Europe -- Nearly All Snow Sports Welcome On The Slopes

ROME - European skiers used to moan and groan whenever snowboarders crossed their path. Now, skier and snowboarder are often the same person.

Skiers go snowboarding and snowboarders try skiing. Most people actually want a taste of everything, including carving, telemark and the score of other gadgets used to get down the slopes.

The trend, which has come to be known as "multisport" or "multiglisse" (multislide) in France, has sent European resorts scrambling to try to please the so-called "zapping" consumer who chooses the day's activity according to his whim.

"Tourists like to try a variety of different sports, even within the same day," says Ernesto Rigoni, head of tourism and sport for Italy's Trentino region. "The `multiglisse' attitude prevents one category from acting like they are in charge and thinking the others should be kicked off the hill."

Most resorts are now equipped with half-pipes for snowboarders, special extra-wide runs for carving and dozens of other slopes - sometimes with moguls or slalom courses - for traditional skiers. Plus, anywhere is OK to experiment with the latest gadgets, including free-ride, snow-blades and Big Foot, a series of different boards and skis.

In Switzerland, Zermatt, which sits at the base of the Matterhorn and is known as Cervinia on the Italian side, is offering free, simultaneous carving and snowboarding test weekends in the pre-Christmas season.

The Gasteinertal area of Austria, near Salzburg, is putting on an event known as "snowcity" Dec. 3-6, where resorts will offer free testing of skis, snowboards and carving skis. At night, an opera and movies will be shown.

Abisko, near the Norwegian border in Lapland, offers a five-day package including the train ride from Stockholm as well as a cave exploring, a dog-sled tour and a course on telemark, a sport that was born here.

The recently introduced carving ski appears to be the main reason why skiers and snowboarders have made their peace. The hourglass-shaped ski feels similar to snowboarding because it allows the skier to make long, arcing turns, and presumably tempts skiers to try snowboarding despite their traditional aversion to it.

"Carving is the missing link between skiing and snowboarding," says Hubert Fink, former president of the International Ski Instructors Association. "It has virtually erased the antagonism between the two disciplines."

Europe's ski schools have also had to adapt to meet clients' changing demands.

"Instructors need to know at least two to three sports. Otherwise they become super-specialists without clients," Rigoni says.

Not only are skiers, snowboarders and others keen on trying multiple sports, they also want to "schuss" at as many different resorts as possible.

In the heart of the Italian Dolomites you can ski, carve or snowboard the "Sella Ronda," a carousel circuit of lifts and pistes, for a total of about 40 kilometers, which takes you over four different peaks and valleys. At nearby Moena, you can "ski safari," buying a six-day ticket valid at six different ski areas.

"Skiers don't like to take their cars and drive around the mountains in the middle of winter," says Gilles Gravier, assistant director of tourism of Val d'Allos in France's southern Alps, where free shuttle services connect a score of resorts. "But if we offer them buses, they are happy to go to nearby resorts."

A quick ski around European resorts:

-- Italy

If you plan an early start to the season, head to the region encompassed in the Dolomiti Superski pass, which covers about 80 percent of Italy's ski resorts, and get a free day of skiing Dec. 11. While you're in the area, travel to lower altitudes to do some Christmas shopping at Trento's annual crafts fair.

Both the Trentino and Alto Adige provinces offer free ski passes and accommodation in a score of hotels for kids 8 and under. Older children get discounts.

At Tonale, you can ski for free if you book a week in any hotel from Dec. 13-20 or March 21-28. Disabled skiers can head to the town of Predazzo, where they can cash in on special deals for equipment rental and ski passes if they stay for at least a week.

If you really want to feel the thrill of the mountains, go to Courmayeur, on Europe's mythical Mount Blanc, which straddles the Italian and French border and at 4,807 meters is Europe's second-highest mountain. The resort offers a "Ski Sans Frontieres" program where guides take you down remote valleys

Snowboard lovers might want to try Cervinia's new snowboard park, equipped with a half-pipe and boarder-cross courses, with loudspeakers that blast music all day.

For those who aren't keen about skiing, snowboarding or the rest, you can always watch the 1999 Snowboard World Championships organized by the International Snowboard Federation at various resorts in Val di Sole, including Tonale, from Jan. 25-31. The daring border-cross event makes its debut at the meet, and the giant slalom and dual slalom will be held under floodlights. You can watch telemarkers glide down the hill under floodlights in the Brenta region. Or take part in the traditional Habsburg festival at Madonna di Campiglio Feb. 10-16. -- Switzerland

Crans Montana, the site of last year's alpine skiing World Cup finals, is opening a new gondola cable car which will be able to transport

some 1,400 people an hour. Davos and Klosters have installed two new lifts, and Davos has created a new run just for carving.

Both Engelberg and Zermatt also have runs set aside for carving.

"Last year, everyone who was here had to try out carving," says Christina von Geispitzheim of Zermatt's tourist office. "And it is likely to be hugely popular again this year."

At Zermatt, children under 9 ski free and 10-to-16-year-olds get 50 percent off. Zermatt will have its usual range of passes, which as in previous years includes the possibility of skiing into its Italian neighbor, Cervinia. Two of its skiing areas have been directly linked for the first time by a new lift.

