European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A amp Sken Gaorge the olympic ski jumping events will be held at Cou Cheval. France has spent a lot of Money improving its slopes in conjunction with the 1992 games a and that should Benefit All  s going Down by Dennis Redmont the associated press Winter resort operators from Northern Sweden to sunny Southern Spain Are trying to lure Back skiers after several years of Snow drought and last year s persian Gulf War which kept Many people Home and off the slopes. Such enticements include All inclusive Maxi weekends Low season hotel and meal promotions and free lift tickets for tots under 6 or skiers Over 70. But the biggest draw or deterrent depending on your degree of Mountain madness will be France s hosting of the Winter olympic games feb. 8-23 at Albertville in the Savoy Alps. In a Radical departure from past Winter games the French distributed the competitions among 11 resorts inon Europe s slopes an area stretching from Les daisies to Les menu res and from tines to Albertville. That s More than 600 Square Miles of Alps to cover for 2,000 athletes and a million spectators and they will be struggling to squeeze into 300,000 Beds. The Xvi Winter olympic games will Cost around $800 million but they will leave Alpine Savoy with sparkling new assets such As a new downhill course on Val d Sere s face de Bellegarde designed by the organizing committee s co president Jean Claude Killy Winner of three Gold medals at the 1968 Grenoble olympics. The classic technique demanding course with serpentine twists Swift chutes and great natural bumps will bring the breathtaking jumps Back to men s downhill racing. The women s downhill in Meribel the Pearl of the three valleys will also be a heart stopper. The Rule that limits the drop to 2,297 feet has been broken by an additional 500. In both cases men s and women a giant super a and slalom will end up at a common finish line. For those interested in something besides flying Down the Mountain telemark a less frantic combination of Alpine and nordic skiing is enjoying a raging revival from Sweden Down to Sicily s mount Aetna. And Cross country skiing has become More popular with floodlit tracks in idyllic places like alpe i Siusis the largest Mountain Meadow in Europe nestled High in the dolomites. A Quick look at other resort highlights a France Public transportation will be extensive and free from the site of opening olympic ceremonies to freestyle skiing at tines. The three valleys a each with its own character but linked by a network of 200 chairlifts gondolas Cable car and Poma lifts a add up to the most extensive integrated ski area in the world. And Meribel based skiers can watch the women s events then ski themselves Over into the adjacent valleys for ski jumping and nordic combined at Cour Chevel. Some French resorts Are guaranteeing no olympic Over spill and Many French have changed their sacrosanct vacation plans to avoid the Bustle of the Competition. Quot this year we have lots of people calling us wanting to make sure we have nothing to do with the games because they want to be abbe to ski do Cross country surf or telemark a says Sandrine Gauthier of the a Oriaz resort in the Southern Alps. A Spain Spanish resorts Are the secret bargain of Europe s ski world Brand new lifts with Low prices spectacular Sun and dusk to Dawn disco and drink. The Sierra Nevada resort sol y Nieve site of the 1995 world Alpine ski championships has built a 1 a a a mile fou seater chairlift with a 2,880 passenger an hour capacity. It has added Snow makers an artificial Lake and one  the largest Cable cars in Europe at Al Andalus which handles 3,800 skiers an hour. Up North in the pyrenees Jaca which lost its bid for the 1998 olympics to Japan s Nagano poured millions into its facilities and linked them with neighbouring France and the resorts of formigal Candan Chu and Astun. In the catalonian pyrenees Baqueiro Beret beckons with free skiing for those under 6 and Over 70, while the tiny principality of Andorra has parlayed its tax free status into Low Cost ski and shop holidays. A Sweden Rescue is on the Way for Cash strapped skiers. The new non socialist government has promised to trim the 25 percent value added tax which killed tourism in past years. This would mean a reduction of the Standard $1,000-per-week package in an average hotel during Peak season. Cross country skiing one of Scandinavia s National pastimes is possible at night in most resorts thanks to floodlit trails. Are scandinavians largest ski resort has improved on the Snow or your Money Back guarantee for the nov. 29 to May 3 season. Quot now we run a ski school guarantee Quot says Jan Gunnarsson director of Are s tourist Council. Quot if you Don t learn Alpine skiing in a week you not Only get your Money Back from the ski school. You also get free lodging food everything a a Italy for $181 High season or $155 Low season you can buy a ski pass for All the Dolomite resorts. This allows Access to 450 lifts and 682 Miles of trails in spectacular Alpine country. Italy remains the realm of Cross Border International skiing with resorts accessible to France Austria and Switzerland. Favorite jumping off Points Are Cervin a to Zermatt Cou Mayeur Over the Mont Blanc to Chamonix and ses triers Over to Mon Genevre. A Austria reeling from two consecutive Winters without Snow and a record snowfall last year austrian resorts Are prepared for the Best and the worst. Resorts made heavy investments in Snow making machines while some towns Are promoting Winter bicycling hiking and a local version of Curling in Case there in t enough Snow. A Germany. Trying to capitalize on abundant Snow but few Heights resorts like Garmisch Parten Kirchen Are offering two Day $40 packages that include free Cross country skiing drinks at local restaurants and saunas. Skiers can drive Back to inexpensive hotels in neighbouring valleys. A Switzerland there has been a 40 percent drop in american tourists so far this year but the germans Are making up the deficit. Skiers who Fly to their favorite destinations can Check Luggage straight through from airline counter to ski resort hotel through a new Swissair promotion designed to save hassle and hernias. December 5, 1991 stripes Magazine 9