above-ground valve block

MAGAZINE
EXTRA
SNOW
SNOW EXPERTS 1/2009
ABOVE-GROUND
VALVE BLOCK
ROMANIA
THE SUIOR MOGOSA
SUCCESS STORY
VASALOPPET
TECHNOALPIN
OFFICIAL SUPPLIER
LA PLAGNE
SNOWMAKING IN THE
FREESTYLE HOT SPOT
www.technoalpin.com
La Plagne has a long-standing reputation as a hot spot for snowboarders and freestylers. For the Freestyle
World Cup, they built a dedicated
half-pipe 150 m long, 18 m wide and
5.5 m high – with super snow conditions guaranteed!
Once again the snow experts have
confirmed their position as the innovation leaders, this time with developments in valve engineering in the form
of an above-ground valve block. Here
too, the focus is on efficiency.
Using snow guns to supply building material: Austria’s highest winter sports
resort has something special to offer
in the way of accommodation, namely
a village built completely out of snow
on 3000 m² of land. The eleven igloos
can sleep up to 44 persons.
LA PLAGNE THE FREESTYLE HOT SPOT
SNOWMAKER FROM NIGER
ENGINEERING: LANCE WITH ABOVE-GROUND VALVE BLOCK
VASALOPPET - OFFICIAL SUPPLIER
TECHNOALPIN IN THE WORLD CUP
SNOW GUNS ON A SPECIAL MISSION
SUCCESS STORY FROM ROMANIA
ENGINEERING NEWS TICKER
TRADE SHOW CALENDAR
NEW WEBSITE
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IMPRINT Publisher: © TechnoAlpin AG/Spa · Via Copernico/Kopernikusstraße 6 A · I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen · Alto Adige/Sudtirol/South Tyrol
Italia/Italien/Italy · Tel. +39 0471 550 550 · Fax +39 0471 200 441 · [email protected] · www.technoalpin.com · Marketing Manager:
Dr. Irmi Prader · Editors: Dr. Irmi Prader, Daniela Mauroner · Design: dv media, Brixen - www.designverbindet.it · Printed by Satzzentrum, Bressanone
English translation by Dr. Chris Marsh, Innsbruck · Content may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part, including electronically, without
the explicit permission of the publisher.
Man-made snow forms the basis for direct and indirect revenue generation in
today’s ski areas and whole winter sports regions. Visitors are influenced in
SNOW EXPERTS EDITORIAL
Dear friends and customers of TechnoAlpin,
their choice above all by the ability of the destinations to guarantee enough
of the white stuff, and studies show that only 20% of winter holidaymakers feel
that a lack of snow can be compensated by additional hotel amenities and
alternative offerings. And reliable snow cover is also a decisive argument for
potential investors. All that helps to explain why a total of almost 17,000 snow
guns have left the TechnoAlpin production plant during the company’s history.
Suior Mogosa – the first automatic
snowmaking installation in Romania:
thorough planning, fast implementation, fully automatic operation.
It has always been corporate policy at TechnoAlpin to invest heavily in the
further development of our engineering solutions and products. In doing so
we make good use of our customers’ views and experience. One result of
this strategy is a higher volume of snow produced using fewer resources. Another is our ability to offer complete solutions on a highly cost-effective basis.
Moreover, modern TechnoAlpin snowmaking installations require less and less
maintenance. That helps reduce costs, too.
In the interest of our customers, we are determined to continue our pro-active
approach to the challenges facing the industry.
Walter Rieder, Georg Eisath, Erich Gummerer
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www.la-plagne.com
SNOW EXPERTS LA PLAGNE
The La Plagne snowmaking team at a TechnoAlpin training session in Bolzano (ITA).
They were all designed in the 1960s in a functional architectural style targeted at major sporting events. They are also
linked by a free bus service that operates until midnight, which
makes the resort the ideal place for a car-free holiday. La Plagne boasts 225 km of skiable terrain on the slopes of Dome de
Bellecôte at an altitude of between 1250 m and 3250 m above
sea-level.
