A Guide to Breckenridge Colorado's Terrain Parks

As one of the first resorts in the world to allow snowboarders on its slopes, the Breckenridge Ski Resort has more than 20 years experience in developing cutting edge freestyle terrain. Today, Breckenridge features four world-class parks and half pipes with features ranging from family appropriate beginner terrain to massive 90-plus foot jumps. The resort is world-renowned for its freestyle programs, consistently garnering top 3 rankings from prominent ski and snowboard publications.

With the advent of twin tip skis and the growing popularity of freeskiing, Breckenridge's terrain features have continued to evolve. If you're visiting Breck, as the locals call it, this winter, consider dropping into one of the resort's four terrain parks for a bit of freestyle adventure. This is your guide to freestyle skiing and snowboarding at the Breckenridge Ski Resort.

The most famous of the resort's terrain parks is known simply as the Freeway. This expert level park features one of the country's largest triple jump lines, and a myriad of rail and jib features. The park's layout and design is regularly changed to keep things interesting for the world's best skiers and snowboarders. Freeway's super pipe, featuring 18 foot high walls, is considered by industry leaders to be the best half pipe in the world. To access the park, simply follow Breckenridge's Four O'clock run to the top of the Freeway trail. Even if you're not up to spinning or flipping over its massive jumps, the view from the top of this run provides some of the best freestyle spectating around.

For the 2007-2008 ski season, Breckenridge has added a new terrain park on Peak 8 with the intent of helping intermediate skiers and snowboarders build their freestyle skills. Park Lane will feature 3,500 feet of jumps and rails, all of which will be crafted by Breckenridge's award winning terrain park team. To accomplish this, the ski resort has added an extensive snowmaking system to ensure there is enough snow to mold and shape the park's jump features.

Locating Park Lane next to Freeway and near Peak 8's beginner parks, Breckenridge has organized a multi-level "pod park." These freestyle facilities of various difficulty levels will allow skiers and rides to gradually build confidence as they transition from one park level to the next. Park Lane will replace the Gold King and Country terrain parks, formerly located on Peak 9. Gold King's intermediate half pipe will relocate to Country Boy, providing a somewhat hidden place for freestylers to dial in new tricks before taking them to the super pipe.

Novice skiers and riders will appreciate Breckenridge's two entry level terrain parks, Trygves and Eldorado. Respectively located near the base areas of Peaks 8 and 9, these parks feature small rail and jump features as well as entry level half pipes. Jump, Rail and jib features are kept low to the ground to minimize risk while maximizing progression. These terrain parks are well laid out and very family appropriate. Here, Moms and dads have great opportunities to capture their children's improvement on camera, or catch a bit of air time for themselves.

The Breckenridge Ski Resort has a strong reputation among snowboard and freestyle industry leaders and consistently works hard to maintain it. No matter what level your freestyling abilities may be, you'll find appropriately designed terrain for you in one of the ski area's four terrain parks, spread across two mountain peaks. Whether you're a top notch professional or your skis or snowboard have never left the snow, Breckenridge is committed to making sure you enjoy your freestyle experience on its slopes.

Popular Indoor Ski Areas

Indoor ski areas have become popular for both novice and advanced skiers to be able to learn and practice on without the challenges of severe weather conditions.

Have you ever wondered what the popular indoor ski areas around the world are? These areas tend to be in countries that already have outdoor skiing facilities, and are more common in Europe that in other areas. But that isn't always the case. These can be found in Germany, Switzerland, England, Netherlands, Japan, China and Australia. In one unusual location - Ras Al-Khaimah, a part of the United Arab Emirates, construction has begun on a 2,000 meter indoor ski area.

So here are some places you might want to make part of your travel plans:

United Arab Emirates

* Dubai is truly a ski facility in the desert. It has 5 different runs that are designed for beginning to advanced skiers and snowboarders. There is a full 3000 square meters contained in this indoor snow park. All equipment needed is available on site. Numerous restaurants, gift shops and other venues provide visitors with lots to do and see.

