Happy Thanksgiving, La Nina Delivers, Reader Input Needed, Great Gift Idea, Funny Urban Legend, Lift Maintenance, Birthday For 98 Year Old Olympian, Experticity Reminder.
Credit: SnoCountry
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers! We know you are happier than the poor turkey to the left.
In many places, this weekend marks the official start of the snow sports season. In fact, Killington is hosting the Audi FIS Women’s World Cup starting Nov. 24 and going through the weekend. Snow guns are taking advantage of every drop in temperature, and trails will be ready for the world’s fastest women. Join the crowds!
Here’s a short video clip from last year’s race at Killington. Pretty exciting profile of Mikaela Shiffrin, 21-year-old winner of the slalom event.
La Nina Brings Snow
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center reports that a weak La Nina condition exists in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Peru. That means surface sea water temperatures are cooler than normal having the ultimate effect of retracting the jet stream that flows over North America. The connection with snowfall is shown on the map below which is a summary of several years of snow accumulation during La Nina winters. Note the blue is above average snowfall, the brown below average. You can easily see where the snow will be. Remember, this doesn’t guarantee massive snow, but it is certainly a positive development for those in the blue areas.
Reader Stories and Videos Welcome
We were very pleased to see how many readers wrote in to correct and update our original list of where seniors can ski for free. (Note: You can find the list under the COMMUNITY menu pick, select SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT.)
That enthusiasm led us to think that many of our readers might have interesting stories that other readers might be interested in reading. Or video clips. If you have something to share, please write us at info@seniorsskiing.com. Keep your copy to 500 words. Pictures are really important, too. JPEGs or PNGs are ideal. If you have brief videos, post them on YouTube and send us the link with your story.
An Appropriate Gift For Seniors
We tested a device for locating lost objects using a small, bluetooth-based chip called Tile. We were very impressed and suggest you take a look. It is one of those inventions which can be truly life-changing. And for the better.
Skiing Urban Legend
We have a funny story which has taken on the status of urban legend about a novice skier. Correspondent Jan Brunvand coined the term “urban legend” when he was in academia and was asked to report on any legends related to the snow sports world. Here’s the story.
Keep Lifts Spinning
SLC Correspondent Harriet Wallis has a story about lift maintenance, a months-long, complex process that most of us never think about but which has to be done just right to ensure a trouble-free, safe season. Harriet profiles the lift crew at Deer Valley.
Happy Birthday To 98 Year-Old Olympian
The Ski Museum of Maine has saluted Chummy Broomhall, a two-time Olympian cross-country skier who is celebrating his 98th birthday. The Museum is asking people to send Chummy a card. Last year, he received 150 cards; let’s beat that this year. Find out where to write.
Experticity Reminder
Several readers have found that when trying to re-register for Experticity, they are faced with a questionnaire asking them for their connection to the ski business. We explained the change a few editions ago, but it’s worth repeating. What happened was that our original discount relationship was with Promotive. That company was merged with Experticity early last spring. They scrubbed their list of subscribers and informed us that only those readers who had a legitimate connect to the ski industry could qualify. We asked them to change their verification process to make it a little less constrictive, and Experticity did take our recommendations. So, it wasn’t an open door like it used to be, but some readers can probably still qualify.
Next Week
On we go into the early season. Our correspondents are all working on stories for you. Gift ideas, tips for renting condos, profiles, and lots of other topics. Also in the story bin is our list of ski recommendations for seniors. And boot recommendations. Stay tuned.
Remember, tell your friends about SeniorsSkiing.com. There are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.
Reading this as we get ready for our first runs of the season at Bretton Woods!