Five years ago La Plagne, Les Arcs and the ski resort
of Peisey-Vallandry joined forces to position themselves on the
winter sports market as Paradiski, which – with 425 kilometers of
trails – is now one of the biggest interconnected ski areas in the
world. Thanks to the Bellecôte Glacier at 3250 m above sea-level,
La Plagne has always had a good record for reliable snow cover.
Over the last five years, the management at the resort has worked hard in collaboration with TechnoAlpin to ensure that that
snow cover can be guaranteed. Today 130 out of a total of 150
hectares of skiable terrain have snowmaking, and the final goal is
to increase that level to 100%.
“The cold weather periods needed for snowmaking are
becoming shorter and shorter. To compensate for this development, we are continually working to increase the capacity of our
snowmaking installations. For 2008, for example, we installed an
additional pump (70 l/s at 30 bar) in the Col de Forcle pump
station and also added eight A30 and three T60 snow guns to the
total,” says Roland Cote, Development Manager at SAP (Société
d’Aménagement de La Plagne). “It was a good decision to bring
TechnoAlpin on board. They have been able to meet our requirements to the full, above all by focusing on stick-type snowguns
right from the start. We only fall back on fan guns where really
big volumes of snow are needed, as in the case of the half-pipe.”
La Plagne has a long-standing reputation as a hot spot
for snowboarders and freestylers. This year, it hosted its first Freestyle World Cup, from 18 – 20 March. For the event they built
a dedicated half-pipe 150 m long, 18 m wide and 5.5 m high,
and TechnoAlpin came up with an intelligent and cost-effective
solution to produce the required volume of snow. Two new pits
were located in the top section of the half-pipe, while the bottom
section can be supplied from an existing pit. In both areas a T60 is
used to throw the snow directly into the half-pipe, and just before
the World Cup started a third T60 was deployed. This solution is
ideal for subsequent working with the Pistenbully, using a PipeMagician to quickly spread the snow for a perfect half-pipe.
TechnoAlpin would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new World Cup venue!
SNOW EXPERTS PEOPLE
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www.ski-altastenberg.de
The above-ground valve block is fitted to the pole itself.
SNOW EXPERTS ENGINEERING
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TechnoAlpin has had its own R&D department ever since
the company was established, and today there are eleven
employees working there. In financial 2008/09 alone, TechnoAlpin invested over 1.1 million euros in R&D, and the input again
generated a whole series of innovations including the new lances
with the above-ground valve block.
the new Hydromat WO. In combination with the Hydromat
WO, it is possible to have integrated water pressure control
for even more precise flow control in combination with the
four settings available on the valve block. It also permits the
potential of the lance to be exploited to the full over a wide
temperature range and snow of consistent quality to be guaranteed.
Applications
The new above-ground valve block can be used in
combination with most members of the TA family of lances. It is
compatible with both the compact slot-in lance base assembly
found on installations with central air supply and the familiar
tripod base typical of systems that operate with a local compressor. Use of the above-ground valve block is also independent of pole length and head type, and it can be combined
with standard 6 m and 9 m poles and with either the A9 or A30
nozzle head. In addition, the new valve block is compatible
with all existing hydrants and can be used with the ON/OFF
valve, the pneumatic valve (only with central air supply) and
The above-ground valve block is mainly used in combination with the new compact switch cabinet. That combines the
advantages of a smaller footprint with the benefits of installing
all the electrical components above ground in the switch cabinet
instead of placing them in the pit. The result is greatly improved
accessibility, ease of maintenance and longer component life. In
the automatic version, the new above-ground valve block can be
integrated in fully automatic installations or it can be operated as
a stand-alone solution for local control. In the manual version, the
two additional water flow levels can be switched by hand using
two levers on the valve block.
The new lance snowmaking system in Nassfeld, Carinthia.
Gerhard Aneter, snowmaking manager at Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG.
