Category Archives: resort news

Chamonix Job Alert: EpicTV Looking For Video Production Manager

Posted on January 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EpicTVEwwww, there’s that nasty ‘J’ word again. I don’t know why but for some reason it’s slimy tentacles seem to be creeping far too often into a blog whose sole existence is the direct antithesis of everything w@%k-related.

Nevertheless, I’ve heard there are people out there who believe in some sort of hazy concept called ‘balance’ which to me has a lot more to with staying on top of my bike than working, but there you go. And hey, as far as the ‘J’ word goes, you could do a lot worse than w@%king with a good crew of people at a dynamic startup that’s fully dedicated to all the fun you’d be having if you didn’t have a j – o – b.

Open position: Video Production Manager for EpicTV

EpicTV is a new Video-On-Demand service focusing on adventure sports and lifestyle. The service will launch this spring and we are now looking for a skilled production manager to work on our daily video podcasts from our studio in Chamonix.

The job is simple: shoot and record our podcasts with state-of-the-art equipment; do a quick, award-winning edit; upload podcasts to numerous online services including iTunes and YouTube.

What are we looking for

- Telented video producer who can shoot and quickly edit professional looking videos
- Passionate about outdoor sports, journalism and building something new
- Creativity with an eye for detail and graphics quality
- English (essential), English & French (triple bonus points), English, French & Italian (start packing your bags, you’re hired!)

What we offer

- Long hours in a dark room staring at computer monitors while everyone else is out skiing.
- Cute, loveable, hyperactive office dog.
- Official place (some would call it forced) on Ransu’s pub quiz team.                      – Full-time contract on an exciting project at one of the best mountain towns in the world. Contract period is negotiable.
- Competitive salary and Mont Blanc Unlimited season pass (of course)
- Opportunity to create something new and cool: You would be a key player on our video production team.

If this sounds interesting to you and you have the skills to be a part of the EpicTV team, go ahead and impress us. Email your CV and links to your previous productions to jobs@epictv.com.

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The Helbronner – New and Improved!

Posted on December 30, 2011 by | 3 Comments

HelbronnerWondering what’s up with the new Helbronner station? Yeah me neither but Felix made me feel all slack for not posting the info already so I was forced to spend an unusually cruel length of time on the  Funivie Monte Bianco website so you don’t have to. Thanks Felix.

new lift

blue = new lift line, yellow house = current lift station

The new Funivie Monte Bianco looks like it will be, as we’d all hope, an architectural and engineering phenomenon that will seep us from the Courmayeur valley to the top of Punta Helbronner in two segments. The new bottom tram will follow a totally new line from the base of the valley, Pontal d’Entréves, to a pimp new mid-station located looker’s left of the old one.

Spherical glass and steel cablecars will rotate as they ascend. According to the website, ”The sphere is the shape with the lowest external surface compared to its volume. It has no edges or corners, and therefore can support its load equally on all sides. It has no structural defects and is the shape that requires less energy.” That and it looks like an old school NASA helmet, which should keep the spacemen happy.

Helbronner

Pontal d'Entréves

The 2-level, 3900 sqm base station at Pontal d’Entréves will be stainless steel, wood and glass with filtered natural light. The roof is designed to not only look all tech and futuristic but also to withstand high winds due to its sinusoidal construction, which as we all know, is a curve described by the equation y  = a  sin x,  the ordinate being proportional to the sine of the abscissa. Did I mention the 336-space, 2-level underground parking?

HelbronnerPavillion du Mont Fréty will be three structures on two floors covering 2200 sqm that is designed to “fit elegantly amongst the alpine landscape” while fulfilling “the strict requirements of the cableway line.” To me it looks like a peaceful bed of snow clams. With giant killer teeth. But that’s just me. Time to cut back on the Adderall maybe.

Anyway, the upper station is 15 meters tall with large windowed surfaces featuring open scenic views. Shopping areas? Check. 97-seat Cinema? Duh. Restaurants and cafes? Naturalmente. The old restored station will serve as a museum that will remind everyone how we used to get to the top back in the olden days.

The new Pointe Helbronner will be 2250 sqm on four levels. Following is a condensed version of the website babble:

“Because of the extremely limited space available, the station will be constructed in a mostly vertical manner with cantilevered terraces, which emulate the natural elements of its environment. Structures are developed using high performance materials suited for their resistance to the elements and able to prevent the formation of snow and ice on their surface. Higher structures and external facings are in zinc titanium coated steel and thick glass windows designed to provide a specific scenic exposure. A circular scenic terrace of 14 meters in diameter will provide a 360˚ view of Mont Blanc, Dent du Géant, Grandes Jorasses and Vallée Blanche. A restaurant with a panoramic view and outdoor terrace will be located on the west side and a café with a panoramic terrace will be on the east.”

Punta Helbronner

Pointe Helbronner. Yellow = current station, green = new station.

And last but not least, Pointe Helbronner will be connected to the Torino Hut by a 70-meter elevator and 154-meter tunnel so that we can go from Courmayeur to the Torino Hut without taking off our flip flops. Now that’s what I call progress!

Torino Hut

The €75,000,000 project is planned to be finished in 2015, which in English means don’t hold your breath. Architects for the project are Carlo Cillara Rossi and Guido Incarbone. For more info and pictures of hard-working men with big tools, check out the website.

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Fresh Tracks Fandango!

Posted on December 15, 2011 by | Leave a comment

K2 store ChamonixAfter the crew over at K2 figured out a way for us Chamonerds to find Fresh Tracks every single day of the winter, their next mission, being K2 and all, was to throw a bit of a soirée.

Yep, the OG rockers over at Chamonix’s new Fresh Tracks shop are inviting everyone to swing by for the unveiling of their shiny new store this Friday, 16 December. And yes, that would be tomorrow.

They’ll start off be squeezing as many people as possible into the new shop between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. before kicking us all out and herding us over to Chambre 9 for Chamonix’s official premiere of Seth Morrison’s season edit, The Ordinary Skier. As you probably know, Seth and the crew filmed a big part of the movie in Chamonix last spring and if you can get past the trailer’s overly dramatic soundtrack and completely ridiculous commentary (that makes playing in the snow sound as serious as hostage negotiations) you’ll be delighted to find the vid also features cameo appearances by extraordinary skiers like Chamonix locs Nate Wallace and ‘American Dave’ Rosenbarger.

It will also be interesting to see how long it takes Black to make it from K2 Europa HQ in Germany to Chamonix in his new 555-horsepower K2 mobile. Any guesses?

Black's got a new whip.

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The New and Improved Y Bar Starring Canadian Matt

Posted on December 8, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Famous hockey celebrity and nightclub impresario 'Canadian Matt' Sixt, Y Bar owner Leila Suzukawa, Y Bar pyrotechnics engineer Astrid.

Just got a press release in from the new Y Bar crew. I don’t normally like to regurgitate press releases but this one has a certain je ne sais quoi…

There’s a new bar in town you should visit. Y? Exactly.

This Friday, Dec 9th, the new and improved Y Bar opens its doors and kicks off the season with a grand opening – drink specials, live music, and a sexy new owner with a great rack (of wine glasses). And nice boobs. Rock up Friday night from 8pm for every ski bum’s favorites — free shots and nibbles! Not to mention €2 demis, €4 pints, €5 glasses of lovely champagne, FREE sushi, nibbles, and of course live music all night long…

Chamonix’s main drag hosts a few great bars and this one is no exception. It’s got every bar’s best bits rolled into one. Intimate corners allow for a quiet chat with friends, perfect for poignant discussions such as “Where’d you ski today?” or “20 bucks says it doesn’t snow for another three weeks.” The ground floor bar is good for gettin’ down with DJ decks and space to showcase your moves. The upstairs bar will sort you out with shots and wine tasting for those with a finer palate or those too lazy to walk downstairs from the massive outside balcony, which begs for aprés ski boot stomping sessions. No matter your taste, you’ll find something to like.

Y Bar’s recent revival is thanks to its new owner Leila, who has stripped down the former “is this a bar or a shop” bar and turned it into a “this is a bar” bar. Think “Cheers” meets “Coyote Ugly.” Think “Copacabana” meets “Roxbury.” Think “the bar on the Love Boat” meets “the bar on Gilligan’s Island.” Think it’s time to get a drink. Y? Y not.

Find Y Bar at 141 rue Paccard between Swarovski and Lacoste.

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Relax Guys, It’s Only November

Posted on November 24, 2011 by | 1 Comment

At least the sun's shining...

Man, some people will moan about anything. If there’s not enough snow, then there’s probably too much snow. For crying out loud, it’s only Movember! Shouldn’t we all be stoked out of our minds that the weather has been so good for so long?

And if you’re jonesing to ride, it ain’t that hard to find. Crew have been skiing untracked pow for the last few weekends within a couple of hours of Chamonix.

But for those who have been whinging about how the end of November has been looking a little too much like the end of September, fret not. Digital weather models indicate there is a cold front heading towards Europe.

In an article in today’s LeDauphine.com, noted Chamonix meteorologist Yann Giezendanner reports that digital models clearly indicate a low pressure system moving from Canada into the Atlantic. When it hits Europe, it will replace the ‘sweetness’ of the high-pressure system with which we have been blessed in the past weeks with precipitation, which means snow! There, you happy now?

And for the skeptics in the crowd, Giezendanner’s report is not simply ski station marketing tactics. His forecast is suported by Météo France’s own findings that anticipate a gradual deterioration of the blue skies and mild temperatures in the coming days. A Météo France forecaster told LeDauphine.com that we are moving towards a disturbance by the end of November and early December with “fortes chutes de neige pour lundi et mardi prochains”. Yessaiii!

MétéoNews Suisse also predicts cooler temperatures this weekend. The report goes on to say that the ‘confidence index’ for this forecast is high – level 4 on a scale of 5 – with French, European and U.S. models all showing the same data.

So while it’s still too early to say whether this season will beat the blower season of 1999/200, Mr Giezendanner assures us there should be enough snow to keep smiles on most people’s faces. At least until they start complaining about how they wish it would stop snowing and the sun would come out – waaaaaaahhhh.

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