SNOW Magazine Life, Lifts, Luxury by SNOW

007: ian fleming’s life in kitzbühel

lights, camera, fashion après glamour

happy in Hakuba Romancing Quebec Saving snow with a Kennedy

super stellar heli-ski bc

WINTER 15/16 EIGHT DOLLARS

tonisailer.com

bogner.com

www.sportalm.at

P : Scott MA rkewitz A: AMie enGerb retSon L: HiGHLA nd bowL

You can sense the call to the peak in the morning air. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to hear the sound of snow moving under your skis. Go out and fly down the slopes unhindered. Visit Aspen Snowmass to renew your spirit and live in the moment. See more at aspensnowmass.com/mindbodyspirit.

S E T YO U R S P I R I T F R E E

T H E J O U R N E Y* *

WATC H T H E M O V I E W W W. S O S - S P O R T S W E A R . C O M

winter 15/16

CONTENTS 94 SCREENPLAY

In smoldering grays and winter furs, SNOW’s mesmeric models set the scene for 2016 après-ski.

106 ELEVATING EXPERIENCES An Aspen remodel melds with its high-alpine environment.

112 Super sTELLAR Swedish ski fashion icon meets Canadian cowboy for a match made in Stellar Heli heaven.

116 NOBODY DOES IT BETTER With wild women and song, author Ian Fleming sowed his oats on the slopes of Kitzbühel, then gave birth to the world’s most famous spy. Sofie in a coat by Fendi, necklace by Mish. Photo: Daniela Federici Stylist: Shifteh Shahbazian See Screenplay Page 94.

Dear gravity, resistance is futile. Four Seasons Resorts and Residences Jackson Hole, Vail and Whistler. With legendary terrains and trails suited for any level of snow enthusiast, these mountains are ideal winter destinations. And with award-winning spas, hyper-local dining and soul-warming welcomes, the aprĂ¨s ski scene is more than worth coming off the mountain for. Experience your choice of three mountain resorts with lift passes and much more. For reservations, call your travel consultant or Four Seasons at (800) 819-5053 or visit fourseasons.com/mountainresorts

Jackson Hole | Vail | Whistler

winter 15-16

ON THE COVER Matthew wears a Nobis jacket with fur hood; Sofie sports a fabulous après-ski shawl from Skea and down top from Nau. Photo: Daniela Federici Stylist: Shifteh Shahbazian

SNOW FLURRIES 31

72 112

44 SNOW SUITES 64

Annie Leibovitz and Moncler, lifts with heated seats, Armani on the course, an all-white hotel, boho ski fashion.

Rustic elegance in Banff. A very pink French ski hotel.

SNOW STYLE 44

BOUTIQUE 68

Hello Yellow! It’s back and it’s sublime. Plus, shimmering silver.

Maison Lorenz Bach, a gift from Gstaad.

SNOW CULTURE 72 STYLE FOR MEN 50

116 46

Jon Snow inspires skiwear worthy of knights and warriors.

Japan as a girlfriends’ getaway. Saving snow with Bobby Kennedy Jr.

WELLNESS 54

PERFECT PLACES 80

Scouting Lake Tahoe’s perfect spa landing.

Quebec has never looked so romantic. Sweet skiing in California’s Sugar Bowl.

BOTTLE 56 Pairing fine wine with snow at B.C.’s Sun Peaks.

SNOW KING 88 Attacking the slope with Marc Girardelli.

TABLE 60

80 12

Lick your lips, Vail. It’s time for black cod by Nobu.

LAST RUN 128 The sport of kings: snow polo.

Bode Miller skis BoMBer

There is only one way to experience the sublime quality of Bomber skis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; firsthand. Handcrafted by experts in our factory in the Italian Alps, every pair is the ultimate blend of craftsmanship & technology. Discover the exhilaration.

See Bode’S Action film @ BomBerSki.com • NYC HQ -212.980.2442 Official supplier to the U.S. and Canadian Ski Teams.

WELCOME THERE’S A SPIRIT unique to the mountain lifestyle, where beauty and tradition merge with adventure. For over 50 years we’ve been finding inspiration, creating memories and building a family business based on our passion for skiing, sharing new discoveries, and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship. Today, our family continues to grow, as have our family of stores, the newest, in Park City. What remains constant is a commitment to our ideals, and the lasting relationships they have created.

–the Gorsuch Family

GORSUCH VA I L

B E AV E R C R E E K

PA R K C I T Y

SNOWMASS

ASPEN

GORSUCH.COM

2016

www.nils.us

colesport.com

Serving the Park City community since 1982

T RAV E L REDEFINED PUBLISHER Barbara Sanders

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Anne-Marie Boissonnault annemarie@thesnowmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lori Knowles lori@thesnowmag.com

Art director Laura Doherty special event director Joan Valentine COPY editor Shelley Preston Digital Director Julius Yoder SNOW STYLIST Shifteh Shahbazian Styling assistants Kim Mann, Katharine ReQua. CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Anthony, Megan Barber, Leah Bourne, Linda Hayes, Jen Laskey,

Michael Mastarciyan, Hilary Nangle, Robin O’Neill, Jules Older, David Shribman, Rob Story, Leslie Woit. contributing photographers Valérie Busque, Grant Barta, Daniela Federici, Mattias Fredriksson, Vance Fox, André‑Olivier Lyra, Audrey Mead, Robin O’Neill, Gerald Sanders, Louise Savoie.

Advertising sales SALES DIRECTOR Barbara Sanders (970) 948-1840 barb@thesnowmag.com sales manager Debbie Topp (905) 770-5959 debbiejtopp@hotmail.com Ad Sales Representative Jenny MacArthur (970) 309-0282 jennyjmac@comcast.net

brand publisher www.yqbmedia.com President and Editor Anne-Marie Boissonnault Editorial Director Dominique Laflamme art director Andrée-Anne Hamel Content Manager Jennifer Campbell graphic designers Laura Doherty, Audrey Geoffroy-Plante, Stéphanie Langlois.

T H E D O U C H E B AG e world’s lightest length-adjustable and wheeled ski- and snowboard bag. Fits all lengths of skis and boards up to 220 cm.

Sales and Business Development Amélie Côte Marketing Strategist Stéphanie V. Robichaud Production Manager Kathleen Forcier

Get yours at douchebags.com This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.

M. Miller Luxury Made in the USA mmillerfur.com

publisher’s note

Barbara and her son Micah carry on the Sanders family ski tradition.

sharing snow

y good friend Mario Lobo used to remind me at highbrow wine tastings that wine is made by peasants to be enjoyed by friends. If his statement was made analogous to skiing, it might have gone like this: Skiing was invented by Scandinavians to be shared with family and friends. Skiing is probably the most social of all sports. I can’t think about one ski resort on the planet without thinking about the family and friends I’ve shared the experience with. This summer I lost my mom. She was my ski buddy and my friend. It has been a long time since we skied together, but I can’t help but remember all the great times we shared on snow. Peggy was a great skier and also very stylish; she always wore the best brands. She could keep her feet glued together like nobody’s business, “sashaying” down the hill to admiring onlookers. I will never forget the special times we shared on ski trips together in Mammoth. 26

As I raise my own son Micah, I know that the bonds we form skiing will surpass anything else we do together. This summer in Portillo, I felt my mom skiing by my side in her White Stag jacket with the drawstring waist and fur hood. It was like the old days. She was young, fit, and playful, and we linked parallel turns on perfect groomers and my heart felt a little less heavy. Returning from Portillo, I know that skiing here in North America is just around the corner. I don’t even bother to put my skis away, knowing that pretty soon I will be gathering my gear to bring to the Aspen Mountain locker room, where I still enjoy the pleasure of teaching part time. Opening day at Snowmass on Thanksgiving is a highlight and a tradition, started with friends and family since my son first began to slide on skis. In this issue, Marc Girardelli is our featured SNOW King. He’s also someone I’ve come to know as a friend. I will never forget Marc holding my young son’s hand as

he went for his first ski ever, and how kind and gentle this five-time world champion was on that day. I’d always been a bit intimidated by Marc, perhaps because of his accomplishments and the fact that he did it all on his own, without his country’s backing. Seeing him smiling and holding Micah’s hand showed me another person entirely. In A Rebel with a Cause (page 88), Michael Mastarciyan—a.k.a. Marsy—writes a story that gives great insight into the man, the myth, and the champion. Having actor Daniel Craig grace the pages of SNOW was also something I could only dream of, but when the story was pitched to us—how James Bond author Ian Fleming became indoctrinated into ski culture while at reform school in Kitzbühel—I could only say, “Yes!” When we received word that some scenes from SPECTRE, the latest Bond flick, were shot in Austria and that skiing was central to the movie’s plot, I considered Nobody Does It Better (page 116) a gift from the ski gods. Like Hemingway, Ian Fleming’s life was greatly influenced by time he spent in Austria. Daniela Federici once again has brought her huge talents to the ski fashion world in this edition’s fashion editorial, Screenplay (page 94). Model Matthew Avedon—yes, grandson of the famous fashion photographer Richard Avedon, and more importantly, a skier—brought an edgy modern presence to the shoot. He joined ethereal models Sofie and Nikola to showcase this season’s fabulous looks for après-ski. I love collaboration and the story of Stellar Heli is a super example. As told in Super Stellar (page 112), it is an instance of different cultures and interests coming together to create a unique experience, something that could only happen in the ski world. So as you get ready for the coming season, make sure that friends and family are a part of all your ski adventures, be they resort bound, heli driven, or lifestyle inspired. Let it SNOW!

Barbara Sanders, Publisher barb@thesnowmag.com

Follow your passion... www.skealimited.com

contributors

SNOW talent Q: ROBIN O’NEILL

PHOTOGRAPHER, HAPPY IN HAKUBA

What’s your favorite ski run?

page 72

Robin O’Neill is an outdoor lifestyle and action photographer based in Whistler, British Columbia. Her editorial and social documentary backgrounds have helped Robin develop a unique view into the wild landscapes and wilder personalities that surround her. By translating her passion for outdoor adventures into exciting visual stories and dramatic imagery, she has found success in winning both the Whistler Deep Winter and Deep Summer Photo Showdowns, and in working with many reputable outdoor brands. Robin’s insatiable curiosity and addiction to mountain life have perfectly combined to ensure ongoing grand adventures and a growing portfolio of outstanding images captured in the wild outdoors.

Rob Story WRITER A Skier named Kennedy page 76

A : Telluride’s 13,320-foot Palmyra Peak. My favorite Palmyra route is Roy Boy, a 40-degree couloir whose entrance is a bit hidden, resulting in both premium snow and solitude. Leslie Woit WRITER Rustic Elegance page 66

MICHAEL MASTARCIYAN WRITER, NOBODY DOES IT BETTER page 116

Just like double agents in 007 films, journalist Michael Mastarciyan has been working both sides of the media fence—print and television—for a quarter century. A reporter, editor, and producer covering news and sports on TV since 1991, Mastarciyan’s dream job was quarterbacking network 2010 Olympic ski coverage. His print career mirrors the two passions of his life: fashion and alpine skiing. Once a fashion writer for major dailies, Mastarciyan switched his focus to alpine skiing’s World Cup tour in the late 1990s and has been on it ever since. Above all, however, Mastarciyan is a James Bond aficionado. For SNOW, he wore a kilt during the writing of Nobody Does It Better, fulfilling his Scottish wife’s lifelong dream of seeing her husband’s lower half draped in her family’s tartan. 28

JEN LASKEY BOTTLE COLUMNIST, HERE COMES THE SUN page 56

Jen Laskey is a New York City-based writer and certified sommelier with a passion for alpine wines, après-ski drinks, and craft-distilled spirits. When Jen is not sliding down the slopes or gliding through bucolic backwoods on her cross-country skis, she can be found typing and tippling by the nearest fireplace. As the all-new BOTTLE columnist for SNOW, Jen writes about wine, spirits, and cocktails. Beyond SNOW, her writings appear in numerous publications, including SAVEUR and Fodor’s Travel guidebooks. She is also the author of Jen’s Candy Jar: Artisanal Candy Recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions.

A : Valluga Nord between St. Anton and Lech-Zürs. It’s the only lift-assisted, on-snow link between the two areas. A steep labyrinth of rocks followed by a traverse, then a long and rolling descent all the way to Zürs. Hilary Nangle WRITER Fashion & Passion page 68

A : La Fénomene at Quebec’s Le Massif. It makes me feel that if I get enough air off a mogul, I can land on a tanker cruising up the St. Lawrence.

Feel The Difference

www.ChaosHats.com

SNOW flurries Bohemian Fashion, Innerhofer in Armani, Heated Chairlifts, Whistler’s New Audain Art Museum Photographer extraordinaire Annie Leibovitz teamed with Moncler for a whimsical, naturefilled Fall/Winter ad campaign based, in part, on the Snow Queen fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. The campaign starred brother-and-sister combo Lucky and Pyper Smith of The Atomics.

snow flurries

KASK

BOHO CHIC

moncler

Gucci, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton Go Retro on the Runway

FENDI

gucci

M. Miller

ACNE

gucci

on our radar

Sports luxury eyewear from Yniq, a young Swedish brand whose good looks and patented peripheral vision technology wowed both judges and fashionistas at ISPO 2015. www.yniq.se

P h oto : M a r c o B e r ta n i /C o u r t e s y o f M o n c l e r G r e n o b l e

LOUIS VUITTON

aute couture brands from Gucci to Fendi time travelled to an Aspen ski lodge circa 1970 this season to bring us hippie chic—retro ski fashion done in rich, ultra luxurious fabrics. Hit the slopes in belted ski jackets, like the luxe Erica coat from M.Miller, or the fox fur version in green-and-beige chevron shown on Moncler Grenoble’s fall runway. Trade in basic black ski pants for retro athletic-inspired versions like the ones in Fendi’s ski line, complete with pink, red, and white stripes along the pant leg. And instead of just any old ski helmet, opt for Kask’s highly coveted fur-lined helmet, the ski version of a boho chic Davy Crockett hat. Vintage Norwegian-inspired knits are also trending on the ready-to-wear runways—this is your moment to break them out for layering. Gucci, for instance, is mining its 1970s heyday for inspiration this season, particularly with its heavy knitwear complete with nostalgic geometric patterns. Wear them while sipping Champagne at Pichalain Hut in St. Moritz or winding down on an outdoor deck at the St. Regis Deer Valley. Off the slopes, retro mountain boots adorned with bright-colored laces should be your go-tos, and nothing will complete your free-spirited jet-set style quite like a Louis Vuitton fur scarf. Needless to say, the key to being on trend is to remember that more is more. —Leah Bourne

EMBRACE THE NOBIS CULTURE NOBIS.CA

snow flurries

INNER STRENGTH World Cup Champ Christof Innerhofer Moonlights as a Model Olympic medalist. World champion. Chiseled face. Perfect body. Armani model. When Italian alpine ski star Christof Innerhofer (Inner) isn’t burning up World Cup tracks, he’s modeling for Armani’s EA7 ski label, stripping down to his undies for Italian lingerie giant Intimissimi, or playing handsome ambassador for ultra luxe Swiss watchmaker de Grisogono. A style icon both on and off the slopes, the 30-year-old Südtiroler was one of a chosen few invited to Armani’s private 40th anniversary show in Milan last April. An Armani disciple photographed regularly wearing clothing from the Italian fashion grandmaster’s collections, Innerhofer is passionate about the brand’s ski and fitness lines. “(EA7’s) clothing looks good and feels better,” Innerhofer says. “What more could you want?” As for 2016 skiwear trends, Innerhofer says he’s most excited about bright colors. “The big color this year is yellow,” says the Italian superstar, “and I love it!”

