History

1993 - CHAMPÉRY (CH)

Champéry is a municipality in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At an altitude of approximately 1050 meters, nestled at the base of the Dents du Midi and the Dents Blanches, at the end of the Vallée d’Illiez, sits the idyllic village of Champéry. This typical Swiss mountain village in the heart of the immense French-Swiss recreational area called Les Portes du Soleil is the perfect home-away-from-home from which to explore the surrounding regions. Here, sports enthusiasts enjoy an endless range of activities, while leisure-seekers can just rest and soak up the cosy atmosphere.

The Champéry – Planachaux cable-car (125 passengers) and the new 6 seater chairlift in Grand-Paradis will whisk you away to an altitude of 2000 metres in just under 5 minutes, depositing you right on the doorstep of the immense Portes du Soleil recreational area. With 194 ski lifts and over 650 km of ski slopes, this is the largest international ski area in the world. The Portes du Soleil isn’t just skiing, however. Numerous other activities include cross-country skiing, winter walks, paragliding or snowshoeing. Finally, after an eventful day, there is nothing better than a delicious fondue and a chilled glass of white wine in one of the many traditional restaurants in and around Champéry. Night owls who still have the energy after a hard day on the slopes can prolong the fun into the wee hours at the many local bars and discos.

The meeting was held here at the end of March 1993 at the Hotel Suisse.

1994 - MÉRIBEL (FR)

Méribel is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps, situated near the town of Moutiers. Méribel refers to three neighbouring villages in the Les Allues commune of the Savoie département of France, near the town of Moûtiers, called Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret and Méribel Village. The villages are within the Vanoise National Park and a part of the Les Trois Vallées interlinked ski system.

Méribel Les Allues is a ski resort that was developed adjacent to the traditional hamlet of Morel, with its centre situated at about 1400 metres above sea level. The original skiing development was promoted by British Colonel Peter Lindsay, who spotted the potential of the valley in 1938; his family continue to have a financial stake and his grandchildren now ski in Meribel. Peter Lindsay’s ashes and those of his wife are scattered on the Burgin mountain. Under his guidance the resort was developed in a “traditional” chalet style.

Méribel was home to the 1992 Winter Olympics (Albertville). It hosted the ice hockey and the women’s alpine skiing events. Until 2011, Méribel was the host to the acclaimed Altitude Festival, with prestigious acts such as KT Tunstall, Marcus Brigstocke and Omid Dijalili performing in the bars and nightclubs around the resort. For 2011, it has been announced that the festival will be moved to Austria, with the organiser Richard Letts citing a reduction in support from the Meribel Tourist Office.

The ski resort is part of the Trois Vallées ski area. The Three Vallees area comprises 180 lifts, 335 Marked Runs (over 600 kilometres) and over 130 km of Cross Country Tracks. The Three Vallees was expanded about ten years ago to incorporate a fourth valley, though the area kept the name 3 Vallees. The area comprises the resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Les Menuires-Saint Martin, Val Thorens and Orelle

Meribel resort offers a broad range of holiday accommodation from large tour operators to more personal independent chalet companies.

The resort comprises the sub villages of Meribel-Mottaret, at an altitude of 1750m towards the head of the Allues valley, and Méribel Village at 1400m on the road to Courchevel

The meeting was held here at the end of January 1994 at the Hotel La Chaudanne.

1995 - SESTRIÈRES (IT)

Sestriere (French: Sestrières) is an alpine village in Italy, a comune (municipality) of the Province of Turin. It is 17 km (11 miles) from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin.  Sestriere is a popular skiing resort; during the winter holidays the population goes up to about 20,000 people. Together with the villages of Pragelato, Claviere, Sauze d’Oulx, Cesana Torinese and San Sicario, and Montgenèvre in France, it makes up the Via Lattea (Milky Way) skiing area. Sestriere is connected to 146 skiable pistes, for a total of up to 400 km of trails, of which 120 are provided with artificial snow. Sestriere is also one of the few facilities where it is possible to ski at night on a floodlit run.  It regularly hosts FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events, and it hosted the FIS World Championships in 1997, and the IPC World Championships in 2011. It was a main venue during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games and the 2006 Winter Paralympics, hosting all the men’s alpine skiing competitions and being the site of one of the three Olympic Villages.  In the summertime it is possible to play golf on Europe’s highest 18-hole course.  The meeting was held here at the end of January 1995 at the Hotel Principe di Piemonte.

