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Manganui Snow Report/Webcam

Previous Issues:
Issue 1 - 28 March 2007
Issue 2 - 11 April 2007
Issue 3 - 25 April 2007
Issue 4 - 09 May 2007
Issue 5 - 23 May 2007
Issue 6 - 06 June 2007
Issue 7 - 20 June 2007

ISSUE 8            WEDNESDAY 04 JULY 2007 ....

Aahh.. Winter Time...

...Winter-time a world of white
when snowflakes fall and Jack Frost bites
and blowing through the empty trees
on icy wings flies winter's breeze...
(Poetry - room 3 Oakura Primary School)

Winter?...fair to say it has been a frustrating start to the ski season over the whole country. Promising snowfalls followed by warm conditions and rain over most of the ski fields now see snow bases limited at present, with Manganui being no exception.

Tuesday 26th June saw Manganui Ski Area officially underway for 2007. We operated for 3 days. Wednesday saw a good crowd of over 100 at Manganui skiing dry winter snow on the t-bar. SMC staff have also been busy prepping the top tow for action. Rain has since taken the snow base back to mid way up the top tow. Still another dump is not far away - may be a case this season of getting it when it's on.

Check out the 2007 Surf & Snow Classic flyer below...

In this issue

• GOINGS ON' Around the Manganui Ski Area
• TARANAKI SURF 'N' SNOW 07
• SMC PRESIDENT’S REPORT
• WHAT THE SMC COMMITTEE IS UP TO…
• SNIPPETS OF INTEREST
• FEATURE ARTICLE - Burton Speed Zone Lacing 
• PHOTO OF THE WEEK  

GOINGS ON’ Around the Manganui Ski Area

SMC PRESIDENT’S REPORT

At last some snow to get excited about- all be it briefly – but we did manage two and a half days after Monday June 25ths snow fall which left 5-6 cm of snow on the T/bar and an excellent cover on the top tow- the days that followed saw an average of 80 people making the most of the early snow to satisfy their winter cravings on reasonable T/bar snow. However- the rain arrived from the northeast on Friday and 3 persistent days of torrential rain removed all the snow from the T/bar and from the ridges on the top tow. There is still  good snow volume in the valleys- but we will have to wait for the winter cycle to set in again. Hopefully in a week or so we should see more cold fronts from the deep south starting to reappear on the Met service radar screen.

The snow was a bonus for our staff they used the opportunity to test systems and fine tune operations, so all is ready for the season’s imminent arrival. The condition of the road on Tuesday was difficult so it’s a timely reminder to all that chains for 2 wheel drive vehicles should be carried, the journey up isn’t the problem it’s the downhill one, when wet snow turns to ice things can get a little tricky so drive with care and keep a safe distance between vehicles.

The gorge track is another area for people to transverse quickly-apart from the obvious avalanche hazard for which the club provides an advisory board located at either end of the gorge track, there is a very real risk of rock falls and slides at the head of the gorge. This area is subject to bad erosion and there are some very large rocks being exposed with rainfall that could fall without warning so please move through these areas quickly.
 
The website and the snow phone are excellent services the club provides to its members and the public as a means of communicating snow and avalanche information. They are updated on a regular basis with web cam pictures refreshing every hour. Please use them as they will give the most up to date information regarding the status of the gorge track and ski field.

George Mason has kindly donated two framed pictures of a very early Mountain House on its present location as a small hut and one looking to the mountain in winter from Pembroke Road during the early stages of clearing felling the land for farming. He also managed to get some great boarding and skiing posters from the Meier Group stand at the recent Mystery Creek field days so they will be a welcome addition to the Lodge walls.
  
Finally we wish one of our Life Members, Bill Brown a speedy recovery after spending a few days in hospital last week getting his heart rate stabilized. Bill comes to the mountain mainly in the summer these days with George Mason and Vern Newell he potters around repairing the track and doing odd jobs around the lodge. We wish you well Bill.
 
Chris Burr.

Upcoming Events…

Sat-Sun 14-15 July
- Taranaki Surf 'n Snow Classic 2007... 
 
Fri-Sat 03-04 August
NZ Mtn Safety Council Avalanche Awareness Course
3 August - Lecture/Seminar - Fitzroy Yacht Club,
4 August - Field Day - Manganui Ski Area

...check out our events page for info

WHAT THE SMC COMMITTEE IS UP TO…

The SMC committee is currently working on…

• Groomer maintenance
• Quad bike maintenance (off mountain)
• Investigation into summer storage of top tow rope
• Gorge track patient evacuation system - sourcing new equipment (Ferno washington)
• use of old rope for top tow get back areas
• flying fox summer upgrade (baskets/towers/brake requirements/operating procedures), with goal of re-certification of flying fox to carry accident patients.
• organisation of basic Ski Patrol/First aid course
• HSE requirements
• further prep for SASP audit this season
• Review of George Mason Charitable Trust grant applicants
• POS purchasing system staff training and installation
• mail out SMC newsletter issue

Images of 2006…

Scotty Bradshaw aka 'Pirate',  top tow

Top tow get on ramp - spring skiing Taranaki style.
photos thanks Mike Reeve

Media & Marketing Contacts

If you have a question regarding marketing or press related issues please contact:

SMC Media/Website
Justin Keenan
webmaster@skitaranaki.co.nz

Contact Us:
ph 06-759 6448 b/h
ph 06 752 7034 a/h
PO Box 3271
New Plymouth

Send Us Your Work

After your visit to Manganui Ski Area, please send us a copy of your finished or any other unused work.  Manganui would appreciate any photos, articles, film/video or other media that you have for our own library and files. 

