Replacing skis has nothing to do with the graphics, although early 2000s graphics on a ski in 2014 doesn’t look too good, but what matters is what’s happening underneath the topsheet over time. The abuse from the mountain conditions, skiing style and technology changes over time can greatly hinder the performance of skis.Regular maintenance will keep your skis intact, but eventually the wear-and-tear of use will prevent you from improving. While you can technically ski on a pair of skis forever, you really shouldn’t.So now the all-important question: How long does a pair of skis last?There are many layers to the question. First off, if you’re skiing on a ski that is 10 years old, you’re missing out on amazing benefits and technological advancements to skiing.Some of the materials used in the newest skis help the ski remain lightweight (reduces fatigue), have varying base shapes to hone in on what you like doing (park skiing vs. groomers vs. backcountry) and even the size of the skis. For instance, with the addition of vibration dampening technology, you’ll have a smoother ride over the bumps and crud which tire you out more quickly.The newer designs of skis afford you the opportunity to have shorter skis than ones that you were probably outfitted for only a few years ago. On top of length, you also have width. Powder skis which help you float in the deep stuff start at 111mm and can go as high as 123mm; sizes unheard of just a few years ago but greatly beneficial for powder skiers.Modern construction and technology allow these wider skis to remain torsionally (edge to edge) stiff so they have tremendous edge hold even on this wider platform. This means these skis are awesome on hardpacked while still offering great performance off trail.A Rocker Profile is now incorporated in some way in every ski from race to powder and this shape vastly improves the way you ski giving you greater precision and forgiveness.Now what if you ski just a couple times a year? Well, you can really get a good 80-100 ski days out of a ski before it starts to lose its luster. This is a good guideline but it’s still a rough estimate because it depends on your weight, your ski style, the construction of the skis themselves and maintenance.Just like every other piece of equipment in life (except maybe a Twinkie), the materials in skis have a shelf life and they do begin to break down. On day number 80 of skiing, the materials won’t react or have the same feeling as days 1-10. The wood inside will lose its snap, fiberglass will break down and lose rigidity, edge hold will suffer, etc.Overall, the reason to consider a new pair of skis is recognizing how technology and design has changed over the years as well as realizing how much strain and stress is placed on skis as they are used. Each year ski companies roll out new technologies that improve how we go about skiing. Dampening systems decrease the wear-and-tear on skis as well as our bodies, rockers are created to make skiing in a variety of conditions more natural and various woods and metals are usedinside to make specific skis ideal for varying skiers.Skis can last a very long time but they’re only really so good up to a certain point. By upgrading your skis though, you will find that you will enjoy the sport much better and your skiing will improve with the new technology and designs.For more information, check out Part 2 of our blog.Posted from Skis.comThe post HOW LONG DOES A PAIR OF SKIS LAST?: PART 1 appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser » 2019 Snowboard, Freestyle And Free Ski World Championships To Showcase New Winter Olympic SportsMartha WilsonDarian Stevens at Freeski slopestyle finals 2018 Toyota U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix at Mammoth. (Sarah Brunson/U.S. Ski & Snowboard)The IOC has announced that seven new winter sports will be incorporated into the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. Four of these sports are International Ski Federation (FIS) events that will be on show at the 2019 Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships taking place in Utah in February 2019.The events on show at the 2019 World Championships that have been added to the Beijing 2022 calendar are Freestyle Skiing, mixed team aerials; Freeski Big Air, men’s and ladies’; and in Snowboard, Team Snowboardcross.Both Freeski Big Air and Freestyle Mixed Team Aerials will be making their World Championship competition debuts for the very first time at the 2019 World Championships in Utah next