Eco-friendly indoor ski resort coming to Barcelona

by Kraig Becker on

When you think about great ski destinations, Barcelona is not one that comes to mind. After all, the Spanish city boasts an average year round temperature of 68ºF. But a Dutch company known as SnowWord is hoping to change that by building an indoor ski resort that is also environmentally friendly.

SnowWorld specializes in building ski domes that allow skiers to hit the (artificial) slopes all year round, and have been using a host of creative techniques to make their buildings more sustainable. For instance, the company has designed buildings that recycle the heat generated from their snow-making machines for use in creating hot water. But the Barcelona project is their first attempt to completely eliminate the energy needs of one of their facilities.

The plan is to tap a resource that, until now, has been left largely unused, in an attempt to help cool the ski dome. Barcelona receives large, and regular, shipments of liquified natural gas, which has to be kept at temperature of -238°F while in transit. Once it arrives in the city however, it is warmed in seawater to return it to its gaseous state, cooling that water in the process. In the past, that cold seawater was simply returned to the harbor, but the city now has plans in place to start using it to cool buildings in Barcelona, and the new indoor ski resort would be one of them.

The cold seawater would provide approximately 75% of the facility’s energy needs, and create no CO2 emissions. The remainder of the dome’s energy would come from solar panels installed on the roof, which would power the lighting and a variety of other equipment. These two renewable energy sources would combine to make the ski resort completely carbon neutral.

It is estimated that the ski dome will cost approximately $55 million to build, and at this point it is still several years from opening. There are some logistical hurdles for SnowWorld to clear and partnerships to be secured before construction can commence. Once they do break ground however, it will take about 2 years to complete.

New Jersey law now requires helmets on skiers, snowboarders

by Kraig Becker on

If you’re planning on hitting the slopes in the Garden State this winter, you’ll want to take note of this story.

New Jersey is set to begin enforcing a new law this weekend that will require skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while on the slopes. The law was passed last April, and makes the state the first in the nation to require minors to wear protective head gear.

The new law requires parents to ensure that their minor children are wearing helmets at all times, including while they’re on rope tows and lifts, or face a fine. The penalty for a first offense is $25, with each additional infraction setting them back as much as $100. The hope is that this move will make skiing and snowboarding safer activities for young people.

While New Jersey isn’t well known as a ski destination, it does have several resorts, most of which are set to open for the winter season by this holiday weekend. Warmer than normal weather has kept snow away for the most part and hampered efforts to make artificial snow as well. But resorts such as Mountain Creek are optimistic that they’ll be open in time for the Christmas holiday. In preparation for that opening, and this new law, the resort has doubled the number of rental helmets that it has on hand.

The question is, would a law requiring helmets actually catch-on in states that are more well known as ski destinations, such as Colorado or Utah? California governor Jerry Brown has already vetoed such a law, but did so out of concern for more and more authority being handed over from parents to the state. He did say that he appreciated the value of wearing a helmet however, but inferred that it wasn’t the state’s duty to mandate it.

Considering more and more people are wearing helmets while on the slopes already, I don’t think such a law would be met with much opposition. Much like wearing a seat belt while driving these days, it just makes good sense to wear a helmet as well. It’ll be interesting to see if other states follow New Jersey’s lead or if they’ll take California’s approach and put the onus back on the parents.

10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana

by Meg Nesterov on


When I found cheap airfare from Istanbul to Ljubljana, I didn’t find many other travelers who’d been there or even say for sure which country it’s in. The tiny of country of Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and its capital city isn’t known for much other than being difficult to spell and pronounce (say “lyoob-lyAH-nah”). After spending a few days there last month, I quickly fell madly in love with the city, and recommend to everyone to add to their travel list.

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Here are some reasons to love Ljubljana:

1. It’s Prague without the tourists – Ljubljana has been called the next Prague for at least the last 10 years, but the comparison is still apt. Architect Jože Plečnik is known for his work at Prague Castle, but he was born in Ljubljana and is responsible for much of the architecture in the old downtown and the Triple Bridge that practically defines the city. While Prague is a lovely place to visit, it’s overrun in summer with backpackers and tourists. In Ljubljana, the only English I heard was spoken with a Slovenian accent, and there were no lines at any of the city’s attractions.

2. Affordable Europe – While not as cheap as say, Bulgaria, Ljubljana is a lot easier on the wallet than other European capital cities and cheaper than most of its neighbors. I stayed in a perfect room above the cafe Macek in an ideal location for 65 euro a night. A huge three-course dinner for one with drinks at Lunch cafe was 20 euro, and a liter of local wine in the supermarket is around 3-4 euro. I paid 6 euro for entrance into 4 art museums for the Biennial, and the same for all of the castle, including the excellent Slovene history museum, and the funicular ride there and back.3. Everyone speaks English – Sharing borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia is multi-cultural and multi-lingual. Everyone I met in Ljubljana spoke at least a few foreign languages including English; one supermarket cashier I met spoke six languages! While a language barrier shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying a foreign country, it’s great when communication is seamless and you can get recommendations from nearly every local you meet.