1996 - ZÜRS (AT)
Zürs (1717m) at the Flexenpass is a ski resort consisting of only a couple of (mostly luxurious) hotels in Vorarlberg, Austria. Zürs is part of the Arlberg ski region and famous for its skiing, especially its backcountry skiing and its Olympic skiing champions. Zürs can be reached by car over a road which is rarely closed in winter (if so, mostly due to avalanche risk after a big dump of fresh snow). About four km north of Zürs is Lech am Arlberg, also a ski resort which is linked to Zürs not only via road but also via lifts and pistes.

Zürs has its own biomass district heating, making the village completely independent of fossil fuels.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 1996 at the Hotel Albona Nova.

1997 - ZERMATT (CH)

Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants.

The village is situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft), at the feet of Switzerland’s highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) from the over 3,300 metres high Theodul Pass bordering Italy.

Zermatt is known throughout the world for its skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously throughout the summer.

Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas; Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy.

In 2008, Zermatt hosted an ‘Infinity Downhill Race’. The race took place on the 13 and 14 December and comprised a course descending from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3,800 m (12,500 ft)) and finished in Zermatt itself (1,600 m (5,200 ft)). The course was 20 km long and featured a 2,200 m descent.

Sunnegga

The Sunnegga Paradise is accessed via a funicular railway, followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3,103m) above. The topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt is submerged in cloud.

From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from there a connecting cablecar goes to Hohtälli. This cable car and the newer 4-seat chairlift Sunnegga-Findeln-Breitboden provide connections between Sunnegga and Gornergrat. With few steep slopes, this mountain is often used to train younger skiers.

Gornergrat

The Gornergrat is served by the Gornergratbahn railway, a 29 minute ride to the Gornergrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above the town). At the summit, the hotel and restaurant have been refurbished and accommodate a shopping centre.

A cable car heads up from Hohtälli to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). This final lift serves a freeride area but can be unreliable as this mountainside requires high snow cover to be skiable. The lifts in this area generally open for the season in late February or early March, cablecar is now permanently closed, with no replacement lift planned. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to Kellensee just under the Gornergrat replaced this lift to maintain the link from the Rothorn to Gornergrat.

Klein Matterhorn / Schwarzsee

Near the southern end of Zermatt, the Matterhorn Express gondola transports passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here there is access to the Schwarzsee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg midstation (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn), and a new gondola, opened on 18 December 2006, links Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through the village between the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town.

Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodulpass serves as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is only reachable by skilift, but from the Italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. There are customs offices here as well as a small alpine museum.

Zermatt is marketed as an all year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodulgletscher behind the Klein Matterhorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will only tend to be one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July.

In operation since 25 October 2003, the Furggsattel six-seater chairlift has twelve (of eighteen) masts that stand directly on the glacial ice of the Theodulgletscher – a first for Switzerland. It is one of very few lifts worldwide with bottom- and top-station in different countries, respectively Switzerland and Italy.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 1997 at the Christiania Hotel.

1998 - ST. MORITZ (CH)
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The highest summit in the Eastern Alps, the Piz Bernina, lies a few kilometres south of the town.

St. Moritz has been the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics. It also hosted the 1934, 1974 and 2003 Alpine Skiing World Championships.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 1998 at the Monopol Hotel.

