Skiers Celebrate 10 Years of Paradiski

Back on 20th December 2003, around 425km of new pistes were unveiled to the public for the first-time and the world's largest cable car was opened, linking the stunning resorts of La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry and Les Arcs, which includes the stunning and popular Les Arcs 2000.

We are of course talking about Paradiski, one of the largest skiing regions in the world. No matter whether you are an annual visitor or are completely new to the complex, the 2013/14 winter ski season is the must-visit time to be there.

The beauty of the forests and the stunning ski conditions will be at Paradiski as per usual, but this season, with the region's tenth birthday just around the corner, skiers and snowboarders will be wowed by some of the events that will be on show in the area.

Before we discuss the highlights that organisers will be putting on to commemorate this anniversary, we should emphasise the importance of booking your accommodation nice and early, as a mass influx of holidaymakers is expected around the 20th December mark. Most travel guides and experts suggest staying at large resorts in the Paradiski area as they are more likely to have more rooms left.

One such example is Les Arcs 2000, which is situated in the heart of the Paradiski area and is home to an array of luxurious ski chalets. The Les Arcs 2000 resort not only has lots of great accommodation but is also family-friendly and has a well-renowned ski school for beginners and children to attend.

After you have booked up your accommodation, you can look forward to enjoying the 10-year birthday celebrations of Paradiski, with organisers arranging for the world-class artist, Jean-Charles De Castelbajac, to beautify its two double-decker cable cars for the entire winter season.

Another highlight will be the Paradiski Gravity event, which begins on 16th December 2013. This event will see two of the world's best "highliners" in Julien Millot and Tancrede Melet negotiate a high altitude slack line which will be strung between the two cable cars of the Vanoise Express at 380m high. It really is set to be an extraordinary event.

The Paradiski celebrations in December will be incredible and, with the region being so easy to travel to as well, there is no excuse for all you skiers and snowboarders not to go this year. Flights to Les Arcs 2000, for example, depart from virtually all major UK airports, including Heathrow, the East Midlands and Bristol.

Ski or Snowboard for Free This Winter

Ski or snowboard for free? You must think that there is some sort of catch with this idea, but ski and snowboard retailers will be trying out their latest equipment in the early season, giving skiers and snowboarders alike the opportunity to test it for them absolutely free.

The majority of manufacturers will pay for your flights, too, leaving you to just choose the chalet of your choice. This offer is superb, as not only do skiers and snowboarders get to go on the slopes for significantly less than usual, but they also get to test out the very latest winter equipment.

The majority of winter retailers will also let you bring your family along, although you will have to pay for them. This, however, gives you the option to make a family holiday out of the trip for much less than you would normally expect to pay.

Companies conduct these tests throughout resorts across Europe because it not only allows them to market their new goods but also to receive feedback from their target customers.

The tests for the 2013/14 season have already begun, but don't panic, as there are more testing events planned for the rest of the year. Below are the dates and the resorts at which these tests will be taking place.

Saas Fee

At Saas Fee in Switzerland, until the end of November, 13 of the top ski and 12 of the top snowboard manufacturers will be testing their latest equipment.

Based in the Allalin region of Saas Fee, people will be asked to test out the latest skis and snowboards of these companies on the slopes here, as well as in the region's snow park.

St Anton

Between December 6th and 8th, the resort of St Anton in Austria will kick off the new winter season with its annual "Country Meets Snow" festival.

The festival is a mix of American music and ski testing, with 20 of the top winter manufacturers getting skiers and snowboarders to test their latest gear.

If this free testing was not enough, families will be able to enjoy an array of music from a range of Country Star Award nominees who will be entertaining the crowds.

Tignes

Until December 22nd, the Ski and Board Camp at Tignes in France will be offering the public free testing of the newest ski and snowboarding equipment from all the best winter companies.

The camp is now in its seventh year and has leading manufacturers such as Head, Capita, Lib Tech, Rossignol and Scott all showcasing their latest equipment. Skiers and boarders will be able to test the gear completely free of charge, so once you have booked up your chalet, make sure you take advantage of the chance to test out all the newest winter season equipment.