Santa Start To Samnaun Season
Monday, October 27th, 2008
Switzerland’s Samnaun ski resort will launch its 2008-9 winter season on the last weekend of the season with its annual Santa Claus World Championships.
At the same time it’s neighbour over-the-border, Ischgl in Austria, will launch its season with a pop concert.
The eighth Santa Claus World Championships (cluwau.com) takes place on Saturday, 29th November.
Teams of four will need to take part in the opening Santa Parade, show their skills at chimney climbing and in decorating ginger bread as well as the final first-round challenge of donkey trekking.
The initial 32 teams will then be narrowed down to three who’ll face further challenges in the battle to win the 5,000 Swiss Franc first prize which they’ll be free to use to buy presents for children or in any other way they like.
Over in Ischgl teenage singing sensation Gabriella Cilmi will launch the resort’s 08-09 winter sports season in a concert that will also feature a guest appearance by Leona Lewis. It’s a double coup by the Austrian resort, which has a tradition of opening and closing its winters with gigs by huge stars.
Entrance to the concert, which kicks off at 6pm on the 29th, will be by valid lift-pass. A one day lift ticket for 29 November will be 55euros (covering skiing and the concert), a two-day lift ticket will cost 74.50 euros.
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