1999 - AROSA (CH)

Arosa is a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is known for being both a summer and a winter resort.  The meeting was held here at the end of January 1999 at the Kulm Hotel.

2000 - CHAMPÉRY (CH)

Champéry is a municipality in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At an altitude of approximately 1050 meters, nestled at the base of the Dents du Midi and the Dents Blanches, at the end of the Vallée d’Illiez, sits the idyllic village of Champéry. This typical Swiss mountain village in the heart of the immense French-Swiss recreational area called Les Portes du Soleil is the perfect home-away-from-home from which to explore the surrounding regions. Here, sports enthusiasts enjoy an endless range of activities, while leisure-seekers can just rest and soak up the cosy atmosphere.

The Champéry – Planachaux cable-car (125 passengers) and the new 6 seater chairlift in Grand-Paradis will whisk you away to an altitude of 2000 metres in just under 5 minutes, depositing you right on the doorstep of the immense Portes du Soleil recreational area. With 194 ski lifts and over 650 km of ski slopes, this is the largest international ski area in the world. The Portes du Soleil isn’t just skiing, however. Numerous other activities include cross-country skiing, winter walks, paragliding or snowshoeing. Finally, after an eventful day, there is nothing better than a delicious fondue and a chilled glass of white wine in one of the many traditional restaurants in and around Champéry. Night owls who still have the energy after a hard day on the slopes can prolong the fun into the wee hours at the many local bars and discos.

The meeting was held here at the end of March 2000 at the Golden Tulip Hotel Suisse.

2001 - ZERMATT (CH)
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants.

The village is situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft), at the feet of Switzerland’s highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) from the over 3,300 metres high Theodul Pass bordering Italy.

Zermatt is known throughout the world for its skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously throughout the summer.

Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas; Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy.

In 2008, Zermatt hosted an ‘Infinity Downhill Race’. The race took place on the 13 and 14 December and comprised a course descending from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3,800 m (12,500 ft)) and finished in Zermatt itself (1,600 m (5,200 ft)). The course was 20 km long and featured a 2,200 m descent.

Sunnegga

The Sunnegga Paradise is accessed via a funicular railway, followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3,103m) above. The topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt is submerged in cloud.

From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from there a connecting cablecar goes to Hohtälli. This cable car and the newer 4-seat chairlift Sunnegga-Findeln-Breitboden provide connections between Sunnegga and Gornergrat. With few steep slopes, this mountain is often used to train younger skiers.

Gornergrat

The Gornergrat is served by the Gornergratbahn railway, a 29 minute ride to the Gornergrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above the town). At the summit, the hotel and restaurant have been refurbished and accommodate a shopping centre.

A cable car heads up from Hohtälli to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). This final lift serves a freeride area but can be unreliable as this mountainside requires high snow cover to be skiable. The lifts in this area generally open for the season in late February or early March, cablecar is now permanently closed, with no replacement lift planned. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to Kellensee just under the Gornergrat replaced this lift to maintain the link from the Rothorn to Gornergrat.

Klein Matterhorn / Schwarzsee

Near the southern end of Zermatt, the Matterhorn Express gondola transports passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here there is access to the Schwarzsee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg midstation (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn), and a new gondola, opened on 18 December 2006, links Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through the village between the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town.

Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodulpass serves as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is only reachable by skilift, but from the Italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. There are customs offices here as well as a small alpine museum.

Zermatt is marketed as an all year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodulgletscher behind the Klein Matterhorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will only tend to be one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July.

In operation since 25 October 2003, the Furggsattel six-seater chairlift has twelve (of eighteen) masts that stand directly on the glacial ice of the Theodulgletscher – a first for Switzerland. It is one of very few lifts worldwide with bottom- and top-station in different countries, respectively Switzerland and Italy.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2001 at the Christiania Hotel.

2002 - LECH (AT)

Lech am Arlberg (1,444m) is a mountain village (population: 1635, 30 June 2010) and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, in western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In terms of both geography and history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district. In tourist terms, however, it is part of the Arlberg region.

Lech is best known for its skiing (both on-piste and off-piste). It is well connected via mechanical lifts and groomed pistes with the neighbouring villages of Zürs, St Christof, St. Anton and Stuben – together they form the Arlberg region, the birth place of the modern Alpine skiing technique and the seat of the Ski Club Arlberg. Lech is also the starting and finishing point for “Der Weisse Ring” (“The White Ring”), a circle of runs and lifts that is a popular tour and the scene of an annual race involving both experts and others.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2002 at the Hotel Berghof.

2003 - VAL D ISÈRE (FR)

Val-d’Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department (Rhône-Alpes region) in south-eastern France. It lies 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men’s downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter Olympics. Other alpine skiing events held during those games included men’s giant slalom and alpine combined. Val-d’Isère hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2003 at the Hotel Christiania.

2004 - ST. MORITZ (CH)

St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The highest summit in the Eastern Alps, the Piz Bernina, lies a few kilometres south of the town.

St. Moritz has been the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics. It also hosted the 1934, 1974 and 2003 Alpine Skiing World Championships.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2004 at the Hotel Crystal.

2005 - BAQUEIRA (ES)

Baqueira – Beret is the largest Winter resort in the Spanish Pyrenees, with 110km of marked pistes and 7km of cross-country ski and 1.922 hectares of ski area. It is located in the highest part of the Aran Valley (Naut Arán), and Pallars Sobirá (Valls d’Aneu). It has long and wide ski runs some through trees. It is divided into three different zones, Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua. The resort of Baqueira Beret, due to its westerly aspect, has a good snow record throughout the winter. In addition is more than 1,000 meters vertical drop and an extensive skiable zone which makes it one of best ski resorts of Spain. It is the favourite of the Spanish Royal Family.

Much of the region of the Aran Valley and Pallars Sobirá is made up of over 50 small rural populations, each one with stone and wood houses and ancient Romanesque churches. The resort was founded 60 years ago on the initiative of the local authorities in the Aran Valley. A group of people commanded by Jorge Jordana Pozas, Jesús Serra Santamanas and Luis Arias (after whom a slope is named after he died in a dramatic accident) founded the ski resort in the municipality of Naut given the good snow conditions found there. Baqueira-Beret, with over 110 kilometers of ski runs, is the most visited and extensive station on the Iberian Peninsula.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2005 at the Rafael Hoteles La Pleta.

2006 - WOLKENSTEIN (IT)
Selva Gardena (or Wolenstein, as it is called in German), which lies at an altitude of 1,563 m above sea level, is one of the leading ski resort in the Alps. It is ideal for winter sports and for mountain hikers. Its location is magnificent, at the foot of the majestic Sella Massif and connected to the Sella Ronda.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2006 at the Hotel Antares.

2007 - COURCHEVEL (FR)

Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world. Courchevel also refers to the towns of Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), and Courchevel 1850, which are named for their altitudes in metres. They are situated on the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise. The highest point in Courchevel 1850 is in fact only 1747 meters, the name was chosen for marketing reasons to compete with arch rivals Val d’Isère.

The meeting was held here at the end of January 2007 at the Alpes Hotel du Pralong.

2008 - KITZBÜHEL (AT)

2008 IPSKI was held in the Austrian Alps in the then serene village of Kitzbühel lying at the base of the Hahnenkamm (1712m, one of the worlds toughest downhill races are held here every year) and the horn (1996m). The village having roughly 8,500 inhabitants swells up during winter and summer season to accommodate huge amounts of tourists such that for the Hahnenkammrace up to 100.000 people are reported.

Skiing in the Kitzbühel ski area features some 148 km of slopes and 55 state-of-the-art gondolas and lifts. 77 km of cross-country skiing tracks. 170 km of winter hiking trails. Kitzbühel sports park sports a curling training center, an ice hall and a climbing hall. The conjoined region of Kirchberg in Tirol, Jochberg and Pass Thurn, all skiable on the same liftpass is one of Austrias biggest skiresorts.

