ski

Elle Macpherson Helps Launch Aspen Watch Brand

The new Swiss watch company Aspen Jewelry & Watches does not have a real relationship with the ski town Aspen, Colorado for which the watches are named. They do however have a license to use the "Aspen" name in connection with watches, exclusively in certain areas. They recently released their first watch, the Aspen One in Aspen Colorado (of course). There to help announce the new timepiece was business woman and supermodel Elle Macpherson. A face like hers is enough to draw attention, and better yet she was there to donate an almost $50,000 diamond version of the Aspen One watch to a local non-profit, the Challenge Aspen and Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC). They will sell the watch (auction likely) to raise money for ski trips to families with members who have disabilities.

The new Aspen One watch is an interesting timepiece. A few versions of the watch are available in white or rose gold, with diamonds or without. The 45mm case is very thick, because it flips open to reveal a height resistant compass. The watch movement is a ETA 2894-2 with a chronograph module. The style of the watch is pretty sober actually and will likely have a lasting design. The face reminds me of the also relatively new Bremont brand watches. You can tell that with the compass, the case is almost amusingly thick, but when you spend this type of money, you probably want some bulk in your investment. As a watch that is named for a ski city, the watch will have an unusually high altitude and cold temperature resistance - for a luxury watch that is. Prices start at about $39,000 and peak at about $50,000. They also come with a fancy pair of Casteljin & Beerens deerskin gloves.

Via National Jeweler.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Aspen One Watch

Tags: Aspen, elle machpherson, ElleMachpherson, jewelry, one, ski, timepiece, watches

Black Diamond Ski Package Features Black Diamonds

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

I've seen plenty of diamonds dropped into cocktails but this is the first time I've seen it package with a ski package. Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort's black diamond ski package includes seven nights of lodging in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom suite, six day lift tickets for two kids and two adults, lessons, equipment rentals, a spa package, $1,225 in dining and food credits and a $10,000 black diamond necklace. It sells for $26,653. The package celebrates the addition of more expert, black diamond terrain to the resort and is designed to also attract attention to the $55 million Village at Northstar project. The black diamond necklace is being provided by one of the stores in the village.

[via The Olympian]

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Tags: black diamond, BlackDiamond, northstar, ski, tahoe

Branson's Latest Place to Play: The Lodge at Verbier

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

For many skiing is one of the saving graces of winter, one of the few things that make the snow and cold worthwhile. This time of year a trip to the Swiss Alps for great skiing, great food, and great comfort sounds like such a treat -- and it really will be if you're headed to Sir Richard Branson's latest resort getaway: The Lodge, Verbier.

The most expensive chalet in the Alps, it just opened last month. According to this review it's quite the haven of luxury and class, as well it should be considering costs will run you about £36,250/week.

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Tags: alps, branson, mountains, resort, sir richard branson, SirRichardBranson, ski, skiing, tourism, travel, traveling

Hotel Terra Green Ski Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is a new luxury eco-boutique hotel set to open on January 29, 2008. The resort, which is located near the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming is one of a new crop of LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotels in the United States. The six-story, 72-room hotel has a fitness center, rooftop hot tub, two restaurants, and a snowboard and ski rental shop. The guest rooms include organic linens and organic amenities such as shampoo and lotion. The rooms are also home to less eco-friendly features such as flat screen televisions and Bose surround speakers.

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is the first in a collection of Green hotels launched by the Terra Resort Group. Examples of LEED, and other environmentally sound, elements in Hotel Terra include recycled Eco Shake roof shingles, low VOC carpets, paints and sealants, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, water conservation systems, wind power and the use of recycled products throughout the building. The Hotel Terra is offering a season-long Green Ski Package that offers a four nights' stay and daily lift tickets for two people, starting at $303 nightly.

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Tags: green, hotel, hotel terra jackson hole, HotelTerraJacksonHole, jackson hole, JacksonHole, LEED, ski, snowboard, wyoming

Westin Monache Opens

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I've been covering the Westin Monache project since 2005 when the first condo units went on sale (selling briskly at prices of $405,000 to just under $1.3 million). The resort is the first luxury hotel at the popular ski resort of Mammoth Lakes, California. The resort is now open to reservations, offering one and two-bedroom suites with gas fireplaces, flatscreen TVs and the famous Westin Heavenly beds. The hotel also features the Whitebark restaurant and bar; ski valet and rental shop; pool and hot tubs; the Westin Workout and the Westin Kid's Club. The resort's introductory rate is $199 and they are currently making snow on the mountain.

