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Snow School

Scouting Your Line

How to navigate a mountain like the pros. My friend Paul and I first spied the inviting, untracked face from the lift. It would take a bit of hiking but the reward would be first tracks on a beautiful pitch. It looked simple to find: follow an obvious spur ridge until we saw the opening … More »

Get Out of Jail

I’m told that roads in Ontario, and especially Newfoundland, can be dangerous when a moose is involved. In Scotland, I once nearly hit a reindeer. Skiing can be full of surprises, too. At these moments the ubiquitous skiers’ mantra, “Look incredibly cool,” suddenly disappears from our list of priorities and is replaced by “Try not … More »

A Portion of Torsion – skill school

Over the last few decades changes in ski design such as wider skis and rocker shapes have made skiing powder easier, more fun and accessible to more of us. Now, let’s see what this advanced skier in photos A and B can do to make skiing powder even more fun. You’ll notice in photo A, … More »

Powder To The People

Most of us are never going to ski 45-degree Alaskan faces or nipple-deep powder like we see on Ski Canada covers and movies at après. In the first case, most of us aren’t good or brave enough. And in the second case, those nipple-deep shots are set up and taken on vanishingly rare days that … More »

It’s In The Cards – backcountry risk management

A unique course teaches you how to make better decisions and minimize risk. Right until the snow starts to slide we are partying. It’s a weekday and we’re six dads playing hooky to shred knee-deep powder in the Vancouver Island backcountry. On our first run we expect the new snow to be touchy in spots, … More »

Skill School – The Eyes Have It

I think we can all agree: Staying on one’s feet is the fundamental goal in skiing. Now, isn’t it nice when we all agree about things? The feat of remaining upright while sliding down a snowy hillside depends on refined use of our sense of balance. Our balance system monitors our position while the brain … More »

Topple Like There’s No Tomorrow

A ski is a simple machine: put it on edge, apply a little pressure and it will turn. The tricky part in skiing is transitioning from one edge to the other. Let’s look at one of the many possible ways of doing this. This “topple” of the mass across the skis is achieved by bending … More »

What’s Your Angle?

what's your angle?

Without “angulation,” all ski instructors have to our credit is pretty skiing, honed buttocks and livers that look like old leather saddlebags. Webster’s may have added it to the dusty corners of its dictionary in 1869, but it’s the lowly ski instructor who can take credit for keeping the term alive. So even if you’re … More »

The Aftermath – Mt. Rescuers Pay the Price

Rescuers also pay a price so we can play in the mountains. Large numbers of skiers are socially distancing themselves from ski resorts entirely this winter, but how prepared are they for what lies beyond the ropes? Avalanche Skills Training (AST) providers have been seeing a significant uptick in enrolment, which has meant a similar … More »

Ski Better With a Pack

When heading into the wilds, make sure you carry first aid along with your snow safety equipment, and know how to use it all. Leave your plans with someone not heading out. The best safety measure you can make in terms of skiing is to drop it down a few gears. If you like to … More »

Snow School

Scouting Your Line

How to navigate a mountain like the pros. My friend Paul and I first spied the inviting, untracked face from the lift. It would take a bit of hiking but the reward would be first tracks on a beautiful pitch. It looked simple to find: follow an obvious spur ridge until we saw the opening … More »

Get Out of Jail

I’m told that roads in Ontario, and especially Newfoundland, can be dangerous when a moose is involved. In Scotland, I once nearly hit a reindeer. Skiing can be full of surprises, too. At these moments the ubiquitous skiers’ mantra, “Look incredibly cool,” suddenly disappears from our list of priorities and is replaced by “Try not … More »

A Portion of Torsion – skill school

Over the last few decades changes in ski design such as wider skis and rocker shapes have made skiing powder easier, more fun and accessible to more of us. Now, let’s see what this advanced skier in photos A and B can do to make skiing powder even more fun. You’ll notice in photo A, … More »

Powder To The People

Most of us are never going to ski 45-degree Alaskan faces or nipple-deep powder like we see on Ski Canada covers and movies at après. In the first case, most of us aren’t good or brave enough. And in the second case, those nipple-deep shots are set up and taken on vanishingly rare days that … More »

It’s In The Cards – backcountry risk management

A unique course teaches you how to make better decisions and minimize risk. Right until the snow starts to slide we are partying. It’s a weekday and we’re six dads playing hooky to shred knee-deep powder in the Vancouver Island backcountry. On our first run we expect the new snow to be touchy in spots, … More »

Skill School – The Eyes Have It

I think we can all agree: Staying on one’s feet is the fundamental goal in skiing. Now, isn’t it nice when we all agree about things? The feat of remaining upright while sliding down a snowy hillside depends on refined use of our sense of balance. Our balance system monitors our position while the brain … More »

Topple Like There’s No Tomorrow

A ski is a simple machine: put it on edge, apply a little pressure and it will turn. The tricky part in skiing is transitioning from one edge to the other. Let’s look at one of the many possible ways of doing this. This “topple” of the mass across the skis is achieved by bending … More »

What’s Your Angle?

what's your angle?

Without “angulation,” all ski instructors have to our credit is pretty skiing, honed buttocks and livers that look like old leather saddlebags. Webster’s may have added it to the dusty corners of its dictionary in 1869, but it’s the lowly ski instructor who can take credit for keeping the term alive. So even if you’re … More »

The Aftermath – Mt. Rescuers Pay the Price

Rescuers also pay a price so we can play in the mountains. Large numbers of skiers are socially distancing themselves from ski resorts entirely this winter, but how prepared are they for what lies beyond the ropes? Avalanche Skills Training (AST) providers have been seeing a significant uptick in enrolment, which has meant a similar … More »

Ski Better With a Pack

When heading into the wilds, make sure you carry first aid along with your snow safety equipment, and know how to use it all. Leave your plans with someone not heading out. The best safety measure you can make in terms of skiing is to drop it down a few gears. If you like to … More »

Subscribe and SAVE!

Just $5.00 an issue!

1 year (4 issues) for $20 + tax! Outside Canada is additional for postage.