2009 - ASPEN (USA)

The 2009 IPSKI program was held in Aspen, Colorado from February 7-13, 2009 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspen,_Colorado). Aspen has four mountains, one of which is in the town of Aspen and the other three a short free bus ride away; all are above 2500 m with a max height of 3500 m. A booking had been made at the brand new Limelight Lodge (www.limelightlodge.com) in the town of Aspen, walking distance to the lifts, restaurants and shopping. Aspen can be reached conveniently by air with direct flights from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles. However, the airport is small and weather can be problematic, so another alternative with a bigger airport is the Eagle Vail airport about 2 hour bus ride away.

2010 - FLIMS (CH)

The 2010 IPSKI meeting was held in Flims (Waldhaus), Switzerland from January 30 to February 6, 2010.

Flims (elevation: 1,100 meters/3,600 feet) is part of the Laax-Flims-Falera ski region, boasting the largest connected skiing area in the canton of Graubünden encompassing 220 km of runs for all types of skiers (86 km being black or unprepared) and snowboarders with a maximum elevation of 3,100 metres/10,170 feet (Vorab glacier). An excursion was made to the ski region of Lenzerheide with a skiing area of 170 km (maximum height: 2,865 metres/9,400 feet: Rothorn summit) that is linked to the resorts of Valbella, Parpan and Churwalden. Laax and Lenzerheide have acted as venues in the ski world cup and the world snowboard championships.

A booking had been made at the four star Hotel Adula which is within walking distance to the lifts, restaurants and shopping and also has a ski bus. The hotel has excellent wellness, spa and fitness facilities and three restaurants featuring French and regional cuisine that have won GaultMillau awards.

2011 - SAALBACH (AT)

The 2011 IPSKI meeting was held in Saalbach, Austria from January 22 29, 2011 at the Hotel Alpenhotel

Saalbach is one of Austria’s premier ski resorts, offering a wide range of runs, extensive off piste, and an excellent snow record. Skiing can be found on both sides of the valley. The runs on the north side of the valley (south-facing side) tend to be preferred by visitors due to their sunny weather. The pistes on the south side of the valley (north-facing side) are normally in the shade, so have better snow cover, particularly in late season, as well as more trees. Much of the off piste skiing is found on the north side, where thigh-deep, untouched powder can be found only metres from many of the pistes. There is a small snowpark in Hinterglemm, but experienced snowboarders and skiers prefer to head to the snowpark in the adjacent valley in Leogang, which boasts superior kickers, as well as rails and jibs. Saalbach-Hinterglemm also features 6 and 8-man chairlifts with heated seats and retractable covers for use in bad weather.

2012 - CHAMONIX (FR)

The 2012 IPSKI meeting was held in Chamonix, France from January 22 to 29, 2012 at the hotel du Jeu de Paume

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics. The commune’s population of around 9,800 ranks 865th within the country of France.

Situated near the massive peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges, Chamonix shares the summit of Mont Blanc with its neighboring commune of Courmayeur in Italy, and owns the title of highest commune in France. The commune is well known and loved by skiers and by mountain enthusiasts of all types. Mont Blanc, with a summit elevation of 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level, is the third most visited natural site in the world. With an area of 245 km2 (95 sq mi), Chamonix is the fourth largest commune in mainland France.

2013 - CORVARA (IT)

The 2013 IPSKI meeting was held in Corvara, Italy from January 26 to February 2, 2013 at the Sporthotel Panorama. It was organized by Livia and Vera.

Corvara is a skiing resort in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 40 kilometres east of Bolzano. Corvara is the main center of Alta Badia, a prestigious tourist area located at the top end of the Val Badia, surrounded by the peaks of the Dolomites mountains.