P h oto : E A 7

—Michael Mastarciyan

snow flurries

The Irish Breakfast

1 ounce Jameson Irish Whiskey 1 ounce Calvados apple brandy 1 ⁄2 ounce Citrónge orange liqueur 1 ⁄2 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 ⁄2 ounce milk 3 healthy shakes of powdered sugar

Pour all ingredients over ice, shake vigorously, strain into a rocks glass over ice, and zest orange peel over the top.

t’s one of the most unique après experiences around. First, you’ll hit the slopes with Viceroy Snowmass Resort’s executive chef, Will Nolan. Next, you’ll head back to his Eight K kitchen for an après cocktail. Once you get your après on, Chef Nolan will commence with an unforgettable culinary class focused on aprèsfriendly pairings. One of Nolan’s favorite pairings is brandy milk punch and char-broiled oysters. “Because it’s a sweet drink, like a milkshake,” says Nolan, “I go the salty route for a pairing.” In Aspen, this curious coupling may seem like a geographic anachronism, but Chef Nolan hails from The Big Easy, so each year the Eight K

ASPERGES HANAZONO

A Haute Cuisine Pop-Up in the Aspen of the Far East

apan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, has become the country’s go-to luxury ski hot spot. While perfect powder and breathtaking backcountry don’t always amount to resorts with world-class dining, it does at Niseko Hanazono, especially during the winter season. Starting in late December, Michelin-starred Chef Hiroshi Nakamichi and his French-Japanese fusion restaurant, Asperges Hanazono, return to the mountain oasis for a few months. Gear up for a lunch and dinner menu featuring dishes that are as imaginative as they are Instagram-worthy, from sautéed abalone and piping hot stingray fin to roasted Hokkaido venison flavored with pine-scented wasabi. Sweet finishes include homemade Cointreau marshmallows and chestnut brûlée. —Jen Laskey www.hanazononiseko.com/en/asperges

bar menu spotlights a new brandy milk punch in tribute to the chef and his New OrleansCreole roots. “Brandy milk punch is something we grow up with in New Orleans, but it’s so winter-friendly,” he gushes. This year, raise a glass to Chef Nolan with Eight K’s latest seasonal brandy milk punch, “The Irish Breakfast,” made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, Calvados apple brandy, Citrónge orange liqueur, fresh-squeezed orange juice, milk, and a few dashes of powdered sugar. Take a sip, toss back an oyster, and let that sweet and salty umami bring a little bit of New Orleans low-country culture to your mountain-chic adventure. —Jen Laskey www.viceroyhotel sandresorts.com

P h oto : J a s o n D e w e y, c o u r t e s y o f V i c e r oy S n o w m a s s ( I r i s h b r e a k fa s t ) , c o u r t e s y o f a s p e r g e s h a n a zo n o

Shake It Up, Chef!

www.mountainforce.com

iny Klosters, Switzerland is all about seclusion, discretion, and glorious off-piste skiing. Now, in the same village where Gene Kelly danced on the tables in the bar of Hotel Chesa Grischuna and countless British Royals have doubtless attempted their own follow-ups, one of its latest luxury chalets affords the opportunity to take a little of this Alpine chic home with you. Owned by Chrissie Rucker of The White Company, a U.K.- and U.S.-wide line of snow-white linens, homewares, toiletries and such, the Haus Alpina Penthouse sleeps 12 in ensuite splendor. Tended by chef and housekeeper, guests are served breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner. Rucker’s ethos: “There’s a place in everyone’s life for white” is writ large over two expansive living rooms with open fires and comfy contemporary neutral furnishings, a formal dining room, traditional Swiss Stubli, plus cozy media and massage rooms. A mountain holiday of skiing, sleeping and shopping—what could be better? —Leslie Woit www.haus-alpina-klosters.com

High Art

In a $50-million capital improvement project, Utah’s Park City and the Canyons have officially become one, creating the largest ski resort in the U.S. with more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain. Owner Vail Resorts, Inc. has installed an eight-passenger, two-way gondola called Quicksilver to connect the two mountains. The mega resort’s new tagline: “There is only one. Park City.” —LK

Whistler’s art scene reaches higher elevation this season with the opening of the Audain Art Museum. Situated in a silent grove of Englemann and Sitka spruce trees on the edge of lively Whistler Village, the museum is the muse of B.C. art collector Michael Audain—a permanent home for the philanthropist’s vast collections of masks, paintings, and photography. The Audain will feature pieces from Group of Seven painter Lawren Harris, post-war modernist Jack Shadbolt, coastal artist E.J. Hughes, and contemporary photographer Jeff Wall, as well as one of Canada’s strongest collected works of Pacific Northwest painter Emily Carr. —Lori Knowles

www.parkcitymountain.com

www.audainartmuseum.com

At One In Park City

feel the Heat

This season, Canada’s first heated chairlift promises to warm up the skiing at Banff’s Sunshine Village. The plush TeePee Town LX high-speed lift with heated seats and protective orange bubble accesses blue runs and doubleblack-diamond local favorites. While warming up, don’t forget to look up: the new lift presents expansive views of the Continental Divide and Alberta’s special brand of Canadian Rockies. —LK www.SkiBanff.com

P h oto : © S i m o n Up to n / T h e I n t e r i o r A r c h i v e s i m o n @ s i m o n u p to n . c o m ( k lo s t e r s ) , Va i l R e s o r t s ( pa r k c i t y ) , Im ag e c o u r t e s y o f Pat k a u A r c h i t e c t s (a u da i n m u s e i u m ) , S u n s h i n e V i l l ag e (o r a n g e c h a i r)

snow flurries

SNOW WHITE

Limited, Handcrafted, Unique

On her: style ReZA finest Merino lambskin, reversible Coat (Parka style) with the curly side felted to get a very thin and special surface. On him: style FINN finest Merino Lambskin, Dufflecoat sensitive tend and colored to get a soft and special surface. style Wes finest Virgin Wool, vest with 4 pockets trendy look.

snow flurries

SNOWcieties

The vast and sleek Scandi-chic of Åre, Sweden competes with the understated allure of Colorado’s diminutive Victorian town, Telluride.

Åre, Sweden

Telluride, Colorado

Celebrity: Skier Frida Hansdotter

Jacket: The Micro Puff by Patagonia

Diner: Fäviken Restaurant Food Truck: The Coffee Cowboy

Jacket: Peak Perfomance

Helmet: POC

Helmet: Pret

Ski: Völkl

Drink: Flatliner

Drink: Åre Bryggcompagni

Urban Artwork: Ute by Charlotte Gyllenhammar

Wearable Art: Alp-n-Rock

Tech: Urban Ears

Snow Ride: Audi 40

Beer: Telluride Brewing Company

Ski: Wagner

Snow Ride: Range Rover

P h oto s : J o n a s K u l l m a n (Ä r e m o u n ta i n ) , N i s s e S c h m i dt ( F r i da H a n s d ot t e r) . T e l l u r i d e S k i R e s o r t | R ya n B o n n e a u ( t e l l u r i d e c i t y s h ot ) , J i m Sp e l l m a n / W i r e Im ag e . c o m (Op r a h )

Celebrity: Oprah

#INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND since he landed there. Buzz Aldrin, astronaut Apollo 11

Breithorn, Valais

Book now at MySwitzerland.com and prepare to fall in love!

Birds-eye view over Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region

The Jungfrau Region. The Jungfrau Region offers unforgettable winter vacations in the midst of the magic of a snow-covered winter wonderland. The glistening white peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains rise majestically into the sky. At their feet, nestled in this unique, authentic Alpine landscape lie the winter sports resorts of Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen.

Also don’t miss the eternal snow and ice of the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe. The cog-wheel train travels year-round through the tunnel inside Mount Eiger up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station at 11,300 feet altitude.

Ski Wengen A small distance away from the buzz of these well-known destinations is Interlaken, from where you can easily reach the likeside villages situated along the shores of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. These villages, too, offer a lot of unforgettable winter activities: snowshoe tours, sleigh rides and cross-country excursions.

Book your stay for 7 nights at Hotel Silberhorn in Wengen and get 1 night free!, from $1,812 pp in double occupancy* Your package includes: ■

7 nights at Hotel Silberhorn in Standard Double Room

■

Daily buffet breakfast and 5-course dinner

■

Swiss transfer ticket 2nd class (train transfers from/to

■

Jungfrau 6 day lift tickets

Geneva or Zurich airports)

The wide open ski slopes of the Jungfrau Ski Region are perfectly connected and offer more than 130 miles of ski runs featuring snow parks and snow sport schools for all level skiers, adults as well as children. You can choose from a wide variety of accommodations to suite every taste or budget: from a cozy private apartment or traditional chalet to luxurious 5-star hotels.

For information, please visit www.jungfrau.ch/packages

AlpineAdventures.net/ski-switzerland *Offer valid for following dates: January 17–24 and March 12-April 3. Other rates, dates and accommodations available. Restrictions may apply.

Corviglia ski area with view over St. Moritz

St. Moritz. Nestling in the inspiring, high-altitude Engadin valley, St. Moritz is one of the most glamorous winter sports resorts in the world and is equated with elegance and class. Winter sport was first established in St. Moritz in 1864, and the story, according to tradition, goes like this: Summer tourism was already flourishing when the St. Moritz hotelier Johannes Badrutt made a daring bet with four English guests in autumn 1864. He wagered that even in winter they would be able to sit on his terrace and enjoy the mild Engadin sunshine in short sleeves – and if not, he would reimburse their travel costs. The English visitors, who knew only the cold, damp winters back home, could not imagine that conditions might be so different in the Swiss Alps. So they accepted the bet, travelled to the Upper Engadin for Christmas – and did not return home until Easter, tanned, relaxed and happy. And so St. Moritz had its first winter guests, and winter tourism was launched in the Alps.

and the beautiful mountains on its doorstep, promise a ski experience of a very special kind. In addition to 215 miles of perfectly groomed pistes, 57 mountain transport facilities, 34 mountain restaurants with inspiring sun terraces, the holiday region boasts superb unspoilt scenery and the best powder snow in the Alps. After staging four Alpine World Ski Championships, St. Moritz will host the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2017. Hotel and Ski Pass 2015/16: Stay more than one night in Engadin St. Moritz and you can purchase a Hotel Ski Pass for CHF 35 per person/ day. This special offer is available throughout the winter season 2015/16 for the duration of your stay at a participating hotel. Ski St. Moritz 7-nights, from $2,014 pp in double occupancy* our package includes: ■

7 nights at Hotel Crystal in a mountain view double room

■

Daily buffet breakfast

■

Swiss transfer ticket 2nd class (train transfers from/to

■

Engadin Valley 7 day lift tickets

Zurich or Geneva airports)

AlpineAdventures.net/ski-switzerland

Since then, two Olympic Winter Games (in 1928 and 1948) and numerous ski and bobsleigh world championships have sealed its unique global reputation. During the winter months, the glamorous atmosphere in St. Moritz

For information, please visit engadin.stmoritz.ch/winter/en

*Offer valid throughout winter season. Other rates, dates and accommodations available. Restrictions may apply.

snow style

hello sunshine YELLOW RISES AGAIN AS THIS SNOW SEASONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOTTEST, BRIGHTEST COLOR. By the snow fashion editors

colmar

cutler and gross

bergans of norway

versace

moncler

mountain force

marmot

frauenschuh chaos

sportalm shred optics

9:17AM The moment your idea of heaven finally comes down to earth.

The best ski days are a glimpse of paradise on earth. And there’s no place more heavenly than Whistler. As North America’s largest (and Whistler’s only true) ski-in ski-out luxury hotel, Fairmont Chateau Whistler is the ultimate Canadian ski experience. We continue to raise the standard with offerings like our Experience Guide, who personally leads Fairmont guests to Whistler’s most unforgettable moments. With today’s favourable currency exchange for travelers to Canada, there’s no better time to enjoy Whistler’s alpine beauty. Sometimes, even the most heavenly moments have very down-to-earth motivations.

WHISTLER

NO.1

SKI RESORT IN NORTH AMERICA

FOR DETAILS PLEASE VISIT FAIRMONT.COM/WHISTLER OR CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

Gateway to your moment in over 20 countries. fairmont.com

snow style

bogner NILS m.miller

authier

skea

dale of norway

scandinavian icewear

silver UGG beLL & ross

trail trends SNOW STYLES AND COLORS TRENDING ON THE TRAILS THISÂ SEASON.

blanc noir

canadian hat

pam & gela

By the snow fashion editors

SPY fusalp descente

marsala toni sailer phillip lim

jet set michael kors

black & white

kjus

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powder time Book early and save with our Best rates and exclusive packages ski season is just around the corner. save up to 20% on room rates plus discounts on lift tickets at participating ski resorts in Beaver creek, Blue mountain, mammoth, tremblant and whistler for the 2015/2016 ski season. learn more at skiing.starwoodoffers.com/westin-resorts

explore participating westin ski resorts:

the westin monache resort, mammoth

the westin trillium house, Blue mountain

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le westin resort & spa, tremblant, Quebec

the westin riverfront resort & spa at Beaver creek mountain

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Banff Lake Louise Tourism / Paul Zizka Photography

Dave Riley

Adam Locke

Josh Robertson

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style for men

Aztech

Alpine knights

SLAYING POWDER Skiwear for knights and warriors, superheroes and secret agents

friend of mine once told me the ritual of putting on his ski gear was one of the big reasons why he loved the sport so much. He confessed he felt like a medieval knight preparing for battle every time he put on his ski suit, helmet, goggles, gloves, and boots. That was a light switch moment for me. I instantly reconnected with my 6-year-old self—the kid who ran around the house with a towel caped around his neck howling Batman music. It also hit me that fantasy and my inner child always have a say in what I wear when I go skiing. This year’s collections for men remind me of fantastical arenas where knights and warriors slay powder. A place where rock stars and racers rip corduroy, and ski icons and secret agents drop cliffs. If you fantasize as you ski, you’re gonna love what you see when you go shopping this season.

Alpine Knights

Everywhere I look these days I see echoes of Jon Snow, the character from the HBO television series Game of Thrones. The spirit of Lord Eddard Stark’s bastard son, with his iconic black fur collar, has haunted the runways of Mihara Yasuhiro, Dolce & Gabbana, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, 50

Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

Rick Owens, Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Versace this season. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Lord Commander from the Night’s Watch has also materialized in the world of skiwear. One place I’ve seen whiffs of GoT is at Aztech, Aspen fashion wunderkind Heifara Rutgers’ groundbreaking ski label. Aztech’s standout looks are swathed in dark colors, quilting that mimics body armor—Aztech’s Nuke ski jacket is straight out of Stannis Baratheon’s closet, GoT’s wannabe king—and black Astrahkan wool collars. It’s the perfect look for standing guard at Castle Black, patrolling for White Walkers and Wildings beyond the wall, or for a day ripping slopes in Vermont, Verbier, or Colorado. Quilting, by the way, is one of the key looks in men’s skiwear this year. It is everywhere, with stitching that’s a lot more intricate than the horizontal lines on that North Face puffy you bought 25 years ago. Top brands have taken ski jacket stitching to a new level. I’ve got my eye on Mountain Force’s Barrier Jacket with its faux-ab-quilting in blue or grey denim for those days I want rock out and

mountain force

pretend I’ve still got a six pack. I know if I don’t have something that’s beautifully quilted in my closet, I’m missing out on one of the hottest trends in skiwear.

