The very last entry in the FIS international calendar for the 2009/2010 season entails two men's Snowboard races in Shemshak, Iran, on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The second to last event on the calendar was the traditional Fossavatn Cross-Country ski marathon that was held in Isafjördur in Iceland on 1st May. The race victory went to Markus Jönsson (SWE). It was the end of a very good season for Jönsson as he also finished ninth in the Vasaloppet and was 11 minutes faster than his closest challenger Norway's Sindre Høgset on Saturday's 50 km on the Icelandic snow. Last year's winner Oskar Svärd and ladies' top favorite Sandra Hansson did not arrive in Iceland due to volcanic ashes. American Mary Beth Tuttle claimed the ladies' victory.

Generally, the Northern hemisphere's ski season is continuing to wind down although Mother Nature seems to have missed the message that spring is almost over, as it's still snowing in many high-level ski areas. Meanwhile in the southern hemisphere, there are increasing signs that winter is not far away.

Temperatures have been falling again in France and heavy snowfalls are expected in the Pyrenees over the next days. Four leading resorts in Savoie and Haute Savoie are open for a final weekend, closing on Monday, 9th May (Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Orelle and Val Thorens and Tignes, which has been open for eight months since last September). Three resorts - Val d'Isere, Tignes and Les 2 Alpes - will re-open for a couple of months in the latter half of June for summer skiing and boarding.

Three ski resorts are still open in Italy, Cervinia and Gressoney and the Presena glacier above Passo Tonale. In Switzerland, it's snowed heavily at still open Engelberg. Zermatt, too, remains open and the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz. In Austria several glacier ski areas are open and are benefitting from fresh snow showers. The Kaunertal glacier is open all month whilst Pitztal will end its long season on 16th May. Also open are Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun, the Moelltal glacier, the Stubai glacier near Innsbruck and the Tux glacier in the Ziller valley.

The ski season ended at the weekend in Spain, while in the north of Europe, the lifts are still running, including at Ruka (FIN), Folgefonn (NOR) and Riksgransen (SWE). In North America, Squaw Valley is open for one more weekend while Snowbird in Utah plans to stay open at least through May and Mammoth is aiming to keep the slopes open until 4th July. In Colorado, Arapahoe Basin is still open and in Oregon, Mt Bachelor and Timberline. In Canada, only Sunshine near Banff in Alberta and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia remain open.

South of the equator in New Zealand, a cold front at the weekend reminded the country's North Island skiers and riders that the southern hemisphere's winter is just around the corner. Mt Ruapehu looked postcard perfect with a fresh layer of gleaming white snow.

In Australia's mountains the warm, summer-like, weather has hibernated too, as it should in the autumn. The prospect of snow at Falls Creek has emerged in tandem with a forecast signaling the first big cold front of the season. There's only 40 days to go until the official opening date of another winter season. In southern Africa, Afriski in Lesotho has announced its 2010 season will begin on May 25th.

Includes contributions by skiinfo.co.uk
FIS news
5/05/2010

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