Buckle Up, Bundle Up And Buck It Up. Never before has there been as much trepidation about a ski season as for this one. Given all the tumult that occurred during this year, it’s no surprise we’re anxious. What follows are some insights that will help us get the most out of what will be […]
Place That Northeast Trail In The Right Resort. Ski The East? Here’s a chance to show you’ve been around. 1, White Cap is a part of __________? A. Attitash B. Sunday River C. Whiteface D. Loon 2. Mittersill is a part of __________? A. Ski Butternut B. Stratton C. Sugarloaf D. […]
Didn’t Make It This year? Here’s A Snapshot Of The Show. Correspondent Don Burch covered the recent Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo at the World Trade Center. It’s the last year the show will be held at this venue and it’s also the last year it will be produced by Bernie Weichsel and BEWI. Next […]
Test Your Ski Knowledge The most ancient ski in existence was found well preserved in a peat bog in China, dating from about 450 AD. The furthest anyone has Nordic skied in a 24 hour period is nearly 300 miles. In 1918 Denmark had the first “ski army”. With about 472, the US has the […]
[Editor Note: Thanks to SeniorsSkiing.com Correspondent Don Burch for this challenging test. Good luck, you’ll need it. Answers at the end.]
Historic Mountain Is Perfect For Seniors Who Like Mellow Skiing And Kid-Friendly Amenities. Cranmore offers a lot for seniors to like: Fun and varied terrain, manageable size, easy flat walk from parking lots and most of all, friendly vibe. I visited Cranmore on a Saturday with a group of senior skiers. Though busy, the main […]
Remember Lange’s “Soft Inside”? I get it. It’s not easy to sell skis. With so many advances in ski design, there are tons of great skis out there. So how does a brand differentiate their products from others? Just like they always have, advertising and marketing. This means slogans, endorsements, performance claims, use of exotic […]
Grabbing That Twirling Rope Was Not Easy. It was the early 1960s, I was in first or second grade and learning to ski at Mohawk Mountain in Connecticut. At the time Mohawk had just installed the first chairlift in Connecticut but most of the experiences I remember where on their numerous rope tows. The first […]
Extrovert, Powder Puff, and The Elevator Spend a little time looking at resort maps and you’re sure to find some attention-grabbing trail names. When I looked at Pennsylvania resorts I found some beauties. Powder Puff and The Elevator at Jack Frost along with Extrovert at Blue Knob topped the list. Among the best is High […]
Idiot’s Delight, Fun Bubble and Crisis. [Editor Note: Last week, we launched Don Burch’s Trail Name series with a round-up of trail names from resorts in California. This week, we move to Michigan. If you have some trail names that stick in your memory, please let us know in the comments section below.] Look at […]
Consider The Name Of A Trail. You Will Often Find Uniqueness And Whimsy. Peruse a few resort maps, and you’re sure to come upon some great trail names. Doing so with California resorts was no exception. Training Wheels at Mammoth is a wonderfully apropos name for a beginner trail. Amusement Park at Big Bear is […]
You Think You’ve Been Around Snow Sports For A While, Eh? See How Many You Get Right. Milk Run a. Ski trail with lots of slush b. Off-season mountain bike race on ski trails c. Trail full of slow skiers d. First run of the day 2. Chatter a. Noisy lodge b. Excessive talking […]
A Chill Is In The Air. It’s usually the cusp of late summer and early fall when I first start thinking about skiing. All it takes is some cool days and seeing the first leaves starting to turn. Wearing long slacks for the first time, turning on heat for the first time, and the beginning […]
Compare Ikon and M.A.X. And Major Differences Are Revealed. To evaluate the Ikon Pass I’ll compare it to what it replaces, the M.A.X. Pass, and look at what it offers in and of itself. Because they are at similar price points I’ll be comparing the M.A.X. Pass with the Ikon Base Pass. While both passes […]
Clever Hacks For A Better Winter Experience. When skiing wet and slushy snow, spray the top of your skis and even your ski boots with silicone (wipe it off after spraying). The faster heavy snow slides off skis, the easier it’ll be to make turns. Toe warmers work better in gloves than hand warmers. Use […]
You’ve Think You’ve Been Around Snow Sports For A While? Okay, Test Your Knowledge. I know what you’re thinking; “Ultimate, I doubt it.” You’re a really good skier, you’ve been skiing for years and you’ve skied just about everywhere. “There’s no quiz about skiing that’s going to humble me.” Let’s see… As of the 2016-17 […]
A Long Forgotten Incident Comes Rushing Back. In the late 70s, I was working at a ski resort and poor as could be. When the Head Maintenance Engineer asked around for someone to pick up a part for one of the chairlifts, I quickly volunteered. He probably figured I knew what I was volunteering for […]
Put Away The Phone And Be Here Now. On a midweek day last winter I went into the lodge for lunch. Nearby were six men, obviously friends enjoying a day skiing together. During their entire lunch five of them were on cell phones, and the sixth had no one to talk to. On the ride […]
Themes That Pick Up The Resort Name Can Be Catchy And Easy To Remember. Sometimes trail names are descriptive (Easy Mile at Suicide Six), sometimes they are a tribute (Thanks Walt at Mt Snow for its founder Walter Schoenknecht), sometimes they’re humorous (True Grit and No Grit at Waterville Valley), sometimes sensational (Widowmaker at Sugarloaf and […]
So It’s Not The Rockies. But What Makes Mom-And-Pop Special? [Editor Note: As we are seeing in a month of startling industry news, the ski business is rapidly consolidating. Big corporations are buying portfolios of resorts. Vail has added Stowe to its collection. Aspen and its private equity investors, KLS Capital Partners are plucking up […]