Snow Warriors

Mad Max is back and the blast wave from the post-apocalyptic hero’s return to movie theaters will be felt from the mountain boulevards of St. Moritz to the stylish slopes of Aspen this season. The Road Warrior’s classic Perfectostyle motorcycle jacket is one of 2016’s key looks. This season, for example, SOS lead designer Anita Heske has mined the world of biker chic, bondage wear, and military surplus, updating the brand’s trademark Black Snow collection with several pieces Seal Team 6 would sport if their next mission involved mountains and skiing. My favorite piece

P h oto : J e s s e H o f f m a n (a z t e c h s k i s h ot )

By Michael Mastarciyan

style for men

from SOS: the Pilot Fur jacket, a WWII-inspired bomber with faux shearling. It’s very vintage, very retro, and very chic. Speed is always sexy and the MotoGP racer look will also make heads turn this year. The sexiest men’s ski suit on the planet right now is Lacroix’s café racer-inspired black Evolution jacket and pant combo. Super snug-fitting and mimicking the swerves and curves of a MotoGP race track, this look is fast and furious. Bogner’s body-hugging Ricci-D jacket is a marvelous interpretation of the classic café racer coat, complete with Mandarin collars and racing-inspired quilting. J. Lindeberg enters the race with a racy Foraker Mid jacket and quilted down Bona Hybrid jacket—perfect pieces for those days you want to channel Valentino Rossi, MotoGP’s most famous road warrior. Another branch of the snow warrior look is camouflage. A staple of urban hip-hop chic since the S1Ws took the stage with Public Enemy in late 1980s, camo is still relevant. Anyone ever see style icon Rihanna not wearing camo when she goes out to buy a milk carton? Aether’s quilted Alto jacket, for example, in graphite or blue camo, is inspired in a Cubism-meets-camouflage kind of way. If Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso went skiing, they’d be loving this look.

Tom Hardy in 2015’s Mad Max. sos

lacroix

Snow warriors

bogner

j. lindeberg

aether

Icon Scot Schmidt & friends in trademark yellow.

Based on the amount toni sailer of yellow in this season’s collections, you’ll want to see if you still have that old Scot Schmidt suit in your closet. colmar

sportalm

Yellow is the New Black

And last but not least, especially if you’re still using the word extreme in your skiing vernacular: Remember Scot Schmidt? He was skiing’s Mad Max of the early ‘90s—the guy who put extreme skiing on the map dressed in those iconic yellow-andblack North Face Steep Tech numbers. Based on the amount of yellow in this season’s collections, you’ll want to see if you still have that old Scot Schmidt suit in your closet. Otherwise, get ready to buy a new one. On the yellow bandwagon in a big way this season are top brands, including Sportalm and Toni Sailer. Colmar’s collection is so rich in brilliant yellow, I’m wondering if James Bond—remember his banana-yellow onesie in The Spy Who Loved Me?—is designing skiwear at the Colmar offices in Italy. Its slim-fitting selections in yellow are proof that yellow is the new black. Sportalm’s lemon-lime colored Crest jacket is also a stand-out look with retro ‘70s-inspired ski racer quilting on the elbows— the perfect balance of vintage and modern. But the battle-ready ski suit that’s got me most stoked this year is Toni Sailer’s yellow-and-black Blake jacket matched with their yellow Nick pants. It’s a super sleek, cutting-edge take on Scot Schmidt’s classic combo—a “rad” 1990s look re-revisited in the 21st century. Dressed in the Blake and the Nick, I’m really gonna slay me some powder.

P h oto : B r u c e B e n e d i c t ( s c ot t s c h m i dt )

not-so-mellow yellow

THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN GOOD SKIING AND GREAT SKIING

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Skier: Russ Shay, Owner, Surefoot

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wellness

The Perfect Landing Finding Spa Solace at The Landing Lake Tahoe

There aren’t many lakeside ski resorts in the world— that alone makes skiing Lake Tahoe a unique experience. 54

he sky was a wash of pink as I pulled up to The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort and Spa. Enamored by my spectacular surroundings, I put off check-in to enjoy the show nature was featuring. I ordered a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc lakeside at Jimmy’s, The Landing’s Greek-inspired restaurant. My server suggested a pairing with Kataifi, one of Jimmy’s signature dishes—feta cheese wrapped in shredded phyllo, then drizzled with Greek Attiki honey. I sat until the sky grew dark and a tiny sliver of moon appeared. Finally, I checked in. I was shown to a well-appointed room with special features—a rain shower, an oversized spa tub, a stone fireplace, in-room

wine and Champagne. The most special feature, however, had to be the room’s lake views from the terrace. Heavenly Mountain Resort and the region’s busy casinos are close, but the bustle of Tahoe’s south shore seemed miles away from this peaceful and secluded corner of California heaven. The following day, I slept late and ordered room service—hot coffee, bacon waffles—just so I could linger on the deck in my flannel pajamas. There aren’t many lakeside ski resorts in the world—that alone makes skiing Lake Tahoe a unique experience. The snow‑covered peaks that crown this great body of blue are truly breathtaking. Heavenly is one of the prettiest ski resorts in the west. The lake views demand that you stop often to capture its beauty at different

P h oto s : b a r b a r a s a n d e r s ( fac i a l ) , T h e L a n d i n g R e s o r t & Spa

By Barbara Sanders

wellness

I was wrapped in a cocoon while the lotions seeped into my skin—the experience was magical. angles, enjoying the play of light across the water. I skied for a few hours, then traded après for a visit to The Landing Spa—it was time for pampering. I donned a plush terry robe, made my way to the spa, and was met by a stunning Argentine named Anna. She greeted me with a glass of Champagne. See? I still got my après! The Landing takes spa-ing very seriously. I needed time to digest a diverse menu—a plethora of creative offerings. I chose an olive oil and propolis body wrap, to be followed by the spa’s signature facial. I was intrigued by the use of propolis, remembering that when I taught skiing in New Zealand, propolis was used as a magical cure-all. I was wrapped in a cocoon while the lotions seeped into my skin—the experience was magical. The facial that followed was like nothing I’ve ever encountered, in part due to the products. The spa uses Eminence Organic Skin Care lotions from Hungary. The Bamboo Firming Fluid for the face smells like a walk in the forest on a damp fall day—it leaves your skin tight and glowing. Because it is Biodynamic and formulated with fresh, non-chemical ingredients, the experience was transformative. Transformed, I padded my way back to my room and resumed my seat on the terrace, the sun once again bathing the sky in a rosy pink. I watched as it took one final dip in Lake Tahoe. It had been a lovely day, I thought. Jetting about, skiing and staying at five-star properties in fabulous surroundings are the things we live for at SNOW. Making the perfect landing is everything.

après-ski Spa treatments, wine selections, and stone fireplaces— cornerstones of The Landing’s offerings in wellness.

www.TheLandingLakeTahoe.com

bottle

HERE COMES THE SUN AT SUN PEAKS’ WINE FESTIVAL, IT’S ALL RIGHT BY JEN LASKEY

f your idea of the perfect pairing includes fresh powder, fine food, and world-class wines from one of the world’s youngest wine regions, the Winter Okanagan Wine Festival at Sun Peaks in British Columbia has got your ticket to ride. Organized by the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society in partnership with Sun Peaks Resorts, the 10-day alpine wine and food festival is cleverly designed so that visitors can weave tasting events into their daily activities. At your leisure, you can ski, sniff, sip, and nibble your way through some of the best terrain and terroir B.C. has to offer. Grab your gear in the morning and glide into town directly from your lodgings. Sun Peaks is a ski-in, ski-out village. As Canada’s second largest ski area, this family-friendly resort boasts 4,270 acres of ski terrain, including two alpine bowls, a snowboarding park, and cross-country trails. Advanced skiers will be jazzed by the expert

NORWEGIAN OLYMPIC ALPINE SKIERS

Nina Løseth and Aksel Lund Svindal

D A L E O F N O R WAY. C O M

bottle

tasting notes

Okanagan Valley wines fit for a festival or your own winter feast.

1. Bella Sparkling Blanc de Blancs Oliver West, 2013 $24 CAD* This sparkling chardonnay is bone-dry with bright acidity and lemony and granny smith apple notes.

2. Sperling Vineyards Sparkling Brut, 2009 $40 CAD*

3. Bench 1775 Glow Rosé, 2013 $20 CAD* An elegant rosé blend (mostly malbec) made in the St. Tropez style with delicate notes of strawberry and citrus.

4. Sandhill Small Lots Phantom Creek Syrah, 2012 $35 CAD* Plush, plummy, smoky, and buttery with black cherry and berry flavors.

5. Mission Hill Family Estate, Reserve Pinot Noir, 2012 $30 USD Balanced and supple, this pinot has velvety tannins, ripe red fruit, and a hint of white pepper.

6. Misconduct Inverno, 2013 $39 CAD* An aromatic blend of riesling, viognier, and muscat made in the Canadian ice wine style. Fruity and luscious. *Available in Canada only

P h oto : R oyc e S i h l i s

The festival spotlights more than 100 wines from 30 of the Okanagan Valley’s top wineries.

runs—be sure to take a spin around the Washing Machine. If you time it right, you may even get to do a run with Olympic champion, Canadian senator and Sun Peaks’ director of skiing, Nancy Greene Raine, who is often on the slopes leading skiers of all ages and abilities around the trails. When you’re ready to take a break from the mountain, indulge your inner oenophile. The festival spotlights more than 100 wines from 30 of the Okanagan Valley’s top wineries. The wine region has grown to nearly 300 wineries over the last 30 years and has come into its own. Emboldened winemakers are embracing their terroir by experimenting with varietals and winemaking styles and carving out an identity for this region. “We’re recognizing that we can make wines that are globally relevant, that are Okanagan,” says Val Tait, general manager, viticulturist, and winemaker at Bench 1775. Don’t miss out on the many opportunities to pair these distinctive wines with delicious local cuisine and gourmet specialty items. Many of the local restaurants host seminars, tastings, and wine-pairing dinners during the festival. You’ll glean intimate knowledge about pairing creamy, nutty, and smoked Canadian cheeses with brambly, peppery British Columbian syrahs from experts like David Beaudoin of the Dairy Farmers of Canada and wine journalist Tim Pawsey. The festival’s Explorer Series hosted by the Voyageur Bistro is not to be missed. It’s a five-course Canadian-themed dinner prepared by head chef Annie Campbell with Okanagan wine pairings presented by Gerrit Van Staalduinen of the BC Wine Shop. Between courses, proprietor Kevin Tessier spins colorful tales about the fascinating history of the Canadian fur trade. Finally, grab a glass and wend your way through the snowy village during The Sun Peaks Progressive Tasting. The festival’s signature event sets up tastings in lodges, lounges, and restaurants all along the village’s main strip. Pop in and out, tasting a sip of merlot and cab franc here, some pinot gris and ice wine over there, and then wind down in the hot tub with a bottle of sparkling brut Bella or Sperling under the stars, and enjoy the long finish.

This 100-percent pinot blanc sparkler hits you with creamy yeast and apple notes, a burst of citrus, and caramelized sugar on the finish.

AvA i l A b l e At PerformAnce Ski - ASPen t o m my b o w e r S S k i - vA i l HArrodS - london bArneyS new york - nAtionwide & AztecHmountAin.com

table

East Meets Southwest From Vail’s hautest Japanese hot spot, Matsuhisa Vail, co-owner Nobuko Kang shares some thoughts on collaborating with chef and restaurateur Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa.

ith the expansion of Nobu Matsuhisa’s epicurean empire to a second Colorado ski town, the Rockies are getting another tantalizing taste of the celebrity chef’s signature Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine in a sensational location. Following the success of the Aspen restaurant, Team Nobu opened the most recent Matsuhisa outpost in Vail’s ultra-chic Solaris luxury residence. 60

The restaurant has a modern Japanese feel. “Its aesthetic focus is on nature and simplicity,” says Nobuko Kang. Sliding glass “walls” feature transfixing views of Vail Mountain and give a sense of inviting the outside in, she explains, as they separate the loft-like interior of the great room from the patio. After a powder-perfect day on the slopes, it’s an idyllic mountain setting to kick back with a cold sake from Hokusetsu Brewery (served exclusively at

P h oto : c o u r t e s y o f M at s u h i s a

By Jen Laskey

W-LONG BEAR SPECIAL EDITION

Brass Ranch | Cole Sport | Gorsuch | Peter Glenn | Valbruna www.parajumpers.it

www.matsuhisavail.com

DELICIOUS SENSATIONs Nobuko Kang and Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (top left). The Zen-like interiors of Matsuhisa Vail.

Matsuhisa Vail’s design may offer a Zen-like vibe, but its energy is anything but.

P h oto s : c o u r t e s y o f M at s u h i s a , B AR B ARA SAN D ERS ( NO B UKO AN D NO B U y u k i )

table

Matsuhisa and Nobu restaurants) and an epic omakase multi-course tasting menu—especially for snowseekers who relish sophisticated Asian and Latin fare. Chef Nobu’s internationally acclaimed cuisine is a gastronomical form of high art. “His culinary style draws on his vast experiences, and in particular, his travels in South America, Asia, and the U.S.,” explains Kang. “It is characterized by a combination of tastes that are familiar and yet always bring something new and surprising.” The Matsuhisa Vail menu features Nobu’s spin on classic Japanese dishes such as hand rolls, tempura, and his famous broiled black cod with miso. And then it ventures into deep fusion territory with dishes like the bright and tangy mixed seafood and lobster ceviches, the scallop with jalapeno salsa, and the melt‑in‑your-mouth sea bass with spicy black bean sauce. The fusion experience also extends to the bar where tequila lovers can spend their après-ski sipping Peruvian margaritas and whisky devotees can tipple with high-end Japanese single malts. Matsuhisa Vail’s design may offer a Zen‑like vibe, but its energy is anything but. Booked months in advance, the restaurant fills up each night with a glamorous mélange of guests, everyone from locals to global travelers to celebrities. “With each of Nobu’s dishes,” says Kang, “we aspire to bring a moment of delicious sensation and complete satisfaction into their lives.” According to Kang, Team Nobu isn’t finished with Colorado ski country yet. Matsuhisa Denver will open in Cherry Creek in late 2015.

snow suites

Club Med’s Latest Confection in the Haute-Savoie By Lori Knowles

Val Thorens Sensations Club Med Resort debuted in winter of 2015. The latest pride of Club Med’s chain of escapist hotels, Sensations is built on a hillside overlooking the pistes of Les Trois Vallées, home of France’s HauteSavoie and the highest ski-in/ski-out resort in the world. From outside Sensations’ sliding front doors one can access 321 trails, six glaciers, and 25 peaks. A view of spectacular Mont Blanc shining in the sun is but a lift ride away. Like France itself, Val Thorens Sensations is a curious thing. It’s packed floor to ceiling with contradictions, including its very space‑age look in the midst of the storied Haute-Savoie region,

P h oto s : C l u b M e d Va l T h o r e n s

Pretty In Pink

ere’s the thing about an Old World rosé: It’s dry, versatile, and not too intense—and chances are it’s made in France, où les plus belles choses sont roses. Something similar could be said about Club Med. It’s true, the inventor of the allinclusive vacation has hotel offerings from Majorca to Mauritius, many of them in sultry southern locales with cabanas by the pool, sculpted staff, and fruity, well-endowed drinks. Yet Club Méditerranée may be at its best at home chez France, in the midst of the country’s suave, snow-covered Alps, where Old World alpine tradition meets modern mountain chic. Indeed, like a fine French rosé, the experience at a Club Med ski hotel is versatile, light, and not too sweet. It doesn’t hurt that the Med’s latest hôtel de ski is dressed in the color pink.

