Craig Burton

I am the Managing Director of Ski Solutions and have been lucky enough to be a part of the development and growth of this business since 2002. Skiing is my total love and passion, and having got into the sport via a school trip to little known Folgarida in Italy back in 1994, I have been hooked ever since. My favourite off the piste activities are long lunches in Italy. My all time favourites are Chiecco and La Maison Vielle in Courmayeur. The Italians have turned the ski lunch in to an art form, and always incredibly good value. For après ski partying, it’s still hard to beat St Anton and the craziness of the Mooserwirt, though Ischgl gives them a run for their money.

Top Tip

Always try and ski with people who are better than you, and don’t scrimp when it comes to buying jackets and goggles! Both should give many years of good service and are worthwhile investments. At Ski Solutions, we’ve been wearing Eider kit for years, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Interesting Fact

Since July 2010 it has been illegal in France to wipe your bottom with the French flag.

Number of Seasons

2

Skiing History

After my first trip skiing with school in 1994, I had a few years out from skiing before fully immersing myself in the sport by means of a pre-university gap year. I packed myself off to Whistler for the winter, talked myself into a job to pay the rent, and was taught to ski deep coastal mountain powder by my new found Canadian friends. They could barely believe the incompetence of this noisy British invader, but we collectively skied and drank our way through a legendary winter in which more than 30ft of snow fell. University followed in Aberystwyth where I was Ski Club president for my final year. Our racing performances were abysmal, but we weren't in it for the glory, and we acquitted ourselves well in other departments. Anyone who has been involved in organising and participating in university ski trips will know the fun, and hangovers involved. Post-university, I had an itch to get back to North America and spent the final couple of months before graduating convincing my best friends to forget about finding a job, and instead come back out to Canada and spend a winter playing in Whistler. After season number two, a proper job was needed and I joined a wonderful little company called Ski Solutions in September 2002 selling lovely ski holidays to lovely people. I have been doing everything I can to remain in ski since then.

Best Moment

It's hard to choose between the two, so here are both of them! The Dave Murray Downhill on Whistler mountain, a long sweeping black run which was used in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Quiet mid-week morning before anyone else had got up, freshly groomed overnight with 12 inches of fresh, dry powder lying on top. Magic.

Or, the off-piste descent back to Zermatt at the end of the 5 day Haute Route from Chamonix, followed by a well deserved lunch and beers at Chez Vrony.

Favourite Resort

In North America, it’s got to be Whistler due to my historic ties there and hazy memories of carefree days spent playing with friends in deep, deep powder. In Europe, probably Val d’ Isere – it’s pretty much unbeatable when you look at the whole holiday package.

Resorts Visited

Whistler, Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, Killington, Sunday River, Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Steamboat Springs, Heavenly, Mammoth, Alpine Meadows.

All the biggies in the Alps, plus Hemsedal in Norway, Cairngorm and the Dubai snowdome!