February.The men’s and women’s Freeski Big Air event will take place at Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort Feb. 2, 2019.Snowboardcross racers use speed and skill to make it over cambered turns, jumps, berms, rollers, drops. (2019worldchamps.com)Next up on the new Olympic discipline roster will be the Team Snowboardcross event, which will take place at Solitude Feb. 3, 2019.Aerialists sore up to 70ft in the air completing multiple flips and twists before landing on a 38 degree hill (2019worldchamps.com)Rounding out the latest additions to the Olympic Winter Games is the Freestyle Skiing Mixed Team Aerials event under the lights at Deer Valley Feb. 7, 2019 — sure to be a crowd favorite.The 2019 World Championships will be the first time that Mixed Team Aerials and Freeski Big Air will be included in the FIS World Championship program.2019 Snowboard Freestyle and Freeski World-Championships map. (2019worldchamps.com)“We are grateful to the IOC, FIS, Beijing Organizing Committee and the Nations for working cooperatively toward the inclusion of these new events in 2022,” said Jeremy Forster, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Director of Snowboard, Freeski and Freestyle. “The addition of these incredibly exciting events is not only good news for fans of the Winter Olympic Games, it is also a critical step in continuing to engage new fans, in particular, the young skiers and riders who are the future of our sports. Having the opportunity to showcase both Freeski Big Air and Mixed Team Aerials as World Championship disciplines for the first time at the events we will host in February 2019 is a great honor. We are all excited about the chance to give them their global World Champs debut in what promises to be an incredible 10 days of competition next year.”The eyes of the world will be on the athletes competing for World Championship glory in the United States from Feb. 1 through Feb. 10, 2019, when the world’s best snowboarders, freeskiers and freestyle athletes will descend on Utah. Posted from Snocountry.comThe post 2019 Snowboard, Freestyle And Free Ski World Championships To Showcase New Winter Olympic Sports appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »
August 16, 2018 / By SR StaffThe nation’s best alpine ski racers will descend upon New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley Resort in 2019 and 2021 for U.S. Alpine Championships – the biggest race the resort has hosted since the White Circus visited in 1991 when Julie Parisien won the World Cup giant slalom.Waterville Valley Resort will play host to the slalom, giant slalom, and parallel slalom events March 23-26, 2019. The parallel slalom event will be a new addition to the U.S. Alpine Championships calendar.“The introduction of the parallel event into the U.S. Alpine Championships tech week is an effort the alpine department has been advocating for and is excited about,” noted U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Director, Jesse Hunt. “It’s a format that spectators understand and enjoy. With the introduction of more parallel events in the World Cup, as well as the team event in the Olympic Games’ calendar, it’s important we begin to place more focus on the event. The inclusion of parallel into U.S. Alpine Championships is proof of our commitment to developing our young talent to reach the podium for this discipline at all levels in the future.”At this point, the plan is to run the current FIS format for the parallel event:- Qualification: one-run, single-pole “traditional-style” SL (120-200m VD), for each gender
- Heats: two-run, dual paneled SL for 32 athletes (80-100m VD; 5 heats), per gender
FIS is currently considering modifications to their format, which will be determined at the fall FIS meetings. Based on these conversations, format and qualification details will be modified accordingly for U.S. Alpine Championships.