where timber, stone, and fine alpine tradition is evident in everything from architecture to food and fashion. Sensations took only seven months to build yet it boasts the largest footprint in Val Thorens. There’s no kids’ club at this hotel, even though kids’ clubs are a staple at Club Med. Sensations’ architecture and decor is ultra mod—think: James Bond’s romp on the Schilthorn circa 1969 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service—yet its setting is as old as dirt. Oh, and did we mention the interior of the hotel is pink? From the cushions on the sofas and beds, to Sensations’ carpets, lamps, couches, modish chairs, and multiple tinted glass walls, most accents are a soft yet spellbinding shade of pink. Designer Sophie Jacqmin is the creative force behind the hotel’s unusual interior design. “The idea,” she says, “was to create an offbeat, dynamic, and complete vision that reflects the essence of the mountains and expresses the sensational nature of this resort in a surprising way.” Offbeat and surprising… yes. Yet it works. Sensations’ rosy palette stands out against a backdrop of snow white, and the hotel’s generous use of wood, stone, steel, and glass give all rooms airiness and space—at Sensations, you really do feel as if you’re on top of the world, or at least right at home at 7,546 feet. The hotel’s architectural design is futuristic, too, with its four open floors of lobby and lounges stacked on top of one another like a series of elegant terraces, connected by a spiraling set of stairs. A four-floor indoor climbing wall—oui, a climbing wall—stretches

high along the hotel’s all-glass front, offering guests a spectacle as they climb the stairs or retire to one of the many lounges to sip rosé. Ski country has rarely seen an indoor climbing wall as a lobby’s focal point of a four-star hotel… yet somehow the French make it très élégant. Afternoon tea served daily alongside elaborate pastries and crêpes add to the ambiance. There are four restaurants at Sensations, all under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Edouard Loubet. As is Club Med’s signature, the restaurants are all-inclusive and all-you-can eat. In Haute-Savoie tradition, cheese stars consistently on the menus, and dishes are oft served in miniature Le Creusets. Restaurants morph cleverly into nightclubs and lounges when food is not being served—a smart and futuristic use of space. Naturally Sensations has a spa, with Carita products as its brand of choice, plus a separate “teen spa” for young adults aged 11 and up. And while kids are welcome at Sensations, this Club Med has broken the mold, opting out of its signature kids club. Adults and kids are expected to vacation together here in the Haute-Savoie—not especially difficult when the playground for skiers expands to 373 miles. Club Med’s G.O.s (Gentil Organisateurs) are everywhere, of course, with smiles, songs, and multiple offers to assist. Ski pros offer lessons and tours all day, everyday. No, they’re not outfitted in pink, but everything else is… Mais oui, Sensations is pretty in pink. www.ClubMed.com

snow suites

Sensations’ rosy palette stands out against a backdrop of snow white

SKI There are eight ski resorts in Les Trois Vallées: Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens, and Orelle. The region counts more than 3,700 acres of groomed slopes at elevations between 4,000 feet and 10,500 feet, with 85 percent at over 6,500 feet. In 2013, Val Thorens was named “World’s Best Ski Resort” by the World Travel Awards.

LEARN Ski and snowboarding lessons are included in the Club Med “all inclusive” offer for ages 12 and up. Guests can choose between three-hour and all-day lessons. Rentals are provided through Rossignol, Volant, Dupraz, Apo, and Lacroix.

EAT Born in Val Thorens, Michelin‑starred chef Edouard Loubet has returned to his roots. Chef Loubet oversees the cuisine in Sensations’ four dining areas, including one decorated as a yurt. Chef Loubet’s specialties: gourmet picnics and discovery dinners.

OFF-PISTE Sensations’ non-ski activities include paragliding, snowshoeing, tobogganing, zip lining, snow biking, hiking, and overnights in yurts. Val Thorens is also home to the Ice Driving Academy, the world’s highest driving school and racing track. 65

snow suites

rustic elegance Two Swiss Brothers Carve Rustic Elegance into the Post Hotel of Lake Louise

Brothers Andre and George Schwarz.

By Leslie Woit

t took hand tools and 10 men to hew and joggle a simple wooden lodge together in 1948. But it took two Swiss-born brothers—soi‑disant ski bums with mountain genes and a taste for the good life—to turn those pine logs into gold. When Lake Louise Ski Lodge, as it was first known, opened for business nearly 75 years ago amid the inky green forests of Canada’s Banff National Park, the concept of rustic elegance had yet to be born. Fast forward to 1978 when one Schwarz brother, Andre, was ski school director at Lake Louise and the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance head honcho who literally wrote the manual on modern Canadian ski technique; the other, George, an old hospitality hand at a young age (his first restaurant opening was under his belt by age 23). The moment their hotelier sign was hung, this confection of log, timber, and stone was destined for podium place. The Post is perhaps the finest ski hotel in North America. After a day’s skiing at Lake Louise, the five-minute drive to The Post is a lusty one, fueled by a hankering for the warmth

and crackle of the wood-burning fireplace behind the door of each of the hotel’s 29 charming pine-lined suites. Five private haven-in-the-woods cabins offer even more recluse, and a further 60 rooms complete the lodge. Lined with warm Canadian pine, goose-down duvets, and Aveda-and-whirlpoolequipped bathrooms of slate and limestone, getting out to explore the snowy flanks of The Rockies or even taking a twirl round the bijou skating rink is its own achievement. Indoors, Temple Mountain Spa’s tender treatments beckon, along with steam rooms, plunge and whirlpools, and a healthgiving saltwater pool. Relax with a book from the well-stocked shelves in the timber-framed library; venture downstairs to The Outpost Pub for some Canuck-style après (hockey on TV and a cold beer), or to the 24-seat Stübli for a cozy fondue. Of course, the time is always right for a drink by the fire, beneath the gaze of Sir Norman Watson next to the giant moose head. Sir N. was the British aircraft manufacturer who sold the property to “two Swiss peasants.” His wizened visage battles for

P h oto s : A l l a n R o s e n b e r g / © 2 0 1 3 A l l a n R o s e n b e r g . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d w o r l d w i d e ( r o o m ) , A n d r e S c h wa r z / P o s t H ot e l & Spa (a n d r é e a n d g e o r g e ) , P o s t H ot e l a n d Spa (c e l l a r) , L a k e Lo u i s e S k i R e s o r t, b y H e n r y G e o r g i (c h a i r l i f t ) , S r o k a / C o p y r i g h t T h e P o s t H ot e l ( d i n i n g )

The Post is perhaps the finest ski hotel in North America.

snow suites

Cabin for a King For the ultimate in understated mountain idyll, check into one of The Post’s private cabins. For couples, no setting is more romantic than one of three cozy, one-bed log retreats. For families, Pipestone Cabin (formerly the innkeeper’s own home) sleeps up to four over two floors. And for larger families and their lucky friends, Watson House is the ticket: a private 3,000-squarefoot mountain lodge perched on the banks of the Pipestone River, deep in the spectacular Canadian Rockies and mere steps from all the delights of The Post.

Raise your Glasses

wall space among kudos from the likes of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Relais & Châteaux and, perhaps most coveted of all, the Wine Spectator awards. The Post Hotel is a repeated winner of the prestigious Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine. A 25,000-bottle collection with selections numbering around 2,400—including eye-watering verticals of super-Tuscans, Burgundies and Bordeaux— line the destination cellar. “We started building up the wine cellar in the 1980s, buying heavily in excellent years like 1996 and 2000,” says George Schwarz. “Some 95 percent of the wine we have today was bought at the release.” How did he gain his expertise? “Being interested, reading up on things. Most of all, by enjoying wine.” It’s not just the wine. Swiss-born Chef Hans Sauter is only the fourth executive chef at The Post in more than 35 years and he’s dedicated to classic preparations and local Canadian ingredients. The cuisine features caribou from the Northwest Territories, Arctic char, Chateaubriand for two, classic Züricher-style veal, and the occasional Asian twist. “Being outside, doing activity, coming home and have a really great wine and good dinner,” George says, “that’s what’s interesting for our guests.” “We hear a lot from people who come from the major centers of the world,” ventures George. On our visit, we meet a gaggle of spirited German heli-skiers, Americans from both coasts, and Brits who leave their skis here permanently and ski nowhere else. “They are surprised to find this,”—he waves his hand across the linen-draped dining room that looks uninterrupted onto the vistas of Banff National Park—“in the middle of nowhere.” www.posthotel.com

Every year since 2002, The Post has won the Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine, an honor held by fewer than 75 establishments worldwide. Share the glorious nectar at The Post’s renowned Wine Makers’ Weekends, uniting friends round one intimate table of 26, hosted by a renowned wine maker offering a special selection of wines alongside one of the chef’s gourmet menus. Typically, four to five dinners are scheduled between February and April. Come spring, The Wine Summit Lake Louise welcomes around 130 to join the heads of great houses that have included Château Margaux, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Palmer, Sassicaia, and Taittinger. Silent auctions in aid of Kid’s Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta have raised more than $582,000 to date.

5Cs The Post has been a member of Relais & Châteaux since 1991, the sole R&C property located in Canada’s ski country. The revered association of small, independently owned hotels excel in the 5 Cs: character, calm, charm, courtesy, and cuisine. 67

boutique

GSTAAD ENTREPRENEUR LORENZ BACH ON THE CREATION OF AN ALPINE FASHION BOUTIQUE BY HILARY NANGLE

P h oto s : c o u r t e s y o f Lo r e n z B ac h

Fashion & Passion

wiss fashion maestro Lorenz Bach takes inspiration from Gstaad, a landscape allegedly shaped when God rested his hand during a break from creating the world. Bach’s family has farmed this divine countryside for more than 700 years. “We still love to do it,” says Bach, 56, who manages the family farm, in addition to his other enterprises. “We produce organic cheese made in the Swiss mountains with the best air, grass, and water and without any feed on the side,” he adds, a puff of pride in his voice. Bach’s pride is equally evident in his exclusive shops: Maison Lorenz Bach, the luxury alpine fashion boutique, and its more sporting sibling, Silver Sport, as well as in the workmanship of his signature fashion and handcrafted alpine ski lines and the attention to the minute details of servicing his clientele. When asked whether he went to school for fashion or retail, Bach dismisses the idea with an emphatic, “No.” He was, however, always interested in clothing and design and also encouraged by the fashionable people who surrounded him. “I’m an entrepreneur,” he explains. “Fashion is my passion.”

boutique

“I want our clients to be able to take one of our pieces around the world and remember Switzerland”

Left to right

1. Inside Maison Lorenz Bach. 2. Lorenz Bach in front of Gstaad’s Silver Sport. 3. Bach managing the family’s organic farm.

in the equipment if it’s too flashy or too bright, especially with Before turning that passion into entrepreneurial vision fashion. I’d rather have more color on the person.” and creating one of Europe’s most posh alpine retail empires, Maison Lorenz Bach boutiques are located Bach traveled widely. He honed his fashion in nearby Swiss resort towns that share a acumen while working as a ski instructor in similar clientele and season to Gstaad. Like South America and Aspen. In 1978, at age 20, the original store, those in Villars, Zermatt, he opened his first store, Silver Sport, Crans-Montana, and Verbier are designed to showcasing skiwear and equipment. Five complement their alpine setting with a warm years later, he launched Maison Lorenz Bach and cozy ambiance that flirts with to cater to the fashion needs of the resort’s international flair. While each is customized glamorous and discerning international to its location, they share an understated clientele. The store’s opening established elegance and an orchestrated style. Gstaad as one of the few resorts that offered “We rarely leave the brand together,” Bach not only higher brands of fashion but also says. “We merchandize mainly by looks, multiple brands in one shop. Quiet and mixing and matching what we think can be discreet, authentic and understated, nice and attractive for our clients; we want to traditional yet chic: Bach’s shops wear these give them the best choice.” That differentiates labels with pride. Maison Lorenz Bach from other retailers, Silver Sport, which comprises the original many of which group merchandise by brand, store in Rougement and shops in The Alpina color, or fabrics. “We carry brands such as Gstaad, The Gstaad Palace Hotel, and Bogner, Jet Set, Frauenschuh, and we mix the The Grand Hotel Park Gstaad, emphasizes skiwear with casual wear to be a little bit alpine skiwear and equipment, including an “I’m an entrepreneur. different than a traditional ski shop, which exclusive line of skis. “Silver Sport skis have Fashion is my passion.” makes it again, homey and cozy,” he says. sober and simple design, an understated —Lorenz Bach look,” Bach says. “I don’t personally believe 69

boutique

Lorenz Bach: “My home is here, with my family and my farm… I will always return.”

This season, the Lorenz Bach line is favoring shearling skins and subtle shades of blue and gray. When Bach looks to the future, he also looks to his children. His oldest son, 27, now runs the Silver Sport stores. His 23- and 24-year-old sons are interested in farming. His 18-year-old daughter is studying and apprenticing in fashion design and fabrication, and his youngest is only 9. “I travel all the time, but my home is here, with my family and my farm,” he says, that puff of pride again in his voice. “And I will always return.” WWW.LORENZBACH.COM

P h oto : c o u r t e s y o f Lo r e n z B ac h

Four years ago, seeking to further distinguish his stores and give his discriminating clientele an exclusive choice, Bach created his signature Lorenz Bach clothing line. “The look is chic, young, modern, wearable, and ageless,” he says. “I want our clients to be able to take one of our pieces around the world and remember Switzerland and the Alps, while wearing it at the port, on the beach, in New York City, or in Aspen.” The line is designed not only to garner a bit of attention on its own, but also to pair with other brands, allowing clients to achieve the current look. This season, Bach is favoring shearling skins and subtle shades of blue and gray. “We have some pieces that are really fantastic,” he says, singling out a blouson with a shearling interior and leather exterior with colored seams. He’s also excited about sweaters and jeans printed with decoupage. “It’s nice and Swiss, but not too much old style.” Currently, the signature line is available in a handful of stores, mostly in Europe and Russia, with a few in the U.S. “I think we have a good name, enough to build a real brand,” he says. “The idea is to build it in Asia and gain more representation in the world’s hot spots.” He plans to expand over the next few years to international cities, such as London and Paris.

Distributed by M.T. Imports Inc. www.mtimportsinc.com 855-476-4909

culture

HAPPY HAKUBA

A girl-friendly Japanese ski getaway yields sake, biru, kimonos, chest-deep powder, and at least oneÂ marriage proposal. Words & Photos By Robin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill 72

culture Clockwise from top left

1. Izzy Lynch, Jill Young, Leslie Hogg, and Sarah Frood watching the skiers while soaking at Cortina’s onsen. 2. Miyama, home of “the best grilled meat in Hakuba.” 3. The sake is plentiful and delicious. No, these are not our empties. 4. Traditional rice cake stamping at Shiromaso, Hakuba.

“

ey!” The call comes from a 70-something, silverhaired guy with a relaxed Australian accent strolling across a snowy Japanese street. “You’re those four Canadian girls from the pub last night, EH?!” We smile widely, nod yes, and continue our search for coffee and breakfast—our gear on and skis slung over our shoulders. The friendly greeting didn’t come from the Aussie surf team we were hoping to meet, but when you’re skiing deep, sweet powder on an all-girls’ vacay in faraway Hakuba, Japan, you make friends easily and with everyone—you’re just so damn happy. We’re getting a later start than usual: Jill Young, Leslie Hogg, Sarah Frood, Izzy Lynch, and me, Robin O’Neill—all good friends and skiers who’ve come to have fun in Hakuba. Last night’s dinner followed by sake-fueled dancing at the Mockingbird, Hakuba’s trendiest izakaya (pub), had us up until the wee hours. A late start is okay. We’ve been skiing our hearts out for the past week and we’ve learned at least one lesson: Fresh tracks in Hakuba last all day, no need for first ride up.

