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Articles de cette pagePolish village transforms itself into a ski resortJeff Carter who? Blue Jackets offer free name change on No. 7 jerseys to Johnson Outdoors Gear: Hooded jacket helps you make the transition from cold to warm weather Polish village transforms itself into a ski resortAjouté le 12/3/2012 Just years ago, winter was a dead season for the Kotelnica Mountain, quiet under a quilt of snow.Today, Kotelnica vibrates with activity from countless ski fans who flock to the new resort, one of Poland's trendiest. The amazing transformation happened in a decade and reflects the inventiveness and spirit of enterprise seen in Poland since a market economy arrived with democracy in 1990. Residents of this 17th century village at the foot of the Tatra mountains in southern Poland were making a modest living on farming and sheep breeding, with some additional funds coming from relatives who had gone, in a long-standing tradition, to the United States for work. Then, in 2000, some 50 farmers put their heads together and started up a joint venture to develop a ski resort, similar to the ones some of them had seen in Austria or Switzerland when Poles were finally allowed to freely travel abroad in the 1990s. "They thought that we should also do something like that, with equal success," said Wladyslaw Piszczek, who is both mayor of the village and president of the ski resort venture. Each member contributed a sum of money, while they also took a 2 million zloty, or $650,000, bank loan and bought an Italian ski lift from another community in Poland that never had it installed. Ten years on, Bialka Tatrzanska, about a 90-minute drive from the Renaissance city of Krakow, is among Poland's leading centers for skiers of all ages and levels, and a favorite family winter sports venue, though less demanding and more modest compared to many Western European resorts. A recent ranking of Poland's ski centers by the Onet.pl Internet portal listed it as the country's second-most-popular ski resort based on quality of slopes and other amenities. In first place was Krynica Gorska, which has been around longer and boasts more challenging slopes. Bialka Tatrzanska has a school employing some 80 instructors who stay busy in their black-and-orange jackets from morning until well after dark. It has six large and nine small ski lifts that take some 15,000 skiers per hour to the top of the Kotelnica and Bania mountain slopes. The longest route is 0.9 mile. A thermal spa, built with a $26 million loan, opened this season, and a second hotel is under construction. All of them have created hundreds of jobs. At the foot of the Kotelnica peak, the village of less than 2,000 residents now thrives on visitors who mostly lodge in private houses, eat at the inns and shop in newly built supermarkets. Some 10,000 tourists can be accommodated at a time. All of Bialka and the entire county live off the ski resort, Piszczek said. Bialka's reputation has spread across Poland's borders, with Russian, Ukrainian, German and even English heard on the slopes, although not much foreign publicity has been done. Vasyl Grib and his friends drove 600 miles from Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine. "It has everything you need: many ski routes, good ski service, restaurants, good accommodation for every pocket," Grib said. "And it is cheaper than in Ukraine or in western Europe." Tags : orange jackets Catégorie : canada goose parka | Commentaires (0) | Ecrire un commentaire |Jeff Carter who? Blue Jackets offer free name change on No. 7 jerseys to JohnsonAjouté le 9/3/2012 The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to help their fans forget about Jeff Carter.With the forward set to make his return to Nationwide Arena on Thursday, the Blue Jackets announced they would change the nameplate on any Carter sweaters brought to the team store by the first intermission. Fans can have "Carter" replaced by "Johnson" free of charge. Defenceman Jack Johnson took Carter's No. 7 after being acquired in a trade for him from Los Angeles last month. Carter's tenure with the Blue Jackets was forgettable. The 27-year-old forward was unhappy when Columbus picked him up in a trade with Philadelphia in June and he battled injury issues while playing for the last-place Jackets before getting shipped out of town. Tags : Blue Jackets Catégorie : canada goose parka | Commentaires (0) | Ecrire un commentaire |Outdoors Gear: Hooded jacket helps you make the transition from cold to warm weatherAjouté le 8/3/2012 Transitioning from winter to spring can be challenging for running jackets. You want full-weather protection whether it rains, but also need lightweight gear when the temperatures begin to rise. The Women's Effusion Hooded Jacket from Mountain Hardwear is a good bet. It's a lightweight three-layer knit made with the company's DryQ Active Technology, which is fully waterproof with taped seams and a water-repelling finish - sure to keep you dry on the wettest days.It's also cut for performance, with a close fit, long back and stretchy fabric for ultimate flexibility. It has a full zip-up front that includes a draft flap for ventilation. The jacket is ideal for outdoor activities. It has a hood that stays up and keeps the wind out while running, a high-visibility reflective print for night safety and two pockets: one rear zip pocket for essentials and an interior pocket for a portable music player that also has an opening for headphones. And when you're done with the jacket, it's lightweight and portable enough to carry without a hassle. Available in sizes XS to XL and in colors orange, blue, black and gray. Tags : running jackets Catégorie : canada goose jackets | Commentaires (0) | Ecrire un commentaire | |
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