“We are looking forward to bringing elite ski racing back to Waterville Valley Resort,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Systems and Operations Calum Clark. “The membership and fan base in the East is vast and extremely engaged with the sport, and our athletes love competing in front of them. Julie Parisien had a commanding and inspiring World Cup victory there in 1991, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard is excited to bring some of the best ski racers in the world, like two-time Olympic gold medalists Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn, back to the resort in hopes that they too will inspire the next generation.”Waterville Valley Resort shares the enthusiasm for hosting the event. “This will be the biggest race that Waterville Valley Resort has hosted since our last World Cup in 1991. The whole team is excited to be bringing elite racing back to Waterville Valley,” says Waterville Valley Resort’s President and General Manager, Tim Smith. “I know our guests and pass holders won’t want to miss the opportunity to see these athletes in action.”The downhill, super-G and alpine combined events will take place prior to the Waterville Valley events, and the venue will be announced shortly. Much like the 2015-2018 Sugarloaf, Maine/Sun Valley, Idaho venue arrangement, U.S. Ski & Snowboard looks to continue the successful long-term calendar plan to move the annual celebration of American ski racing to top resorts around the United States. That said, U.S. Ski & Snowboard will be looking to the west for 2020 and 2022 and the announcement will be forthcoming.Release courtesy of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.Posted from SkiRacing via SIA’s First TracksThe post Waterville Valley to Host 2019, 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »
August 17, 2018
by Sam TaggartBROOMFIELD,CO—In a press release sent out this week, CEO of Vail Resorts, Rob Katz, announced that Vail will be purchasing Mars and building the universe’s first intergalactic luxury ski resort. The resort, yet to be named, will provide Epic Pass holders and guests the unique chance to “send it amongst the stars” and construction will begin in 2025.“We’ve seen tremendous success from gobbling up ski areas left and right,” noted Katz in the statement, “so we thought we’d capitalize on opportunities beyond our own atmosphere here on Earth. Eventually, we’ll be able to provide our guests fresh air that we’ve been able to vacuum right from the Rocky Mountains, just like in that Mel Brooks movie, Spaceballs. Gosh, I love that movie.”MORE Posted from FreeskierThe post Vail Resorts buys Mars, plans intergalactic luxury ski resort appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »
As Steamboat Ski resort celebrates more than five decades of world class skiing and snowboarding, it’s the history behind the place known as Ski Town, U.S.A.® that gives the town its unique character. Steamboat’s history goes back as early as the 14th century when it is believed that the nomadic Ute Indians spent summers in the Yampa Valley. The Utes roamed the vast lands alone until the 1800s, when early settlers ventured into the valley. Three French fur trappers traveling down the Yampa River are said to have named Steamboat Springs in 1865. One man heard a chugging sound like that of a paddle wheel steamer. The men hurried toward the sound and found it to be a bubbling mineral spring. The numerous springs around Steamboat are still popular today as a source of relaxation and are rumored to have medicinal benefits. Steamboat Springs’ first permanent settler was James Harvey Crawford, who discovered the Yampa Valley region while on a hunting trip along the Gore Trail in fall 1874. Crawford staked a homestead claim during this trip and moved to Steamboat Springs the following year with his family. Stories about the beauty of the Yampa Valley spread, and other families relocated to the area. Among the early pioneers were prominent Missourians Perry A. Burgess and William H. Walton. Along with Crawford and a few others, they entered preemption laws for the town site known as Steamboat Springs. Each took 160 acres and registered a homestead, forming the first community. The first major catalyst to growth came in summer 1883, when H. H. Suttle opened a sawmill. With the capacity to produce logs for homes and stores, further community development was assured. One of the first businesses to open was the Steamboat Pilot newspaper, which printed its first edition on July 31, 1885. By 1886, the town business district also included a general store, post office and hotel. Origins of skiing in Steamboat: Communication with the outside world was difficult due to long winters and poor road conditions. On snowshoes and skis, mail carriers delivered letters and parcels. Faced with mountain passes and the prospect of settling where winter lasts six months and averages nearly 30 feet of snow, pioneers quickly learned to travel the same way. In the early 1900s, the same hardy settlers who battled winters to survive began turning the hills of Routt County into a winter playground. The change accelerated with the help of Norwegian Carl Howelsen, who arrived in Steamboat Springs in 1912. Soon after his arrival, Howelsen was ski jumping off a wooden platform in Strawberry Park and teaching the sport to local youngsters. In 1913, Howelsen organized the first Winter Carnival and jumping competitions. During the 1917 Winter Carnival, Steamboat Springs honored the man who transformed skiing from a means of transportation to a sport by naming the ski slope Howelsen Hill. As skiing grew more popular, adventurous downhillers sought new hills to test their abilities. When Rabbit Ears Pass opened to winter traffic in 1938, the Forest Service cut two runs down the back slopes of the pass to the Valley View Lodge. For the next few years, numerous Winter Carnival events took place on these hills. A ski resort is born: In 1955, Jim Temple, son of a local ranching family, spearheaded the development of Steamboat Ski Area in response to the growing popularity of the sport, and the new hill opened in 1961 with one Poma lift, the Cub Claw, and $2 lift tickets. The ski area did not open for the 1961/62 season due to the inability of a lift manufacturer to complete an order for a double chairlift. Storm Mountain officially reopened January 12, 1963, with a double chairlift and an A-frame warming house. The day’s cash receipts were $13.75, and the temperature hovered at -25 degrees F. The two years following were profitable for the ski area, which helped in gaining permits from the Forest Service to expand the area. Steamboat lost its favorite son when hometown Olympic skier Buddy Werner was killed in an avalanche in Switzerland on April 12, 1964. Storm Mountain was renamed Mount Werner in his honor. By the end of the decade, Mount Werner had five new chairlifts, a modern restaurant facility atop Thunderhead Peak, ski patrol buildings, a nursery and numerous maintenance and snow vehicles. This million-dollar building boom generated excitement and development, making tourism a prominent part of the local economy. The 1st International Winter Special Olympics were held on Headwall during February 1977. The event brought athletes from around the world together for four days of competition. Special guests included Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner, Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, Ethel Kennedy, Eunice Shriver and Steamboat Director of Skiing Billy Kidd. In addition, Kidd played host at Steamboat to the first Jimmie Heuga Express for MS in 1986, starting a tradition that has spread to resorts across the country. Steamboat illuminated a new tradition when night skiing and riding premiered on December 20, 2014, utilizing Snow-Bright Lighting, a new technology developed by Ultra-Tech Lighting. Spread across 85 light towers with more than 375 full-color spectrum lights, the system employs a comprehensive line of magnetic induction lighting specifically tailored to address the complexities and unique requirements of illuminating snow in all its varieties while minimizing glare and reflected light. Roughly 1,100 vertical feet of terrain off the Christie Peak Express chairlift is available on five trails including Sitz, See Me, Vogue, Stampede and Lil’ Rodeo Terrain Park. Ownership of the ski resort changed several times in the 1970s and ’80s. Previous resort owners include LTV Recreational Development, Inc. (1969-1979); Northwest Colorado Ski Corporation spearheaded by Martin Hart (1979-1989); and Kamori International (1989-1997). Steamboat was purchased by American Skiing Company during the 1997/98 season. In March 2007, Intrawest ULC (www.intrawest.com), a world leader in experiential destination resorts, acquired Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. Including Steamboat, Intrawest has a network of resorts at North America’s most popular mountain destinations including Blue Mountain, Snowshoe, Stratton, Tremblant, Winter Park and Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world. Ski Town, U.S.A.®: Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A.® was founded by hardworking, friendly individuals and families that enjoyed making turns through the endless deep powder of Storm Mountain and the Yampa Valley. Members of the Werner, Fetcher, Temple, Crawford, Perry, Wren and Nash families as well as Billy Kidd, Moose Barrows, Nelson Carmichael and a plethora of other Steamboat Olympians can still be found enjoying all that Mount Werner has to offer, including its legendary Champagne Powder® snow. Many things have changed throughout Steamboat’s history, but one has remained steadfastly constant throughout the past five decades: its legendary Champagne Powder snow. It’s always light, dry and plentiful! And, after more than 50 years, you still can’t get Billy, Nelson, Moose or pioneering founders to tell you where their favorite powder stashes are located. Since its humble start, Steamboat Ski Resort has grown into one of the premier resorts in the world offering 18 lifts, 165 trails and more than a dozen on-mountain restaurant facilities, all spread over 2,965 acres/1,200 hectares. When Carl Howelsen introduced recreational skiing to Steamboat Springs in 1913, he could never have realized the tradition he was starting. Steamboat has produced more winter Olympians than any other town in North America — a record 88 and counting. Perhaps the town’s Olympic heritage is due to the fact the community not only allows the kids to get out of school for a race, they encourage it. Perhaps it’s because of one of the largest winter sports clubs in the United States: the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Whatever the reason, Steamboat is sure to always remain Ski Town, U.S.A.(R) Check out our video showcasing the unprecedented Olympic heritage that Steamboat continues to foster. Steamboat By the Numbers:| Resort official opening: Jan. 12, 1963 | | Terrain: 2,965 acres/1,200 hectares | | Average snowfall: 336 inches/853cm (10-year average) | | Restaurants and bars: 100+ | | Winter season: Nov. 22, 2017, to April 15, 2018 | | Tree terrain: 1,790 acres/724 hectares or 61% | | Snowmaking: 375 acres/152 hectares | | Bed base: 19,757 pillows, 8,902 within 300 yards of base |
| | | Elevations:Downtown Steamboat………………………….. 6,695 feet……………………………………….. 2,040 metersSki area base………………………………………… 6,900 feet………………………………………. 2,103 metersChristie Peak summit…………………………… 8,015 feet……………………………………….. 2,444 metersThunderhead/mid-mountain………………… 9,080 feet……………………………………… 2,768 metersSummit/Mount Werner……………………… 10,568 feet……………………………………….. 3,221 metersVertical drop………………………………………… 3,668 feet………………………………………. 1,118 meters |
| Trail system: | 165 named trails | | Trail classification: | 14% easier | | 42% more difficult | | 44% most difficult | | Longest run: | Why Not, more than 3 miles/4.8 kms |
| Best tree runs: | Length | Vertical | Percent | | Shadows | 4,600 | 1,850 | 40.2% | | Closet | 3,600 | 1,547 | 43.0% | | Twilight | 2,560 | 900 | 35.2% | | Bar UE Lift Line | 2,600 | 745 | 28.7% | | Triangle 3 | 2,300 | 690 | 29.2% |
| Lift system: | Gondola (8-passenger) | 1 | | High-speed six | 1 | | High-speed quad | 6 | | Triple chairlift | 5 | | Double chairlift | 4 | | Surface lifts | 1 | | Total | 18 | | | | | Uphill capacity: | 41,505 per hour | | | | | | Terrain parks: | Terrain parks | 4 | | Halfpipes | 1 | | Mini halfpipes | 1 | | | | | Night skiing | Ultra-Tech Lighting | | | Lifts | 1 | | Trails | 5 | | Terrain parls | 1 | | Light poles | 87 | | Vertical | 1,100′ | | | |
| Steepest trails: | Percent | | Chute Two | 71.4% | | Chute One | 66.7% | | Chute Three | 61.8% | | The Ridge | 54.2% | | Mother Nature | 50% | | North St. Pat’s | 50% | | Christmas Tree Bowl | 46.3% | | Concentration | 45.6% | | Oops | 45.5% | | Twister | 44.5% | | Closet | 43.0% | | Vertigo | 43.0% |
The post Steamboat History Full of Western Lore, Pioneering Spirit appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »
The Road West Traveled film crew gets nostalgic by exploring the left-behind ski resorts now overgrown by trees.AMELIA ARVESENMAY 4, 2018With more than 100 abandoned ski areas in Colorado—old ski runs left like scars on the mountains—the film crew at The Road West Traveled seeks to tell the stories of a few in the future ski documentary, Abandoned.The film will be released this fall, and Lio Delpiccolo said the 2-year journey has been a learning experience. See the full trailer here.“One of the biggest challenges was having enough snow to ski at some of the areas this last winter due to a really poor snow year,” Delpiccolo told SNEWS this week. “We had to jump on any storm that hit Southern Colorado and had enough accumulation to barely cover the grass. Its been a really long process and we are excited to finally be at this point where we can share these stories with the world.”One of the most rewarding parts of the project was meeting the people at the old ski areas.“They shared their incredible ski stories with us and we were able to live vicariously through them to imagine the ski areas in their heyday,” Delpiccolo said. “And obviously the skiing was a big motivating factor to keep getting out there and filming. Luckily we got a really good powder day while filming at the old Berthoud Pass Ski Area, so that was definitely a highlight!” Posted from snewsThe post Weekend Watch: Colorado’s abandoned ski areas appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »Replay Resorts expects its new property will bring in $55M in sales
