Author: Giles

Boss des Bosses 2010

So you thought bumps skiiing was dead? Last week a couple fo thousand people proved otherwise and TDC was there to participate and record some of the action:

The Boss des Bosses is a 21 year old grudge match between Val d’Isere (we have the best bumps skiers in europe), and Chamonix (no, we do).

The first event was just between these two resorts but then other resorts have wanted a piece of the action too. This year’s line up was Val d’Isere, Chamonix, Meribel, Zermatt, Verbier and Courchevel. This video is of the Val team in their play off for third place against Verbier.

Teams are made up of 2 telemarkers, 2 snowboarders, 2 female skiers, and seven male skiers. Head to head.

Well done to team Chamonix, who took home the trophy.

Go to the TDC facebook page to see this with music added

http://www.facebook.com/pages/tdc-the-development-centre/103579213606?ref=mf

Neil and Shane

From Neil and Shane rip up val
From Neil and Shane rip up val

Really nice to have Neil and Shane come and stay for a few days. Managed to get a few shots of them skiing that look good and i promised to show them to the world. The off piste pics are a long way away from the piste and took us a few days to walk in to but on arrival they both still had the energy to stick some lines down.

From Neil and Shane rip up val
From Neil and Shane rip up val

Great Powder skiing in Val d’Isere

Sometimes you get good conditions and have to make the most of them.This is the recipe to follow:

First you have to have the good snow; then you have to have the good visibility to see it;then you have to be skiing with poeple who are prepared for a challenge and just love it. Mix together with some local knowledge of where to go and when to go there and then see what happens!

tdc BASI L3 and L4 Training

BASI L3 and L3 prep Jan 2010
BASI L3 and L3 prep Jan 2010

BASI Level 4 technical training is running –
11th -16th Jan 2010
and
18th – 22nd Jan 2010

In Val d’Isere by tdc – www.tdcski.com

Run by BASI trainers who run Level 4 courses.

You do not need to be taking the level 4 in January to be on this course

Contact [email protected] to book.

We are also running BASI Level 4 training this Friday afternoon the 8th Jan and Sunday morning the 10th Jan 2010.

Contact [email protected] or call +33 (0)621464057

book online now

BASI L3 and L3 prep Jan 2010

tdc launch day

The whole tdc team was on the mountain today to launch our ski school’s season. We are really pleased to have Josh back with us for the winter and we are over the moon to have Lena joining our team. We are as strong as ever and hope to ski with you this winter in Val or Tignes. Here are a few photos of some of the tam on the hill today, the whole lot can be seen at http://picasaweb.google.com/tdcski

From TDC training day
From TDC training day

The Espace Killy is Open!

The Espace Killy is open!

The resort of Val d’Isere opened today on the 28 November and put on a great show. The snow is not massively deep but the runs above the mid stations of Solaise and the Bellevarde are open offering a large area to explore in beautiful sunshine. It is possible to ski down to La Daille and the link to Tignes is open which means that the excellent snow of the Grande Motte is available.

There is a party atmosphere at the bottom of the ski lifts with everyone amazed at the quality of the snow. The artificial snow making facilities are on whenever possible and with the snow forecast for the end of the weekend it should not be long before even more of the area opens up ready to welcome the World Cup. The development centre started our season with a special lesson for my boy Oscar who loved having skis on for the first ever time. I think we are going back tomorrow.

Call us on 0033 6 15 55 31 56 or email [email protected] or [email protected] to book a session

View form the Bottom of Val d'Isere today
View form the Bottom of Val d'Isere today

Season about to kick off

Gi with L1 group in Zermatt
Gi with L1 group in Zermatt

It has been a bit of a road trip around Europe for Gi recently. Firstly ten days in Hintertux attending and delivering to the BASI conference, followed by a few days running a selection of new trainers for BASI.

Coming back to the Tarentaise and both Tignes and Val d’isere make Zermatt look pretty bare for snow cover. We have had some warm weather here but we had 25cm of snow last night and Val d’Isere will be opening this weekend as planned. Tignes is already open and there is good skiing to be had on the pistes.

The picture is my group on the L1 in Zermatt. The mountain in the background interests me because it reminds me of the Belvarde a bit, or at least a pale imitation.

See you out here.

Gi

First turns on snow

The BASI course finished on Friday, so that makes 10 new race coaches ready to get out there and change the world for the better. Really nice group actually, well done to them.

Saturday saw the first ever indoor session run under the banner of the development centre, or tdc. The participants were the Ski club of Manchester, a keen and talented bunch. Most of the slope was being used by kids club or had enormous kickers built on it, but the bit we still had left was good firm snow and i managed to catch up with them enough times to try a few drills and make a few changes. Until Rushup Edge has a decent base of snow again we will be back in the Chillfactore for some more on snow soon.

See some short turns