4. A delicious melting pot – Slovenia’s location also means a tasty diversity of food; think Italian pastas and pizzas, Austrian meats, and Croatian fish. One waiter I spoke to bemoaned the fact that he could never get a decent meal in ITALY like he can in Slovenia. While I’d never doubt the wonders of Italian food, I did have several meals in Ljubljana so good I wanted to eat them all over again as soon as I finished. Standout spots include Lunch Cafe (aka Marley & Me) and it’s next-door neighbor Julija.

5. Great wine – Slovenia has a thriving wine culture, but most of their best stuff stays in the country. A glass of house wine at most cafes is sure to be tasty, and cost only a euro or two. Ljubljana has many wine bars and tasting rooms that are approachable, affordable, and unpretentious. Dvorni Wine Bar has an extensive list, and on a Tuesday afternoon, there were several other mothers with babies, businesspeople, and tourists having lunch. I’m already scheming when to book a stay in a vineyard cottage, with local wine on tap.

6. Al-fresco isn’t just for summer – During my visit in early November, temperatures were in the 50s but outdoor cafes along the river were still lined with people. Like here in Istanbul, most cafes put out heating lamps and blankets to keep diners warm, and like the Turks, Slovenians also enjoy their smoking, which may account for the increase in outdoor seating (smoking was banned indoors a few years ago). The city’s large and leafy Tivoli Park is beautiful year-round, with several good museums to duck into if you need refuge from the elements.

7. Boutique shopping – The biggest surprise of Ljubljana for me was how many lovely shops I found. From international chains like Mandarina Duck (fabulous luggage) and Camper (Spanish hipster shoes) to local boutiques like La Chocolate for, uh, chocolate and charming design shop Sisi, there was hardly a single shop I didn’t want to go into, and that was just around the Stari Trg, more shops are to be found around the river and out of the city center.

8. Easy airport – This may not be first on your list when choosing a destination, but it makes travel a lot easier. Arriving at Ljubljana’s airport, you’ll find little more than a snack bar and an ATM outside, but it’s simple to grab a local bus into town or a shared shuttle for a few euro more. Departing from Slovenia, security took only a few minutes to get through, wi-fi is free, and there’s a good selection of local goodies at Duty Free if you forgot to buy gifts. LJU has flights from much of western Europe, including EasyJet from Paris and London.

9. Access to other parts of country – While Ljubljana has plenty to do for a few days, the country is compact enough to make a change of scenery easy and fast. Skiers can hop a bus from the airport to Kranj in the Slovenian Alps, and postcard-pretty Lake Bled is under 2 hours from the capital. In the summer, it’s possible to avoid traffic going to the seaside and take a train to a spa resort or beach. There are also frequent international connections; there are 7 trains a day to Croatia’s capital Zagreb, and Venice is just over 3 hours by bus.

10. Help planning your visit – When I first began planning my trip, I sent a message to the Ljubljana tourism board, and got a quick response with a list of family-friendly hotels and apartments. Next I downloaded the always-excellent In Your Pocket guide, which not only has a free guide and app, it also has a very active Facebook community with up-to-the-minute event info, restaurant recommendations, deals, and more. On Twitter, you can get many questions answered by TakeMe2Slovenia and VisitLjubljana.

Ski Mammoth Mountain for free tomorrow!

by Kraig Becker on

California skiers and snowboarders looking to get in some early turns this weekend will want to head to Mammoth Mountain tomorrow. The iconic ski resort is offering free lift tickets to MyMammoth members all day long. What’s that? You’re not a MyMammoth member yet? No worries, you can sign up for free right here.

With a current snow base of two feet, conditions are already great on Mammoth this season. As of today, there were nine lifts in operation, and the resort continues to open new runs almost daily. Throw in a terrain park and superpipe for the snowboarders, and you have one of the top winter destinations in all of North America.

As mentioned, you’ll need to be a MyMammoth member to take advantage of the free ski passes tomorrow. But that isn’t the only benefit you’ll enjoy for signing up. Members of this free insider club also receive discounted lift tickets, a smartphone app that provides updates on snow conditions, RFID cards that offer faster access to lifts, free WiFi in the lodge, and more.

We’ve been teasing the start of the ski season for weeks now, and most major resorts are already open. But with the cooler weather that has hit the U.S. in the past week or so, it is safe to say that winter is nearly ready to announce its arrival. What better way to welcome it then with a free day of skiing on one of the premiere ski mountains in the world.

Video: skiing and snowboarding from the summit of Denali

by Melanie Renzulli on



What does it take to ski Denali, North America‘s’ tallest mountain? In addition to a large, metaphorical pair of cojones, which all of the men and women of this film possess, it takes sheer endurance and will to want to climb 20,320 feet just to ski right back down.

The Denali Experiment is a 15-minute film that follows a band of some of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders on their quest to ride the powder from the top of Alaska. But this is hardly a film full of hot dog moves. Director Renan Ozturk gives viewers a good sense of how difficult the trek to Denali’s summit can be, as well as shows us how fulfilling it can be to complete an adventure one once thought was impossible.