INSIDE EDGE

For many weekends it had been very frustrating for us watching Chemmy Alcott break British skiing record after records whilst we were following Bode Miller and Stefan Eberharter. To add further to our joy we caught up with the Women's World Cup in my top Scandinavian winter resort, Are (pronounced Orreh)

Over the past decade I have watched this Scandinavian resort develop and grow. The icing on the cake came last year when they won the bid to host the 2007 World Championships. Are is like any other World Cup resort, great skiing, fantastic night life and a real friendly and very young feel to the town.

What attracts a lot of people to Are is not only the excellent skiing facilities the other attractions include skidoo safaris into what feels like the artic wilderness searching and often finding Albino deer. Ice driving and ice trotting are also popular after ski past times here and are incredibly reasonably priced. Are's night life has a brilliant reputation due to the fact that there is a university just outside Are providing the bars and nightclubs with a lot of attractive men and women. Clubs such as the Country Club can go to the early hours of the morning and my only warning is that before you embark on a Swedish or Norwegian drinking binge is to check the prices before you put your credit card behind the bar as alcohol does not come cheap!!

Are is also one of those resorts that once again ruins my diet as the town boasts an excellent array of restaurants catering for all palates. Broken is a must for a soup or a sandwich or a burger. It once again attracts the young, hip and cool in a unique bar setting with excellent music. The restaurant that should not be missed is the Villa Totteboo (no it's not what you were thinking!!!) which has got to be Are's answer to Gordon Ramsey. The reindeer house specialty is a dish that I return for year after year after year and is quiet simply divine.

The good news for Are is that over 2 billion euros are being pumped into the resort as they prepare for the World Championships of 2007. New pistes are being built alongside new hotels and the resort is achieving new found popularity. It is a favourite for the Brits and Thompson Holidays have been dropping skiers off there for 4 years now. However there is one thing that you must be aware of when skiing in a resort that is closer to the North Pole than London, it can get very cold, bloody cold!!! This makes Are a great choice for a late season visit.

As for this seasons races in Are... our excitement at joining the women's tour was curtailed as Britain's new ski star Chemmy Alcott took a crash in the Super G and failed to become the first British female skier to qualify for the World Cup finals. Anja Pearson however, much to the delight of the home crowd, won the Giant Slalom on Sunday and wrapped up the individual discipline title before the final race in Sestriere. Anja, herself now a resident in Monaco to avoid the awful Swedish tax system, also lists Are as her favourite stop on the World Cup tour. Our stop was a great one especially as Chemmy was still smiling even during our interview in the local hospital!

Are has got the lot - a smaller resort that easily matches up to the Big Guns of the World Cup tour and there is no question that proud Swedish skiers will do a good job in 2007.

Nick Fellows