The best Skiing coverage is at SkiJournal.com http://www.skijournal.com Fri, 11 May 2012 23:25:39 -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/2012/03/28_zip-a-dee-doo-dah.php Finding the right line has never been easier. Yes, we’re still in the mountains, but no, we’re not talking about plotting the most efficient way down the fall line while navigating your skis or board properly into turns most sufficient for the environment. That’s already been taken care of for you. While it’s not exactly a revelation that New England ski areas constantly are ... Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/28_gone_but_not_forgotten.php At age 80, Al Fletcher still keeps an eye on things at the ski area he opened in 1964 — Nashoba Valley in Westford, Mass. — though it is now owned by son Al Jr. and marketed by daughter Pam. As Fletcher reflects on it, Nashoba is a survivor, of sorts. When he started Nashoba Valley on a 250-foot hill near the high population area of metro Boston, there were dozens of hills where local ... Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/27_good_ol_days_werent_that.php Dev Jennings and I stood on the top of Upper Ptarmigan trail on Attitash just a couple of years before he died in April 2000. It was a deep bluebird morning and the snow underfoot, if still a bit crusty from the overnight temperatures, looked like perfect corduroy. I’m not really sure why men on skis talk at such times, but he was such a vibrant door to the past, I’m sure I asked him some ... Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/27_on_the_road_again.php The skiing day trip is the close cousin of that great American tradition, the Road Trip. For me, the sense of immediacy always has been the most alluring aspect of a day trip, the “drop everything” flavor of hearing a good forecast, putting the rest of our schedule on hold, pulling the boots and boards out of the closet, fueling up the car and hitting the road at the crack of dawn (or earlier). Then ... Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/26_king_of_the_mountain.php Tom Hanson is in his 60s and well on his way to logging 3 million miles of vertical at Sugarloaf this season — even with a damaged heart and arthritic knees. That’s 5,000 miles of skiing — or about twice the amount average skiers like myself log in an entire lifetime. It’s time I upped my game. Don’t get me wrong, unless there’s a big lottery win in my future ... Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/26_uvm_races_to_national_championship.php The University of Vermont ski team reached new heights with a record-setting performance to win the NCAA national championship in early March in Bozeman, Mont. Usually dominated be Western teams, the college championships this year included a pair of New England schools in the top four. Vermont scored 832 points — most ever by an NCAA champ — for a record-setting margin over Utah (671) ... Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/25_sipping_the_springs_best.php Very few Eastern college kids had ever tasted a salty margarita back in skiing’s rollicking decade of the ’60s. Ditto the ’70s and after that. In fact only those in the ski bum movement (Rocky Mountain) that drew New England kids west a generation ago did the gold spike get driven with Cuervo Gold, of course. These days, the margarita — that delicious and potent spring blend ... Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/25_prime_location_plus_more.php Southern Vermont has long been a vortex for skiers traveling from New York and Boston, and those heading west from the Boston area. So Mount Snow is one of the venerable areas, built in the early days of skiing, and one of the standards of the industry. Vacation lodging also is at its finest here, and among the great spots to stay close to the slopes, the Inn at Mount Snow at the base of the mountain ... Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/03/25_spring_paradise.php Well-traveled New England skiers and riders would argue there are probably no two ski area approaches that rival the intensity of Cannon Mountain, where the craggy Franconia Notch suddenly bursts into slopes that seemingly want to envelop motorists, and Sugarloaf, where “Oh, my gosh” corner — that point where the snowfields hover into the sky — grasps you with a gasp of beauty. But ... Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_why_skiing_is_the_greatest.php Of course, if you ask me what I consider the greatest all-around sport, you know what I’ll say. It has to be skiing. Rather than jump into lofty argumentation, I thread up the old 16mm, roll the reel with a few vivid and telling memories. At the Lillehammer Olympic games in 1994, a young slalom racer was terribly nervous before her first run on the Olympic course. She tried everything to calm ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_in_search_of_skiings_best.php Whether it is America’s favorite food —compared to say pizza, hot dogs, mac ’n’ cheese — it is certainly the most sought-out food in ski country. Whether lunch, après ski hours or late night, the American burger just seems at home amid snow-covered mountains and curling fireplace smoke. It also seems a natural sidekick to a full pound hoist of a brew mug. But ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_what_a_ride.php Even the brightest of moons couldn’t have come close to illuminating what Jake Burton’s evening hikes up Stratton Mountain’s Suntanner trail more than three decades ago would mean for the winter sports industry. A skiers’ world would be turned literally sideways — not to mention ollied, nollied, alley-ooped and double-corked. Snowboard lore suggests it was these very ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_peak_proximity.php Winter doldrums. Five-year-old grandson Ian on board. Legos all built, books read, TV boring. We’ve taken as many rides down to the winter beach as one kid can stand (if you can’t swim and dig in sand, leave me home, his eyes tell us.) “Hey,” says Chris, Ian’s dad. “Let’s go skiing.” From that moment of a flash idea to our standing on the slopes of ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_merediths_modern_mill.php When textiles and other mill industries collapsed along New England’s waterways, the town of Meredith, N.H., was one such victim. Despite the natural beauty of the region, the town was, in its own historian’s terms, “dilapidated.” But what a difference a quarter-century can make. Today, Meredith is a top resort village and its center includes one of the players in the transformation: ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_uphill_battle.php If you’re the parent of a young child, you’ve done it. You’ve hit up the local ski shop with your son or daughter, had him or her try on a variety of helmets, maybe sat them down for a professional boot fitting. You’ve pored over the variety of munchkin-sized boards, seemingly more fit for a Shaquille O’Neal ice skating blade than a children’s first foray into skiing. You’ve ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_hoping_for_a_late_winter_wonderland.php It’s not fair and far too early to call it the winter that wasn’t, but the early part of this skiing and snowboarding season certainly presented more than a fair share of weather challenges to the snowsports industry. Who would’ve thunk a monster teaser of a Halloween storm would stand as the snowy highlight of the season as February neared? Not only did Mother Nature provide little ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/02/20_whats_on_the_horizon.php It’s a time-honored tradition here in the Northeast. Every fall (or late summer), New England ski areas trot out their list of improvements, which skiers, boarders and winter sports media types gobble up in anticipation of another great season on the slopes. Of course, there was a time when just the thought of snow was enough to trigger a serious Pavlovian reaction among diehard New England ... