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The on-snow Woodstock

France’s fourth annual Mondial du Ski kicks off winter season with Gallic flair By Michel Beaudry Les 2Alpes, France -- November’s first snow fall has left a dusting of white on the steep hillsides above this high-mountain resort.
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France’s fourth annual Mondial du Ski kicks off winter season with Gallic flair

By Michel Beaudry

Les 2Alpes, France

-- November’s first snow fall has left a dusting of white on the steep hillsides above this high-mountain resort.

But in the valley below, the air is unseasonably warm. Hikers, climbers, runners, joggers, cyclists – mountain lovers of all kinds – are happily taking advantage of the sunny weather and stunning alpine vistas. The hills, as they say, are alive with people.

It’s not surprising. There is enough happening here this weekend to satisfy anyone from 7 to 77.

High above the valley – 6,000 feet higher in fact – nearly 7,000 happy skiers from half-a-dozen countries rip around on one of the most extensive glaciers in Europe. And there’s a bonus this weekend. A tent city of ski distributors offer demos of the latest and greatest gear for the coming season. And it’s all free. Some people don’t even bother putting skis on, however, preferring to watch the world’s best New School aerialists strut their stuff on the daunting kicker situated conveniently in front of the main restaurant.

But the glacier is only part of the show.

Back down in the valley – in the centre of town – a massive, near-vertical halfpipe dominates the main square; DJs spin French and American hip hop tunes while an announcer exhorts the crowd. Skaters and bikers and bladers – the cream of European extreme – are doing their best to defy gravity. And they do it with style. Hundreds of young teens and twentysomethings roar their appreciation.

A hundred metres away, a terrain park is being worked by the same mixed group of bladers, skaters and riders. Only the scene here isn’t quite so intense. It’s more of a work-out than a show. Half the group is still in their ski gear. Their poles and boards are leaning against the wall just outside the park. "It’s kind of cool," says Whistler’s Ryan Oakden. "The park is on the way from the lifts to my hotel. I love this place. I get to ski all day on the glacier – work on my tricks on the Big Air kicker – and then I hit the park for a skate session on the way home."

Oakden is definitely one of the featured freeriders at the Mondial this year. But he is not the only Canadian to be feted here.

"It seems like you Canadians keep coming up with a new freeriding star every year," says veteran journalist Claude Borrani. "It’s like the Crazy Canucks all over again. And with the same easy-going spirit too."

After his skating session, Oakden saunters over to the big circus tent next to the halfpipe where he hangs out with fans and signs a few autographs at the Rossignol booth. His Whistler teammate, Hugo Harrison, is there too. Last season these two guys completely dominated the international big-mountain freeskiing circuit. In France they are heroes of the first order.

But they’re not the only heroes in attendance. Dozens of other booths – showing off the very latest in ski gear, clothing, and backcountry skiing accessories for the 2002 season – spin off in every direction. The place is jammed with people. And the new stars of the global freeride movement are everywhere. At one end of the tent, Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit is modeling his wild new clothing line. At the other end, Whistlerites Pierre Yves Leblanc and Rex Thomas are showing off the Atomic Freeride Team’s new radical skis. Over at Head, big-mountain charger, Jenn Ashton is entertaining a scrum of journalists.

"There’s a buzz about Whistler and the skiers who come from Whistler, for sure," she says. "Right now it’s THE place that people want to talk about."

Cameras are everywhere. Television, film, magazine, newspaper – they all want a part of the action. And who wouldn’t. There’s enough excitement, energy and sex appeal here to inspire the most jaded of journalists.

They call it the On-Snow Woodstock. And they’re not that far off the mark. The Mondial du Ski (and its older cousin, the Mondial du Surf held one week earlier) is like no other ski show in the world. A virtual three-ring alpine circus, the Mondial combines business, pleasure and on-mountain play to create a pre-season celebration that has everyone completely jazzed for the coming winter. And isn’t that exactly what the business needs?

"We never realized how big this would get," says Les 2 Alpes’ Marie-Claude Previtali. "But the word keeps spreading and more people keep coming every year."

And it works for everyone – from retailer to team-rider, from media and manufacturer to the most important member of all: the consumer. After all, in what other sport can you get out and mix – really mix – on the same terrain with your favourite star?

Even the resort wins big. Over the two weekends, they get 46,000 visitors! "The place is completely booked," says Previtali. "The 10-year-old Mondial du Surf has always been a successful event for us. But the big surprise over the last few years is how quickly the Mondial du Ski has grown. This year, it’s actually overtaken its snowboarding counterpart in size."

But the Mondial is not just about business. There is a tribal/cultural element to the weekend that is hard to ignore. The party meter is turned on high. People stay out late. They eat and drink and talk and dance and play and share in the excitement of the coming winter. Simply put: it’s the official launch of the ski season. And for everyone in attendance – pro rider, retailer, manufacturer’s rep, or consumer – it’s the most exciting time of the year.

Interestingly enough, Canada – and particularly Whistler – is playing an ever-expanding role in this annual party. For while this is definitely a European show, there’s no question that Whistler holds a certain fascination for the big-mountain freeriding community here at the Mondial. Somehow people don’t really consider Whistler part of the typical North American skiing experience. And for most Europeans, that’s a good thing.

"I’ve skied pretty much everywhere in America," says one French journalist, "and the only place that really turns me on – both for the skiing and the lifestyle – is Whistler."

But it’s not just the place that gets people excited. It seems that Whistlerites are also highly appreciated in Europe.

While there are only a handful of Americans in attendance, for example, there are at least eight Whistlerites attending the Mondial as special guests – more than just about any other resort represented.

"The Whistler skiers are special," says Swedish journalist Oscar Kumlin. "They go hard – they take big risks – but they don’t take themselves too seriously. They seem to be genuinely having fun at what they do. And that draws a lot of people to them."

Four years ago, at the first Mondial du Ski, there wasn’t one Canadian in attendance. Today, Whistler skiers like Hugo Harrison, Ryan Oakden, Pierre Yves Leblanc, Rex Thomas, Jenn Ashton, Robin Courcelles and Leif Zapf Gilje are leading the charge. And they’re doing a great job as ambassadors for our own little corner of snowsport heaven.

Which leads me to wonder: what would happen if Whistler-Blackcomb ever decided to put together a big international Fall party?