On one day, the group was skiing in Cortina.

2014 - BULGARIA

The 2014 IPSKI meeting was held in Bransko and Borovetz, Bulgaria from February 1 to 8, 2014. It was the first time in IPSKI history that the meeting took place in two resorts. The meeting was organized by Elena and Ward Miller.

There was a seamless room to room transfer with a stop at one of Bulgaria´s most significant cultural attractions on the way, Rila Monastery. Further cultural excursions have been offered to those more interested in culture than skiing (old center of Bankso and the Dobarsko church; Plovdiv; Tsarska Bistritsa).

In Bransko the group stayed in the Kempinski Hotel. In Borovetz the group stayed in the Yastrebetz Hotel.

Bansko is a popular ski resort in Bulgaria. It is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 927 m above sea level. Bansko has hosted FIS World Cup alpine ski races: the women raced in 2009 in two downhills and a super G. The men´s circuit made its first stop at Bansko in 2011 with a super combined and a slalom. It hosted the men´s giant slalom in February 2012 and the FIS World Cup ladies´ downhill and super G, and men´s giant slalom and slalom.

Borovets is a popular Bulgarian mountain resort situated in Sofia Province, on the northern slopes of Rila, at an altitude of 1350 m.

2015 - REVELSTOKE

The 2015 IPSKI meeting was held in Revelstoke, Canada, from 31 January to 7 February. It was the first time in IPSKI history that the meeting took place in Canada. The meeting was organized by France Côté together with her team.

We stayed in the Sutton Place Hotel next to the slopes and had possibility to ski-out ski-in possibility. This provided us a possibility have lunch at the hospitality suite.

Revelstoke is a small skiing resort with huge opportunities. The slopes and off-piste areas are served by three lifts. Even if they have only three lifts they have over 50 runs with a possibility to ski 1700 meters of vertical at once. Some of the runs are very steep and most of them are not groomed on daily basis. Thus, the skiing on the slopes is quite different when compared to European resorts. In addition to the slopes Revelstoke has excellent lift served off-piste areas and possibility to try heli or cat skiing.

The weather was not perfect as it had rained week before and rained also on Friday. The race had to be cancelled because of the conditions. However, as it snows practically every day we were able to find some fresh tracks. Particularly those who booked early tracks package with a breakfast at the middle station station lodge could enjoy the fresh snow.

2016 - ZERMATT

The 2016 IPSKI meeting was held in Zermatt, Switzerland, from 30 January to 6 February. It was the third time in IPSKI history that the meeting took place in Zermatt. The meeting was organized by Jochen Höhfeld and Caroline Casalonga.

We stayed in the Europe Hotel and Spa, which is within walking distance from most of the slopes.

Revelstoke is one of the large skiing resorts in the Alps and has an access to Italy. Some of the members arrived skiing from the Italian side. Klein Matterhorn is the highest cable car served mountain in the Alps and provides one of the highest skiable vertical drops in the Alps. Zermatt event was the first one where the off-piste group had a mountain guide for the whole week. One of the off-piste excursions included ascent of Breithorn, which is the first over 4000 meter high mountain in the IPSKI history. After the meeting some of the members stayed an additional day and had an adventurous heliski excursion at Monte Rosa.

Winter 2015-2016 is remembered for very poor snow conditions. Luckily the skiing in Zermatt is above 1500 meters and the condition of the slopes was quite ok. It is easy to say that we were a bit lucky with the choice of venue. Instead of snowfalls we enjoyed sun and pleasant weather on most of the days.

2017 - LECH

The 2017 IPSKI meeting was held in Lech, Austria, from 21 January to 28 January. It was second time in IPSKI history that the meeting took place in Lech and in hotel Berghof, which is located very close to the slopes. The meeting was organized by Rainer Beetz and Marc Keschmann.

