In This Guide
Skiing and Snowboarding: It’s all Downhill from Here
Sport. Recreation. Transportation. Skiing and snowboarding are all these things. Skiing’s history can be traced back to more than 4,000 years ago, and snowboarding about 40 years. These wintry pastimes offer both beginner fun and the satisfaction of a lifetime of improvement and achievement.
Expand All Guide SectionsHistory and Rules of Skiing and Snowboarding
Skiing and snowboarding are made up of many types of competitions. The odd terminology of the two ... read more »
Skiing and Snowboarding Associations
Skiing and snowboarding competitions and rankings are governed by a variety of organizations at the ... read more »
Skiing News and and Analysis
Skiing and snowboarding are seasonal pastimes but they don’t have to be seasonal passions. ... read more »
Becoming a Better Skier or Snowboarder
Even if you are only able to hit the slopes a few times each year, you don’t have to sit ... read more »
Buying Skiing and Snowboarding Equipment
Having the right ski and snowboard equipment is crucial for your enjoyment and safety on the ... read more »
Ski and Snowboarding Trips
Skiing and snowboarding require many things but perhaps none more important than a mountain covered in snow. Finding that mountain requires a bit of planning, preparation, and know-how. The sites below can help you find resort listings and reviews, snow condition reports, and guides to some of the lesser-known areas to get your snow on.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Most ski areas don’t bother updating their snow reports during the off season (how many times can they say “dry as a whistle?”), so don’t be put off by the lack of activity on some of the weather and snow report sites. They will return!
- User-generated reviews are invariably tied to the reviewer’s level of experience and preferences, so take the reviews with a grain of salt.
Dulcinea's Picks
For resort reviews and directories …
SnoCountry Mountain Reports
is an invaluable tool for planning a snow sports trip. Its “Quick Resort Finder” is conveniently organized by U.S. region and state. Resort listings include overviews of the mountain experience, snow reports, mountain operations details, trail maps, and even mountain Web cams for some. You’ll also find a lot of useful information to help prepare for your trip, including advice on equipment, general ski and snowboard riding and safety tips, an events calendar, and information on ski resort real estate.
World Snowboard Guide
is chock full of extras to complement its easy-to-use mountain/resort guide. Browse the guide by country to learn about the various snow opportunities each country and region has to offer. After you register with the site, use the “My WSG” feature in the “Community section” to log and plan your own trips. It also offers news, tips, event information, and more.
Mad Dog Ski
is a ski/snowboard trip-planning site that focuses entirely on a handful of resorts in France, Switzerland, and Austria. Visitors will find comprehensive information that is well organized and a pleasure to read.
GoSki.com
has one of the most extensive international resort listings, though some entries only have cursory information.
For snow and weather conditions …
SkiReport.com
brings you weather and snow reports, as well as trail and area maps, ticket information, and a statistics-comparing tool for a large number of U.S. ski areas. Unique to this site is its “Powder Alerts” tool, which allows you to select ski areas nationwide and receive e-mails when any of them receives a threshold amount of snow. You can also request weekly reports.
Snow-Forecast.com
has many powerful tools to keep you informed on snow conditions worldwide. The “Weather Maps” section takes you to a sophisticated, multi-layered map that displays weather and geographic information. The straightforward “Where is snow forecast in the next __ days?” section (in the “Resort Weather” drop-down menu) lets you instantly see the best areas for snow in the immediate future. Take time to explore all the rich features of this site.
Snoweye
is a simple but extensive collection of ski area Web cams (3,757 in 45 countries) from around the world. Get an up-close look at what’s really going on at the mountain.
OnTheSnow.com
combines its useful snow report and resort information sections with a “Reviews” tab, featuring a color-coded rating system that lets you see instantly what others think of each ski area.
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