Gallery: Westin Monache

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Tags: california, hotel, mammoth lakes, mammoth mountain, MammothMountain, resort, ski, westin moache, WestinMoache

Le Cochet, Your Home In The Alps

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ski condos aren't just for Aspen or Telluride, international property developers are creating new developments for those who want a place of their own on the slopes. Le Cochet is a development in the French Alps which is set to release phase two of their 40 million euro chalet development. The chalet-style apartments are located near Meribel and Courchevel and offer easy access to the slopes. The first phase of the development, 20 properties is nearly sold out. The second phase will be 40 chalets, half ready by Christmas 2007, the second half by Christmas 2008. The apartments range in price from 500,000 – 1.25 million Euros and have bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms with Jacuzzi baths, terraces and balconies with panoramic views and underground car parking.

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Tags: development, europe, france, le cochet, LeCochet, real estate, ski, travel

Luxist's Top US Ski Resorts

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

Winter weather has been a bit unpredictable this year and considering that some parts of the East Coast only just received their first snowfall and there was snow in Malibu, California about two weeks ago, can you blame us for waiting until now to start making our ski plans? We're not ranking these in order from one to ten, so you'll have to be content with the fact that these are some of our favorites for this ski season (or any other) from all the mountains to ski in the US.

Aspen - A perennial favorite, this resort seems to be geared towards adults, with few beginner runs on the ski slopes and lots of great restaurants and shopping in town, as well as a satisfying mix of romantic and luxury accommodations.

Vail - Lots of lifts and more groomed terrain than any other resort on the planet, Vail is great for skiing, but the resort is so large that you won't have a problem finding off-mountain activities, from luxury spas to excellent eateries.

Kirkwood (pictured)- This California resort is somewhat off the beaten path, but all the better for it, as it provides skiers with the steep slopes and great snow they could want, with plenty of relief from the crowds at other mountains. The town is quiet, but only a short drive from Tahoe.

Tags: ski, skiiers, skiing, sport, travel, traveling, winter

Continue reading “Luxist's Top US Ski Resorts”

Audex Motorola Dutchess Jacket

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Gadgets, Sports

If you are a skier and didn't get one for Christmas, you might want to consider getting yourself an Audex Motorola Dutchess Jacket before the season is over. Much like the hat we saw several months ago, this women's ski jacket has a Bluetooth stereo system built right into it. The jacket itself features Thermacore Insulation under a shell of plaid Storm-lite 3.0-E ballistic nylon. It has a removable hood, faux fur lining and collar and, despite having a reasonable amount of bulk that will keep you warm in almost any weather conditions, it has flattering, tapered seams. The Dutchess jacket is $600.

And don't worry guys, there are plenty of men's jackets to choose from, too.

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Tags: Audex Motorola Dutchess Jacket, AudexMotorolaDutchessJacket, bluetooth, jacket, ski, skiing, winter

Jarita Tiger Parka

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

What to wear that will be just as fashionable as your Prada skis? How about this Jarita tiger parka from Bogner, the folks who do luxury skiwear better than anyone else. This printed parka is done in ski skill with a removable hood, snowskirt, inner cuff and side belts at waist. It sells for $1,449 at Gorsuch.

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Tags: bogner, gorsuch, jacket, parka, ski

Hot Tips On Skis

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Sporting equipment is very personal, since every sport has so many variations in the capabilities and performance benefits of the various shoes, racquets, clubs or, in this case, skis. You have to start somewhere, no matter what you are specifically looking for, so Style has a guide for men's skiing gear that will help you get the ski season started off on the right foot. Or slope. They cover ski, binding and boot picks for four categories: Downhill Racer, All-Mountain Expert, Powder Hound and Laid-Back Cruiser. They also provide a great FAQ section with the 9 things you need to know before buying skis. Their tips include how to choose the right length, buy wider skis for powder skiing and narrower for icy downhills and recommending parabolic-shaped skis for just about all recreational skiers. You can also find some great skis at rental shops, where they tend to have the very latest equipment and you don't have to commit if you only ski once or twice a season.

