The Swiss Connection
Short Turns
Where are they now?
The decision to hang up the race skis is never easy. Reasons to retire are as varied as the terrain on which competitive skiers made their names. Some leave on top after reaching their highest goals, some never quite reach their ultimate and elusive goals, while others are forced to stop abruptly from injuries or … More »
Big Dreams for Zincton
David Harley believes the mountain resort business model is broken. The sport’s future does not lie in bringing planeloads of skiers into Denver International Airport and shuttling them off to cookie-cutter areas along an interstate. Rather, Harley thinks adventurous skiers will come to Zincton, his proposed new four-season resort near New Denver, a remote mountain … More »
Tough Choice – Multi-resort passes
Few innovations have disrupted—and reconfigured—the cost of ski holidays, and indeed how we choose where to ski, quite like Vail’s Epic Pass, Alterra’s Ikon Pass and the Mountain Collective membership. According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), more than a million of us in North America bought either an Ikon or Epic pass, accounting … More »
K2: The Impossible Descent
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, mountain-culture junkies have turned to the internet to get their adrenaline fix. In mid-July, Red Bull Media House dropped K2: The Impossible Descent, the story of Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel’s successful linkage of a non-stop ski route down the world’s second-highest peak. Perhaps Bargiel thought skiing might prove somewhat safer? … More »
The Kaiser and Me
The Kaiser and Me – veteran travel writer Arnie Wilson takes a run with Franz Klammer It felt utterly exhilarating to ride in the icy tracks of downhill legend Franz Klammer, “The Kaiser” himself—even though it’s been 43 years since he stormed his way down the run at Patscherkofel (one of nine ski areas near … More »
Leave Your Keto Diet at Home
Dr. John’s E.R. Although low-carbohydrate/ketogenic and intermittent-fasting diets are popular as a weight-loss method, especially with the Hollywood set, the available science indicates that these diets may impair ski performance and recovery. A 2010 study of competitors in a two-day ski mountaineering competition showed that the best performances correlated with higher complex-carbohydrate (slow-burning) intake along … More »
50/50 Club – Heliskiing
50 Years at Wiegele and RK Heliski From the Rockies to the Monashees, Mike Wiegele has been wowing the ski world with 50 years of heli-skiing and luxe log cabin pampering. Tributes, storytelling and celebrations range from the release of his award-nominated film Call Me Crazy (wiegele.com/CallMeCrazy) to the return of the Powder 8 World … More »
Vancouver Int’l Mt. Film Festival
VIMFF Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival The 23rd annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival presents nine days of films, book signings, oral presentations and seminars from February 9-17. Events take place at five venues throughout Metro Vancouver, including Richmond and craft-beer-friendly Port Moody. Ski Nights skew heavily to the backcountry/powder genre; e.g., self-propelled journeys by … More »
St. Sauveur heated 6-pack
Sommet Saint-Sauveur Who even remembers chairlift rides on cold wooden slats? Sommet Saint-Sauveur is upping Sunshine Village’s Teepee Town LX (North America’s first heated-seat quad) with its new Sommet Express six-pack. A shorter ride up barely gives users time to relax and enjoy the warmed seat and backrest charged at the base station. Replacing the … More »