United Kingdom

* The Snowdome in Tamworth is one of the post popular indoor ski areas. It has a 170-meter slope with year round real snow. The Snowdome provides lessons at all levels for both skiers and snowboarders. Snowmobiling and cross-country skiing is also available at the facility.

* Xscape, located in Castleford, features skiing, snowboarding as well as tobogganing and ice walls. These ice walls are built by hand to simulate conditions of rock climbing, only on ice.

Australia and New Zealand

* Mt. Thebarton in Adelaide, Australia was the first built and is still a popular indoor ski area. The facility includes skating rinks, restaraunts and bars, video arcades and other attractions.

* Snowplanet in Auckland, New Zealand offers a full compliment of snowsport activities 365 days a year. It features three lifts and a separate terrain area for snowboarders. A chalet style restaruant opens overlooking the snow park allowing a relaxing atmosphere.

Germany

* Germany feature several popular indoor ski areas. The Alpincenter, Jever Skihalle and Snowtropolis all offer great indoor skiing opportunities among other features. Apres ski activities are given special detail at these locations.

Ski Holidays Poland

Ski holidays in Poland on the whole are like any other ski holiday, you arrive at your destination and ski for a week before flying home. It sounds quite simple as a single sentence but we all know there is more to a ski holiday than just the sliding up and down. People enjoy the crisp winter fresh air, the beautiful mountain scenery associated with skiing and the apres ski atmosphere that can be found only in ski resorts. When it comes to ski holidays in Poland and search results on the internet there is mostly very varied information available. This is due to the set up of the skiing areas in Poland and in particularly Zakopane, the winter sports capital of Poland. Unlike most major ski resorts worldwide where ski areas are either on one large open mountain face or even linked over many valleys, such as the 3 valleys or the Grand Massif in France, ski areas in Poland are divided up. If you went on a ski holiday in Zakopane you would find yourself with a choice of numerous smaller ski areas to choose from, each privately owned and run around the town. This kind of adds to the appeal of Zakopane as each individual ski area has its own unique character.

There are places to ski in Zakopane than are literally farm land on a hill that is of no other use in the cold and snowy winters. Farmers erect their own private drag lifts and throughout the winter you will see hundreds of people taking advantage of even the tiniest of open ski slopes. After all what more does a beginner need?! There are however, other ski areas around such as Bialka Tatrzanska that have more futuristic plans, Bialka has been developing year after year with new runs and lifts and now has plans in place to link up to other nearby ski hills and create its own linked ski area. The mountains that overlook Zakopane, The Tatra Mountains are also open to skiers and snowboarders during the winter on Kasprowy Wierch but the ski runs and off piste skiing is strictly controlled by National Park Rangers. The long term hope for Zakopane is that permission will be given to open up the mountains a little more and develop them into what could be a fantastic ski area.

For some a ski holiday in Poland may not sound as attractive as it does for others but for those looking for something different and something a lot more affordable than mainstream Europe, Zakopane, Poland is the perfect option. The variety of individual ski areas for some may sound ridiculous but for others who may just be beginners or intermediates, the idea of choosing a suitable ski area each day for your personal level of ability is brilliant. You can pick your area, ensure that you are on a slope that will be full of people at a similar level and not feel pressured into skiing on slopes where people are flying past you and worrying you, just enjoy your ski holiday at your own pace!

Away from the ski slopes Zakopane offers everything listed above and more. The town centre is picturesque with snow filled streets, Christmas lights and the mountains looking down. There are warm cafes, bars and restaurants everywhere as well as a number of spas, pools and places to relax. A ski holiday in Poland is definitely worth a try.

Ski Resort Jobs - From Seasonal Jobs to Lifelong Careers!

When you think about working at a ski resort, does the word "liftie" first come to mind? Nothing wrong with being a lift attendant, but you may be looking for more of a full-time year- round professional career. The seasonal hourly jobs which are most visible at a ski resort are perfect for some, but many professional opportunities exist as well that keep local mountain residents happily employed, year after year. Ski resort jobs can be broken down into three categories; seasonal, full-time seasonal or full-time year-round.

