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1 Mt Olympus, New Zealand
What do they say, don’t leave the country before you’ve seen your backyard? We’ve been a few places and are happy to report that there is nothing out there that compares to the New Zealand club field experience. Rope tows, DIY spirit and everything off-piste. We’re proud members of Mt Olympus, at Craigieburn Range, because this field adds hot tub, dress-up box and a sub-woofer to its list of amenities, but each club field is unique and special.
2 Westendorf, Austria
The Austrian Skivelt is close to our hearts. It’s where we met almost 25 years ago while Alex was in middle of his 14 back-to-back winters before settling in New Zealand and starting Kingswood Skis. Westendorf remains on our list for the extensive terrain that always manages to funnel you back to the ski-in schnapps bars.
3 Davos/Klosters, Switzerland
For us, it’s all about the search for powder. A few years ago, we decided to test the theory that the more ritzy the resort, the fewer dirt-bag powder skiers it would attract. Time a trip to Davos with the World Economic Forum and you’ll really have the off-piste to yourself. There’s also a huge “wellness centre” where you can test your ability to adopt the strict European protocols of nude sauna and hot tubbing with strangers.
4 Somewhere-on-Honshu, Japan
Due to a Stormy-Daniels-level non-disclosure agreement with our travel companions, we are unable to reveal the names of specific resorts, but suffice to say that the main island of Japan, with more than 500 fields, is a powder skier’s dream come true. Scrub any resort you’ve already heard of from your list and go exploring. Great food, friendly hosts and steamy onsens add to the experience.
5 Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand
How can we leave out this special place? Wide-open terrain, great views, night skiing and long seasons — all happening on an active volcano complete with bubbling blue crater lake.
Kingswood Skis was founded by Kris & Alex Herbert in Lyttleton in 2005, creating boutique, handmade, durable skis topped with bold, graphic prints. Each set is made by Alex in their local workshop. This year they have collaborated with Clicquot in the Snow to release limited edition skis ahead of the festival, which runs from August 2-5. Ten pairs are available and can be ordered direct from Kingswood.
Source: nzherald.co.nz