MAGAZINESNOW EXPERTS 1/2009

ROMANIATHE SUIOR MOGOSASUCCESS STORYVASALOPPETTECHNOALPIN OFFICIAL SUPPLIERLA PLAGNESNOWMAKING IN THE FREESTYLE HOT SPOT

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ABOVE-GROUNDVALVE BLOCK

La Plagne has a long-standing repu-tation as a hot spot for snowboard-ers and freestylers. For the Freestyle World Cup, they built a dedicated half-pipe 150 m long, 18 m wide and 5.5 m high – with super snow condi-tions guaranteed!

Once again the snow experts have confirmed their position as the inno-vation leaders, this time with develop-ments in valve engineering in the form of an above-ground valve block. Here too, the focus is on efficiency.

Using snow guns to supply building ma-terial: Austria’s highest winter sports resort has something special to offer in the way of accommodation, namely a village built completely out of snow on 3000 m² of land. The eleven igloos can sleep up to 44 persons.

IMPRINT Publisher: © TechnoAlpin AG/Spa · Via Copernico/Kopernikusstraße 6 A · I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen · Alto Adige/Sudtirol/South Tyrol Italia/Italien/Italy · Tel. +39 0471 550 550 · Fax +39 0471 200 441 · info@technoalpin.com · www.technoalpin.com · Marketing Manager:Dr. Irmi Prader · Editors: Dr. Irmi Prader, Daniela Mauroner · Design: dv media, Brixen - www.designverbindet.it · Printed by Satzzentrum, BressanoneEnglish translation by Dr. Chris Marsh, Innsbruck · Content may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part, including electronically, without the explicit permission of the publisher.

LA PLAGNE THE FREESTYLE HOT SPOT 4SNOWMAKER FROM NIGER 7ENGINEERING: LANCE WITH ABOVE-GROUND VALVE BLOCK 8VASALOPPET - OFFICIAL SUPPLIER 12TECHNOALPIN IN THE WORLD CUP 14SNOW GUNS ON A SPECIAL MISSION 16SUCCESS STORY FROM ROMANIA 18ENGINEERING NEWS TICKER 21TRADE SHOW CALENDAR 22NEW WEBSITE 23

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Suior Mogosa – the first automatic snowmaking installation in Romania: thorough planning, fast implementa-tion, fully automatic operation.

Dear friends and customers of TechnoAlpin,

Man-made snow forms the basis for direct and indirect revenue generation in

today’s ski areas and whole winter sports regions. Visitors are influenced in

their choice above all by the ability of the destinations to guarantee enough

of the white stuff, and studies show that only 20% of winter holidaymakers feel

that a lack of snow can be compensated by additional hotel amenities and

alternative offerings. And reliable snow cover is also a decisive argument for

potential investors. All that helps to explain why a total of almost 17,000 snow

guns have left the TechnoAlpin production plant during the company’s history.

It has always been corporate policy at TechnoAlpin to invest heavily in the

further development of our engineering solutions and products. In doing so

we make good use of our customers’ views and experience. One result of

this strategy is a higher volume of snow produced using fewer resources. An-

other is our ability to offer complete solutions on a highly cost-effective basis.

Moreover, modern TechnoAlpin snowmaking installations require less and less

maintenance. That helps reduce costs, too.

In the interest of our customers, we are determined to continue our pro-active

approach to the challenges facing the industry.

Walter Rieder, Georg Eisath, Erich GummererS

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They were all designed in the 1960s in a functional ar-chitectural style targeted at major sporting events. They are also linked by a free bus service that operates until midnight, which makes the resort the ideal place for a car-free holiday. La Pla-gne boasts 225 km of skiable terrain on the slopes of Dome de Bellecôte at an altitude of between 1250 m and 3250 m above sea-level.