It’s true, snow has fallen every single night since our all-female crew navigated the winding, wind-swept roads from Tokyo to Hakuba, Japan’s most popular ski village. It’s a skier’s Nirvana: an average 36 feet of snowfall per season, 138 lifts, and more than 200 ski runs to choose from—all of them consistently and completely covered. The powder-filled Hakuba Valley—a.k.a. Nagano, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics Games—is situated in the heart of the Japanese Alps, and is home to an incredible nine ski resorts. The terrain is abundant and varied, yet skiers are few... which for us, translates to line after line of fresh, dreamy white stuff. Indeed, it’s impossible to get bored on skis in Hakuba. Its incredible inbounds skiing is bettered only by its easy access backcountry—a high-alpine spine that made us question if we’re in Japan or Alaska. There’s enough terrain here to keep you skiing all day, every day... but, well, a girl’s got to keep her energy up. Snack breaks, lunch breaks, any food break is worth taking in Hakuba. Heaping bowls of homemade udon, stacks of oyaki (savory steamed buns), reams of steamy ramen—our energy remains high after long days of deep‑powder skiing. 73

culture

Izzy Lynch skiing the trees at Hakuba’s Cortina.

When this trip is done, I have no doubt we’ll be back. We girls are happy in Hakuba.

When our day is done—when our legs just can’t take it any more—we play a game. It’s called “Find Hakuba’s Best Onsen.” Our game is simply played by sampling as many natural hot springs as possible. There are at least a dozen scattered throughout Hakuba. The rotenburo are our favorites—outdoor baths with mesmerizing views of the snow-laden alps. The Japanese are correct: an onsen’s mineral waters do offer a girl soothing, restorative health benefits. Tomorrow, we’ll take a day off. The skiing’s very good, but we want to soak up some Japanese culture. We’ll go to Matsumoto to see the snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park. Or maybe we’ll spend the day more simply. We’re keen to taste every single strange, sugar-filled treat at the Japanese corner store. It’ll be heaven. Tonight we’ll eat out. Hakuba’s restaurants—and foodie experiences—are as abundant as its snowpack. Option 1: Walletfriendly, deep-fried pub food teamed with a bucket-sized biru (beer). Option 2: Wrapping ourselves in kimonos to learn how to make traditional rice cakes with a wooden mallet. When this trip is done, I have no doubt we’ll be back. We girls are happy in Hakuba. We’ve fallen for its storms, its strange snacks and chest-deep powder. We’ve yet to meet an Aussie surf team, but the local ski area employees are nice. On one of our deepest storm-skiing days, a liftie proposed to me. I just may say “yes...” 74

Photographer’s Note: Hello again from Whistler, Canada. Dreaming back on those chest-deep laps, I am wondering if that liftie’s marriage offer still stands. Liftie: If you’re reading this story, call me. www.hakubatourism.jp

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culture

ASkier Named

Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wages battles uphill toÂ keep sliding downhill BY ROB STORY

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) in the corral at Deer Valley with actor Matthew Morrison.

culture P h oto s : C h r i s to p h e r P o l k /G e t t y I m ag e s ( l e f t ) , M i c h a e l B u c k n e r /G e t t y I m ag e s ( r i g h t )

“You could say skiing is in my blood.” —RFK Jr.

hoa: Is the racer on the red course hauling ass or what? Bending low over custom boards, the speed merchant aims directly at gates before shrugging last-second, infinitesimal turns around them. For a 61-year-old, he appears remarkably fit and limber. If the Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest exists more for fun than for competition, this guy didn’t get the memo. Racing fourth on Steve Mahre’s team, he has absolutely blistered the slalom. Tommy Moe, Giancarlo Esposito, and J.B. Smoove should be worried. The racer charges across the finish line. He doffs goggles and flashes a toothy grin. He looks familiar, and for good reason: The racer is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (or, as the start-list calls him, “Bobby”). More handsome in person than in photos, he bears a startling resemblance to his patrician, chiseled father. Though hospitality-tent delicacies beckon, Kennedy remains near the finish, standing as tall and regal as one can in severe plastic race boots while greeting well-wishers, sponsors, and other brandishers of VIP lanyards. DVCS is the principal fundraising event for Kennedy’s Waterkeeper Alliance, which supports swimmable, fishable, drinkable waterways worldwide. The frozen dendrites of the Wasatch have hosted DVCS for 23 years now. The event, which is televised nationally by CBS, has blended skiers and celebrities for such a long time it may well have fostered the term “ski-lebrity.” The next racer trips the wand and Bobby cranes to watch. As he squints into the sun, Redford-like wrinkles frame blue eyes for which the only accurate adjective is “dreamy.” He turns back to his conversation, smoothly resuming an appreciation for Deer Valley’s green initiatives. Bobby emanates charisma like no one I know, and he’s not even talking to me. (For the record: I’m many yards away, exploring hospitality-tent delicacies.) Through Kennedy’s charismatic, passionate advocacy, Waterkeeper has sprouted 250 grassroots chapters tackling local water issues on every continent except Antarctica. While it fights pollution as well as any green movement, Kennedy knows Waterkeeper is still getting its ass kicked. While riding a Deer

Valley chairlift after the race, he bemoans Earth’s sickening loss of sun-reflecting ice-sheets. “It’s scary what’s happening in Glacier National Park,” he frowns. There were 121 glaciers there when the park opened; now there are only 14.” Snowpacks matter deeply to Kennedy. They always have. “You could say skiing is in my blood,” he says. “My parents actually met on a ski trip to Mont Tremblant in Quebec.” Ethel and Robert Francis Kennedy Sr. welcomed Bobby Jr. to the world in 1954—and 10 more children afterward. Were they birthing a political dynasty? Or their very own World Cup team? Given the family’s origin story, it’s no wonder what recreation the Kennedys pursued. “All of us kids were on skis by age 5,” he recalls. “In my case, that meant wooden skis with cable bindings. I feel sorry for my mom: Imagine removing nine pairs of leather boots and unlacing all those laces!” From their Massachusetts home, the Kennedy clan took short trips to Stowe and long trips to Idaho. “I skied at Sun Valley with Stein Eriksen every winter from 1963 to 1968. I raced a bit in high school, even trained at Mt. Hood for a summer or two,” Kennedy says. “I skied a lot with [noted racer] Jimmie Heuga there.” He can certainly milk velocity from a fall line. Accompanied by Bobby’s son Aiden, we ski off the chair and down Birdseye, a groomer that gets progressively steeper as it falls. Kennedy assumes the lead; he will not be passed. With shoulders kept perpendicular to the fall line, he rockets down the hill, never across. U.S. Ski Team star Daron Rahlves once said the goal in racing is to stick your turn in just the right place at just the right time: Kennedy skis as if he knows this intuitively. Bobby believes the first Kennedy to ski was his oldest uncle, Joseph Kennedy Jr., who was also the first family member to be groomed for the presidency. During World War II, Joseph Jr. left Harvard Law School before his final year to become a naval aviator. On his 26th combat mission in 1944, a bomb exploded prematurely, killing Joe before he could parachute to safety. What followed Joe’s passing, of course, was a boggling string of family tragedies played on the most public of stages. Indeed, “Kennedy Curse” now claims its own page on both Wikipedia and UrbanDictionary.com. 77

The day we get together at Deer Valley, Kennedy shreds till closing. While he seems to enjoy himself, he realizes he’s not just here to play. “The Celebrity Skifest is fun because it’s like a family reunion,” he says on our final lift ride. “But for me, the fundraiser always entails a bit of high anxiety. I’m nervous, wondering if the money will be there.” He notes the endless funds the Koch brothers give to deniers of climate change and the failure of Congress to pass climate change legislation. It’s a depressing situation for a rabid skier and a guardian of water health. Snow is at risk. So Bobby Kennedy Jr. fights on, waging an uphill battle to keep sliding downhill. 78

P h oto s : C h r i s to p h e r P o l k /G e t t y I m ag e s ( to p ) , K e n L e v i n e / W i r e I m ag e ( b ot to m )

culture

The event, which is televised nationally by CBS, has blended skiers and celebrities for such a long time it may well have fostered the term “ski-lebrity.”

Only 13 months after Lee Harvey Oswald killed Uncle Jack, Bobby joined his parents, six siblings, two cousins, and widowed aunt, Jacqueline Kennedy, for a ski trip to Aspen. The ensuing heavy press marked the first time most Americans ever heard of Aspen. While Bobby has attended Kitzbühel’s Hahnenkamm with Franz Klammer and heli-skis in British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains every winter, his family’s ski legacy largely transits among old money bastions of America’s leisure class. Deer Valley, for one. Sun Valley, for another. And of course, Aspen, where our sport most infamously tangled with the Kennedy Curse. It was the final day of 1997. Bobby’s younger brother Michael and several relatives were in Copper Bowl, playing ski-football (without poles or helmet on an icy slope) after-hours. (Appa rently, patrol sweep rules did not apply to Kennedys). A witness said Michael went out for a pass, caught the “ball” (a snow-packed water bottle) and slammed head-first into a tree. As torrents of blood saturated the snow, Michael’s friends and family knelt beside and recited the Lord’s Prayer. He died shortly thereafter. Playing football on skis without a helmet! Michael’s death has always been viewed with moral outrage, widely judged as the height of human folly. Not really. I’m not making excuses for the Kennedys, but c’mon, it was simply a freak accident. The Kennedys knew what they were doing. Expert skiers, they had played ski-football for generations. We hear so much about Kennedy Power, Kennedy Wealth, and Kennedy Tragedy that we neglect a fourth pillar: Kennedy Athleticism. The Kennedys always test their limits. They always compete. At Michael’s funeral, Bobby eulogized him thusly: “In all my life I’ve never seen anyone ski as beautifully as Michael. He had the quick feet of a professional mogul skier, and a fluid movement as I’ve ever seen on any skier. Bob Beattie, who coached the U.S. Olympic team, once said Michael was the best natural skier he had ever seen. He was completely at ease in the air and on every terrain. So many of us had the experience of holding our breath when Michael entered a glade at high velocity after a 40- or 50-foot jump, and watching relieved as he’d float out of the forest through a mogul field at impossible speed—as graceful as flowing water. He always landed on his feet. He never got hurt.” One week later, Sonny Bono fatally skied into a tree at Heavenly. Sales of ski helmets doubled. While few skiers wore helmets before, now 60 percent of us do, including Bobby Kennedy. He still skis 30 days a year—and with enough élan to make SkiNet’s gallery of “Politicians Who Rip.”

exquisitely the warmest snow destination in the Canadian Rockies

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T Québec

Romantique

FALLING FOR CANADA’S MOST EXOTIC WINTER PROVINCE By David Shribman

here was the snow, luxurious and bountiful, piled high along the country byway. There was the farmhouse, a fire crackling in the hearth and eiderdown comforters resting on the beds. There was the food, seasoned liberally, prepared carefully, with a brash gustatory accent that seemed altogether alien. There was the language, expressed with a zip and a zest that bore no resemblance to the plodding onesyllable-at-a-time French I butchered in junior high in the Boston suburbs. Everything about this place was exotic or, to employ the local argot, exotique. Rural Québec and its ski life was, for me, love—love at first sight, love at first bite, love at first tracks.

perfect places P h oto s : a n d r é - o l i v i e r ly r a ( m e a l) , va l é r i e b u s q u e (c r o i s s a n t )

But this is the truth: I did it at least in part because of the croissants...

If—as L.P. Hartley put it in the unforgettable opening of the beloved 1953 novel, The Go-Between—the past is a foreign country, my most vivid memory of my skiing past occurred in a foreign country, Canada, and in its most colorful winter province, Québec. Years later—a half-century later—I would apply for Canadian citizenship, and would explain this inexplicable impulse to my American friends as paying homage to my mother’s native land. That was a fact. But this is the truth: I did it at least in part because of the croissants at the Cozicafé in Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, the romance of walking against a curtain of falling snowflakes along the village’s Rue Principale—and the rush I still feel, a dozen visits later, whooshing down a Mont Habitant trail called Le Petit Vin. I’ve been to ski towns that are just as historic and to ski areas far bigger, but for me, no ski region has the same lure of the Laurentians—the small resorts, known as the Stations de la Vallée de Saint-Sauveur, illuminated brilliantly in the night chill along Autoroute 15; the mighty peaks of Mont Tremblant, forbidding against the cobalt-blue sky in sunshine, downright unwelcoming in the gray before the storm; and the poetry produced by the simple act of reciting the names of the towns out loud: Sainte-Adèle, Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, Lac-des-Seize-Îles, even Morin Heights, which isn’t a French name but where, in a restored barn not so long ago, I wolfed down maybe the best soupe à l’oignon gratinée ever produced in the New World. True—or en réalité—I have history in Québec. I cherish a 1933 picture of my grandmother, no feminist icon but a downhill pioneer all the same, standing defiantly against the wind in leather bindings on wooden skis atop Hill 69, now part of Mont Saint-Sauveur. My two daughters are fourth-generation female skiers in the Laurentians. It is our family’s most devout conviction that the crêpes stuffed with béchamel cheese at la Crêperie

à la Gourmandise Bretone are just heaven. My ski-heritage collection includes two plastic, rudimentary ponchos—maple leafs emblazed on the front, of course—that my wife and I were handed on a particularly rainy afternoon at Tremblant when we were young, which is to say before Intrawest converted a wreck of a ski area into a shimmery international entrepôt. But for us, it is the mix of the personal—and by this I mean the personal touch of the ski experience—and the historic that over the decades have made our Laurentian holidays unforgettable experiences. We’re not the only family drawn to those hills and to other Québec ski venues: In the Eastern Townships, the famous Mont Orford is a magnet for skiers on both sides of the border. Other memorable treks have been to Owl’s Head in Mansonville where I spent an unforgettable day overlooking frozen lake Memphrémagog (and devoured even more unforgettable duck-liver mousse, spread on a baguette, in a bistro adjacent to a classic boulangerie). Or up near Québec City, where we once rented a cottage with cousins, plied the slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif and bought four paintings in a gallery in nearby Baie‑Saint‑Paul. Those pictures hang in our family and living 81

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left to right

1. Olympian Jean-Luc Brassard in a tuque enjoying a maple syrup treat. 2. A winter hike to a cabane in the woods.

Skiing Québec style was to ski with a certain joie de vivre. rooms with their stark, cold village scenes providing warm memories in all seasons. We’ve brought other things home with us: Swiss Gruyère cheese bought for a bargain at the incomparable S. Bourassa food warehouse; woolen hats—tuques, as they are known in the Québec hills; and a pink winter jacket for my wife that’s still the smartest piece of winter apparel in Pittsburgh, ever. All that plus beaucoup de sirop d’érable, or maple syrup, some of it from the Cabane à sucre Arthur Raymond, over in the tiny Laurentian village of Piedmont. It’s a hut nestled in the mountains that since 1955 has sent diners home with a (maple sugar) high that is legal if not exactly healthful. You can stuff yourself with all 82

A Québec trip is an outdoor holiday in an outdoor culture, created by the ultimate outdoor industry—forestry, which left vast stretches of cleared land on the upland hills. The railroad followed. The snow filled those sloping fields and the early ski crowd from Montreal filled those trains, and before long there were hotels, a ski club, and a ski culture that has no analogue anywhere in North America. It used to be that Montrealers could step off the train at one station and ski to the next one. Though the trains are no longer, you can replicate the journey on rental Nordic skis and follow an old rail bed called the P’tit train du Nord. Former stations along the way have been transformed into beguiling bistros, congenial but not repellently cute, and filled with woodsmoke and café au lait. The distinction between downhill and cross-country skiing emerged in the Laurentides, as the region is known in French, in the 1930s. With the appearance in that decade of primitive rope tows, mostly powered by truck engines, skiing became the principal economic activity. It remains so to this day. And, even back then, skiing Québec style was to ski with a certain joie de vivre. “Today,’’ according to the 1937 Canadian Ski Year Book, “clothing, as well as being practical, has to be chic.’’ Ultimately—now, as in olden times—the skiing is the thing: night or day, in French or in English, Alpine or Nordic. Whichever way, it’s done to the soundtrack of a movie theme Gilles Vigneault wrote in 1965. The opening of the song has become a robust expression of Canadian identity: “Mon pays ce n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver.’’ That line, speaking of the homeland of the soul, is almost as poignant in English: “My country is not a country, it’s winter.’’ For many of us, on either side of the 49th parallel, those are words we live by.

