The mountains, the last area of freedom

In March last year, the season came to an abrupt end when it was in full swing while we were at the Austrian stop of the Freeride World Tour in Fieberbrunn. For sure, the hotels were already getting equipped with sanitising gel, but there had been wonderful festivities with thousands of people.

We were ready to meet up in Verbier for the grand final of the Xtreme event and then, suddenly… nothing! Closing of ski areas, cancellation of end-ofseason events, deserted hotels… what a nightmare! Naturally, we thought that this bad dream would only be short-lived and we’d soon forget all about it !

Alas, the worst was yet to come: a mass of ill-chosen decisions, including the one to close practically all European ski areas without any supporting scientific evidence. These were sweeping decisions, which, much more than merely depriving ski enthusiasts of their favourite pastime, brought down an entire economy based on winter tourism. This led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. All this was without any impact on the spread of the pandemic… Switzerland and a few other countries have now decided to keep their ski areas open – this privilege is truly appreciated by their inhabitants.

Winter Sensations Magazine wanted to be present during this challenging period, as we are convinced that even a glimmer of hope can have a positive effect on people’s morale. Accordingly, our readers can dream about taking their next winter holiday, although they were unable to go this year. I hope to see you soon on the slopes or at the foot of the ski runs for a celebratory after-ski party where everyone will sing and dance without a mask and forget all about these difficult times.

ANTONIO INDACO

Director & Publisher