Five years ago La Plagne, Les Arcs and the ski resort of Peisey-Vallandry joined forces to position themselves on the winter sports market as Paradiski, which – with 425 kilometers of trails – is now one of the biggest interconnected ski areas in the world. Thanks to the Bellecôte Glacier at 3250 m above sea-level, La Plagne has always had a good record for reliable snow cover. Over the last five years, the management at the resort has wor-ked hard in collaboration with TechnoAlpin to ensure that that snow cover can be guaranteed. Today 130 out of a total of 150 hectares of skiable terrain have snowmaking, and the final goal is to increase that level to 100%.

“The cold weather periods needed for snowmaking are becoming shorter and shorter. To compensate for this develop-ment, we are continually working to increase the capacity of our snowmaking installations. For 2008, for example, we installed an

additional pump (70 l/s at 30 bar) in the Col de Forcle pump station and also added eight A30 and three T60 snow guns to the total,” says Roland Cote, Development Manager at SAP (Société d’Aménagement de La Plagne). “It was a good decision to bring TechnoAlpin on board. They have been able to meet our requi-rements to the full, above all by focusing on stick-type snowguns right from the start. We only fall back on fan guns where really big volumes of snow are needed, as in the case of the half-pipe.”

La Plagne has a long-standing reputation as a hot spot for snowboarders and freestylers. This year, it hosted its first Free-style World Cup, from 18 – 20 March. For the event they built a dedicated half-pipe 150 m long, 18 m wide and 5.5 m high, and TechnoAlpin came up with an intelligent and cost-effective solution to produce the required volume of snow. Two new pits were located in the top section of the half-pipe, while the bottom section can be supplied from an existing pit. In both areas a T60 is used to throw the snow directly into the half-pipe, and just before the World Cup started a third T60 was deployed. This solution is ideal for subsequent working with the Pistenbully, using a PipeMa-gician to quickly spread the snow for a perfect half-pipe.

TechnoAlpin would like to take this opportunity to con-gratulate the new World Cup venue!

The La Plagne snowmaking team at a TechnoAlpin training session in Bolzano (ITA).

www.ski-altastenberg.de

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The above-ground valve block is fitted to the pole itself.

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the new Hydromat WO. In combination with the Hydromat WO, it is possible to have integrated water pressure control for even more precise flow control in combination with the four settings available on the valve block. It also permits the potential of the lance to be exploited to the full over a wide temperature range and snow of consistent quality to be gua-ranteed.

The above-ground valve block is mainly used in combi-nation with the new compact switch cabinet. That combines the advantages of a smaller footprint with the benefits of installing all the electrical components above ground in the switch cabinet instead of placing them in the pit. The result is greatly improved accessibility, ease of maintenance and longer component life. In the automatic version, the new above-ground valve block can be integrated in fully automatic installations or it can be operated as a stand-alone solution for local control. In the manual version, the two additional water flow levels can be switched by hand using two levers on the valve block.

TechnoAlpin has had its own R&D department ever sincethe company was established, and today there are elevenemployees working there. In financial 2008/09 alone, Techno-Alpin invested over 1.1 million euros in R&D, and the input again generated a whole series of innovations including the new lances with the above-ground valve block.

Applications The new above-ground valve block can be used in combination with most members of the TA family of lances. It is compatible with both the compact slot-in lance base assembly found on installations with central air supply and the familiar tripod base typical of systems that operate with a local com-pressor. Use of the above-ground valve block is also indepen-dent of pole length and head type, and it can be combined with standard 6 m and 9 m poles and with either the A9 or A30 nozzle head. In addition, the new valve block is compatible with all existing hydrants and can be used with the ON/OFF valve, the pneumatic valve (only with central air supply) and

on its central Scheibelboden trail. This is one of the area’s top-priority trails, where snow cover must be available within sixty hours. The contract placed with the snow experts also included a water cooling system comprising six Cooltech 3600 cooling towers(180 l/sec) so as to ensure delivery of the snowmaking water at the ideal temperature. With its new lance installation, Nassfeld has again underscored its pioneering role in the fi eld of snowmaking in Carinthia and further increased its capacity to deliver the white stuff. Here is what Gerhard Aneter, snowmaking manager at Berg-bahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG, has to say about the new system:

What made you choose a system with lances and

the new above-ground valve block?