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_loony_for_loon.php My wife will tell you that my wacky Celtic sense of humor tends to drift a bit off center. “Loony,” she’ll say. Which probably helps explain my affinity for Loon Mountain in Lincoln, N.H. Well into my fifth decade on the slopes, I’ve morphed from ski bum to ski yuppie to the family ski guy. And at each stage along my progression, Loon has offered a first-rate winter experience ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_choosing_sides_in_great_ski.php Like most areas of our lives, skiing is full of choices and preferences. Important ones. Some costly, some requiring more or less commitment to the sport. Let’s start with the old East/West debate. At least a dozen skiers have said to me over the years that they would rather ski fewer days out in the Rockies — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, et al. — than more days in their home region ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_fat_boards_drive_innovation.php Next time you’re sucking air through that huge grin on your face because you just hucked off a cliff, shmeared a perfect landing pillow to scrape off excess speed before ripping perfectly tight powder turns through a treeline that you dream about … thank a snowboarder. They’ll probably look at you like you’ve lost your mind, but do it anyway. Those fat skis you’re on ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_portland_programs_power_payson.php They’re bringing the Maine mountains to the masses again this winter.  Portland’s Payson Hill Terrain Park — on Ocean Avenue just off the city’s Back Bay and not far from Cheverus High School — looks to be teeming with snowboarders and skiers working its collection of rails and elements. Denver has its Ruby Hill Park, an urban terrain park developed with the help ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_brewing_up_a_list_of_pub_favorites.php It is a ski move as fundamental as carving a turn, popping a mogul, or schussing down a slope full of powder — and it’s nearly as enjoyable. It is that moment at day’s end when, as your outer clothes dry by the fire, you hoist that first tankard of frothy brew and clink with friends around you at the pub. While much of the ski or riding experience is solitary as a glade run through ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_more_than_just_a_pretty_face.php Commanding the village green in the preppy town of Woodstock, Vt., the Woodstock Inn is a study in country elegance, and an echo of ages when wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians came north in pursuit of outdoor sports and pleasures.  Woodstock itself has been minted as “the prettiest small town in America” located in the foothills of the Green Mountains, and in the very heart of ski ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/25_time_for_first-timers.php Gunstock pushes its Sick Trick sessions.  Okemo’s been known to take kids out for private lessons at age 2 and, if parents so desire, will work with young’uns not much older than that in its day care — with no guarantee, to be sure, that the early start is a fast track to the Olympics in 2026 and beyond. And Saddleback in Maine has developed a strong core of junior instructors ... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2012/01/19_golden_era.php Skiing and nostalgia go together like hot chocolate and whipped cream (or maybe après ski banter and a beer for the adult set). Now, think about that “Eureka!” moment, when that one clever person actually first adorned his or her hot cocoa with that wonderful, airy confection. It must have tasted like heaven. Well, that’s what life was like 50 years ago in New England skiing. ... Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/12/22_skiing_on_the_cutting_edge.php We who embrace winter sports love new technology as much we love the latest trends and styles. Fortunately for us, designers in the ski and snowboard industry have a wonderful knack for combining the two, providing a constant stream of new products that not only make us look and feel good but also function even better. Imperial downsizing In this era when ski resorts are paying considerable attention ... Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/12/22_my_favorite_place_to_ski.php Over the 35 years or so that I have been a ski journalist, no question has been asked more frequently than where is my favorite place to ski. The best mountain. The best trails or runs. What is my numero uno? When the question comes up during radio and television interviews, I realize there’s no walking back from a definitive answer. Name a place as your fave — say Tote Road at Sugarloaf ... Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/12/22_smugglers_balancing_act.php Balance. The ol’ yin and yang. It works in your love life, in financial matters, and in your work life. It also works in your family ski vacation, which is why Smugglers’ Notch in upstate Vermont has developed such a loyal following.  Smugglers’ Notch is not the perfect ski resort. Instead, like many ski areas, it has had to find a niche to stand out in a crowded New England ... Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/12/22_all_dressed_up,_but_where.php So you shut the lifts down, spend an hour in the hot tub (after thinking about a gym visit) maybe take a short nap. Now rested, showered and dressed, what’s for dinner? On most nights, it may be wearing jeans and heading to the local pizza place or brew pub. But tonight is different. Maybe you have a date, or it’s your wife’s birthday. Whatever the reason, you feel like fine dining ... Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST http://www.skijournal.com/news/2011/12/22_skiing,_economy_style.php News flash: Skiing isn’t cheap. Never has been, really (figuring for inflation and all). Anyone who thinks it is, let’s be honest, isn’t bothering to read an article on “skiing within the family budget.” But for the other 97 percent of us (give or take a few percentage points), skiing is a pretty hefty financial commitment. When you consider lift tickets, lodging, food ... Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST