A glut of April Fool news stories from ski businesses this morning has led to some skiers not knowing what news is real and what isn’t.
Most of the stories are clearly jokes, but Verbier has announced that thanks to serious snow in the past few days, and to try to re-balance its offer to skiers and boarders after the poor start to the season in the Alps, it plans to stay open to June 28th for the first time since the 1990s. This may not be an April Fool.
Of the new April Fools’ this year, Crystal Holiday’s SkiBuzz site reports that unspecified resorts are planning to put double yellow lines down the side of pistes so that boarders who want to sit down can do so outside the middle of the run.
Nevis Range ski area in Scotland said they were issuing a new ‘Powder Policy’ requiring slope users to be of a minimum height due to the deep snow and that everyone wears inflatable arm bands.
Salomon skis released a slick video showing some unlikely new mini freeskis with the caption ‘Bigger is not always better” and Peisey Vallandry ski area in France had a video of some new skis designed for two people to use together.
A new ski area by the Australian city of Brisbane and a ‘secretly built gondola to open’ story from a New Zealand resort were amongst the first to appear as April Fools’ Day hit them first.
Old April Fools including a ski slope in the Canaries, a faked erupting volcano and a 150m slope on a cruise liner run by online travel agency Iglu also re-emerged.
Concerned that their snow report might be disbelieved, St Anton posted,
“Not an April Fools’ joke. Snow depth: Valluga 400cm, Galzig 330cm, St. Christoph 250cm, Rendl 190cm as heavy snowfall is hitting St. Anton am Arlberg right now, and more snowfall forecast for the next 48 hours.”