SNIPPETS OF INTEREST

some info from the Canterbury Snowsports Association (CSA)
June 07 Newsletter
(SMC is affiliated to CSA)

I hope you are looking forward to some putting in some good turns this winter. 
CSA has an updated website which still has some wrinkles to iron out and a new leaflet (flyer card style) and poster promoting the club field experience. These promote our CSA website which we hope will guide potential customers and club members to your Club Ski Area websites www.skisouth.org.nz

Industry news

SNOWSPORTS NZ   (SSNZ)
SSNZ is now recognised by SPARC as the National Body for Snowsports in NZ. This was previously the Snowsports Council.
SSNZ has received considerable support from SPARC for their high performance program supporting Snowboarders and Freeskiers through to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In association with this SSNZ is receiving a great deal of support for the set up of its new governance structure and the National Snowsports Centre in Wanaka which opened last year and offers an opportunity for all the Snow sports disciplines to have offices under one roof and operate in a more integrated fashion.

Jane Clifford, CSA

eg. txt "SNO MAN" to 200 for Manganui's latest snow report.

North Island Ski Field Codes
Manganui SNO MAN
Whakapapa SNO WHA 
Turoa SNO TUR
Tukino  SNO TUK

South Island Ski Field Codes
 
Rainbow SNO RAI
Mt Lyford SNO LYF
Hanmer Springs SNO HAN
Temple Basin SNO TEM
Broken River SNO BRO
Craigieburn SNO CRA
Mt Cheeseman SNO CHE
Porter Heights SNO POR
Mt Olympus SNO OLY
Mt Hutt  SNO HUT
Mt Dobson SNO DOB
Round Hill SNO ROU
Ohau  SNO OHA
Treble Cone SNO TRE
Cardrona SNO CAR
Snowfarm SNO SNF
Snow Park SNO SNP 
The Remarkables SNO REM 
Coronet Peak SNO COR
      
WHAT DOES IT COST?
With Telecom you pay 20c for every text message you receive back. If you are with Vodafone the cost is 50c.
If there is no information for your chosen report you will receive a text message entitled FREE FROM VODAFONE (there is no charge for this text). 

Ruler

Driver X

Moto

SL 9

Modern (Womens)

FEATURE ARTICLE

Burton Snowboard Boots - Speed Zone Lacing

The fastest, the most adjustable, most powerful, and most comfortable lacing system ever, Speed Zone™ boots are in a category all their own. Unlike the other comfort constrictor lacing systems out there, Speed Zone's design makes on-hill, on-the-fly adjustments easier than ever.

Because Speed Zone is so powerful and the laces are so easy to tighten, riders can get more out of their boots – more rebound, better wrap and better response – with less effort.

Best of all, Speed Zone's lacing guides are designed to micro-adjust lace tension while you ride - think of it as an intelligent suspension for boot laces.

Look for Speed Zone on select men's, women's, and kid's boots...

Mens Ruler.
The go-anywhere, destroy-everything Ruler™ is perfect for hauling ass, poaching secret stashes or learning new tricks in the park. The new micro articulating cuff builds off the independent zonal support of Speed Zone™, enabling the upper and lower zones of the boot to flex independently. The resulting natural, kink-free flex equals maximum taipan tweakage without sacrificing cat-like stompability.

Mens Driver X
Blower pow, Alaskan faces or laps through the park and pipe, wherever Terje rides, the Driver X™ excels. For 07 we eliminated weight without compromising the Driver X’s best-in-class comfort, cushioning and traction. Unlike the other comfort-constrictor lacing systems out there, Speed Zone™ lacing offers independent upper and lower zonal lacing control for infinite adjustability and unbelievable comfort.

Mens Moto
Giving both beginners and pros top shelf tech, the Moto™ steps up to the lightning-fast lacing power of Speed Zone™. Unlike every other lacing alternative out there, Speed Zone lets you fine-tune the fit of the upper and lower zones separately. Tight up top, loose down low or run it in reverse, the options are yours.

Mens SL9
Pure and direct. Technologically superior and enhanced with only the finest materials, the SL-9’s innovative ergonomic design and feather weight combine for optimized energy transfer and ultimate board control. Regardless of terrain, ability or style, prepare to ride harder, longer and with more power than ever. The moment of enlightenment occurs when you can’t tell where your setup ends and you begin.

Wmns Modern
With a bang-on fit like your favorite pair of jeans and a look that’s sure to turn heads, the Modern™ is for riders who expect performance that exudes style. Our easy-to-use Speed Zone™ lacing will have you in and out of them as quickly as you want with a fit that’s fine-tuned to your foot. Now if only they had a matching bag.

Locally, Cheapskates/Seasons and Vertigo sell these boots. Head in and try them out - if you have trouble with the fit of your lace-ups then these may be the way to go.
Amiel at Seasons Cheapskates says that the adjustment for upper and lower zones means a more precise fit is achievable, and you gives options of differing levels of fit for the upper and lower zones of the boot.
They vary in price from $300 for the Moto to $850 for the SL9.

Advertising/Sponsorship with SMC

SMC is always open to and interested in advertising or sponsorship from companies, organizations and clubs for winter and summer opportunities. We appreciate any offers for potential sponsors and are always looking for other organisations, companies and clubs that might make a good fit for SMC and our guests.

If your company, organisation or club is interested in submitting a proposal please feel free to submit it to:

e-mail: advertising@skitaranaki.co.nz
Subject: Advertising/ Sponsorship Proposals

If you would like to post a classified advert (buy/sell gear etc), please post it on the 'Garage Sale' page of our website.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK 

Rhys Williams enroute to the SMC volunteer staff training day

Title image supplied by
TNL Graphics

See you on the snow,
SMC Management
© copyright 2007 - Stratford Mountain Club