Snow Sports
ArchiveSledding, that noble winter-weekend sport, looks simple. It’s not. Here are the ten best sleds** to do it right (don’t worry, there is still plenty of snow), whether you’re a kid in the Rockies or an over-the-hiller in Flatlandia. (Watch our testing video.) 10. TSL…
If you blew it on Valentine's Day or need to earn some extra points with your snugglebuns, I have two words of advice: Aspen/Snowmass. My boyfriend Andrew and I recently splurged on a short-n-sweet weekend getaway and devised an excellent game plan, if I do say so myself. All you…
I took a trip just south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, recently with High Mountain Heli Skiing. The day kicked off in town with introductions to the guides, an overview of safety rules for the Bell 407, avalanche safety, and transceiveruse.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, said to be the Last Great Race on Earth, spans from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, over 1,100 miles in 11 days or less. Teams cover the harshest cold weather imaginable through treacherous mountain terrain and over frozen seas. For…
You've had a season's pass to your local mountain for a decade and lap runs like they're mole hills. You're ready to hit the backcountry and maybe even some bigger lines. But how? To take it to the next level you need a good guide, and to get the…
These days, cutting-edge expeditions often happen because gear companies believe there's promotional gold in the combination of top outdoor athletes, dream adventures (like skiing first descents in the mountains of Antarctica), and cool Web images from the bottom of the world. Does it work? Heck if I know. But it sure was fun being a content provider.
The 2010 Iditarod is underway. As of this post, Sebastian Schnuelle was in first place and fan favorite Lance Mackey was in 14th, although the race is far from over. The 1,150-mile…
Target has announced its stores will soon be carrying Shaun White Shoes, which will…
Not in person. On a Wheaties box. Wheaties recently announced the athletes to be featured on their famed boxes. Vonn (the best female skier in the world?), Shaun White, and Seth Wescott were all chosen…
It's been years since I bought my first alpine touring set-up, and I'm long overdue for an upgrade. So this season I set about testing all sorts of equipment in search of the perfect quiver. Step one: boots. I tested four pairs: the Black Diamond Shiva, Scarpa Diva, Dynafit Gaia,…
This past weekend, not one but two groups of snowboarders got lost while riding the gnarly backside of Maine’s Sugarloaf ski resort. Five snowboarders ducked the ropes Friday and were rescued later that night. Four more went out of bounds Sunday and were rescued Monday. Now Sugarloaf plans to stick…
Olympic viewers will remember Alexandre Bilodeau as the first athlete to win gold for Canada in Vancouver in the men's moguls. He's also the first Canadian ever to win a gold medal on home soil. But just as memorable…
The Olympics have officially wrapped up, and in case you missed the major events of the last week of the Games in Vancouver, here's our list of the best moments: 5. Canada beat the U.S. in men's hockey, 3 to 2, in an overtime…
Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White was a guest last night on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He's also on the cover of this month's…
If you're a safety-savvy backcountry skier, snowboarder or other traveler, there are a few snow-stability tests you know. Traditional tests are designed to show you the weak layers in the snow, but often they don't show you the likelihood those layers will propagate into a big avalanche. Now there's a…
Kris Freeman, 29, has admittedly had a disappointing Olympics. He came in with high hopes and expectations but did not meet his targets. He took a wrong turn in his first race, had a diabetes-related problem in his second race,…
Gretchen Bleiler, 28, won silver in the women’s halfpipe in Turin in 2006, but it turns out 2010 isn’t her year in the Olympics–she wound up 11th in Vancouver, after tumbling into the pipe. She’s not dwelling on the loss, though. Bleiler will go right back…
Ted Ligety didn't do so hot in the 2010 Winter Olympics.He came in fifth in the super combined, 19th in the super-G, ninth inthe giant slalom, and he didn't get to finish the slalom…
With many of the U.S. Olympians taking themselves rather seriously these days, this video is a refreshing change of tone: Norwegian alpine ski team members dance to Michael Jackson's “Beat It” on the top of a snowy mountain…in matching spandex, ski boots, and helmets. I think Norway just got a…
Lindsey Vonn missed a gate in the slalom today and did not finish the race. About 16 seconds into her first run, her right ski flew wide on a gate and she was unable to pull her skis back together, causing her to straddle the…
Hannah Teter, 23, came into Vancouver as the reigning champion in the women's halfpipe. She ended up not repeating a gold performance–but she did win the silver. Teter is a big star in the snowboarding…
I'm heading out on a mini hut trip this weekend, which means it's time to gather up all the necessary gear and check it twice. I treat packing for a hut trip like packing for car camping in a two-door Honda Civic. You want some comforts but not so many…
Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the first run of the giant slalom today, with snow blowing and fog hanging in the air. She would have won the race, but at 150 yards from the finish line, her left ski slipped as she rounded a gate,…
The Four Seasons Whistler has a new definition of “up close and personal” when it comes to the Olympics: the new Ski With An Olympian package. Schralp the continent's longest vertical drop with World Cup downhill champ and three-time Olympian Cary Mullen, Olympic silver medalist Hilary Lindh, or current…
Hey there, Olympics fanatics. Here's a recap of what went down this weekend, in case you had to step away from your comfy couch: 5. The U.S. has racked up 24 medals so far, putting it at the top of the country…
The obvious thing to do after you win an Olympic medal is to go out and party, right? That’s precisely what Scotty Lago did after snagging the bronze in the snowboard halfpipe event last week. Unfortunately he didn’t get the memo about nixing the lewd and suggestive victory poses—or at…
A lot of Americans have done well at the Olympics in Vancouver. Regardless of how they've finished, we want to know which skier or snowboarder you'd most want to head downhill with. Tell us what you think in the poll below. And don't forget, this week you can follow us…
Torah Bright of Australia has won the gold in the women's halfpipe. Americans Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark won the silver and bronze, respectively. Teter was the winner in the 2006 Games, and Clark was the winner in 2002.
If the idea of skipping a potential ski day–or, more specifically, a powder day–for your own wedding makes you cringe, then check out Colorado’s Loveland Ski Area. Every Valentine’s Day for the past 19 years, it's hosted a mass marriage ceremony,…
I recently went to Vail, Colorado, for a mini-vacation. I wanted to enjoy a nice day of beautiful vistas, blue skies, serene, wide-open slopes, and even an après beer in the sunshine that wasn’t a PBR. Basically, the opposite of my usual freeski urchin, storm chasing, all…
There will be no second gold medal today for Lindsey Vonn at the Olympics–she crashed out of the women's super combined. Maria Riesch of Germany, a close friend of Vonn's, ended up in the top spot.
We want to hear what you think. What has been the most defining moment of the 2010 Olympics so far? ext_script = "//s3.polldaddy.com/p/2719804.js"…
In case you haven't been glued to the tube, here's our recap of the best moments caught on camera from Vancouver over the last few days: 5. Shaun White's coach Bud Keene got caught with a…
Okay, so Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso are ostensibly rivals. But it's a fairly friendly rivalry, although the friendship has waned somewhat over the years, The New York Times reports. The two…
The top entries from the Venture/Protect Our Winters snowboard art contest have been posted to the Venture Snowboards blog, states snowboarding.transworld.net. Members of the general public are encouraged to cast their votes. A…
I was reading the news today and came across an interesting headline on the BBC website: “Money-burning snowboarder rescued from alpine ski lift.” Turns out Mr. Dominik Podolsky, 22, of Munich took the lift down at a ski resort in the Austrian Alps…
I recently got back from an epic weekend in Steamboat. I stayed at the swanky One Steamboat Place, a brand new ski-in/ski-out residence, located just steps from the gondola. The spacious yet cozy “gathering room” was a major…
In case you missed them, here's our list of the most stellar Olympic moments of the past few days: 5. On the snowboard circuit, Seth Wescott won gold for the U.S. in the men's snowboard cross final, beating out Canadian…
Overlooked mountain ranges, river beer, running album, gear of all time, and 47 other big ideas, accidental winners, and awesome things about the world outside we've come to love over the past 33 years. Introducing our first annual Editors' Choice Awards...