Advantages
The above-ground valve block is a compact lightweight unit in a two-layer PE casing for safe handling and full
protection against the elements as well as during transportation, installation and storage of the lances at the end of the
season. Like all snow guns from the house of TechnoAlpin, every
above-ground valve block is delivered pre-assembled with the
lance pole ex works in Bolzano following pressure and function
testing. In addition to product quality, TechnoAlpin also has
a strong focus on convenient working. The nozzle head, pole
and valve block form a single unit, and the complete assembly
is quickly and easily installed. The Camlock couplings used for
the air and water supply also contribute to a user-friendly system. The biggest advantage of all, however, is fast and easy
maintenance. The water filter insert in the valve block, for example, can be cleaned without the need to climb into the pit
or clear the snow from the manhole cover. The sensors for air
pressure, water pressure and water temperature are located
above ground where they are better protected from the wet
than inside a pit. That is the key to longer sensor life. Another
advantage of the new lances operated with the above-ground
valve block is the fact that they can be installed on compact
valve pits with limited clear internal dimensions. They can also
be installed on concrete footings with no pit at all.
Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG (Austria) was
the first TechnoAlpin customer to install the new lances with the
above-ground valve block. This winter the Nassfeld ski area has
had 45 lances (25 A9s and 20 A30s) to handle the snowmaking
on its central Scheibelboden trail. This is one of the area’s toppriority trails, where snow cover must be available within sixty
hours. The contract placed with the snow experts also included a
water cooling system comprising six Cooltech 3600 cooling towers
(180 l/sec) so as to ensure delivery of the snowmaking water at
the ideal temperature. With its new lance installation, Nassfeld has
again underscored its pioneering role in the field of snowmaking
in Carinthia and further increased its capacity to deliver the white
stuff. Here is what Gerhard Aneter, snowmaking manager at Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG, has to say about the new system:
What made you choose a system with lances and
the new above-ground valve block?
Gerhard Aneter: What convinced us most was the
ease of maintenance offered by the new lances. The aboveground valve block and hence the water filter are accessible at
all times, so there is no need to climb into the pit. In the summer
we take down the lances, and servicing is performed in our central workshop. That also greatly simplifies the work involved.
Now that the season is almost over, what is your
impression of the new lances?
Gerhard Aneter: So far the reports have been entirely positive. Our expectations in terms of a maintenance-friendly
solution have been more than fulfilled. We are also highly impressed by the system with regard to output and the quality of
the snow. And the lances offer easy handling and excellent stability in strong winds.
SNOW EXPERTS ENGINEERING
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- Robust aluminum casting
- Two electric valves for the switchable
flow levels
- Compact lightweight unit
Air pressure measurement
Valve motors
Water pressure
sensor
- Water filter housing with a
250 micron filter insert
Water temperature
sensor
- Integrated air filter
- Air pressure sensor
Filter insert for
water
- Water pressure sensor
- Water temperature sensor
- 1” Camlock coupling for water
- ¾” Camlock coupling for air
- Heating pins/heater for fast availability
- Integrated drain valves (with heated
drain hose to the pit)
Air
Water
Filter cover
- Simple handling
- Quick and easy installation
- Uncomplicated maintenance
- Long-life sensors
- Installation also possible
on compact valve pits and
concrete footings
SNOW EXPERTS SWEDEN
Photo: Karina Östlund
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Photo: Nisse Schmidt
What is not so well known is the historical background
to this, the world’s oldest, longest and most famous cross-country
ski race. In 1521 the Swede Gustav Wasa arrived in the Swedish
Province of Dalarna to recruit support for his campaign against
the Danish King Christian. His efforts were in vain, however, and
he had no choice but to put on his skis and flee before the advancing Danes. In the meantime, however, the people of Dalarna
had changed their minds and they sent their two fastest crosscountry skiers out after Wasa. They finally caught up with him
in Sälen and persuaded him to turn back. After two and a half
years of war, Gustav Wasa led his country to victory and freedom, and in 1523 he was crowned King of Sweden.
Today the Vasaloppet is held on the first Sunday in
March in commemoration of the revolt of the Swedes almost
500 years ago. Since the first race in 1922, the event has developed into a sporting spectacular and now attracts some 15,000
competitors. The range of skiers who rise to the challenge of the
90 km trail is varied. From Sunday skiers to professional athletes,
they are all there – and some of them have been coming for over
thirty years. Even though there can be only one winner, respect
and honor go to all who make it to the finishing line in Mora –
fired on by 50,000 spectators and a cup of traditional bilberry
soup to give them the strength for the final dash. The record time
for the course – 3.38.57 – was established by the Swede Peter
Göransson in 1998.