In the Bernese Oberland, Grindelwald is offering devil-karting (go-carting on snow). Among other events planned is an international curling tournament. Resorts in the Jungfrau area (including Wengen) have linked ski areas. Over the summer, three of the area's older ski lifts have been replaced.

Verbier, near Geneva, has installed a new cable car, which is expected to cut down lift lines, and from Verbier you can ski into Veysonnaz.

As for other sports, try taking snowbiking lessons in Scuol, eastern Switzerland. You can go ice fishing in Kandersteg and in the Val d'Anniviers, where it can be combined with ski touring. Other possibilities are diving in a lake under a glacier at the foot of the Matterhorn accompanied by a team of experienced divers.

In January and February, the frozen lake at St. Moritz will host polo and cricket tournaments, a horse race called "White Turf" and the "Gold Rush" greyhound race.

For information on Swiss ski resorts try the Switzerland's national tourist office's Internet site: www.switzerlandvacation.ch. For hotel information click on the Swiss Hotel Association's Internet Guide at www.swisshotels.ch. Most resorts also have their own sites.

-- France

If you are keen on trying a variety of resorts without changing hotels, try the Val d'Allos region, where shuttle services take you from one resort to the other and where you can ski with the same ticket.

French resorts such as Chamonix say they have seen an influx of tourists trying telemark or cross-country skiing, both of which do not necessarily rely on lifts to take you up the hill.

Parents who want to ski don't have to worry about where to leave their children at most French ski resorts because they offer nurseries, baby-sitting or childrens' activities. Families on Christmas holidays could visit Flaine, where Santa will be putting on shows.

Intellectual types should go to Les Karellis for a week of conferences and demonstrations of the Savoie regions' traditions, history and culinary delights.

If you like animals and the spirit of competition, go to Le Grand Bornand, in Haute-Savoie, for the International dogsled race known as La Gran Pia.

Some helpful Web sites: www.skifrance.fr;

www.lespyrenees.com;

www.montagne.com; www.skihoo.com.

Experience the thrill of racing at any of the following events: World Cup bobsledding at La Plagne, in Savoie, Dec. 14-19; Snowboard World Cup at Les Gets, in Haute-Savoie, Jan. 5-7; Telemark World Cup in at Les Houches Feb. 3-4.

Austria

To get a jump start on the season, travel to the Stubai glacier, one of the world's largest skiing areas. From Nov. 6-8, the town of Neustift is hosting the "King's weekend," which includes three days of skiing or snowboarding, plus free lessons, ski testing and ice wall climbing.

Soelden ski resort has built a chairlift that runs from the town to the glacier above, giving skiers an alternative to the more crowded cable car.

Most resorts offer tourists the option of buying "all-inclusive" cards which, among other things, give you access to free shuttle buses between towns, reduced museum entrance fees and discounts for special events.

The latest fads include horse-skijoring (horse-boarding), where a horse pulls a snowboarder or skier through a slalom course on flat terrain. Winter paragliding is also popular along with "zorbing," where you roll down the slope in a big rubber ball. You can also equip your mountain bike with special studded tires and take it on the slopes.

Spectators might want to check out the cross-country World Cup race in Seefeld, World Cup skiing in Schladming or Kitzbuhl or the snowboard air and style contest near Innsbruck.

Internet: www.austria-tourism.at

Austria is also full of places to go cross-country skiing, take dips in natural hot pools, or watch sled-dog racing.

Sweden

Most resorts have put aside special snowboard runs, with no resort banning snowboard.

"When snowboarding started, it was a tough situation. The skiers didn't like them, but now they're getting along fine," says Stig Lundqvist of Sweden's Liftowners Association.

The major Swedish resort, Salenfjallen, offers combined lift tickets with neighboring resorts such as Salen, Tandadalen, Hundfjallet and Lindvallen, reaching a total of 110 lifts.

Are, Sweden's most famous resort, has two runs illuminated with floodlights, where last year two women's World Cup races were held at night. The region also offers some 70 kilometers of cross-country skiing tracks, of which 6.5 kilometers are illuminated. Are boasts it has the best lighting system in the world.

Duved spent 100 million kronor (about $13 million) on a new chairlift this season, a six-seater with a windshield that is the first of its kind in Scandinavia.

Germany

In the Oberland region of Germany you can sign up for the "Winter Sport Block," which gives you access to four ski resorts, or go to Berchtesgadener Land where you can ski over the border into Austria.

The season's highlights include the Zell am See Winter Festival, where you can dance and listen to live music. Web pages: www.snowell.com and www.wintersport.de.

The World Cup ski circuit will be in Berchtesgaden for two days of racing Jan.7 and 9.

Spain

Spanish resorts have a wide range of offers for skiing, carving, snowboarding and cross-country.

Resorts throughout the country have been renovated with a total of 16 new lifts built at a cost of seven billion pesetas ($50 million). At most resorts, prices of lift tickets will remain the same as last year, ranging from 2,500 to 4,000 pesetas ($17 to $28) per day.

The Association of Spanish Ski Resorts (ATUDEM) has a Web site at www.cenoclap.es/skispain.

Try curling, skating, icefishing and snowshoeing in the Pyrenees and the sunny south.