By Erin Hudson | August 12, 2018(Credit: Ruth Hartnup, Replay Resorts)UPDATED August 13, 2018: Blend micro-units with Airbnb and U.K.-based yuppie hotel chain, Yotel, and the result would be Replay Resorts’ new ski resort, YotelPAD.The 144-unit condo building in Park City, Utah will function like a hotel with amenities including living room-like lounges, mini-movie theaters and fully-stocked gyms. But owners can opt to have their “pads” rented out by Replay. Most units are between 338 to 500 square feet in size and the largest units, of which there are only four, are 1,000 square feet.Yotel is the operator and each room is outfitted with adjustable furniture to transform the layout. Designed by Method Studios, the architects and interior designers on the project, specified adjustable Italian furnishings by manufacturer, Clei Furniture.MORE Posted from The Real Deal via FacebookThe post Team behind Whistler Blackcomb test new resort concept appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »
Photo by Jalan’s PlaceThe move follows North Face parent company and Outdoor Retailer show to Mile High City.BY DREW SIMMONSAUGUST 14, 2018Ending months of speculation, Vermont today announced plans to relocate the entire state to Denver, Colorado.Citing desires to be closer to the capital of the outdoor industry, to the heartbeat of the outdoor recreation economy, and to Sancho’s Broken Arrow bar menu, Vermont also acknowledged that personal reasons had contributed to the final decision.“My renovated farmhouse on 11 acres will be worth about $19 million on the Front Range,” said Vermont. “Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked about the move.”The announcement marks the most humongous move to date for states seeking to grow their outdoor recreation economy. Because while economic development agencies have made national news by attracting publicly traded companies (“VF Corp relocates to Denver“) and major outdoor industry trade events (“Outdoor Retailer relocates to Denver“)—no one had previously convinced an entire state to “pack up their bags and move to Cherry Creek.”Vermont, which has the square mileage of three Yellowstone National Parks and a population about the same as the Mile High City, began its RFP process nearly a year ago. The comprehensive process included a group date, a one-on-one date, and a weekly rose ceremony.The ultimate decision was far from easy, as Vermont received compelling propositions from numerous qualified suitors. Other locations eliminated during the RFP process included Reno (“too hot”), Portland (“too rainy”), Duluth (“too many flowy mountain bike trails”) and Bozeman (“too many ex-Vermonters”).“With its surging population of outdoor recreation companies and its proximity to Eldora, Loveland Pass, and Mary Jane, Denver was really the perfect venue for us to relocate the entire state,” said Vermont. “But mainly we wanted to lock Denver down before the rest of California moved in.”The relocation to Denver is anticipated to provide Vermont with numerous outdoor recreation economy benefits – such as eliminating the impact of a two-hour time difference at the start of every Outdoor Retailer trade show and shortening the distance to Boulder’s Outdoor Industry Association, also known as the Outdoor Industry Association.The move is a major win for Colorado, as Vermont will deliver one of the most concentrated outdoor recreation economies in the country, with 3.5 outdoor recreation jobs per square mile and 54 outdoor recreation jobs per 1,000 citizens. Vermont also will bring its 25 mountain bike trail networks, 15 ski areas, 800 miles of groomed cross-country trails, 7,000 miles of rivers and streams, and one really, really big lake.“This is a win for everybody. For Denver, for Vermont, and especially for that guy on the 16th street mall selling Sanders/Hickenlooper 2020 t-shirts,” Vermont added.The Adventurey Report is almost certainly not true. Posted from the Adventure Journal via FacebookThe post State of Vermont Announces Relocation to Denver appeared first on Ski Federation.Read in browser »Recent Articles:
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