Top Fashion Trends for the 2012 Ski Season

Luxury ski fashion ideas for 2012

So, what should you be rocking on the slopes this season? After a few seasons of neon brights blinding us at every turn, this year it is back to simple primary colours: red, blue and yellow. Simple, unfussy blocks of colour. We love the Norrona Lofoten Pro Shell jacket and pants in ‘caviar’ black and ‘saffron’ yellow, perfectly blending function and design. www.noronna.com 

Under your ski jacket, it’s all about the layers. A high wicking base layer followed by a lightweight down jacket allows you to stay warm without restricting movement. Great brands to look out for include Icebreaker for base layers www.icebreaker.com and Peak Performance down jackets. www.peakperformance.com

After an exhilarating day’s heliskiing, back at Bighorn you want to be cozy, comfy and yet still fit with your stylish surrounds. Of course the house is exclusively yours, so in theory you can wear whatever you want, but we’d highly recommend slipping on a soft cashmere sweater to relax by the roaring log fire. Perhaps the most luxurious on the market are Brunello Cucinelli’s fine sweaters, made from the soft under-down of the Hircus goat. www.brunellocucinelli.com

Update your look with a few key trends for this season. For the ladies, leather trim, colourful cords and tweed. For the gentlemen, plaid check, camel and velvet. If you don’t have the time to shop for the new season, staff at Bighorn can arrange a consultation with a personal stylist before you leave home. Londoners will be assured of personal service at our partner Boutique at Home, whose owner Natasha will find a variety of smart casual looks to suit your needs. www.boutiqueathome.co.uk

To see some cutting-edge skiers working the primary colour-block look at Revelstoke, check out this video:

Revelstoke Hosts the Finals of the Freeskiing World Tour

This week Revelstoke Mountain Resort hosted the finals of the Freeskiing World Tour, welcoming some of the best and most daring skiers on the planet to it’s slopes. www.freskiingworldtour.com

Skier freeskiing at Revelstoke

The incredible terrain and deep snow in Revelstoke makes it the perfect venue for big mountain skiers to really show their stuff. Our friends at Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing are flying world-class skiers to the top of McKenzie Face, where they tackle the steeps and cliffs for their chance of glory. This year, skiers are encouraged not only to show their technical ability, but to get creative and wow the judges:

“Last year we took a huge step in the progression of the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour when we introduced the style/creativity category which has opened the door to a new generation of skiers who are incorporating new school tricks into fluid, solid skiing on big mountain terrain” said Bryan Barlow, Event Director.

Check out this video of competitors in action and hear why the judges love Revelstoke.

Everyone at Bighorn would like to say congratulations to Kye Peterson who won the men’s event and Angel Collinson who was the top-placed lady.

 

Get fit for your heliski trip in 6 weeks

Bighorn has access to a staggering amount of world-class skiing, over 1 million acres of pristine powder are yours to explore. To maximize enjoyment of your heliski experience, fitness is paramount. It’s not too late to build strength, improve stamina and encourage flexibility for this season. Our Bighorn fitness expert advises that you can make a real difference to your overall fitness in as little as 6 weeks.

Heliskiing is a full body workout and whilst many people focus on leg strength, training your whole body will ensure you are gaining true control of your movement. Angela Parker, owner of Body Inspired Fitness in Los Angeles advises, “properly training your core as well as your arms and back will take your skiing to the next level”.

Incorporating cardio activity such as running, cycling or swimming will also boost your performance, especially as you’ll be exerting yourself at altitude.

Many people forget to stretch after exercise, but this is equally as important as the work out itself. Thorough stretching will increase your flexibility, giving you better mobility in all joints. This in turn will allow you to be stronger over a greater range of movement. You will also be less susceptible to injury.

Try the following training programme 3 times per week to improve your overall ski fitness ready for the holiday of a lifetime:

  • Squat jump 10-12 reps
  • Push up hold and row 30 reps (15 rows on each arm)
  • Lunge jumps 20-24 reps (10-12 on each leg)
  • Russian twists 30 reps (15 on each side)
  • Lateral jumps 20 reps (10 on each leg)
  • Deck jumps onto a fixed platform 10 reps

Then take a 60 second rest and repeat the set as many times as you can in 30 minutes.

Now stretch…

Quads – lie on your stomach and bending you right knee gently pull your foot back to your butt with your right hand, hold or 30 seconds, then repeat on the left side.

Hamstrings – lie on your back with your knees bent raise and feet on the floor. Raise one leg straight up and gently pull towards you. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

Back – on your hands and knees raise and round your back towards the ceiling and hold for 30 seconds.

Shoulders – standing straight clasp your hands behind your back and lift them away from your body, hold for 30 seconds.