Gerhard Aneter: What convinced us most was the ease of maintenance offered by the new lances. The above-ground valve block and hence the water filter are accessible at all times, so there is no need to climb into the pit. In the summer we take down the lances, and servicing is performed in our cen-tral workshop. That also greatly simplifies the work involved.

Now that the season is almost over, what is your

impression of the new lances?

Gerhard Aneter: So far the reports have been enti-rely positive. Our expectations in terms of a maintenance-friendly solution have been more than fulfilled. We are also highly im-pressed by the system with regard to output and the quality of the snow. And the lances offer easy handling and excellent stabi-lity in strong winds.

Advantages The above-ground valve block is a compact light-weight unit in a two-layer PE casing for safe handling and full protection against the elements as well as during transporta-tion, installation and storage of the lances at the end of the season. Like all snow guns from the house of TechnoAlpin, every above-ground valve block is delivered pre-assembled with the lance pole ex works in Bolzano following pressure and function testing. In addition to product quality, TechnoAlpin also has a strong focus on convenient working. The nozzle head, pole and valve block form a single unit, and the complete assembly is quickly and easily installed. The Camlock couplings used for the air and water supply also contribute to a user-friendly sy-stem. The biggest advantage of all, however, is fast and easy maintenance. The water filter insert in the valve block, for ex-ample, can be cleaned without the need to climb into the pit or clear the snow from the manhole cover. The sensors for air pressure, water pressure and water temperature are located above ground where they are better protected from the wet than inside a pit. That is the key to longer sensor life. Another advantage of the new lances operated with the above-ground valve block is the fact that they can be installed on compact valve pits with limited clear internal dimensions. They can also be installed on concrete footings with no pit at all.

Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG (Austria) was the fi rst TechnoAlpin customer to install the new lances with the above-ground valve block. This winter the Nassfeld ski area has had 45 lances (25 A9s and 20 A30s) to handle the snowmaking

The new lance snowmaking system in Nassfeld, Carinthia.

Gerhard Aneter, snowmaking manager at Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG.

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- Robust aluminum casting

- Two electric valves for the switchableflow levels

- Water filter housing with a250 micron filter insert

- Integrated air filter

- Air pressure sensor

- Water pressure sensor

- Water temperature sensor

- 1” Camlock coupling for water

- ¾” Camlock coupling for air

- Heating pins/heater for fast availability

- Integrated drain valves (with heateddrain hose to the pit)

- Compact lightweight unit

- Simple handling

- Quick and easy installation

- Uncomplicated maintenance

- Long-life sensors

- Installation also possible on compact valve pits and concrete footings

Filter cover

Air

Water

Air pressure measurement

Water pressure sensor

Water temperature sensor

Valve motors

Filter insert forwater

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What is not so well known is the historical background to this, the world’s oldest, longest and most famous cross-country ski race. In 1521 the Swede Gustav Wasa arrived in the Swedish Province of Dalarna to recruit support for his campaign against the Danish King Christian. His efforts were in vain, however, and he had no choice but to put on his skis and flee before the ad-vancing Danes. In the meantime, however, the people of Dalarna had changed their minds and they sent their two fastest cross-country skiers out after Wasa. They finally caught up with him in Sälen and persuaded him to turn back. After two and a half years of war, Gustav Wasa led his country to victory and free-dom, and in 1523 he was crowned King of Sweden.

Today the Vasaloppet is held on the first Sunday in March in commemoration of the revolt of the Swedes almost 500 years ago. Since the first race in 1922, the event has devel-oped into a sporting spectacular and now attracts some 15,000 competitors. The range of skiers who rise to the challenge of the 90 km trail is varied. From Sunday skiers to professional athletes, they are all there – and some of them have been coming for over thirty years. Even though there can be only one winner, respect and honor go to all who make it to the finishing line in Mora – fired on by 50,000 spectators and a cup of traditional bilberry soup to give them the strength for the final dash. The record time for the course – 3.38.57 – was established by the Swede Peter Göransson in 1998.

