The Skiing Weatherman 3/18 One step forward, one step back… While Upper Midwestern and western U.S. resorts have seen some meaningful snowfall at times the past 2-3 weeks, areas in the East have battled the back and forth pattern that has been dominant much of this winter. La Ninas typically produce enhanced variability in the winter, and this winter has[Read More…]
Editor’s Note: TheSkiDiva.com is an online community of women skiers without the male orientation. The forum’s founder, Wendy Clinch, recently posted this report, comprised, in part, of comments by forum participants. In the past few weeks, there have been at least 10 deaths at North American ski resorts. While one death is way too many, The National Ski Areas Association says ski fatalities are[Read More…]
Like many of its patrons, Deer Valley is extremely well-groomed. Source: Deer Valley Deer Valley Resort is just easier. Easier to ski, easier to get to, easier to gear up for the day (free overnight ski and boot check). As a senior skier, I’m totally on board with that. A few minutes drive or free bus from ski town Park[Read More…]
The origins of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) harmonized approach to ski instruction in the United States can be traced back to Alta. When skiing was first taking hold as a participation sport around the Intermountain region in the mid- to late-1930s, ski instruction was informal; limited to tips provided by anyone who had been on a pair[Read More…]
If you’re a cross country skier in the U.S. snowbelt states or any Canadian province, you may well have enjoyed a golf course offering XC skiing – not surprising, since there are more than 250 in North America, from Halifax to Whistler, Boston to Lake Tahoe. In my admittedly biased opinion, this isn’t nearly enough. So I suggest that if[Read More…]
1988 Val d’Isere / Tignes After a terrific lunch, my friends and I returned to an off-piste area we had skied that morning. On a traverse across the steep slope, I slipped, lost my skis and couldn’t stop sliding. Digging my heels into the snow launched me into a forward somersault. FINALLY, I came to a stop, only to start[Read More…]
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. Generally, the pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit. This Englishman was instrumental in formalizing ski racing in the early part of the 20th Century. 1908, He founded the Alpine Ski Club in 1908, and in 1911[Read More…]
Wendy Clinch and Steve Cohen emailed pictures of their license plates. Wendy is founder of TheSkiDiva, an online community of women skiers and author of “Is Resort Skiing Getting More Dangerous,” in this issue. Her Vermont plate reads: SKIDIVA. Steve is CEO and co-founder of Masterfit Enterprises, the snowsports industry’s foremost boot and shoe fitting company. While executive editor of Ski Magazine,[Read More…]
While the annual fund-raiser will continue through March (can you believe we’re already in March?), poster and stickers will start to be mailed over the coming days. Short Swings! explores a different way of understanding our age by subtracting our years from our date of birth. Using that formula, Jon winds up in 1865. Herb’s weather report bodes well for[Read More…]
There’s a weird age game I often play with myself and others. Simply take your age and subtract it from the year you were born. In my case, born in 1943, it takes me to 1865. It’s a bit of a mind-bender, providing a different perspective on our number of years and, at least in my case, honing my awareness[Read More…]
East stays stormy…snow returns to the West This past week brought several rounds of fresh snow from Alberta Clipper systems to the northern Lakes and the higher peaks of the Northeast and as this weekend unfolds, new snow will fall over much of the West. I spent a couple of days at Stowe, where several inches of powder piled up[Read More…]
No matter where you ski or ride, historic ski country lodging may not be far away. One of the most offbeat indicators of that is how many Southern Appalachian ski accommodations compare to the coolest historic places skiers check into up North and out West. A stay at the fanciest won’t be cheap, but it won’t be ordinary either. Just[Read More…]
Source: Travel Crested Butte The first thing one notices about the terrain at Crested Butte is the jagged, arrowhead shaped mountain peak thrusting into the sky. The base of the mountain is 9,820’, and lifts take you to a notch, several hundred feet below its 12,162’ summit. There’s lots to like about skiing Crested Butte: beaucoup, well-groomed beginner, intermediate and[Read More…]
When’s the last time you screened a short, professional video of ski friends? Ski Buddies is the newest entry into the unique canon of ski videos being developed by Don Burch. At 82-seconds, it explores an aspect of skiing life overlooked by many.
Editor’s Note: Deciding how to experience a day on the hill can be as simple as skiing familiar terrain or as thrilling as seeking hidden stashes of untracked powder. What you do is based on who you are, where you ski, and what you want to accomplish. I have a friend content with skiing the same green run after run.[Read More…]
I was skiing with three friends at Lake Louise in 1995. We were heading over to “Rock Garden” on the far side of the mountain. On the way, we took a tree run. Only three of the four of us made it out. Where was Dick? We waited a while before trudging up into the woods to find him. It[Read More…]
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. Generally, the pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit. In the 1930s the hill pictured here was a popular New England ski location. The first reader to correctly identify its name and location will receive the new[Read More…]
Thanks to contributor Randy Johnson for sending the vintage picture of the two VWs parked at Beech Mountain with the “SKI BEECH” plates. As I was snapping the SKINBIK picture, a young woman jumped out of the car, asking what I was up to. Collecting license plate images has the potential to be dangerous! We’ve selected some of the cleverest[Read More…]
This Issue Short Swings! starts with some contrarian thoughts about the Beijing Olympics. It’ll be interesting to see if you agree with Jon’s observations. They’re followed by news and other curiosities related to the world of skiing. Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, explains why snow is happening in some sections of mountain country and what to expect, weather-wise, over the coming[Read More…]
It was pretty cool watching skiers race that tough Olympic course in falling snow. Their power, speed and control were remarkable. I only wish they were being cheered on with shouts and cowbells. I’ll confess that the head-spinning ski and snowboard gymnastic events fascinate and confuse me. No clue of how they and most other events are scored. I prefer[Read More…]
The Skiing Weatherman 2/18 Pattern in flux means some snow for much of the U.S. Since my last posting, I have only managed a couple of days on snow. One at Sugarloaf after an 8 inch overnight and then a brisk day at Killington earlier this week on some of that cold, styrofoam that the NBC announcers have been referring[Read More…]
As serious skiers gain years and experience, many become interested in the history of their sport. And a lot of us are also better positioned economically to savor that heritage by checking into some of the country’s more historic ski settings. A budget bunker motel beside the access road might be OK, but it’s surprisingly easy and affordable to set[Read More…]
For many of us, skiing through the aging process means no longer going places we once skied without thinking twice. Now, approaching my 80’s, my mantra is never to overstep my capabilities and always watch out for the other guy! I’ve always loved skiing in the trees and still do on occasions when conditions are right, and I’m feeling up[Read More…]
This fast-paced, short video from Don Burch combines several artistic techniques, including some fleeting Mondrian-like moments. I think it’s fair to say that Don is developing a new genre of ski video. Watching it evolve is a treat.
The March-April issue of Skiing History magazine is scheduled to mail at the end of February. Here’s what you can look forward to: A major tribute to Spider Sabich, the charismatic racer who helped put World Pro Skiing on the map and was shot to death at age 32. Spider will be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame[Read More…]
