The best Skiing coverage is at SkiJournal.com http://www.skijournal.com Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:18:35 -0400 RSSCreator 1.2 http://www.skijournal.com/images/design/skilogo.jpg http://www.skijournal.com New England Ski Journal http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_to_protect_and_serve.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Brian Lindner easily recalls his first experience with ski patrol. The Vermont skiing historian, and a part-time patroller at Stowe Mountain Resort since 1987, was just 6 years old when he broke his leg while skiing at Mount Mansfield in 1958 — on the mellow Lullaby Lane trail of all places. Stowe ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_bush_is_a_blast.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Castlerock was a bit of a Castlewreck for us. And we loved it. What’s not to love about Sugarbush in general and Castlerock in particular, I suppose? It was the day after Valentine’s Day, next door to frigid, and our powder-happy threesome picked our way down the snow-filled Castlerock ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_perfect_time_to_loaf.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Ah, spring, when a young (or even old, for that matter) man’s or woman’s fancy turns to thoughts of  … Sugarloaf? When the sun blazes and the corn snow rises, this is the place I have always headed for in western Maine. Several areas do a good job managing their snow ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_sugarbushs_personal_pursuit.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. When darkness settles into the Mad River Valley and lulls most who were out on the hill that day into a sound sleep, Trevor Borrelli finds himself obsessing with flaws. Not his own flaws so much, but the flaws only an impassioned terrain parks crew leader sees. It could literally be 3 inches ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_spring_in_your_step_grab.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. In my backyard, under a blue tarp, is a boat. A very nice boat to go fishing, waterskiing or just ride around in the summer heat. As late as two weeks ago, there was a foot of snow on top of the blue tarp, making the boat look, not so much like a boat at all, but some permanent implantation of ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_meister_cup_celebrates_legend.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. It may seem that the Hannes Schneider Meister Cup held annually at Mount Cranmore is still a new idea whose time finally came. But on the weekend of March 11, the Meister Cup celebrates its 15th anniversary, and for this occasion, a heavy concentration will be on the 10th Mountain Division, old ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_rangeleys_pleasant_getaway.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. For many skiers and riders, the Rangeley region of western Maine is something like exciting new territory. No, not because it is new. Saddleback Mountain with its huge raw-boned terrain looking out at the beautiful lake country of the Rangeley district, has always been there. And some veteran ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_ski_shop_the_newest_spring.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Dakine Viper Gloves The type of glove you use when skiing or boarding is dependent on the conditions. At the beginning or end of the season when the weather is nicer, the sun peeks its head out from the clouds more often, and the temperatures flirt above freezing. An excellent choice is the ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/04/11_the_best_time_of_the_year.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Spring doesn’t simply call to skiers and boarders. It beckons us, cajoles us, teases us. It’s like some snow-bound mating season, brief, blissful, full of bravado and boisterous behavior. The smothering crowds have left, taking the long lift lines with them, but the snow remains. ... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_ski_academies_develop_passion.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. Kirk Dwyer, headmaster of Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont for 11 years — one of the most successful schools of its kind in the United States — says the success of his school and others like it can be found in the educational theories of educator Dr. K. Anders Ericsson. As Ericsson’s theory states ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_gunstock_a_view_to_a_thrill.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. There are a handful of ski areas known initially for their amazing vistas — Wildcat, Sugarbush (Glen Ellen side) and Saddleback, to name a few. Slide off the lift, adjust your boots, stand up and look around. And suck in your breath, while whispering words like “wow” and “amazing.” Another ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_burton_pays_tribute_to_pioneer.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. If there were a magical door somewhere in the mountains that opened up into the pure soul of snowboarding, it would have Craig Kelly’s name on it. Everyone who has ever strapped on a snowboard and — no matter how fleeting — experienced the harmonic union of cold-mountain air, soft snow and the joyful ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_ski_shop_the_coolest_helmets.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. Bern Watts Hatstyle Visor Knit Hard Hat Bern crafted the Watts hard hat as the first vented lid that was brought about by popular demand. It features the patented multiple impact breathable Brock Foam that can keep you cool and dry as it allows for air to flow in all directions in addition to the passive air vents ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_holiday_sales_for_outdoor.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. Since Christmas vacation week when reports began to accumulate like holiday snow that the ski business was brisker than it had been in years, that trend has kept going in just one direction — up. Now comes another report from the national Leisure Trends Group showing that sales of outdoor sports gear — ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_living_history_at_the_dorset.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. In the clichéd language of travel writing, there are these paired pearls: “cozy and charming,” “rich and luxurious,” “historic and romantic.” These twins (and many more like them) set a tone as much as they paint a picture. But when the three above descriptions apply to the ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/03/09_snow_doubt_about_it_february.