As Official Supplier to the Vasaloppet, TechnoAlpin is also involved in this major sporting event. Since 2007 the snow experts have been the backstage boys in the “Snowfabric” at the start in Sälen, with one pump station, four T60 mobile snow guns and ATASSplus controls. From there the snow is spread along the trail, which follows tarmac roads in places. In 2008 TechnoAlpin also provided automation for the existing pump station at the fin-ish of the Vasaloppet in Mora and supplied two mobile T60s.

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As race organizers, athletes and ski area managers all know: TechnoAlpin snow makes all the difference!

In the world of downhill skiing, more and more FIS World Cup venues are investing in high-tech snow from TechnoAlpin so as to be able to guarantee perfect racing condi-tions on the big day:

1 Sölden (AUT)25./26.10.2008 - Opening Ladies & Men GS

2 Levi (FIN)15./16.11.2008Ladies & Men SL

3 Bormio (ITA)28.12.2008Men DH

4 Sljeme-Zagreb (CRO)04./06.01.2009Ladies & Men SL

5 Zauchensee (AUT)17./18.01.2009Ladies SC & DH

6 Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA)23.-25.01.2009Ladies DH, SG & GS

7 Schladming (AUT)27.01.2009Men SL

8 Kranjska Gora (SLO)28.02./01.03.2009Men GS & SL

9 Bansko (BUL)27.02.-01.03.2009Ladies DH & GS

for more information: www.technoalpin.com

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Romania’s ski areas have a maximum of ten kilometers of trails, which are normally served by lifts. The 1970s and 80s saw the biggest bout of investment in the country’s ski areas, and that was thanks to the state authorities. After the collapse of communism, many of the lifts were taken over by private operators, but for many years little money was spent on the ski areas.

Suior Mogosa was once like that, too. The ski area is located in the eastern Carpathians in the northwest of the coun-try, about 60 km from the Ukrainian and 70 km from the Hun-garian border. The nearest airport is 20 km away in Baia Mare, which offers flights to Bucharest and Vienna among others. In many places in Romania, e.g. Predeal and Azuga, where Tech-noAlpin installed its first snowmaking systems in the country, the ski areas are run by the local authorities. Suior Mogosa, howe-ver, was discovered by a local investor in 2001. He started off by converting a number of derelict buildings, which had been unused for years, into a three-star hotel with accommodation for 99 visitors.

In 2004 the investor turned his attention to the skiing amenities and built a 1.5 km trail served by a 1.4 km chairlift with a transport capacity of 1200 p/h. That was the first step in the development of an up-and-coming winter sports resort. If the first winter had not had such heavy snowfalls, perhaps he would also have considered installing a snowmaking system at the same time.

As it was, a further year passed before snowmaking became the subject of serious debate and, more specifically, TechnoAlpin was commissioned to produce a master plan and make an initial quotation. At this stage the question of water supply was identified as an initial challenge. A possible solution was found in the form of a spring near the upper terminal of the lift. On that basis TechnoAlpin submitted a second quotation. But it was only following a visit to the Dolomites of South Tyrol, where snowmaking is now available on over 90% of all skiable terrain, that the investor was really convinced of the advantages of gu-aranteed snow cover. Again time passed, during which Suior Mogosa’s young tourism trade flourished. In 2006, for example, a second downhill trail was opened, and a third is due to follow in the near future.

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There was no shortage of domestic tourists in the re-sort, as well as visitors from across the Ukrainian and Hungarian borders, but the same could not always be said of snow as so-mething that simply falls from the skies. So a contract was signed with the snow experts at TechnoAlpin, and their first job was to construct a reservoir near the upper lift terminal. Storage capaci-ty had to be limited to 8000 m³, however, because of the spring just below. It was obvious from the start that that would not be sufficient for snowmaking on all the trails, and so the investor set about acquiring the rights to use the water from a natural lake near the main ski trail. And he succeeded. So now it made sense to locate the pump station by the lake. A further trip to South Ty-rol was then organized to settle the final details and inspect some of the interesting snowmaking installations there. That is when the investor discovered the M18-AT. He was quickly convinced of the advantages of automatic snowmaking and immediately decided to go for a fully automatic solution for his ski area.

After that things happened very quickly. A new master plan was drawn up; in late spring 2008 the contract was signed,

and in June the first shipment reached Romania. Pipe-laying for the two trails started in the same month, followed by the installa-tion of 35 A9 lances, four A30 lances and one M18-A fan gun. The ATASSplus software was installed for the control system, thus making its debut on the Romanian market. In October work be-gan on the lakeside pump station with three 30 l/s pumps. The pond by the upper lift terminal thus became superfluous as far as snowmaking was concerned and has since been given a new role as an idyllic biotope between the new buildings for the mountain lodge and restaurant.

Shortly after that, what is currently the biggest snow-making installation in Romania was ready for commissioning, and on 17 January 2009 the first man-made snow was produced in Suior Mogosa! And as 2008/09 was a poor winter for snow co-ver in Romania, the installation has more than paid off from the start.

Suior Mogosa, an impressive example of bold and for-ward-looking entrepreneurial thinking.

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www.lavex.sk

www.swissalpina.ch

Please letus know if youneed any vouchers freetickets!

www.interalpin.eu

www.nsaa.org

www.skiexpo.ru

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Keeping abreast of the latest technical developments and making effective use of them – that is obviously fundamental to all TechnoAlpin activities in R&D, production and systems en-gineering. But the latest developments are never neglected in the field of communications, either.

A case in point is the TechnoAlpin website, which was recently given a basic redesign in style and content for maximum user-friendliness. The result is a new website that is both functional and attractive.

The new TechnoAlpin website has been created as a communications portal for accessing and downloading information that is clear, complete and above all up to date. The focus is on TechnoAlpin’s products. From the A30 and the PIANO to the T60, they are all there complete with photos and product catalogues.And on-line information is also available on models that are no longer produced.

A whole range of services is also available. There is a weekly News offering on the subject of TechnoAlpin, snow-making and winter sports in general. A calendar of events provides regular information on all the relevant trade shows and conferences and other major events. There is also an on-line ordering facility for all product catalogues and the latest edition of Snow Experts Magazine, a registration facility for TechnoAlpin’s popular customer training courses and a service hotline.

The service section also includes such useful items as a pre-owned mart as a quick source of initial information on attrac-tive pre-owned snow guns and pumps, a page for job vacancies at TechnoAlpin, and an unsolicited application form.

Anyone with a specific question or requirement will also find the right person to contact at technoalpin.com. So take a look. It is always well worth a visit!

Alain De Cian

Armin Reichhalter Daniel Wiedmann

A. Rachetti

Arno Hafner

Daniela Mauroner G. Reichegger G. Cassiolari

J. Untermarzoner Jozef Durcák

M. Wiedenhofer Martin Coser

Alexander Bauer

Deborah Mair

H. Oberrauch

Juris Panzani

Martin Eppacher Max Vieider M. Hawlin

P. Platzgummer Peter Mittermaier Peter Rottensteiner

Alexander Borgia

Astrid Torggler

Dietmar Larcher

H. Hochwieser

K. Terrabona

M. Gamberoni

Michael Wieser

Philippe Ronin

Alexander Gilli

Benjamin Pötz

Elisabeth Kofler

Harald Brunetti

Kathrin Pfeifhofer

Martin Hofer

Michele Marsonet

Raja Shahed Stefan Egger Stefan Malfer Stefano Bruscagin Stefano Cianchi Stefano Locatelli