Seasonal Jobs

Starting with the seasonal job, the majority of employees in this group has either just recently graduated college or intends to work seasonally until they figure out what they really want to do. Many are exploring their options, taking time off before grad school, or checking out a new locale. These jobs might appeal to a recent college graduate, die-hard skier who has just spent the last 20 years going to school every day and wants to live for skiing for the next year or two. Another candidate for these jobs may be the person who has spent the last 10 to 15 years in a career, has made the move to their favorite ski resort, and wants to enjoy some time getting to know the community before settling back down into a full-time job. Retired workers are another popular segment of the seasonal resort job crew. Seasonal work is a great way to meet a lot of people, get a free ski pass and stay active. Seasonal resort jobs include ticket sales, guest services associates, ski instructors, lift attendants, food and beverage jobs: cooks, cashiers, and servers, child care, and parking and transportation workers.

Full-Time Seasonal Careers

These ski resort jobs are career-oriented and many are full-time, but only during the ski season or summer, depending on what the job entails. Ski patrol, ski school managers and supervisors, heli-ski and mountain guides are winter seasonal jobs. In a resort town with summer activities, fishing and river guides, climbing guides and many national park employees fit into this category as well. With seasonal full-time work you may work different jobs during the summer and the winter seasons, but essentially return to the same company and position each year.

This is a lifestyle that suits many active people who choose to stay in resort towns and incorporate their outdoor passions into their careers. Ski patrol is a good example of this type of job. Year after year, many ski patrollers stay with the same resort. Benefit: you're the first one on and the last one off the mountain. You get to ski with expert skiers and really get to know the terrain. Ski patrol assists skiers and visitors all around the mountain making this a fulfilling job and career choice. A ski patroller may choose to work at the same resort doing building and grounds work in the summer, for example, and have a month or two off in between seasons each and every year. Not a bad deal to work at the mountain for the majority of the year with the benefit of having the mud-seasons off!

Full-Time, Year-Round Careers

The third category of ski resort jobs includes many full-time careers. At ski areas, the resort management is comprised of full-time staff from the CEO and CFO, to marketing and accounting professionals, human resources, department managers, and office staff. If a full-time staff position at a ski resort is what you are after, the best thing to do if you are just starting out is to just get your foot in the door. How many administrative assistants grow into resort managers? Quite a few! Ski instructors become department heads, and guest service associates become guest services managers. Many ski resorts prefer to hire from within, and you'll find as you gain more experience, opportunities will open up throughout the country. It is not uncommon to see resort workers who become managers get promoted up the ladder and then proceed to work at various resorts throughout their ski career.

Other full-time careers you will commonly see in resort towns include hotel/restaurant management and staff, accounting/banking, architecture/engineering and design, construction, IT, education and health care. A plus for permanent residents of a resort town is that opportunities become more plentiful for those who have shown that they are committed to staying there.

No matter what your preference for work, many challenging and exciting opportunities exist at ski resorts located in resort towns throughout the U.S. If you have been dreaming of a ski life from your city office cubicle for way too long, it may be time to explore some of these job opportunities and think about moving on!

Tignes - Best Ski Runs

Tignes lies within the Espace Killy, one of the World's most extensive linked ski domains consisting of 300km of Europe's most thrilling and technically demanding terrain. The main ski areas are La Grande Motte, the Col du Palet, Tovieres and the Brevieres and here are the best runs from these areas.

1. Descente - from the top of the Grande Motte cable car, Descente is a steep black that thrills. You'll be surrounded by about 50 people coming off the cable car so just stick around for a bit and admire the view whilst everyone else heads off and then get the run to your self.

2. Double M - Once you've come down Descente head towards Double M, which is second on our list. This is a great run into Val Claret, a long red which always pleases after spending time on the glacier.

3. Piste H - for intermediates the blues in the Tovieres area are perfect practising ground. Feeling like a challenge, pop off Piste H onto red Crocus, it's a quick short red down to Combe Folle lift.