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Tags: equipment, ski, skiers, skis, sports, winter

Cashmere Ski Hats

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

There are a scary number of enormous fur hats - many with ear flaps - on sale this year for men. Unless you live somewhere where the temperatures stay consistently in the negative numbers all winter long, such a hat is excessive and prone to reminding people of the "rat hat" that was featured in a Seinfeld episode a couple of years ago. A better choice for a cold-weather hat would be a more streamlined ski cap, like the brightly colored Striped Cashmere Ski Cap from J Crew ($48) or the more conservatively colored Cashmere Watch Cap from Ralph Lauren ($125).

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Tags: caps, cashmere, hat, hats, ski

The Best Resorts With Artifical Snow

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Manmade snow is far better than it was when the technology was first put into use. A frequent skiier will be able to tell the difference between the natural and the less finely-grained machine-made snow, but it allows resorts to stay open longer into both fall and spring and provide better coverage all over the mountain even in the middle of winter. The manmade snow is also used for creating low-elevation "beginners areas" as well as advanced terrain parks for thrill-seeking snowboarders and skiiers. Many resorts, including big-name ones, spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars making snow each year. As a result, their slopes are more reliably and more evenly covered, which is better for business and better for skiiers. Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal (subscription req'd) compiled a list of some of the top snowmaking resorts and what percentage of their slopes are covered with the stuff to help give you some insight when planning a trip to the mountains this season:

Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado (12%)
Big Sky Resort, Montana (10%)
Crested Bute, Colorado (25%)
Jackson Hole, Wyoming (10%)
Mammoth Mountain, California (20%)
Park City, Utah (33%)
Swuaw Valley, California (15%)
Stowe Mountain, Vermont (80%)
Sunday River, Maine (92%)
Taos, New Mexico (50%)
Telluride, Colorado (17%)
Whistler Blackcomb, British Colombia (7%)

Tags: manmade snow, mountain, mountains, ski, skiiers, skiing, snow

Audex Ordinance Hat

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Gadgets

Some ski resorts that offer night skiing also play music over the slopes, giving the whole activity a completely different feel than daytime skiing. If you want to listen to music as you cruise down the mountain during the day, you'll have to wire your iPod up through your jacket or try to fit headphones under or around your hat and goggles. The Audex Ordinance Hat, from Motorola, is a padded hat with built-in Bluetooth headphones that can be set up to work with any wireless music device, allowing you to listen to music while participating in your favorite winter activities. Because they are wireless, there is no risk of getting anything caught up in a cord while you ski (or snowboard). They can be configured to answer calls and have a wind-resistant microphone built-in, too, so you won't have to take your gloves off on the slopes to search for your mobile phone in a pocket. It is available in black and white. Price: $180.

[via SciFi Tech]

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Tags: beanie, cap, hat, hats, headphones, ipod, motorola, music, ski, skiing, snowboarding, winter

Hotel Le Cheval Blanc To Open in December

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

For the dedicated snow bunnies, the second there is a nip in the fall air it is time to think about skiing. Online ski magazine First Tracks covers what might be one of the poshest options for your winter getaway. The new Hotel Le Cheval Blanc in the elite resort town of Courchevel 1850 in France is set to open this December. The hotel is owned by Bernard Arnault, the CEO of the luxury conglomerate LVMH and is set to open this November. The 34-room hotel offers only luxury suites, two private chalets and penthouses and you can ski straight from your door. It will also be home to a Givenchy spa and Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior boutiques.The resort already has a waiting list.

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Tags: cheval blanc, ChevalBlanc, courcheval 1850, france, ski, travel

Himalayan Ski Village

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Himalayan Mountains are getting their first ski resort. The Himalayan Ski Village is the project of Alfred Ford, the great grandson of automobile maker Henry Ford.The $250 million project will be a five-star resort located in the Kullu Valley. The ski resort was just approved by the Himachal Pradesh state government and will have 700 rooms, 300 chalets and a gondola taking visitors up to 14,000 feet. The project will start by the end of this year and should take three years to complete.

[via BBC News]

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Tags: alfred ford, himalayan mountains, himalayan ski village, HimalayanMountains, journeys, ski, travel

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