Lech is part of one of the biggest skiing resorts in Austria. Besides Lech, we skied also in St. Anton, Warth, Zürs and Stuben. We divided into five groups and this year was the first when we had two off-piste groups. The sportier group was looking for fresh snow using their touring equipment. This year the snow conditions were better and the guides were able find fresh snow. The slopes were in excellent condition and everybody enjoyed skiing Warth area where they have only natural snow. Good snow conditions combined with the perfect sunshine made us smile.

2018 - VAL D'ISERE

IPSKI 2018 took place in Val D’Isere from the 27th of January to the 3rd of February 2018. The meeting was organised by Vera Moll, Caroline Casalonga and Luis-Alfonso Durán.

It took place in the beautiful hotel Le Yule, located just in front of the lifts and was attended by 27 members and invited guests. We enjoyed plenty of snow and very good weather.

This was the second time that IPSKI organised an event in Val D’Isere.

2019 - CORVARA

The 2019 IPSKI meeting was held in Corvara (Dolomites), Italy, from January 26 to February 2. It was the second time of the group in Corvara, enjoying the wonderful ski area and mountains. We stayed again at the Sporthotel Panorama, close to the village and directly connected with the slopes and chairlifts. The meeting was organized by Vera Moll and Livia Pasqualigo, and had a participation of members and guests of 30 people. A great week of skiing in the Sellaronda circuits, with beautiful landscapes, excellent food and wines, and a warm hospitality.

2020 - JAPAN

IPSKI held its first meeting in Japan from 8 to 15 February 2020, just before the covid pandemic.

The meeting was organised by David Griffith with great support from Andrea Fleuchaus.

The new Skye Niseko Hotel in Hirafu village, Niseko, was a perfect ski in and ski out venue.

An excellent attendance of 41 members and guests enjoyed the wonderful hospitality and snow provided in Hokkaido.

We had 2 ski excursion days, to Rusutsu and Kiroro resorts which added nice variety as well as a sightseeing opportunity for our group.

The ski races were not held at the meeting due to the difficulty in organising races in Niseko.

The off piste group had a challenging excursion to climb and ski Mt Yotei which is a volcanic iconic mountain of Hokkaido.

Whilst we were coming to the end of the week, the first outbreaks of the coronavirus were emerging. Japan and many other countries closed their borders shortly thereafter.

2021 - COVID

The 2021 IPSKI meeting in Ischgl, Austria was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. It was rescheduled for 2022.

2022 - ISCHGL

The 2022 IPSKI meeting was held in Ischgl, Austria, from January 22 to January 28. It was the first time in the history of IPSKI that the meeting was held in Ischgl. We stayed at the Hotel Madlein, which is connected by a tunnel and escalators to the slopes and the gondola. The meeting was organized by Florian Heim and Miko Piironen.

Unfortunately, only a few members (11) could participate due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. Therefore, there were only two groups on the slopes. However, those who were able to attend enjoyed a great week of skiing, including a horse-drawn sleigh ride to Mathon and a memorable evening in a mountain hut followed by a sleigh ride back to the village.

2023 - MÉRIBEL

The 2023 IPSKI meeting was held in Méribel, France, from January 21 through January 28. Méribel is located in the central valley of the skiing resort Les Trois Vallées. Les Trois Vallées is the largest skiing resort in the world with more than 600 km of pistes. It was the second time that the IPSKI meeting was held in Méribel (after 1994), and the third time that it took place in Les Trois Vallées (after Courchevel in 2007).

The group stayed in the wonderful hotel La Chaudanne at Méribel Centre, next to where most of the lifts start towards the neighbouring valleys (Courchevel and Val Thorens/Les Menuires, respectively). The meeting was organized by Dominique Pomerleau and Jochen Höhfeld and had a participation of members and guests of 32 people. A lot of snow fell during the week before the meeting started, whereas it was very cold and sunny during the IPSKI week, so that everyone could enjoy perfect sun and powder throughout the week.