4. Col du Palet area - here you'll find Le S.P.O.T. This is where advanced skiers can practice off-piste in a safe, secure area, the pisteurs ensure here that the avalanche risk is as low as possible. The Guerlain Chicherit run is a serious off-piste run, and will be quiet and perfect for practising before heading into more remote off piste.

5. Sache - an extremely long black run down to Les Brevieres 1,200 verticle metres will take your breath away, literally. It's relatively ok at the top but gets bumpy at the bottom. If you want to give it a go but aren't that confident you can escape the difficult bottom part by diving onto the red about half way down.

6. Corniche - from Corniche blue run you will be able to see the famous Eye of the Needle (shown left with me in front of it!) From Corniche you can either head down onto Sache or continue on a blue of red into Tignes Le Lac.

There are so many good runs in Tignes it's not possible to list them all, but hopefully this will give you a snapshot of the runs you must have a go at.

Apartments in Salt Lake City - Three Things to Know Before You Move

Utah is Dry...In More Ways Than One
Utah is a classified desert, and I'm not referring just to the precipitation amounts. Because of a predominantly LDS (Mormon) population which doesn't drink alcohol, many apartments have strict rules against not just the consumption of it, but even the storage of it on the premises. This holds true especially in college towns like Provo and Logan. Not to say that all complexes forbid you to have a single drop of liquor in your kitchen, but because these rules appeal to the LDS population, many managers enforce these rules to help fill units.

Coming To Ski? Stay Out of Davis County!
Davis County is the area just north of Salt Lake city and includes cities like Kaysville, Layton, Farmington, and Bountiful. When you get up early after a big storm, get your gear ready and start heading up the hills, you will soon find that no matter what time you leave at you will hit some pretty gnarly, slow traffic. If you want to ski areas near Ogden canyon (Powder Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin) live in Odgen. If you want to ski the Park City areas but don't want to pay an arm and a leg to live there, live in Holladay or anywhere close to I-80 on the East side of the Salt Lake Valley. Want to ski Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, and Solitude? Live in Sandy, as far east as possible.

Summertime is Dirt Cheap in College Towns
In college towns like Logan and Provo, summer apartments can go for as little as $75 a month! Seriously! Because so many kids take off, they use low prices to keep people around. You tend to have to pay it all up front but since it only costs as much as a single month of rent at other places, its usually not too bad of a deal. If you want cheap housing for just a few people, look for married housing near the colleges. Many students in Utah are married and to cater to these crowds, apartment managers will provide simple, inexpensive housing for multiple people for around $400 a month any time of year.

Top Ten Catered Ski Chalets in Europe

Discover the top ten catered ski chalets in Europe for the ultimate ski vacation in Alpine resorts. These ski chalets offer the complete luxury vacation experience.

Top 5 Catered Ski Chalets in Switzerland

1 - Exclusive catered lodge and spa in Valais: Veysonnaz Chalet Hidden Dragon. In the heart of Switzerland's 4 Valleys, it's an exclusive vacation home with panoramic views and ski-in/ski-out access. With six bedrooms and room for 12, the Valais fully-catered chalet offering helicopter and limousine services, fine gastronomy and wines, dynamic skiing opportunities, spa therapies, activities and childcare services.

2 - Most Luxurious Chalet in Swiss Alps: The Lodge. Sir Richard Branson's luxury ski chalet with pool is renowned for its stylish interior and exceptional personal service from its 14-person staff. Guests can enjoy a fully-catered ski chalet vacation including spa treatments, catering, fine wines, relaxing sauna and abundance of amenities. The Lodge is truly a luxury chalet with pool indoors in addition to a games room, indoor jacuzzi, wine cellar, gym and sumptuous bedrooms and living spaces. It's one of the finest chalets in Verbier and perfect for family vacations as it accommodates up to 18 guests in true comfort and luxury.

3 - Truly Unique Swiss Chalet in Verbier: Solmaï. This traditional Verbier ski chalet offers bespoke service for a vacation home away from home. Enjoy a full ski resort experience without any crowds. The luxury chalet is just a short stroll from Verbier village and includes two-minute chauffeured drives to all top restaurants, bars and lift stations. This Verbier chalet offers a chauffeur, guest concierge services, private chef creating delectable gastronomy and a masseuse for a full relaxing experience.

