L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Vonn stuns slalom specialists to win in Levi with Pieitiae Holmer second and Maria Riesch in third.... Grange wins mens race from Miller and Kostelic .... Chemmy Alcott suffers clean break of ankle in training in North America, expected to be out till New Year .... Lindsey Vonn injures left knee in training Super G in Copper Mountain, no lay off details announced

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

0SNOW-FINDER FRANCE, A NEW BREED OF SKI AND

SNOWBOARD GUIDEBOOK, HAS HIT THE SLOPES.

Snow-Finder France, the first of a new breed of ski and snowboard guidebooks from the publishers of the best-selling Wave-Finder surfing guides, is available now.

Although Snow-Finder France is only pocket-sized - at 12 x 8.5 cm it is not much bigger than an iPod or mobile phone - it packs in over 1200 individual reviews of every piste in the French Alps into its 418 pages.“Snow-Finder France is the first skiing and snowboard guidebook to give you exactly what you need: piste maps of every resort with individual reviews of every piste,” said editor Hugh Hutchison, himself a four-time British champion mogul skier and double Olympian.

“Snow-Finder is the ultimate ski and snowboard guide to the French Alps. It’s just as useful when choosing which resort to stay in as when deciding which side of the mountain to ski that day - you can’t get this information anywhere else.”

Snow-Finder France is structured geographically, starting with an overview of each ski region and the resorts within it. Then every resort is reviewed in greater detail by writers with particular knowledge of the area.

What makes Snow-Finder France unique are its trademarked Piste-Finder™ Maps. They give an instant view of each ski area within the resort together with concise notes on typical snow conditions, terrain, steepness, and proficiency level for every run. Almost as impressive as the vast quantity of information that is condensed into Snow-Finder France, is the competitve calibre of the skiers and snowboarders who have each written the in-depth reviews of the ski areas they know best.

French legends Edgar Grospiron (who wrote the section on La Clusaz), Luc Alphand (Serre Chevalier) and Patricia Chauvet (Montgenevre) head up a team of writers who have generations of experience and knowledge of the French Alps. Indeed, such is the regard in which these three champion skiers are held that each have a run named after them in their home resorts. Some of British skiing’s top names have also contributed reviews. Graham Bell, an eight-time British champion who has competed in five winter Olympics, has written the section on Val D’Isere; while brother Martin, who had eight top ten finishes on the downhill World Cup, shares his intimate knowledge of Flaine.

Snow-Finder France also includes contributions from freeskier Pat Sharples (Meribel); 1993 freestyle World Championship Silver medallist Raz Cobbing (Chatel); Britain’s first ever Olympic medallist Alain Baxter (Courchevel); former world no.9 snowboarder Becci Malthouse (Avoriaz); and snowboard Olympic medal

hopeful Lesley McKenna (Les Arcs).

“We have worked with the very best French and British skiers and boarders who have lived, trained and competed in these resorts,” said Hugh. “This gives readers the the best possible information on the skiing and apres ski from people who live and breathe the French Alps.”

One of the most refreshing things about Snow-Finder France is that the editorial team have taken a different approach to the plethora of resort-specific or directory-style guidebooks on the market.

Says Snow-Finder Group Editor Adam Coxen: “The internet has changed the way we book our skiing holidays. We have instant access online to last-minute deals, low-cost travel and the phone number of every bar, restaurant, hotel and chalet in the Alps.

“Snow-Finder isn’t trying to be the alpine Yellow Pages, it doesn’t bore you with hundreds of pages of directory listings which are out of date before it goes into print. Our aim is to give people what they can’t get from other guides or the internet: easy to follow piste maps of every resort and individual reviews of every piste - Snow-Finder France is the only snow planning resource you’ll ever need.”

As well as information on every resort, Snow-Finder France includes extra sections on working a season in the Alps, along with tips on finding the best deals on flights and accommodation. There is also a Snowtrip Planner to help get the most out of your holiday.

Snow-Finder France & Snow-Finder USA (released Nov 2007) are available from good ski, snowboard and outdoor shops, amazon.co.uk, Waterstones, Ottakars, priced at £12.95/?19.95.