As Official Supplier to the Vasaloppet, TechnoAlpin is
also involved in this major sporting event. Since 2007 the snow
experts have been the backstage boys in the “Snowfabric” at the
start in Sälen, with one pump station, four T60 mobile snow guns
and ATASSplus controls. From there the snow is spread along the
trail, which follows tarmac roads in places. In 2008 TechnoAlpin
also provided automation for the existing pump station at the finish of the Vasaloppet in Mora and supplied two mobile T60s.
Photo: Dino Colli, Cortina
In the world of downhill skiing, more and
more FIS World Cup venues are investing in
high-tech snow from TechnoAlpin so as to
be able to guarantee perfect racing conditions on the big day:
1 Sölden (AUT)
25./26.10.2008 - Opening
Ladies & Men GS
2
2 Levi (FIN)
15./16.11.2008
Ladies & Men SL
3 Bormio (ITA)
28.12.2008
Men DH
4 Sljeme-Zagreb (CRO)
04./06.01.2009
Ladies & Men SL
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5 Zauchensee (AUT)
17./18.01.2009
Ladies SC & DH
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6 Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA)
23.-25.01.2009
Ladies DH, SG & GS
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7 Schladming (AUT)
27.01.2009
Men SL
8 Kranjska Gora (SLO)
28.02./01.03.2009
Men GS & SL
9 Bansko (BUL)
27.02.-01.03.2009
Ladies DH & GS
SNOW EXPERTS WORLD CUP
As race organizers, athletes and ski area
managers all know: TechnoAlpin snow
makes all the difference!
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for more information: www.technoalpin.com
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SNOW EXPERTS SPECIALS
Romania’s ski areas have a maximum of ten kilometers
of trails, which are normally served by lifts. The 1970s and 80s
saw the biggest bout of investment in the country’s ski areas,
and that was thanks to the state authorities. After the collapse
of communism, many of the lifts were taken over by private
operators, but for many years little money was spent on the ski
areas.
Suior Mogosa was once like that, too. The ski area is
located in the eastern Carpathians in the northwest of the country, about 60 km from the Ukrainian and 70 km from the Hungarian border. The nearest airport is 20 km away in Baia Mare,
which offers flights to Bucharest and Vienna among others. In
many places in Romania, e.g. Predeal and Azuga, where TechnoAlpin installed its first snowmaking systems in the country, the
ski areas are run by the local authorities. Suior Mogosa, however, was discovered by a local investor in 2001. He started off
by converting a number of derelict buildings, which had been
unused for years, into a three-star hotel with accommodation
for 99 visitors.
In 2004 the investor turned his attention to the skiing
amenities and built a 1.5 km trail served by a 1.4 km chairlift with
a transport capacity of 1200 p/h. That was the first step in the
development of an up-and-coming winter sports resort. If the first
winter had not had such heavy snowfalls, perhaps he would also
have considered installing a snowmaking system at the same time.
As it was, a further year passed before snowmaking
became the subject of serious debate and, more specifically,
TechnoAlpin was commissioned to produce a master plan and
make an initial quotation. At this stage the question of water
supply was identified as an initial challenge. A possible solution
was found in the form of a spring near the upper terminal of the
lift. On that basis TechnoAlpin submitted a second quotation. But
it was only following a visit to the Dolomites of South Tyrol, where
snowmaking is now available on over 90% of all skiable terrain,
that the investor was really convinced of the advantages of guaranteed snow cover. Again time passed, during which Suior
Mogosa’s young tourism trade flourished. In 2006, for example,
a second downhill trail was opened, and a third is due to follow
in the near future.