Verena Zeschg Walter Rieder Walter Weger Wolfgang Hanni Wolfgang Lechner

Alexander Klapfer

Bernhard Wagner

Elmar Kaufmann

Heidi Vonmetz

Klaus Bacher

Martin Margesin

Mirko Brunner

Markus Goller M. Neudorfer Martin Zeiser M. Kirchmayer R. Kramberger

Didier Blanchard Franck Tiffreau Henri Philip Mathieu Verriere Michael Payan

Alexander Leitner

Christian Bonini

Erich Gummerer

Heinz Viehweider

Lukas Pfeifer

Martin Noggler

Monika Hornikova

A. Weissensteiner

Christian Franzelin

Erika Marchio

Herbert Plattner

M. Hermeter

Martin Raifer

N. Baumgärtner

Renè Schiess Richard Reifer

Dennis Kinsella Geir Vik

Andrea Cavatton

Dagmar Geis

Erika Unterweger

H. Hochkofler

Manfred Scherer

Matej Budaj

Norbert Gruber

Andreas Gutgsell

Daniel Folie

Federico Tricotti

Horst Schmid

Manuel Nössing

Matteo Paterno

N. Marmsoler

A. Schwingshackl

Daniel Heiss

Florian Hofer

Irmi Prader

M. Planötscher

Matthias Fauster

Othmar Kanton

Andreas Weiss

Daniel Lantschner

Florian Schwalt

Ivan Gross

M. Wunderer

Marco Benvenuto

Paolo Alberti

A. Kompatscher

Daniele Neri

Jakob Mumelter

Marco Moratti

M. Centofanti

Paolo Bagozzi

Anja Berents

Daniel Nogler

F. Zambaldi

Jitka Mahdalikova

M. Mahlknecht

Mauro Ficara

Paolo Nardone

Armin Grasberger

D. Weiss Gasser

Georg Eisath

Johann Kaufmann

Markus Pfeifer

Mauro Freno

Patrick Peintner

Roberto Begliatti R. D‘AgostinoRobert Maoret Rudolf Prantl Siegfried Göller Siegfried Rieder

Stephan Psenner Thomas Burger Thomas Damian Thomas Lunger Thomas Möltner Thomas Pichler T. Strumpflohner Ulrike Oberrauch U. Marchesan Verena Pattis

M. ZurbriggenThomas Condin Aldo Lauri Brice Lacorre Damir Casu D. Schatt-Orecchini Florian Grimm Ivana Kempf Marcel Ehrler Marco Albiez Patrick Truttmann Remo Bulgheroni Stefan Gisler Thomas Kempf Alexander Reindl

Corinne VasconBernhard Maier Eberhard Gall Gerti Zandt Jutta Scheitler Manfred Huber Sandra Widhopf T. Weingartner Ulrich Gall Bernard Ligori

Peter VevercikValérie Vacher Virginie Guimbard A. TuriakovàAnna Fablova Igor Schmidt Ján Lietavec L. Podmanicky Lowy LadislavAlena Mihova Zuzana Zidekova Andy Benton Ben Siefert C. Hemming David Kennedy

Lasse NordströmPeter Söderholm Veikko Mantila A. Olsson C. Andersson Jan Mangborg Jan-Erik Nilsson Magnus Hedlund Martin Bergström Jong Woo Won Kwan Hee Won Tae Ha Kim Timo Etz

Stefka Miteva Kemal Akin Stefan Ties Ali Rahimi A. Rodriguez Ángel Jaraiz Cristina Osado

Anton Faltynsky Serge Sirotko Thomas Peintner Santiago HardtPaul Lambert

S. MechkovaLue Shengming Xing Xin K. Kawakami Hanspeter Pleisch Giorgio Noulikas A. Mechkov Asya Mechkova

Luka KepecRaul Garcia Rosa López L. Radovanovich Slawa Kalugin Serban SovaialaPetre Popa Caba Gere

Wolfgang Psenner Wolfram Mair Albert Gomig Bianca Zanona David Dietrich Elke Leitner H. Grünbacher K. Kaltenbacher Manuel Schöpf Markus Egger

The Snow Experts.