To some extent, skiing is a fashion statement. Current trends have an impact in what we wear, the equipment we purchase, and the way we ski. Over the past several seasons, I’ve noticed skiers taking run-after-run using the same high speed, up-on-their-edges, race turns. It reminds me of the 60s when people were wedeling straight down the hill, or the[Read More…]
AARGH!!!! What follows, unfortunately, is the tale of what NOT to do when renting in Salt Lake City through Airbnb or VRBO. My wife and I decided to take a place for January through March. We know SLC from having lived there. The city is a terrific base with easy access to nine fantastic ski areas and more hotel, restaurant,[Read More…]
I don’t know how it happened, but between last season and this one I lost my custom foot beds. They were made about 15 years ago when I purchased my first Surefoot customized boots and, like the boots, they were pricey. Those beds stayed with me over the course of three or four subsequent boots. Then they were gone. Foot[Read More…]
This misguided soul gave up on New Year’s resolutions many years ago when I accepted that I could correct my errant ways on an as-needed basis or in response to my wife’s frequent course corrections. But it’s the start of a New Year, and I’d like to share a few ski-related resolutions that I plan to keep. Ski more[Read More…]
Away this week through the New Year, so no fully-developed column. But thought you’d enjoy this statement explaining what it is about skiing that is so inexplicably wonderful. It’s available as a poster in a variety of sizes. Click here for specific sizes and (very reasonable) prices. _____________________________________________________________________
For most of my skiing life, I looked forward to next season with enthusiasm. But several years ago, I began to face the season with some anxiety. Was I in good enough shape? Will the knees continue to do what they’re supposed to do? Will I get hit by a boarder? Should I listen to my wife and go south?[Read More…]
Growing up in Troy, N.Y., my friends and I often rode our bikes to Oakwood Cemetery, where we’d visit the tombstone of Samuel Wilson, aka Uncle Sam. One cold day, a pond had frozen in a way I never forgot and never saw again. For some reason, the ice had formed thousands of vertical tubes. Oddities like this happen throughout[Read More…]
Uphill Without a Lift? In this age of technological disruption, it’s time to consider the growing number of alternatives to rope tows, chairlifts, gondolas and trams. Self Powered Starting at the most basic level, there’s the growing practice of uphilling, the use of skins on skis to help the more fit and energetic work their way up. Long a European[Read More…]
Secrets of the Ice is a Norwegian website dedicated to archaeological discoveries in melting glaciers and ice patches in Norway and elsewhere. Glacial archaeology is a developing science as the planet warms, and objects from mummified people to ancient skis melt out of the ice. In Norway, one ski was carbon-dated to 650BC Another ski, from 750AD, was found with a[Read More…]
OK Boomer If you haven’t already heard about it, the term “OK Boomer” has gone viral. It’s the Millenial and Generation Z way of giving the older generation the middle finger for complaining about younger people’s behavior and commenting on issues such as the environmental crisis that will be left for them to solve. It’s a term that smacks of ageism.[Read More…]
If you’re accustomed to US prices, Canada offers great skiing value. The current exchange rate guarantees it. Skiing in Japan also is reasonable, but there’s the cost of getting there. Some clubs have reasonably priced all-inclusive packages. This one to Japan organized by the Baltimore Ski Club looks like it will be a lot of fun. And skiing the Italian Alps is a great[Read More…]
Imagine an extensive road network in which single and double lanes merge with big highways. No stoplights. No speed limits. Highway patrol rarely issues tickets. Driving these roads doesn’t require a license. Anyone willing to pay the steep toll gets on. Vehicles aren’t safety checked. Tickets issued at the tollbooth carry a well-lawyered statement about individual responsibility for safety when[Read More…]
A subscriber recently brought to my attention the SnowSport Safety Foundation, a non-profit, with the mission to encourage and enable ski area safety improvement through research, education and public access to reliable safety information. It was conceived by Dan Gregorie, after losing his adult daughter in a terrible snowboard accident at Alpine Meadows. Dan, a Physician Executive, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, set up the[Read More…]
Based on the overwhelming number of reader responses about on slope hits and near misses, it’s probably safe to say that skiing has become a contact sport. Body armor products aren’t far behind. Most of us got our first taste of protective gear when we donned helmets. I resisted a few years. Then word of head injuries started circulating, and I[Read More…]
What about that Big Dump last week in the West!!!!!! If you’re like me — waiting for the first signs of Winter — the season is now on its way. These areas plan to open in October: Wolf Creek, CO – 13th October Killington, VT – 19th October Sunday River, ME – 19th October Arapahoe Basin, CO – 20th October Loveland,[Read More…]