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SNOW EXPERTS ROMANIA
There was no shortage of domestic tourists in the resort, as well as visitors from across the Ukrainian and Hungarian
borders, but the same could not always be said of snow as something that simply falls from the skies. So a contract was signed
with the snow experts at TechnoAlpin, and their first job was to
construct a reservoir near the upper lift terminal. Storage capacity had to be limited to 8000 m³, however, because of the spring
just below. It was obvious from the start that that would not be
sufficient for snowmaking on all the trails, and so the investor set
about acquiring the rights to use the water from a natural lake
near the main ski trail. And he succeeded. So now it made sense
to locate the pump station by the lake. A further trip to South Tyrol was then organized to settle the final details and inspect some
of the interesting snowmaking installations there. That is when the
investor discovered the M18-AT. He was quickly convinced of the
advantages of automatic snowmaking and immediately decided
to go for a fully automatic solution for his ski area.
and in June the first shipment reached Romania. Pipe-laying for
the two trails started in the same month, followed by the installation of 35 A9 lances, four A30 lances and one M18-A fan gun.
The ATASSplus software was installed for the control system, thus
making its debut on the Romanian market. In October work began on the lakeside pump station with three 30 l/s pumps. The
pond by the upper lift terminal thus became superfluous as far as
snowmaking was concerned and has since been given a new role
as an idyllic biotope between the new buildings for the mountain
lodge and restaurant.
After that things happened very quickly. A new master
plan was drawn up; in late spring 2008 the contract was signed,
Suior Mogosa, an impressive example of bold and forward-looking entrepreneurial thinking.
Shortly after that, what is currently the biggest snowmaking installation in Romania was ready for commissioning, and
on 17 January 2009 the first man-made snow was produced in
Suior Mogosa! And as 2008/09 was a poor winter for snow cover in Romania, the installation has more than paid off from the
start.
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SNOW EXPERTS NEWS TICKER
Plea
us kn se let
n e e d ow i f yo
u
a ny v
ouc h
ers
fr
tic keee
ts!
www.interalpin.eu
www.nsaa.org
www.swissalpina.ch
www.lavex.sk
www.skiexpo.ru
SNOW EXPERTS ONLINE
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Keeping abreast of the latest technical developments
and making effective use of them – that is obviously fundamental
to all TechnoAlpin activities in R&D, production and systems engineering. But the latest developments are never neglected in the
field of communications, either.
A case in point is the TechnoAlpin website, which was
recently given a basic redesign in style and content for maximum
user-friendliness. The result is a new website that is both functional
and attractive.
The new TechnoAlpin website has been created as a
communications portal for accessing and downloading information
that is clear, complete and above all up to date. The focus is on
TechnoAlpin’s products. From the A30 and the PIANO to the T60,
they are all there complete with photos and product catalogues.
And on-line information is also available on models that are no
longer produced.
A whole range of services is also available. There is
a weekly News offering on the subject of TechnoAlpin, snowmaking and winter sports in general. A calendar of events
provides regular information on all the relevant trade shows
and conferences and other major events. There is also an online ordering facility for all product catalogues and the latest
edition of Snow Experts Magazine, a registration facility for
TechnoAlpin’s popular customer training courses and a service
hotline.
The service section also includes such useful items as a
pre-owned mart as a quick source of initial information on attractive pre-owned snow guns and pumps, a page for job vacancies
at TechnoAlpin, and an unsolicited application form.
Anyone with a specific question or requirement will
also find the right person to contact at technoalpin.com. So take
a look. It is always well worth a visit!