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. Sweet spot. Between the frozen days of January and the thaws of March, there’s February. Between the dark, icy Arctic air of January, and the soupy La Nina brew euphemistically termed “winter mix” by weathermen, there is February. Between covering your boat against the snow and getting out the rods ... Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/21_new_englands_most_extreme.php This article originally appeared in the February issue of New England Ski Journal. Next to fishermen, and maybe the NFL’s bad-boy twins Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, skiers spin the tallest tales around. And why not? The sport, from its humble beginnings, has been a nonstop exercise in “can you top this?” Think of the wild ski films by Warren Miller, Greg Stump and Teton Gravity ... Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/04_saddleback_abuzz_about_impressive.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Saddleback may be celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, but it is what has happened at the Maine ski area just the past few years that has people talking. It has been near impossible to avoid chatter about the Rangeley resort within the New England skiing and riding community. Ever ... Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/04_snowboarding_pioneers_use.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Not only is New England the birthplace of snowboarding, but it also is quickly earning a reputation as the birthplace of snowboarders giving back. In this age when professional athletes seem focused mostly on themselves, a handful of snowboarding’s most recognizable pioneers are leveraging ... Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/04_1785_picture-perfect_north.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. It’s difficult to document just what belongs on a list of the 10 most photographed natural scenes in the United States. But if the owners of the 1785 Inn in North Conway make that claim (and they do), then it would be very hard to dispute. With a soaring view of Mount Washington and surrounding ... Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/04_why_waterville_valley_matters.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. In an earlier issue, Brion O’Connor reported on the sale of Waterville Valley to the Sununu family, whose patriarch is well-known as the former chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush. Sons John (the former senator from New Hampshire), his brother Chris, and business owner Tom Gross ... Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/02/01_singling_out_the_best_singles.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. When you’ve had a day of action in the snow, if you’re looking to extend the action after the lifts close and the winter moon rises, there are several hot spots in New England ski country that deserve a look. Hard to define just what a singles bar might be, because there are no ... Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/25_preserving_wildcat_owner.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. When it was announced in late October that Peak Resorts had added New Hampshire’s Wildcat Mountain to its New England portfolio of ski areas, the news sent shockwaves through the skiing community of the Mount Washington Valley. “It was definitely considered big news in the valley,” ... Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/25_weather_(not_economy)_drives.php Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. As the new year gets going and the ski season begins to really hum toward the big bubble month of February, the Eastern ski industry has had a couple of years of grinding recession to see things clearly. To wit: The economy doesn’t matter nearly as much as the snow conditions. And even ... Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/20_ski_shop_the_newest_goggles.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of New England Ski Journal. Electric EG2.5 Goggles The new kid on the block, the Electric EG2.5 Goggles are a smaller version of the best-selling Electric EG2, making it a perfect fit for small- to medium-sized faces. Crafted with performance and comfort in mind, the ergonomic thermo-plastic frame allows for maximum flexibility ... Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/18_north_conway_embodies_sense.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of New England Ski Journal. My girls, a pair of middle-school ’tweeners, have a hard time understanding my preoccupation with ski history. Not the factual history, per se, but the nostalgia, the sense of a time gone buy, of what skiing was like for me during my formative years. Brynne and Maddi love all the creature ... Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/18_last_run_new_years_resolutions.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of New England Ski Journal. No, it’s not early for this drill. After all, for skiers, riders, and snow lovers of all kinds, we are just starting our New Year, right? It started when you first broke free of those gravitational chains and were sliding down the vert once again. And this year, here are the issues you ... Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/17_the_older,_quieter_life.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of New England Ski Journal. Entering Jackson, N.H., is a kind of magical transformation that occurs as you turn off Route 16 and drive (your one-horse open sleigh, one presumes) through the red-painted covered bridge into Jackson, N.H. Here is a little universe right out of Polar Express, full of snowy woods, ancient ski ... Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/13_hes_behind_ride_vermont.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of New England Ski Journal. Pay no attention to that man behind the Ride Vermont curtain. He’s busy back there pulling levers and twisting knobs to construct an online snowboarding community with a digital heart beating stronger than ever in Vermont – the sport’s birthplace where he hopes all roads will ... Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/01/13_ski_shop_ride_better_on_these.php Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of New England Ski Journal. The sports are called "skiing" and "snowboarding" for a reason: You can't do them without, you, "skis" or a "snowboard." Pretty simple, right? As long as you have that lesson down, here's some of what you should be riding this season. K2 A.M.P. ... Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST