to play Texas Hold ’em from World Poker Tour bracelet winner Antonio Esfandiari, among others.

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Vancouver hookers get media training for Olympics

A magnifying class will be held over Vancouver from February 12 to February 28 for the Winter Olympics, and Vancouver’s prostitutes want to put their best feet forward. To prepare for the influx of business and – media onslaught – Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education Society (PACE) is helping the city’s sex worker population understand what to expect.

The Canadian agency is putting together a brochure that will help the local working girls understand how to handle requests for photos and interviews – and a general sense of what their rights are when dealing with society’s true vermin (the press). In addition to the pamphlet, PACE will hold a discussion session to bolster the printed lessons.

Congratulations, reporters: even hookers aren’t comfortable around you.

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