Early Winter Wonderland! The Wilder Kaiser-Brixental Ski World Kicks off the Winter Skiing Season This Weekend!
Winter has Begun: Even Some of the Lower Runs are Already Open!
Great news for all winter sports fans: this coming weekend (Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November) the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental in Tyrol starts the winter skiing season. Around 40 lift systems are waiting for snow-hungry winter sports fans – along with outstanding piste conditions.
The snow gods have really made an effort this year. The precipitation over the last few days together with the freezing temperatures mean that the first winter sports fans will find optimal piste conditions – a number of connections between runs and a few of the lower runs down to the valley are already open. Initially the facilities will only be open during this coming the weekend, with full operations commencing with the official start of the season on Saturday 6th December.
An early highlight this winter will be the well loved SkiOpening from 12th to 14th December. Ski tests with a diverse range of brands provide the perfect opportunity to explore the Skiwelt’s new pistes and courses. A public favourite is the floodlit parallel-slalom on Friday (12th December), in which everyone can test their form in race conditions. There will also be music as part of the evening programme (free entry!). On Friday the “Jungen Zillertalern” will provide a taste of genuine Tyrolean folk music and on Saturday there will be rocking party sounds courtesy of “Frontal” and the “Hermes House Band”.
Current information about lifts and ski runs can be found at http://www.skiwelt.at
SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental is the largest area of connected ski runs in Austria. It has 91 lifts and over 279 kilometres of ski runs of all colours, the majority of which have modern snow-cannon facilities (including all grades of difficulty, with 210 kilometres of piste that can be furnished with artificial snow, 11 km can be made ready for skiing within just 3 days).
ECA Calls for Full Club Involvement in EU Initiatives on Football Governance
In a frank speech delivered today at the EU Sport Forum in Biarritz, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), called on the EU to ensure that football clubs were included at the very heart of all decision-making in establishing guidelines and frameworks designed to improve governance and fair play in professional football.
“Consultation alone is not enough,” stated Rummenigge. “Decisions with a direct influence on clubs, their management, employees and fans need to be discussed and sanctioned by those stakeholders.”
Rummenigge questioned certain decisions taken in the past without proper consultation as having had an extremely negative consequence on football in general and clubs in particular. The Bosman ruling had some negative effect causing salary inflation, spiraling transfer fees and other practices which have undermined financial soundness in the game.
He went on to pledge ECA’s commitment to work with the football family to help set the sport back on a sound footing, based on solid investment over the longer term and on healthy competition, and pointed out the Professional Football Strategy Council as doing excellent work in the governance of football.
ECA
The European Club Association is the sole, independent body representing football clubs at European level, and takes its place at the high table of European football along with UEFA, and official bodies representing players and the leagues.
The formation of ECA marks an end to disharmony in the European football family, and clears the way for the collaboration of all parties in building the future of the game in Europe. Through ECA, and for the first time in some years, clubs now have a powerful voice in decision-making that shapes the future of professional football in Europe.
ECA replaces the G-14 group and the European Club Forum both dissolved early in 2008 and is fully recognized by UEFA and FIFA. ECA is committed to play a major and constructive role in helping shape the future of football, for the benefit of all concerned with the game.
ECA – LEADING THE WAY FOR FOOTBALL CLUBS IN EUROPE
Wounded Warriors to Visit Army-Navy Game
The Philadelphia Council of the Navy League is hosting service men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan at the Army/Navy Game on December 6 at Wachovia Stadium.
Soldiers, sailors, Marines and their caregivers from Bethesda Naval, Walter Reed and Fort Meade military hospitals will be arriving in the morning for a “Welcome Wounded Warriors Day of Appreciation” on buses provided by the Philadelphia Council. The buses will be escorted to the stadium from the Delaware state line by the “Gathering of Eagles” motorcycle club. A post-game reception will be held at the Stadium Holiday Inn before the patients return to their hospitals
The project is being funded by contributions and the League is actively soliciting individual and corporate donors. Contributions can be made online to support this effort at www.navyleaguephilly.org. For information about corporate sponsorships, contact Fran O’Brien at 215-704-4319 or fobrien@navyleaguephilly.org.
The Welcome Wounded Warriors project is one of three activities of Operation Liberty sponsored by the League. The other two activities, which the League is also seeking donations, are:
- Shut Out Bowl – The USNL also will provide tickets for the crew of the Navy ships that will be in Philadelphia that weekend, for Marines, sailors and soldiers stationed in the area, and for wounded andecovering veterans who live in the Philadelphia area. For sailors on the visiting ships who are unable to attend the game, we will again host our “Shut Out Bowl.” Big screen TVs and good food will provide the “shut outs” with an opportunity to view the game in a fun Philadelphia setting. This year’s event will be held at The Fox and Hound at 15th and Spruce in center city Philadelphia.
- Navy Futures Program – Representatives of the US Naval Academy and the Navy Recruiting District will hold a Naval Academy – NROTC information event for targeted local high school students and their parents. The vent will take place at the Independence Seaport Museum before the game.
For more information on last minute details, arrival times for the service men and woman or to arrange advance coverage, please contact Terry Williamson at 215-576-5930 or terrywl@comcast.net.
Source: The Philadelphia Council of the Navy League