P h oto s : Lo u i s e s avo i e (j e a n - l u c b r a s s a r d) , To u r i s m e L a u r e n t i d e s M o n t T r e m bl a n t (c a b i n )

manner of food cooked in maple syrup, including omelettes, pork rinds, jambon fumé à l’érable prepared, naturally, on a fire of maple wood, and don’t forget the ragoût de boulettes, which sounds high-toned but translates into “meatball stew”—and persistent heartburn.

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sweet secrets

DIPPING INTO CALIFORNIA’S SECRET SUGAR BOWL By Jules Older

My days at Sugar Bowl begin as its village residents and overnight visitors do—leaving the car and being escorted to the gondola. My skis and luggage are loaded into one cabin; I’m directed to another. The gondola crosses the headwaters of the South Yuba River, the pristine trails of Royal Gorge cross-country ski resort, and the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad. Ten minutes later, I stroll into the rustic lobby of the Sugar Bowl Lodge, the resort’s honored (and only) hotel. 84

Why the unusual transport? Because, apart from day trippers, who can drive to the base of Mount Judah, home owners and Lodge guests are staying in that snowbound village. The only ways in are on the gondola or on skis. I love this. Like genuflecting in church or taking a cleansing breath before yoga, leaving the car behind helps leave the world behind. Arriving at a car-free, snow-covered village is like gliding through the looking glass into a quiet, peaceful, enchanted world. I arrive too late to ski, but not to eat. For dinner at the Dining Room, the Lodge’s contemporary-cuisine restaurant, I enjoy pan-seared New Zealand venison deglazed with brandy and garnished with huckleberries. My vegetarian dining companion chooses Swiss chard stuffed with Asiago cheese, squash, Cipollini onions and tomatoes. We share a delicious bottle of 2014 Napa Valley Peju Sauvignon Blanc. We also share dessert: Meyer lemon tart garnished with mandarin, fresh mint, and crème anglaise. After this most satisfying dinner, I chat with longtime residents, ski racers, and guests in the Lodge’s Belt Room Bar. Its name comes from the infamous ski races that took place at Sugar Bowl yearly from 1940 to 1975—a shiny silver buckle as the winner’s prize. On the way to my room, the bar’s famous Bloody Mary in hand, I study the black‑and‑whites of competitors past that line the pine-plank walls. The Lodge is strictly old school, which means its 27 rooms tend toward small, tidy, and un-lavish. The old-timers figured you’re spending most of your off-slope time in the public spaces, enjoying the company of other guests. Although contemporary American hotel designers go in for ever-larger rooms and suites, the traditional view is the view I share.

TOP TO BOTTOM

1. Olympian Daron Rahlves skis Sugar Bowl’s steeps. 2. Walt Disney and family.

P h oto : G r a n t B a r ta (ac t i o n s h ot ) , S u g a r B o wl R e s o r t ( d i s n e y )

here’s money, and there’s old money. Sun Valley is old money. So are Vermont’s Mad River Glen, Utah’s Deer Valley, and Switzerland’s Gstaad and St. Moritz. You’ve heard of them all, but perhaps not of the slopes where California’s old money skis. Though it’s San Franciscans’ favorite mountain and contains a wealth of skiable terrain, deep snow, rich history, and the only snowbound village in America, I’d never heard anyone speak its name until I moved west. Welcome to Sugar Bowl, more than 75 years old and founded by Austrian ski visionary Hannes Schroll, Walt Disney (who has a peak named after him), and many of the notable families of San Francisco. Like Sun Valley, it was frequented by Hollywood’s leading lights including Robert Stack, Jean Arthur, Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, and Marilyn Monroe. This venerable and venerated ski area is a mix of private village and public baselodge, haute-Tyrolean and haute-Californian architecture, a historic lodge, and state-of-the-art sports center. Sugar Bowl also mixes ages and lifestyles; at the Village’s Belt Room Bar, the same San Francisco families who keep our museums open and our symphony thriving share stories with Sugar Bowl Ambassador and Olympian Daron Rahlves and his adrenalized cohorts.

It was frequented by Hollywood’s leading lights including Robert Stack, Jean Arthur, Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, and Marilyn Monroe. 85

perfect places

I opt for the Disney Express to the top of Mt. Disney; then, to keep the theme going, ski onto Donald Duck. Early next morn, after a quick breakfast at Village Espresso, I’m upward bound... all I have to do is decide where. Sugar Bowl, the ski area nobody outside California has heard of, has four peaks, 103 trails spread over 1,650 acres, and 13 lifts. As a firm believer in the efficacy of the warm-up run, I opt for the Disney Express to the top of Mt. Disney; then, to keep the theme going, ski onto Donald Duck. It’s beautifully groomed, and after a few turns, I find my rhythm. My ski song finds me. This time it’s MIC-KEY MO-US-E. Next, I drop into the sustained steep of East Face. It’s freshly groomed and sparkles in the early morning light. Making short turns at first, toward the bottom, I open it up and head for Mt. Lincoln Express, leading to Sugar Bowl’s highest point, Mt. Lincoln’s 8,383-foot summit. As so often happens when skiing Tahoe, the view takes my breath away. It’s 360 degrees and includes beautiful Donner Lake. In its honor, I consider skiing Lakeview Run, an intermediate groomer. But since there are 10 inches of fresh powder, I go for Silver Belt—ungroomed, still largely untrammeled, choose-your-own-adventure terrain. Somebody’s whooping... oh, that’s moi. By now, hunger for sustenance is trumping hunger for turns, and I cruise back down to the Village Lodge. A light lunch at the hotel’s Belt Room Bar turns out to be not as light as I’d intended. I can’t resist their signature French onion soup, 86

don’t resist the jalapeno fries, and by the time I get to the Angus beef cheeseburger, resistance has disappeared like the last snow of spring. And so has my plan to ski Crow’s Nest Peak, the area’s newest lift-accessed mountain. Instead, I stroll through America’s only snowbound village. It’s made up of 130 single-family homes, most of them architecturally rooted in Bavarian and Tyrolean style, sprinkled with just enough California Contemporary to remind you you’re in the Sierra, not the Alps. After my post-prandial stroll, I head for Sporthaus, an exemplar of what can be accomplished with careful planning, deep-seated commitment, and 20 million American dollars. It’s a year-round athletic fitness-and-training facility that includes two spas, a yoga studio, cardio and weight-training resources, and a pool with dedicated lap lanes. I could practice yoga, lift weights, and swim enough laps to delete all this food and wine from my body... or get a relaxing massage. Think I’ll go for the massage. I’ll ski Crow’s Nest tomorrow.

P h oto s : Va n c e F ox

SNOWBOUND As America’s only snowbound village, Sugar Bowl’s architecture is rooted in Bavarian and Tyrolean style, sprinkled with just enough California Contemporary to remind you you’re in the Sierra.

WOLFIE Luxury private label since 1974

Wolfie Furs Canada 1625 Chabanel West, Suite #502 Montreal, Quebec, H4N2S7 C.A. 514.842.5391 fax 514.842.7252 info@furshopping.com www.FurShopping.com

snow kings

Marc Girardelli on course at Puy Saint Vincent, France, 1984.

A REBEL WITH A CAUSE Always a rebel, always a risk taker, legendary World Cup ski racer MARC GIRARDELLI HAS STILL GOT the “Attack! Attack! Attack!” attitude his father instilled in him all those years ago. By Michael Mastarciyan

snow kings

P h oto s : i m ag e s c o u r t e s y o f M a r c G i r a r d e ll i

mericans love their mavericks: the Founding Fathers, John Brown, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Bode Miller—free thinkers, all—gutsy non-conformists who bucked the system to make it better. Marc Girardelli isn’t American but he’s been a maverick his entire life, and he’s loved for it by throngs of U.S. fans who get what it means to be an individual. “I swear, I think I have more fans in the U.S. than I do in Europe,” Girardelli says from Beaver Creek’s Park Hyatt Hotel, where the 52-year-old World Cup legend has set up shop as global ambassador for Bomber Skis during the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. He’s consistently surrounded by fans, well-wishers and star-struck fashionistas of a certain age. These days he’s affable, patient, and quick with a smile and a joke. But back in the day, Marc Girardelli was a relentless, never-say-die competitor—the alpine world’s original rebel with a cause. His ski racing story is one of legend. Here’s how the Marc Girardelli narrative goes: Boy from the flatlands of Austria exhibits an uncanny ability to ski fast down steep hills. Like another famous Austrian named Mozart, this young prodigy has a taskmaster parent convinced the best coach, manager, and advisor is the one you call “Dad.” It’s not long before the boy and his dad clash with the local ski racing establishment. Father and son opt to go it alone. Strong words are exchanged. Accusations are made. Feelings are hurt. Austrian passports are swapped for Luxembourg passports. Success beyond anyone’s wildest dreams is achieved. Medals are won. History is made. Eventually, injuries and fatigue kick in. Ski racing turns into a tumultuous life after ski racing. Mistakes are made. Fortunes are lost. Feelings are hurt. Relationships change.

Father and son inspecting Wengen’s Lauberhorn World Cup slalom course, 1985. Girardelli claimed victory over the great Ingemar Stenmark.

Fast forward this tale to 2015. In the immortal words of The Bard, the story “ends well” for Marc Girardelli. On paper, Girardelli’s numbers are staggering: 101 World Cup podiums (46 of them wins); 11 World Championship medals; two Olympic medals; and most impressive of all, five overall World Cup championship titles—the most by any male ski racer ever. With stats like these you’d think Girardelli would be as much of a god in his native Austria as he is in America. He is not. In a nation where successful ski racers are revered—in some cases deified—in Austria, Girardelli is more enfant terrible than favorite son. Old wounds heal slowly in the mountains of Tirol and the cafés of Vienna. Swapping national flags and racing for Luxembourg—something Girardelli did on the advice of his father in 1976—is a first class no-no in Österreich. What makes a man turn his back on his native homeland? And why choose tiny Luxembourg of all places? Sitting comfortably in a deep, leather chair inside the swank Beaver Creek Park Hyatt’s billiard room, Girardelli himself tells the story: “Most athletes in Austria go to sports academies for their schooling. The closest one for me was 90 minutes away from home. I would have had to stay there, away from home, all year long. I didn’t want to do this, and my parents didn’t want it either, so I went to a normal school. “The problem was I began winning all the children’s races despite not going to the sports academies. It was a big question for the media: How is it possible for athletes trained by governmentsupported coaches to get beaten by a guy and his dad from a normal school outside their system? “Then they started to cheat,” Girardelli continues. “They manipulated racing times. My parents tried working with the people running the ski racing system, but it didn’t work. So we changed ski federations.” 89

snow kings

The Austrian maverick claims it was pure coincidence the Girardellis chose Luxembourg. “We were at an international ski race in St. Moritz and we ended up meeting the Luxembourg Ski Federation,” he says. “My dad asked them if they were interested. They said, ‘No problem.’ That was it. It could have been England, Belgium, Andorra or San Marino if Luxembourg had said no. It was purely random.” The Girardelli father-son relationship was, by many accounts, akin to an army drill sergeant versus recruit. There are stories of marathon training sessions, pre-dawn wake-up calls, and of course, the infamous tale of a fire-breathing Helmut Girardelli raging at his son, smashing a ski pole over his back in public—all popular gossip in the ski racing community for decades. Now, more than 30 years after the alleged ski pole attack, Marc Girardelli leans forward with a wry smile on his face, unbuckles his ski boots, and attempts to put these rumors to rest. “This impression is a little wrong,” he insists. “First, I think my dad woke up early mainly because he wanted to smoke a cigarette early in the morning—not to wake me up, but to have a smoke. He never, ever once told me once that I had to go training. And he never hit me—the ski pole story is absolutely not true.” Indeed, Girardelli claims the truth is exactly the opposite. “I’m the one who tried to hit someone with a pole once—a tourist who skied through my slalom training course. People may have thought it was my father who was doing the hitting, but it was me taking a swing at someone in Italy.” This ferocious, symbiotic attitude quickly became standard operating procedure for both father and son on the White Circus. The strategy didn’t garner big results in the friend department during the Girardellis’ 18-year World Cup campaign, but it did capture a record five overall-championship crystal globes, triple‑digit podium finishes and eternal glory in a mythic, almost Homeric sense. “My dad and I were probably the best kind of coalition you could have,” says the son. “He was very strict and always fighting against the people who were against us.”

“My dad and I were probably the best kind of coalition you could have… he was very strict and always fighting against the people who were against us.” —Marc Girardelli

Still, Marc Girardelli says his relationship with his father was never the same after his racing career ended in 1996. As with many retired athletes and coaches, the transition from sportsmen to civilians was bumpy. “It was a big problem for me because I never had any idea of what I would do after my career ended. By 33-years-old, my body was worn out—completely dead. I had to stop because I could

With stats like these you’d think Girardelli would be as much of a god in his native Austria as he is in America. He is not.

“You’ll never achieve great success over a long period of time if you don’t go over the limits.” —Marc Girardelli

Of his performance in Kitzbühel’s Hahnenkamm in 1994, Girardelli says: “I placed second behind Patrick Ortlieb after an almost crash at the top…”

P h oto s : J o n at h a n S e l kow i t z ( FIS C h a m p i o n s h i p), i m ag e s co u r t e s y o f M a r c G i r a r d e ll i

opposite page, top to bottom

1. Winning the World Cup Downhill title at Vail, 1994. 2. A “not so fast” day at Saalbach, 1980. 3. Placing third at Vail’s World Championships, 1989. 4. Girardelli and Bomber Skis on the podium at the World Championships’ Legends Race, 2015. 5. Father and son training, 1991.

and my partners too much, but it was my mistake in the end; I accept the consequences.” Those consequences are great. “My dad is 75 now, he’s in good health, but we don’t see each other very often... and he still smokes,” Girardelli adds with perfect comedic timing.

barely climb a flight of stairs. But I was absolutely not prepared (for retirement) and it was the same for my father—he wasn’t prepared either.” The father-son duo’s first big business deal out of the retirement gate was to invest in an indoor ski center in Germany’s bleak, flat, very industrial Ruhr River valley. Opened in 2001, with the aim of bringing skiing to the masses, the multi-million dollar Bottrop Alpincenter was the ultimate labor of love for the kid from the flatlands who made it big in the mountains—a way to give back and make some money. But the scheme went downhill fast for the father and son team so used to winning. The Alpincenter, which is still in operation today, didn’t bring the Girardellis the dividends they had hoped for and nearly bankrupted the young entrepreneur. After pulling out of the ski center, Girardelli’s business relationship with his father was dead. What was their personal relationship after the mishap? Barely on life support. “If you ask me what I’d do differently now in my life, I’d put my money into Microsoft instead of that indoor ski center,” Girardelli says. “It was an emotional business decision because I’m so passionate about skiing but it was too big for us. I trusted my parents

A wizard during his racing career with a magic touch in all five disciplines on the World Cup circuit, these days Marc Girardelli’s life off the hill is still about multi-tasking. When he’s not running his event planning and skiwear businesses or working with Mentor International—an NGO that promotes youth drug prevention—the married father of four is busy publishing the European sports magazine Alpin Aktuell. He’s also a spokesman for BEMER, a vascular therapy machine that improves blood circulation to promote healing and regeneration. What’s more, Girardelli passionately endorses Bomber, a high-end ski manufacturer. A rebel and risk taker for life, Girardelli has no regrets about the “Attack! Attack! Attack!” attitude his father instilled in him. He says he’s never really given up, pointing to relentlessness as the only path to success. “You’ll never achieve great success over a long period of time if you don’t go over the limits,” Girardelli says. “As long as you stay in your safe zone, you’ll never be a winning type like Bode Miller or Marcel Hirscher who are always on the edge. That is the philosophy of my sport and you can’t just switch it off when you retire... I don’t want to be someone who is afraid of risking something, I want to take the chance if I believe in it. If works out, good. If it doesn’t, another door will open.” 91

SNOW stories Sofie Jacket Authier Scarf Osklen

Step off with SNOW into ski season 2016, a winter filled with promise, from furtrimmed fashion to stellar heli-skiing, polo on ice, and sleek winter dream homes. Oh, and don’t forget Bond. James Bond. At last, SPECTRE’s Daniel Craig and Ian Fleming grace SNOW ’s sumptuous pages. 93

Matthew Jacket Pendleton $475 Pant Bogner $340 Sweater Bogner $770 Ankle Boots Paul & SharkÂ $525 Sofie Jacket Goldbergh $1,001 Sweater Goldbergh $412 Pant Goldbergh $780 Boot Snoboot $205 Nikola Fur Vest M.Miller $2,700 Sweater M.Miller $385 Pant Paul & Shark $335 Booties Aerin $398

Lights. Camera. Action! The scene is set for Winter 2016’s smoldering collection of aprÈs-ski wear featuring winter whites, smoky grays, puffy down, fabulous fur, and soft, warm woolens.