4 - Exquisite Luxury Ski Chalet in Central St. Moritz: Chesa Lumpaz. This St. Moritz chalet stuns even the most discerning guests. It's a magnificent fully-catered chalet in St. Moritz resort next to the Badrutts Palace Hotel and a short stroll from the central shopping street. Guests can enjoy the best of St. Moritz resort: slopes by day and fine dining and cocktails by night. Ski slopes, restaurants and clubs are all within walking distance. The nearest private jet airport is Samedan, only 10 min by car.

5 - Magnificent Modern Chalet with Dream Views: Chalet Bellardia. Verbier chalet reach their height in this incredible chalet rental with ski-in/ski-out access. This chalet is actually two 100 year-old chalets combined into an incredible ski home. Guests can stay in this fully-staffed chalet with a housekeeper, chauffeur and private chef. It's one of a handful of truly ski-in, ski-out properties in Verbier and its location provides it with the most stunning views from its terrace and balconies. The beautiful finishing and architectural features of this modern alpine home are complimented by the artworks adorning the vestibules and walls and the house boasts many unique features.

Top Fully-Staffed Chalets in France

6 - One of Europe's Most Beautiful Catered Chalets in Megève: Chalet Mona. This idyllic chalet is just minutes from the Mont d'Arbois and Rochebrune slopes. With no other homes around, guests enjoy complete privacy and panoramic views of Megève. The staffed chalet offers butler, concierge and private chef services. The ski chalet's dramatic entrance hall will take your breath away as it leads into grand living spaces decorated with large picture windows, contemporary design touches and romantic old wood accents.

7 - Catered Ski Chalet in Val d'Isère: Chalet Le Chardon. As one of the most desirable chalets in Val d'Isère, this elegant fully-staffed chalet is fit for 20 guests in ten bedrooms and bathrooms. The luxury chalet offers two living rooms, grand TV room, study, dining room and expansive private terrace with a snow bar. Resting elegantly on the side of the Solaise Mountain, it is a haven for keen skiers of all abilities. Each of its ten en-suite bedrooms has floor to ceiling windows offering uninterrupted views of the Manchet Valley and Vanoise National Park.

8 - Must-See Luxury Chalet in Courchevel: Chalet Allegra. A luxury chalet, situated in Courchevel, with wonderful dimensions, beautiful decor, a billiard room, a home cinema, a spa, and access directly on to the slopes. You could not ask for a better location nor a more charming chalet. Every detail, from the furnishings to the layout to the extras, has been considered in this Courchevel chalet rental. The luxury chalet offers nine bedrooms, including two children's rooms, amazing amenities and incredible spaces to entertain family and friends.

9 - Luxury Catered Holiday Home in Rhône-Alpes: Le Marti. This unique boutique chalet rental offers an experienced staff to take care of every need on your ski vacation in Argentière. Enjoy access to three ski areas and the quaint village of Argentière for après-ski entertainment. The Chamonix chalet offers professional chef at home, on-call concierge services and a plethora of amenities. Guests who rent a chalet in Argentière won't find a finer chalet than Le Marti: 8 en-suite bedrooms, a cosy living area, fire place and spacious dining area along with a sauna and private outdoor Jacuzzi.

10 - Chamonix Valley Ski-in Ski-Out Chalet: Prarion Fully-Staffed Chalet. Overlooking Les Houches, this Chamonix chalet offers amazing views and exclusive amenities in the privacy of an exquisite vacation home nestled in landscaped gardens. The fully-staffed chalet is the perfect way to relax and indulge on a Chamonix ski break, complemented by exquisite interiors and plush furnishings. Ten guests can enjoy their stay in this Chamonix ski chalet with five bedrooms, extravagant living spaces, a home theater, beautiful balconies and terraces, as well as children's rooms and amenities for the perfect family getaway in Chamonix.