This may be your best shot to look like a world-class snowboarder. Beginning February 15th we'll be giving away 20 pairs of limited edition Bollé goggles signed by Olympians Lindsey Jacobellis and Seth Wescott. It's easy to win. All you…
Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luge competitor in the Olympics, died in a training crash today at the Whistler Sliding Center's track, The New York Times reports. He lost control of his sled 48 seconds…
Wild weather makes the next couple of months the hardest time of the year to plan an adventure. To help you out, we've worked up game plans for all kinds of conditions. Your job? Just check the doppler—then go.
Seventeen avalanches in Afghanistan's 12,000-foot-high Salang Pass area buried more than two miles of highway yesterday, after heavy winds and rain loosened up recent heavy snowfall. More than one hundred cars were trapped — many inside the notoriously dangerous tunnel — and at at least 64 people are dead or feared dead…
Skiers Keith Christien and Michael Wagener of Team Rampinnnggg took home gold last weekend at the first of several Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battles. The event, held at Taos Ski Valley Resort in New Mexico, challenged 47 two-person teams to an intense, big-mountain course of ascents and descents. The winners…
CNN reported today that alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn may not be able to compete in the Olympics due to a crushingly painful shin injury. Her worst injury yet, it was sustained in a crash during a recent practice in Austria. Though there is…
Just days before Lindsey Vonn is slated to compete in her first event of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We just blogged that the skier revealed a shin injury she'd sustained Feb. 3 during…
Think of it as skiing's equivalent of a backstage pass: This March, Chugach Powder Guides will host a special heli-ski trip with pro skiers Cody Townsend and Elyse Saugstad in Alaska's Chugach Range. Let's just say that these two know what they're doing.
More sad news to report: A slide killed at least 17 soldiers when it hit a military training camp near Gulmarg, a popular Indian ski resort, today. This border with Pakistan has long been disputed in one of the world's highest-altitude wars. The Christian…
I shamelessly swiped this VholdR helmet-cam video from my friends over at Skiing magazine. Check out these pretty (ahem) sweet-looking lines from Chamonix, courtesy of athletes Tim Dutton, Jackie Paaso and JT Holmes. —Kate Siber…
Eight skiers and climbers were killed by an avalanche in Iran's Alborz Mountains on a road between popular ski areas Shamshak and Dizzine, reported Iranian and international news agencies today. Rescuers saved another 49 victims, including three foreigners. Iran might not immediately conjure images of steep, snowy mountain ranges, but…
You already heard about the SnowSports Industries of America (SIA) trade show that happened in Denver, Colorado, last week from our Powder Feed blogger, Kate Siber! She gave you a round-up on some of the best new gear out there. But, wait. What…
Women's ski jumping will simply have to wait to become the next sport deemed worthy enough for the Olympics. Check out this awesome contender: —Kate Siber…
The New York Times Magazine features Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn this week. Of course, we're partial to our own profile, “Nine…
Injuries? What injuries? Both of America's great medal hopes for ski cross, Casey Puckett and Daron Rahlves, are ready to compete in the Olympic Games despite recent injuries, says U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association CEO Bill Marolt. In Aspen's Winter X Games last weekend, Rahlves sustained a dislocated hip and…
In my book, every trade show or conference necessitates at least a day or two of recovery, ideally in a ski town. So on my way home from SIA in Denver, I stopped in Breckenridge. I hadn't been there since a family ski trip in, oh, 1993. It wound…
When visiting one of the best ski towns in North America, it's worth it to splurge on a meal in one of the country's best restaurants. But these days such trips are in short supply, so what can you do? Not much, unless you have a recipe. I gathered up…
What does it take to make the U.S. Ski Team's Olympic roster? A lot, according to the new documentary “Truth in Motion: The U.S. Ski Team's Road to Vancouver.” After airing on Saturday, it's now free (in HD!) at iTunes, thanks to sponsor Audi. —…
There have been several trade shows in outdoorlandia in the past couple of weeks. I just spent the last two days at SIA, the big snow sports show in Denver. If you've never been to a trade show, it can best be described as a spectacle. Picture…