Alain De Cian
A. Rachetti
Alexander Bauer Alexander Borgia
Alexander Gilli
Armin Reichhalter
Arno Hafner
Astrid Torggler
Bernhard Wagner Christian Bonini
Benjamin Pötz
Daniela Mauroner Deborah Mair
Dietmar Larcher Elisabeth Kofler
H. Oberrauch
H. Hochwieser
Harald Brunetti
Juris Panzani
K. Terrabona
Kathrin Pfeifhofer Klaus Bacher
Martin Eppacher M. Gamberoni
Martin Hofer
Michael Wieser
Michele Marsonet Mirko Brunner
Philippe Ronin
Raja Shahed
Renè Schiess
Heidi Vonmetz
Alexander Klapfer Alexander Leitner A. Weissensteiner Andrea Cavatton
Christian Franzelin Dagmar Geis
Elmar Kaufmann Erich Gummerer Erika Marchio
Heinz Viehweider
Herbert Plattner H. Hochkofler
Lukas Pfeifer
M. Hermeter
Daniel Folie
Andreas Gutgsell A. Schwingshackl
Andreas Weiss
A. Kompatscher Anja Berents
Daniel Heiss
Daniel Lantschner
Daniele Neri
Daniel Nogler
D. Weiss Gasser Daniel Wiedmann
Florian Schwalt
F. Zambaldi
Georg Eisath
G. Reichegger
Erika Unterweger Federico Tricotti Florian Hofer
Horst Schmid
Irmi Prader
Manfred Scherer Manuel Nössing M. Planötscher
Armin Grasberger
G. Cassiolari
Ivan Gross
Jakob Mumelter Jitka Mahdalikova Johann Kaufmann J. Untermarzoner Jozef Durčák
M. Wunderer
Marco Moratti
M. Mahlknecht
Markus Pfeifer
M. Wiedenhofer
Martin Coser
M. Hawlin
Matteo Paterno
Matthias Fauster Marco Benvenuto M. Centofanti
Mauro Ficara
Mauro Freno
Max Vieider
Monika Hornikova N. Baumgärtner Norbert Gruber N. Marmsoler
Othmar Kanton
Paolo Alberti
Paolo Nardone
Patrick Peintner
P. Platzgummer
Peter Mittermaier Peter Rottensteiner
Richard Reifer
Rudolf Prantl
Siegfried Göller Siegfried Rieder
Stefan Egger
Stefan Malfer
Stefano Bruscagin Stefano Cianchi
Martin Margesin Martin Noggler Martin Raifer
Robert Maoret
Roberto Begliatti
Matej Budaj
R. D‘Agostino
Paolo Bagozzi
Stefano Locatelli
Stephan Psenner Thomas Burger
Thomas Damian Thomas Lunger
Thomas Möltner Thomas Pichler
T. Strumpflohner Ulrike Oberrauch U. Marchesan
Verena Pattis
Verena Zeschg
Walter Rieder
Walter Weger
Wolfgang Hanni Wolfgang Lechner
Wolfgang Psenner Wolfram Mair
Albert Gomig
Bianca Zanona
David Dietrich
H. Grünbacher
K. Kaltenbacher Manuel Schöpf
Markus Egger
Markus Goller
M. Neudorfer
Martin Zeiser
M. Kirchmayer
R. Kramberger
Thomas Condin
Aldo Lauri
Brice Lacorre
Damir Casu
D. Schatt-Orecchini Florian Grimm
Ivana Kempf
Marcel Ehrler
Marco Albiez
M. Zurbriggen
Patrick Truttmann Remo Bulgheroni
Stefan Gisler
Thomas Kempf
Alexander Reindl
Bernhard Maier
Eberhard Gall
Gerti Zandt
Jutta Scheitler
Manfred Huber
Sandra Widhopf T. Weingartner
Ulrich Gall
Bernard Ligori
Corinne Vascon Didier Blanchard
Henri Philip
Mathieu Verriere
Michael Payan
Valérie Vacher
Virginie Guimbard Alena Mihova
Anna Fablova
A. Turiakovà
Igor Schmidt
Ján Lietavec
L. Podmanicky
Lowy Ladislav
Peter Vevercik
Ben Siefert
C. Hemming
David Kennedy
Dennis Kinsella
Geir Vik
Peter Söderholm Veikko Mantila
A. Olsson
C. Andersson
Jan Mangborg
Lasse Nordström Jan-Erik Nilsson
Magnus Hedlund Martin Bergström Jong Woo Won Kwan Hee Won Tae Ha Kim
Timo Etz
Lue Shengming
Xing Xin
K. Kawakami
Giorgio Noulikas A. Mechkov
Asya Mechkova
S. Mechkova
Stefka Miteva
Kemal Akin
Stefan Ties
Cristina Osado
Raul Garcia
Rosa López
L. Radovanovich Slawa Kalugin
Luka Kepec
Anton Faltynsky
Serge Sirotko
Thomas Peintner Paul Lambert
Hanspeter Pleisch
Petre Popa
The Snow Experts.
Elke Leitner
Serban Sovaiala Caba Gere
Franck Tiffreau
Zuzana Zidekova Andy Benton
Ali Rahimi
A. Rodriguez
Santiago Hardt
Ángel Jaraiz