Screenplay Photographs by Daniela Federici Styled by Shifteh Shahbazian

OPPOSITE PAGE Nikola Jacket Colmar Originals $705 Sweater Goldbergh $412 Pant M.Miller $286 Earrings Mish $33,000 Sofie Bomber Jacket Andrew Marc $199 Sleeveless Blouse Osklen $159 Skirt H&M $50 Neckwarmer Canadian Hat $568 Mittens Zanier $120 THIS PAGE Matthew Jacket Alps & Meters $1,095 Sweater Alps & Meters $325 Trouser Alps & Meters $725 Baselayer Smartwool $75

OPPOSITE PAGE Nikola Fur Cape Wolfie Canada $5,950 Earrings Mish $58,000 Ring Mish $68,000 THIS PAGE Nikola Jacket Bogner $3,900 Sweater Bogner $770 Pant M.Miller $286 Hat Canadian Hat $375 Gloves Hestra $160 Sofie Jacket Toni Sailer $1,379 Dress Osklen $257 Earrings Mish $19,200 Fur Muff Canadian Hat $595 Tights Bootights $28

Sofie Coat Fendi Price available upon request Booties Fendi $1,650 Tights Bootights $28 Necklace Mish $24,000

THIS PAGE Sofie Jacket Parajumpers $898 Dress H&M $50 Tights Bootights $28 Leather Tote Lees Pearson $3,000 Matthew Parka Dale of Norway $749 Pant Bogner $340 Neckwarmer Alps & Meters $75 OPPOSITE PAGE Nikola Coat Moncler $4,010 Tight Bootights $42 Fur Muff SOS $1,050 Sofie Coat SOS $5,780 Pant M.Miller $280

THIS PAGE Matthew Coat Herno $2,415 Underlayer Discrete $60 Pant Bogner $340 Shoes Aldo $165 Sofie Cape Gorski by Braschi $9,200 Skirt H&M $50 Tights Bootights $28 Booties Aerin $398 OPPOSITE PAGE Nikola Jacket Nils $720 Sweater Meister $220 Pant Paul & Shark $335 Necklace Lulu Fiedler $280 Boots Bogner $899 Matthew Parka Fjall Raven $600 Pant Mountain Force $649 Jacket Full Zip Mountain Force $349 Baselayer Mountain Force $179 Hat Eisbar $90

snow homes

ELEVATING EXPERIENCES ASPEN ARCHITECTS STAY TRUE TO THE PAST, RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE story By LINDA HAYES photography By brent moss

arah Broughton and John Rowland have a reputation to uphold. Principals and founding partners of Aspenbased Rowland+Broughton Architecture, the husband-and-wife team is constantly striving to maintain, and often restore, the architectural integrity of the highprofile mountain town they call home. “It’s all about environmental stewardship,” says Broughton. “We live here, work here, and play here. We want to preserve the authenticity and history that makes up the fabric of Aspen and create special architectural places that help keep its tradition alive.” Above all, understanding the story behind a project informs the path that needs to be taken. Does the structure play a significant role in the history of the town, and is it important that it does so for another hundred years? Once that’s established, designs address what Broughton refers to

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as the “bones” and “lines” of the archi tecture, and what can be preserved and improved upon in relation to its surrounding environment. An ambitious task one might think, but all it takes is a few days in the little mountain town with a big reputation to realize just how far R+B has come in their efforts over the dozen years since opening its studio. High-profile Aspen hotels—The Little Nell, Hotel Jerome, and the Limelight—have been crafted in part by R+B, along with iconic Aspen stops such as White House Tavern, Ajax Tavern, element 47, and Justice Snow’s. A number of homes at Snowmass and on the flanks of Aspen’s Red Mountain bear the Rowland+Broughton signature. The firm’s growing reputation has led to projects beyond, to ski areas such as Vail, Steamboat, Durango, Breckenridge, Park City, and Sun Valley. For every R+B project, new construction or remodel—modern or historic—the

concept and design might be entirely different, but the goal is the same. “Our philosophy is to provide thoughtful, timeless design,” says Broughton. “We approach each project with an understanding of how it fits in with its environment as well as how someone is going to live in it or experience it.” “Good design principles apply to whatever style you’re designing,” adds Rowland. “Part of the initial design process is to really understand the context.” The 6,800-square-foot home showcased on these pages is the perfect example. Set along a high ridge on McLain Flats outside the town of Aspen, the traditional, lodge-style house had been purchased as a teardown by out-of-state owners. Rowland and Broughton had other ideas. “The house was built in 1969,” Broughton says. “It wasn’t (designated) historic, but it had amazing essential elements, like iconic

The custom front door of this Rowland+Broughton house on Aspen’s McLain Flats integrates a circle design that repeats itself throughout the home.

snow homes

LEFT TO RIGHT

1. John Rowland and Sarah Broughton. 2. A neutral yet modern furniture plan allows the home’s dramatic roof beacons to showcase.

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roof beacons, that spoke to Aspen’s culture and legacy. We wanted to restore its character, to contemporize it, and add value to the structure.” Utilizing the existing footprint and focusing on the panoramic views, a complete overhaul ensued: architecture, interior design—the works. “We were able to realize our vision all the way through,” says Rowland. “We love that scope of work.”

incarnation as a world-class ski resort. Preserving and carrying on its various legacies became paramount. “It’s all about layering and telling the story of what came before and respecting that,” says Broughton. “That way, we can continue to make a place authentic, true to the past, and relevant to the future. It’s important here and in other mountain towns as well.”

Since their days at architectural school (the couple met in their first design studio at the University of Colorado, Boulder), Rowland and Broughton have shared an interest in the betterment of mountain communities. Each has volunteered time—Rowland as a local planning commissioner and Broughton as chair of Aspen’s Historic Preservation Commission. Those experiences led to an appreciation of how Aspen evolved, from the days of its native habitants, to its time as a silver mining mecca, to its modern

In terms of R+B’s signature design, the team’s travels—particularly to international ski towns such as Zermatt, Lech, and Chamonix—have influenced its work. “A sense of scale and entry is so important,” says Rowland. “For some reason, people in America say, ‘Oh, I can’t have anything lower than a 10-foot ceiling.’ Not every room has to have the same ceiling height, or be large just for the sake of it. In Europe, there’s a sense of arrival and compression and release.

“A sense of scale and entry is so important.” —John Rowland

snow homes

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

1. The home’s master suite was redesigned to emulate hotel suite living, and to take advantage of the room’s natural light. 2. The home’s main living room is centered on a roof beacon and opens up with folding glass doors to Roaring Fork Valley views. 3. The guest master bath features original roof structure juxtaposed with modern wall covering, a minimal Silestone vanity top, and a thermofoil white cabinet. A slot window offers a peek at Aspen’s scenic views. 4. Indoor-outdoor living is accen tuated in the dining room via folding glass doors. A restrained interior palette accen tuates the prominence of the architecture within the sweeping landscape. 5. Taking advantage of the existing skylight and natural lighting, old meets new in one of the home’s guest baths.

There’s also a consideration of how you experience spaces, how light comes in and plays in areas on any given day or time of year.” Nuances like that make a difference. “Many of our clients are well-versed in the latest and greatest design and technology, and used to a certain lifestyle,” says Broughton. “When we design for someone, we want to surpass their expectations. We’re not just checking boxes, we’re elevating experiences.” 111

heli

super Stellar Canadian Cowboy Joins Swedish Ski Fashion Icon To Make Stellar Heli Sparkle Words By Leslie Anthony Photos By Mattias Fredriksson

Skiers are dropped into Stellar Heliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new BC kingdom.

heli Rough-and-tumble but picturesque Kaslo, B.C., home of Stellar.

hen Jason Rempel suggests that it’s a few degrees colder in the Purcells, hard against the east side of British Columbia’s Kootenay Lake, than in the Selkirks, backstopping its western shore a mile distant, you have to believe him. Born in the former mining town of Kaslo midway along the 65-mile lake, and raised in tiny Meadow Creek capping its north end, he has lived his entire life sandwiched by these two storied ranges. He has always known where the good snow is. Not surprisingly, he has also always been a skier. As soon as he could drive, Rempel was making the six-hourreturn trip to ski Whitewater Ski Resort outside Nelson. Later, in high school, he wrangled a dishwashing job at Meadow Creek’s Selkirk Wilderness Skiing—the world’s first cat-ski operation when it opened in 1975—and his view flipped from Whitewater’s local-dominated frontcountry culture to the international world of backcountry powder. Professional ski guiding became a singular focus, achieved by the tender age of 21. As a local kid, Selkirk’s pioneer-owner had mentored Rempel, bringing him along in the cat when he was knocking in roads and checking conditions. Immersed daily in western Canadian can-do spirit and the wild, cowboy atmosphere of dreaming big and skiing bigger, Rempel worked his way up to operations manager. By the time he left in 2014 to focus full-time on Stellar Heliskiing, the nascent business he founded in 2005 with partner Kerry Luckey, he’d spent 23 years at Selkirk Wilderness learning the ropes of mechanized backcountry and guiding thousands of people from around the globe. As it turns out, one of those clients is now paying particularly close attention to Rempel’s weather prognostications. As clouds assemble over the Selkirks to then periodically scud across the sky in disorganized flocks, it seems Rempel has indeed chosen correctly. On a sun-bathed powder bench high in Canada’s Purcells, Stefan Engström—onetime co-founder of Sweden’s Peak Performance clothing and now CEO and creative director of that

country’s highbrow lifestyle brand, J.Lindeberg —surveys the kingdom he now shares with Rempel. In addition to being a functional-fashion guru in the European clothing industry, Engström is also a partner in Stellar. Both powder-junkie and savvy marketer, Engström had long been on the hunt for a backcountry B.C. ski operation to serve as a personal troika of investment, retreat, and testing ground for his designs. A few years back, Rempel had helped in trying to broker a deal for Engström when Selkirk was put up for sale; that had fallen through, but, well, Rempel did have this startup, boutique heli-ski thing... was that of any interest? Up until that point, Rempel’s approach to growth had been slow and strategic, running Stellar as a day-ski operation on weekends to supplement cat-ski guiding. The more he flew and saw what he could access, however, the more he imagined the venture as full time. “And, as we got more business, I could see it would eventually be possible.” Willing to jump; all he needed was some like-minded money. Enter the Swedes. In July 2014, Stellar announced Engström and his longtime friend, Björn Algkvist, as investment partners. Though the pair occupied a different world on a separate continent, like Rempel they were dedicated lifelong skiers. Both had competed for the Swedish freestyle team in the 1970s before their successes in business. Continuing to ski, cycle, surf, and golf when they weren’t moving and shaking elsewhere, they now had an A-star helicopter and 80,000 skiable acres spread across two ranges to play around in. Not that playing was all they wanted: Rempel could bring the snow and terrain and handle the testy nuance of machinery, but Engström was a creative force who could bring the pizzazz required to get attention and build a business. On this day that means an impressive mix of Swedish superstars—athletes, photographers, and models—the kind a guy like Engström keeps on speed dial. Star photographer Mattias Fredriksson is here shooting big-mountain superman Sverre 113

HELI

Sverre Liliequist has a Blue Steel stare that could sell any high-end ski brand—not to mention a bad-ass heli-op.

Liliequist. They’re busy bringing to life Engström’s vision of a visually stunning, technically demanding backdrop for a J.Lindeberg catalogue shoot. Liliequist, another lifelong skier, former racer, co-founder of Kask of Sweden, and de facto freeski icon since his debut (and win) at the 1998 Nordic Extreme Skiing Championships in Riksgränsen, Sweden, not only adds hill skill to the mix, but a quiet demeanor and Blue Steel stare that could sell any high-end ski brand—not to mention a bad-ass heli-op. 114

The Purcells deliver with jaw-dropping high-alpine runs like Merino Man, Slick Willy’s, Ghengis, and a massive, glacierhewn apron named Big Boy , which holds a day’s worth of lines we only have time and legs to steal a few of. “A guy who lives south of Kaslo looks out his window at this terrain every day,” muses Rempel as he and other guides dig out a snow table for a gourmet lunch overlooking the lake. “So one day I brought him up here skiing. He was blown away.” Those of us who’ve only just seen it that morning feel the

same; Engström, meanwhile, grins quietly, a cat who clearly loves the taste of canary. At day’s end we re-cross the lake in the heli, setting down just outside rough-and‑tumble but picturesque Kaslo, and only a five-minute drive to Stellar’s guest accommodations. Though future plans include building a dedicated lodge and adding cat skiing, for the time being this diamond-in-the-rough will continue day-trips while focusing on three- and six-day packages based in the movie-setworthy Kaslo Hotel. At this historic

heli LEFT TO RIGHT

1. Björn Algkvist, Jason Rempel, and Stefan Engström. 2. More lake scenes from Kaslo. 3. Sverre Liliequist skiing Stellar’s Purcells.

structure, recently refurbished to fourstar levels, heli-skiers enjoy lake views, unpretentious private dinners on premises, and breakfasts at the Treehouse Restaurant across the street, a classic Kootenay diner where locals have no qualms about offering the kind of tall ski tales of which Rempel has likely told his share. Tall tales, in fact, seem unavoidable here. The previous day, the crew had worked the vertiginous Selkirks behind Kaslo, finishing on Stellar’s marquee peak: 10,000-foot Mt. Brennan, which

offers some 5,400 vertical feet of skiing—a huge descent by anyone’s measure, something Liliequist clearly felt the need to celebrate. That night’s chatter had been all about how, in an alpenglow moment, he’d thrown one of his patented backflips off a handy cornice; not typical modeling behavior, but clearly Engström has no interest in crafting anything you wouldn’t be comfortable give’n ‘er in, a bit of cowboy-esque flair Rempel surely appreciates. www.stellarheliskiing.com

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P h oto : 2 0 1 5 M e t r o - G o l d w y n - M ay e r S t u d i o s I n c . , Da n j aq , L LC a n d C o l u m b i a P i c t u r e s I n d u s t r i e s , I n c . All r i g h t s r e s e r v e d

Daniel Craig on snow in the new James Bond film, SPECTRE.

bond

Nobody

Does It Better Ian Fleming’s days in Kitzbühel create the world’s most famous spy By Michael Mastarciyan

icture this: A chalet high in the Tyrolean alps, roughhewn timber walls, a roaring fire, a bearskin rug, and a sexy couple making love. Suddenly the man stops. He hears a tick. Its source? His Seiko digital watch. “007 REPORT TO HQ. IMMEDIATE. M.” In a flash the man—whose hair is perfectly coiffed—slips into a banana-yellow Bogner, clicks into his skis, and splits. He rips down a heliski piste with homicidal, submachine-gun-wielding Soviet spies making chase. When he’s not doing backflips or sliding smoothly through couloirs, he’s killing his pursuers with a ski pole that doubles as a gun. Just when you think the chase is over, he launches off a 3,300-foot cliff and pops open a parachute sporting a Union Jack. Yes, it’s James Bond skiing through the opening scene of 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. And, as Carly Simon insists, nobody does it better. 117

ALIAS BOND

1. Daniel Craig starring as James Bond in SPECTRE. 2. Ian Fleming throwing a machete near his home in Jamaica, February, 1964. 3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Fleming’s 10th Bond novel. 4. Fleming on the cover of Life Magazine, October 7, 1966.

