Many of the world’s major resorts in at least 10 countries are opening for 2009–10 season this weekend. In Europe, the ski season begins in Andorra with Grandvalira opening a fortnight early after heavy snowfall in the Pyrenees.

In the French Alps, Europe’s highest major resort, Val Thorens is the second resort to open in France, joining Tignes which has been open for nearly two months already. In Austria, Obergurgl is opening and in Switzerland, Andermatt, Davos, Klosters, Flims and Laax join Engelberg, Zermatt, Verbier, Les Diablerets and Saas Fee which are already open.

In Italy, Livigno is opening early and is running its lifts free of charge this week with no lift pass required. More resorts are opening in Finland, Norway and Sweden joining the 20 or so already open in Scandinavia.

The incredible snowfall at Whistler this November looks set to take the resort’s snow base past the two metre mark in the next 24 hours.

Whistler wasn’t due to open until the weekend, but opened 12 days early last week after receiving a healthy snowfall in early November.

Since then it has been snowing almost constantly with the snow depth most recently reported at 193cm (6.5 feet) following 19cm (7 inches) of new snow overnight. It stopped snowing on Wednesday but more is now forecast.

It’s a dream start for Whistler’s long awaited Olympic season, with the start of the Games now less than three months away.

A unique mix of the world’s foremost freeride skiers and snowboarders have all confirmed their participation in the Freeride World Tour 2010, sponsored by Nissan and Swatch, with the prize purse of no less than $206,200.

The 2010 Freeride World Tour will kick off in 2014 Winter Olympic Host resort Sochi in Russia on the 21st before heading to the Alps a week later from the Chamonix stage on January 30th. A month later the contest moves to Squaw Valley, USA on February 27th and finishes back in the Alps in Verbier on March 20th.

Winter 2009–10 is just around the corner for Austria’s Arlberg region, and it’s an especially exciting one for St Anton, as it’s ‘second’ ski area, Rendl, moves closer to the village centre – or at least a new lift makes access from the centre and from the main ski area much easier.

The new construction of the Rendl Lift marks a small revolution in St Anton’s winter sports offerings. The Galzig and other areas now have some friendly competition thanks to the more centrally located Rendl base station.

Val Thorens, Europe’s highest ski resort in the world’s biggest ski area, the 3 Valleys in France, and the second resort to open in France this winter, has good news for first time skiers visiting this season, as the resort has spent 1.5 million Euros on a state-of-the-art, 40 hectare, special beginners area.

This area is equipped with four new conveyor lifts, complete with plastic tunnel weather-protection covers, improving the circulation on the whole snow front without effort.

Austria’s Stefan Gimpl completed his Snowboarding World Cup hat-trick with big air gold in Stockholm.

The 30-year old is undefeated in big air events since January’s World Championships in Gangwon, Korea and has started this season like a steamtrain with victories in London and Barcelona.

And Gimpl showed no signs that he would relinquish his record in Sweden where, after cruising through qualifying in fourth, he gave a statement of intent with his first run in the final, scoring 26 points.

American skier Resi Stiegler is out for the Olympic season after breaking two bones in her left leg in a crash in giant slalom training, the US Ski Team said Friday.

Stiegler, a 2006 Olympian, had surgery to repair her broken tibia and femur.

“This was a serious injury for Resi, but her spirit is strong,” US Ski Team medical director Richard Quincy said in a statement. “One of the first things she asked was if she could be ready for on-snow camp in New Zealand next summer.”

The mild weather in Europe at the moment is forecast to continue for the rest of this week.

However, the general trend is for colder and snowier weather to move in by Monday next week. It won’t bring large amounts of snow but it will be welcomed by all the resorts.

In Austria, Hintertux is expecting the most of the snow when it arrives on Monday. 13cm alone should fall on Monday which will give a great boost to their skiing.

The freezing level will also drop from around 3600m on Saturday to 1400m on Tuesday.