ZCZC
BCN-05
LESOTHO-ECONOMY-TOURISM-SKI-AFRICA,FEATURE
Africa’s ‘bucket list’ ski resort dreams of Olympic racers
MALUTI MOUNTAINS, Lesotho, July 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Nestled high in the
mountains of Lesotho, skiers and snowboarders from around the world rub
shoulders at Africa’s leading ski resort, which is cultivating a loyal
clientele despite its diminutive size and remote location.
Since 2002, Afriski in northeastern Lesotho has also become a hub for the
country’s young winter sports enthusiasts to hone their skills and maybe one
day compete for gold at the Winter Olympics.
“Afriski was always a unique option as a destination,” said resort
snowmaker Martin Schultz, 35, who comes from South African surfing hub
Jeffreys Bay but swapped his surfboard for a snowboard to take to the slopes.
“It’s been a nice progress — nice amounts of terrain we’ve been able to
open up,” he added, wearing stylish wrap-around blue mirrored sunglasses and
a lemon yellow crash helmet.
Schultz is responsible for maintaining the quality and consistency of the
artificial snow on the slopes, used by the 12,000 visitors who travel to the
resort in the Maluti Mountains every season.
“We use high-pressure air, high-pressure water and a certain temperature
and humidity,” he said, of the resort’s state-of-the-art snowmaking
equipment, used when snow is not falling naturally.
Afriski’s main kilometre-long piste is a strip of brilliant white snow
between brown grassy ridges and dotted with artificial snowmakers, although,
on average, its three slopes are covered with natural snow for several weeks
a year.
– ‘Lesotho at the Olympics’? –
Both expert and novice skiers go down the pristine slope from a height of
3,222 metres (10,570 feet) to the compact alpine-style resort below. There,
visitors drink Gluehwein and listen to chart music in sub-zero temperatures.
“Ready? Go!” shouts one ski instructor, from the United States, as she
loads her young charge onto the lift, while more experienced snowboarders
spin and flip on ramps nearby.
MORE/HR/0922
ZCZC
BCN-06
LESOTHO-ECONOMY-TOURISM-SKI-AFRICA 2 MALUTI MOUNTAINS
Schultz, who worked as a ski instructor at resorts across Europe before
spending nine seasons at Afriski, hopes the resort will help the tiny kingdom
one day win medals at the Winter Olympics.
“One of Afriski’s biggest priorities is to try and expand the skiing
community in Lesotho and we have kids’ programmes that generate a lot of
interest from the local communities,” he said, of the resort which employs
240 staff, three-quarters of whom are locals.
“Some of our kids like Thabang Mabari, the son of one of the guys who
works here, has been skiing for about five years and he’s brilliant. There’s
a good future for kids like that,” he said.
“Hopefully in the future we can aim to get those kids to an Olympian
standard so they can actually fly the Lesotho flag at the Olympics.”
Ten-year-old Thabang’s mother, Mathabang Mabari, who also works at the
resort, told AFP that he had started skiing at the age of three.
“It’s something he liked a lot. Of course it’s in his blood to compete, of
all the other kids of people who work here, he was the first to ski and teach
the others,” said Mabari, 36, who is from the nearby village of Moteng.
Outside, slender-framed Thabang glides down the slope with ease dressed in
yellow boots, a black puffer jacket and red snow trousers.
Despite some promising youngsters, southern Africa has yet to make a mark
at the Winter Olympics.
– ‘Huge potential’ –
South African alpine skier Sive Speelman qualified for the Sochi games in
2014 — but was blocked from attending by his own Games Committee who said he
was too slow.
His dream to be his country’s first black contender in his discipline was
also thwarted at this year’s tournament in South Korea and he was instead a
technical assistant to South Africa’s solitary winter games participant,
Connor Wilson.
Lesotho has never put a Winter Olympian forward.
MORE/HR/0923
ZCZC
BCN-07
LESOTHO-ECONOMY-TOURISM-SKI-AFRICA 3 LAST MALUTI MOUNTAINS
Afriski is Lesotho’s sole ski resort — the only other one in sub-Saharan
Africa is Tiffindell in South Africa which has two runs and relies on
artificial snow.
“Afriski has been a great help in my training. I don’t think I would have
got to the Winter Olympics without them,” said Wilson, 21, who was training
at Afriski for a fortnight.
“There’s huge potential here. I always join in with the (local kids’)
training… they’re copying what I’m doing and they are always interested.
“One day hopefully, they will go to the Winter Olympics for Lesotho.”
– Ski in Africa –
Despite its small size and relatively limited facilities, Afriski still
sees itself as a destination firmly on the global winter sports circuit.
It even pays homage to its European competitors, naming its chalets after
renowned ski centres like France’s “Meribel” and “Courchevel”.
French ski and snowboard instructor Thomas Frontoni, 23, said that he
would recommend skiing in southern Africa to Europeans despite the relatively
short piste.
“Try it — it’s always beautiful, perfect views, friendly people. Southern
Africa is cheap for European guys,” said Frontoni, originally from Nice. A
full-day “snowpass”, which gives access to all the pistes and lifts, costs
$34 (29 euros).
“It’s a small resort… but I think if a French or European skier came
here they’d have a good time.
“I have seen lots of South African pupils, Argentine pupils, Canadian
pupils.”
“They don’t come here because it’s a kilometre of skiing, they don’t come
here because it’s massive mountains,” added Schultz. “They come here to ski
in Africa, because it’s on their bucket list.”
BSS/AFP/HR/0925