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p h oto s : S P ECTRE © 2 0 1 5 M e t r o - G o l d w y n - M ay e r S t u d i o s I n c . , Da n j aq , L LC a n d C o l u m b i a P i c t u r e s I n d u s t r i e s , I n c . All r i g h t s r e s e r v e d ( da n i e l c r a i g ) , © H u lto n - D e u t s c h C o ll e c t i o n /COR B IS ( m ac h e t e )

Clockwise from top left

bond

There’s no room for naughty boys like Ian Fleming who get their hands caught in the nookie jar. Fast forward to Winter 2015. It’s a chilly March night in Kitzbühel, a medieval town sitting like a jewel in a crown of sparkling Austrian peaks. Under a moonlit sky, the town’s casino is bustling with a crowd of sharply dressed men and women busily playing blackjack and buying gaming chips. The scene is straight out of a 007 flick. Two men entering the casino flash Walther PPK handguns, Bond’s firearm of choice. One looks like Le Chiffre, the elegant dark-haired villain from the 2006’s Casino Royale. The other, a much beefier bloke with a large nose and slick hair, could well be KGB. Yet another patron is channeling Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond’s archenemy: He’s dressed in a collarless Tyrolean jacket and stroking a plush white cat. At the blackjack table is a dashing young couple from Munich—the long-legged woman dressed to kill in a form-fitting white dinner jacket; the man decked in full Soviet military regalia... could it be 007’s Cold War nemesis, General Gogol? This gathering may seem like a 007-themed party at Halloween, but it’s not. Tonight is the start of The Ian Fleming Challenge, a ski race and social meeting of 007 fans that takes place each March in Kitzbühel to celebrate the world’s most famous spy, the author who created him, and their mutual passion for alpine skiing. This season these Bond-ites have a little more to celebrate than usual. Local shooting has recently wrapped for SPECTRE, director Sam Mendes’s latest Bond film. Set for worldwide release in November, parts of the movie were shot with Daniel Craig, not in Kitzbühel but close... in nearby Sölden. The selection of Austria for Bond’s return to snow country in SPECTRE is no coincidence. Both 007 and Fleming have deep connections with the small alpine nation. What’s more, many believe Kitzbühel is the place the character was conceived, and as the author said himself, “Everything I write has a precedent in truth.” Indeed, Kitzbühel appears regularly in Fleming’s writings. In Octopussy, a short story published in 1966 after Fleming’s death, 007 hunts down the murderer of Hannes Oberhauser, a ski instructor whom Bond considers his second father. Oberhauser’s hometown just happens to be Kitzbühel. As it happens, one of the main characters in SPECTRE, is named Oberhauser. Without giving too much away, let’s just say Bond’s relationship with the Oberhauser clan is a key element of the new film.

Kitzbühel makes more appearances in Fleming’s work. In the 1963 book On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 007 finds romance, bad guys, and mad avalanche skiing on the marshmallow slopes of Mürren, in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland. At the end of book—and later, the flick—Bond witnesses the brutal murder of his wife Tracy on their honeymoon, en route to a little Austrian town called… you guessed it, Kitzbühel. Why Kitz? Because this skiland of designer boutiques, posh restaurants, old-world cafés, and of course, the Hahnenkamm, ski racing’s most famous—and most dangerous—World Cup race, was a first love of Ian Fleming’s. The affair started in his teens… It’s 1920’s England and Eve Fleming is mortified by the scan dalous behavior of Ian, her teenaged son. Out of Eton—school of royals—there are reports of truancy and illicit, male-female trysts. Queen Victoria has been gone for more than 25 years, but her icy version of morality still has Britannia in its grip. There’s no room for naughty boys who get their hands caught in the nookie jar. The solution: finishing school in a foreign land. In the summer of 1926, Fleming’s domineering mother sends him off to a private school in Kitzbühel to cram for entry into Sandhurst, Britain’s Royal Military Academy. But not long after entering Sandhurst, more scandals ensue—involving girls and late-night field trips. Fleming’s time at Sandhurst comes to an abrupt halt. A very frustrated Eve Fleming ships her unruly 19-year-old son back to Kitzbühel, this time to study German, literature, philosophy, and the fine art of staying out of trouble. The school, set up in a small country hotel called the Villa Tennerhof at the foot of the Kitzbühelerhorn, is run by two people who will forever change Fleming’s life: Ernan Forbes Dennis, a former British secret service intelligence officer, and author Phyllis Bottome, his wife. The duo plants the seeds for the James Bond character in their young student’s head. “Ernan Forbes Dennis, whose wife Phyllis Bottome was a novelist, ran an establishment at the Tennerhof for difficult, troubled teenagers and young men,” explains Fleming’s niece, Kate Grimond. “They were very interested in early ideas of psychotherapy. Ian was troubled and having difficulty finding his way in life, so he went to Kitzbühel and it sorted him out. He owed a lot to his stay there, and he was inspired by Phyllis Bottome to 119

Scenes from Hotel Tennerhof, Fleming’s Kitzbühel base and inspiration, now a fivestar Relais & Châteaux.

p h oto s : H ot e l T e n n e r h o f

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Fertile ground

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Many believe Kitzbühel is the place the Bond character was conceived. write stories when he was there. His introduction to skiing and climbing was in Kitzbühel. I’m sure the skiing and climbing you find in the literature and films were definitely and unquestionably inspired by his time in Kitz.” Villa Tennerhof—now Hotel Tennerhof—is a luxurious five-star Relais & Châteaux establishment owned by Luigi von Pasquali, a debonair Austrian noble whose ancestors include William The Conqueror. At the Tennerhof, which has always been owned by one von Pasquali or another, stories about Fleming are legend. Luigi recounts them well. “My grandmother, Charlotte Pasquali von Campostellato, knew Fleming,” von Pasquali says. “He was kind of a naughty boy— drinking, girls... all that. His mother sent him to Kitzbühel to calm down, but apparently he found some beer and ladies here too. I think he had quite a good time!” Good time, indeed. Legend has it Fleming’s imagination bloomed in the fertile soil of Kitz. The man went on to create rather colorful female characters: Pussy Galore, Holly Goodhead, and Plenty O’Toole. Naturally, Fleming’s real life women were always at one with danger. In the book, The Life of Ian Fleming, author John Pearson recounts a story told by one of Fleming’s Kitzbühel ski pals, the British writer and publisher Ralph Arnold: “Ian was always contriving situations, and then making life fit into them. He’d suggest hiring a car and taking a couple of girls off somewhere for the day on a trip and he’d invent a plot for us. We were being pursued down the mountain road by a carload of dangerous international agents and we would finally destroy them because it turned out that we had a gun concealed in the exhaust pipe of our car.” But it didn’t stop with schoolboy shenanigans. As the specter of war began to loom over Europe, the dangerous international agents lurking around Kitzbühel in Fleming’s fantasies began to materialize in real life. Nazi spies and their British counterparts often crossed paths on and off the slopes of Kitzbühel in the years preceding World War II. One of these spies was Conrad O’Brien-ffrench, a British Secret

Service agent, code name Agent Z3. O’Brien-ffrench ran a travel agency called Tyrolese Tours as a front for his clandestine activities. He also just happened to be one of Fleming’s skiing and drinking pals in Kitz. O’Brien-ffrench is believed to be one of the key inspirations for James Bond, and an early role model for the author’s own career as an intelligence officer during WWII. Flash forward to 2015. After a night at the casino and a day at the races on Kitzbühel’s sunny slopes, the James Bond ski pilgrims meet up for the highlight of the weekend— Thunderball, a black-tie soirée that traditionally takes place amidst the Tyrolean Alps—how Bond-esque. The location of this year’s Thunderball happens to be Hotel Tennerhof. Remember it? Amid the splendor of the Tennerhof—carved wood ceilings, antique furnishings, walls covered with antlers and assorted 19th-century hunting palace chic—a rag-tag assortment of Austro-German nobles, financiers, doctors, ex-ski racers, ski instructors, and 007 fans are mingling. They clink champagne glasses and joyfully hoist crystal ski trophies captured in the name of Fleming and Bond. In the center of the room stand a pair of elegantly dressed ladies. One is Fleming’s niece, Kate Grimond, the other is Corinne Turner, the managing director for a mere 27 years of Ian Fleming Publications, the author’s literary gatekeeper. Both have come to the Ian Fleming Challenge for the first time, and both want to ensure the memory of Fleming is treated with respect. “The fact that so many people want to get together to celebrate Ian and his link to Kitzbühel is wonderful,” Turner exclaims. “It’s just really good fun, and that’s what it should be—that’s everything that Ian was about. He said you should never say ‘no’ to adventure. I’m sure if he’s seeing this somewhere now, he’s got a big smile on his face and is wishing he was here.” 121

“He would be amazed that nearly a hundred years on, from when he was in Kitzbühel, that he was being honored in this way,” adds Grimond. “He would have been astonished that he created this character James Bond, who’s gone on for years, and years, and years—and he’d be amazed at its global reach. I think he’d be thrilled that he’d given so much pleasure to so many.” As the late-night snowcats groom the star-lit slopes of the Kitzbühelerhorn just above the Tennerhof, the last of the party’s elegant dancers make their way back to their rooms. Another Thunderball is in the books. A small army of waiters are busy bussing an endless parade of trays covered in empty martini glasses—yes, the martinis were shaken, not stirred. One of the organizers, Michael “Gugu” Tyszkiewicz, a tall man with a noble Roman nose and smooth-fitting tux, lifts a large portrait of Ian Fleming off the wall. The photo depicts the late author elegantly smoking a cigarette. It has a distinct otherworldly vibe: half of Fleming’s face is covered by a veil of cigarette smoke; the other half portrays a piercing look of confidence only the man 122

“He was kind of a naughty boy— drinking, girls... all that. His mother sent him to Kitzbühel to calm down, but apparently he found some beer and ladies here too. who created the world’s sexiest, deadliest secret agent could cast. It’s been a half century since Ian Fleming passed, and almost double that since the 007 author first set foot in the medieval ski town of Kitzbühel. Yet in this part of the world, it’s clear the man who once wrote that “you only live twice,” actually lives on.

p h oto s : © B e t t m a n n /COR B IS ( u r s u l a A n d r e s s ) , © T h e I a n Fl e m i n g E s tat e , 1 9 6 1 . A r t w o r k r e p r o d u c e d w i t h t h e p e r m i s s i o n o f I a n Fl e m i n g P u bl i c at i o n s Lt d . a n d T h e I a n Fl e m i n g E s tat e . (o f f i c e )

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Bond beauty Ursula Andress chatting with Ian Fleming on set of Dr. No. circa 1962.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ian was always contriving situations, and then making life fit into them. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Ralph Arnold

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Screenplay

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wiNTEr 15/16

CONTENTS

Page 95 On Nikola M.Miller Russian Sable Long Sun ToggleÂ VestÂ $2,700Â Peaksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Real Estate Specialists SERVING SUN PEAKS & SURROUNDING AREAS M.Miller Glacier Sweater $385

SCREENPLAY

In smoldering grays and winter furs, SNOWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mesmeric models set the scene for 2016 aprĂ¨s-ski.

106 ELEVATING EXPERIENCES An Aspen remodel melds with its high-alpine environment.

112 SuPER STELLAR Swedish ski fashion icon meets Canadian cowboy for a match made in Stellar Heli heaven.

116 NOBODY DOES IT BETTER With wild women and song, author Ian Fleming sowed his oats on the slopes of KitzbĂźhel, then gave birth to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous spy.

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This Page: Sofia in a coat by Fend, necklace by Mish. Photo: Daniela Federici Stylist: Shifteh Shahbazian See Screenplay Page 94.

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Screenplay

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Page 93 Authier Jacket Price available uponÂ request, Performance Ski, AspenÂ (970) 925-8657 Osklen Raposa Scarf $187

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Page 40 Åre Peak Performance Jacket

Page 32 Moncler Grenoble’s Fall/ Winter 2015 Collection Price available on request

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SNOW SCENES SCENES FROM INSIDE THE 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP’S INTERNATIONAL EXPO AT VAIL BEAVER CREEK

The World Championships in February 2015 brought the ski racing world to Vail Beaver Creek. SNOW Magazine partnered with Beaver Creek to host an International Expo to celebrate the countries and athletes participating in the Championships. The Inter X tent’s hottest parties were in honor of Ski Portillo and Valle Nevado. Some of the world’s fastest skiers—both past and present—came by to celebrate Chile, home of summer training for a number of the world’s national alpine ski teams.

126

WHERE DREAMS AND REALITY

BECOME ONE AND THE SAME

When you envision your perfect ski destination, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve really been dreaming of Sun Peaks all along. From champagne powder and bluebird days to uncrowded slopes, we guarantee youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never want this dream to come to an end. Visit online or call today to discover more.

Photos: Adam Stein, Kelly Funk

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sunpeakscollection.com MLS: 129692

sunpeakscollection.com MLS: 120768

snow polo THE SNOW SPORT OF KINGS, PRESENT & FUTURE BY LESLIE WOIT

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rom ancient Persia to St. Moritz, it’s the sport of kings—polo has a panache that never quits. It was 1899 when British cavalry officers laid out the first modern-day polo field, deep in the mountain-laced valley of the sunny Swiss Engadine. Nearly a century later, in 1985, the glittering world premiere of polo on snow arrived— played famously on the frozen lake of glamorous St. Moritz. St. Moritz’s annual tournament now attracts more than 15,000 spectators each January, a beau monde that convenes to enjoy the elegance, dexterity and speed of elite, high-goal polo that also commands this swish snow sport’s highest prize money and the coveted Cartier Trophy. World-class riders and their ponies, equipped with cleated shoes for traction in snow, battle for right of way and line of the ball—two primary tenants of the game—at some of the world’s most fashionable ski areas. Courchevel and Klosters have hosted beautiful events in recent years. Megève and Kitzbühel are regulars on the circuit. Newcomers this season will look to Zermatt, Seefeld, and Bad Gastein. North America is not to be outdone: Mont Tremblant hosted the first Canadian Snow Polo in 2015; this winter, Quebec’s top station de ski will once again host teams from across the world. Check out Aspen too, where Marc and Melissa Ganzi of Aspen Valley Polo Club in Carbondale successfully showcase the only snow polo in the U.S., smack in the midst of downtown Aspen. The Rio Grande Park attracts the curious and the committed to see the likes of star players, including Nacho Figueras and Nic Roldan, hard on the heels of competing in the Argentine Open. But the most brilliant bit of snow polo has to be that these thrilling winter matches around the world are free to all (though the VIP tents feature the truly Champagne-rich hospitality). Better yet, the snow-laced mountains couldn’t make a lovelier backdrop for the sport of kings, present and future.

p h oto : M e g è v e To u r i s m e – M o r g a n e D e l f o s s e - 2 0 1 5

last run

A scene from the BMW Megève Polo Masters. Next event: January 21-24, 2016.