Just in case you were out and missed the 2010 Winter X Games, we compiled a list of our ten favorite moments. You don't have to agree. Tell us what you think in the comments section below. 10) Anything involving…
Daron Rahlves sustained a heinous crash in the ski-cross finals of the X Games yesterday, dislocating his hip. He was wincing as an ambulance sped him from the course, reported the Denver Post. This brings up the obvious question: Will he recover in time to compete in…
Ted Ligety has won the World Cup giant slalom in Slovenia for the third year in a row. This is his first World Cup win this season, and he cinched it with a combined time of 2:22. Austria's Marcel Hirscher took second…
I'm picky about ski packs. My requirements: It has to carry well. It has to have enough pockets but not too many, enough straps but not too many, and a good weight-to-capacity ratio. I have to admit that I wasn't overly keen on the Deuter Freerider PRO 30 when I…
Chris Davenport has returned from his Antarctica skiing adventure. And the film crew that accompanied him (Granite Films) brought back some pretty amazing footage. Below is…
The creation of the European-based Freeride World Tour has taken freeskiing (also called extreme skiing) competition to a whole new level. Athletes that areawarded one of the few coveted spots on this circuit get the chance to competeon massive, unskied faces in…
Live screenings of this year's Aspen X Games will be hosted in Denver, Colorado, according to…
For a few seasons now, Salomon has been handily churning out mini ski movies and publishing them on its website. These bite-size bits of inspiration are the best antidote to the Tuesday afternoon blues I've found so far. The latest episode, #15, is one of the better ones—a story about…
Freestyle skiers were some of the last American athletes to find out whether they were Vancouver-bound this season. After the long wait, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Team, and Visa announced the official Olympic roster at Utah's Deer Valley Resort…
Colorado's Arapahoe Basin will host its eighth annual Beacon Bowl and Avalanche Awareness Day on Saturday, February 6, according to skinet.com. The…
The U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Park City was held last week. Kelly Clark placed first on the women's side, and Shaun White took the victory for the men. Oh, and White also landed the first ever…
“Truth in Motion”, a documentary on the U.S. Ski Team produced by Audi, will premiere this Saturday, 8 p.m., on NBC. The film follows the lives of the U.S. skiers as they prepare for the…
It's been dumping (again) here in Southwest Colorado, so last night I took off early from work to lap some runs at the local pint-sized home-town ski area: Hesperus. It has precisely one wooden-seat lift (circa 1958) that goes approximately 2 miles per hour,…
Last one up the mountain? Well, you can be the first down the pow with this handy skin-ripping technique. Veteran ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, who's bagged first descents on all seven continents, shows how in this recent video he posted to his blog. —Kate Siber…
Land of the Freebie If you're like me, 2009 left you a lot broke and a little fat—in serious need of some low-cost healthy outdoor activity. But that's tough to find when lift tickets are approaching $100 and on-mountain burgers top ten bucks. If…
A good piece of gear for off-piste skiers is an avalanche airbag system (ABS), but it seems that a lot of skiers who carry one aren't deploying them in the case of an actual avalanche. New Scientist writes about a new…
Snowboarder Danny Davis, 21, was seriously injured in an ATV crash this weekend and recently announced that, like his recently injured friend Kevin Pearce, he will not be able to participate in the Olympics. He is currently recovering after successful back surgery. With two strong snowboard contenders out, who behind…
Courtesy of Flickr The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, host of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, February 12 to 28, will be up for public auction on February 19,…
You don't normally think of ice as something that increases safety, but SKI magazine explains how it does just that for alpine racers. The ruts caused by snowcats clearing the course can be dangerous for skiers, launching them off-course, so water is actually injected into the…
On December 29th, on the verge of the new decade, the skiing industry lost a legend. Bill Levitt, long-time mayor of Alta, Utah, and owner of the Alta Lodge, passed away after collapsing in the ski area's dining…