"New Technology at Vail Could Shorten Lift Lines"

Vail has announced the possibility of using new technology to scan season passes. Skiers will not even have to take their passes out of their pockets in order for employees to scan passes and access information. This will be made possible by using radio frequency identification.

Vail has also tested sensors that are mounted above the lift lines on Vista Bahn, Chair 3, and Chair 4. The sensors will detect the RFID chips inside the passes and will give the ski company information about where skiers go throughout the day. This will make grooming more efficient.

As a regular at Vail Mountain, anything that could cut down lift lines would be great. Most of the time skiers are scrambling around trying to find where they put their passes. The only negative to the improvement is that lift scanners jobs could be almost eliminated.

"First Indoor Ski Resort in U.S. to Open This Year"

As a lover of nature and skiing, I cannot imagine taking a ski vacation to an indoor ski resort. The combination of fake snow, a white dome for the sky, no clean, crisp, fresh air, and long lift lines is a disgrace to all snow sports. Xanadu is a $2 billion entertainment and retain village under construction at the Meadowlands Sports Complex located in East Rutherford, N.J.

The dome’s attraction will be a 140-foot tall ski run. All I can say is that I wouldn’t want to be there for opening day. The interesting structure has gotten heads turning and people wondering what the interior will look like. Apparently the dome will have everything from entertainment, sports, retail, offices, and hotel space.

This new complex has given people who live in areas that traditionally don’t get snow the chance to ski all year round. A Las Vegas firm as announced that they will be adding ski slopes to their indoor water park, Las Vegas Wet, which is scheduled to open in 2011. Xanadu is scheduled to open sometime later this year.

"The Sounds of Sunsation"

Coppers end of the year celebration, Sunsation, is back for the seventh year in a row. Who can complain with partying at free concerts after a long day of spring skiing in the sunshine? Last weekend seven - bands played over Saturday and Sunday including reggae bands Eek-A-Mouse and Pato Banton & The Reggae Revolution. These were concerts not to be missed as the positive beats kept the crowd seriously entertained.

This weekend you can still catch several amazing acts from around the nation. The music starts at 11 a.m. each day and continues until 5 p.m. This year artists include Band of Heathens, Perpetual Groove, George Clinton & Parliament-funkadelic, Trevor Hall, Lotus, and Matisyahu.

Also, don’t forget to catch one of the hottest competitions of the season. The Hometown Heroes will be competing against 12 of today’s top amateurs. Competitors will be riding in teams and hitting up Copper Mountain’s rail and terrain park. Don’t miss the weekend extravaganza in the mountains. April 20 will be your last chance to ski Copper Ski Resort.

"Celebrate a Record Breaking Season at Steamboat"

This weekend marks the end of the 2007/2008 ski season at Steamboat Ski Resort. Racking in at a groundbreaking 486 inches, Steamboat has had a champaign powder season. They will close the season with their first Springalicious Festival taking place April 5 and April 6.

The festival will include the 28th Annual Cardboard Classic, and new this year is the Splashdown pond skimming competition. Thee bands will also be featured throughout the two day festival; American Relay, The Radiators, and Susan Tedeschi.

What exactly is the Cardboard Classic you ask? Well it involves homemade cardboard crafts racing to the finish line. I would imagine that one might see some hilarious crashes which might make it worthwhile. There will be 50 crafts and the proceeds will be donated to Yampa Valley Recycles.

If you haven’t seen a pond skimming competition, you haven’t lived! From my experience watching pond skimming at Vail, I saw some of the craziest costumes including topless ladies. I think it would be awful skiing down the mountain half naked to then fall into a 30 degree pond, but for everyone else it’s one of the most entertaining ways that you can spend your weekend. Don’t miss the last weekend celebration at Steamboat Ski Resort.

"Don't be a 'Gaper'...Make Fun of Them"

Zip up your one piece bright pink ski suit and head to the mountains, because today is Breckenridge’s annual Gaper Day! What exactly is Gaper Day you ask? Well, local and employees deal with “gapers” every day. Basically they are the tourists that come around during the high season that are recognizable from a mile away. It’s a day for locals to poke a little fun at the tourists and it’s a day that locals look forward to all season.

I feel bad for any tourists that happens to be visiting Breckenridge during Gaper Day. Imagine standing at the top of the terrain park when a gang of people on mini skis wearing neon colored suits and hats, and rear-entry boots come whizzing by doing ridiculous jumps through the half-pipe, and falling over on the rails. Now that would be a frightening sight to see if you weren’t aware of the tradition.

For most people, Gaper Day is chance to get drunk and laugh at all the crazy outfits people come up with. One of the classic outfits include jeans, a mullet, a cowboy hat, and an obnoxious sweatshirt. This video explains everything you need to know about Gaper Day.

"Out-of-Control Children: A Parent's Worst Nightmare"

In my opinion, one of the coolest things that you can see while skiing is a little kid that is going faster then a speeding bullet down the mountain, making better turns that you, or even mastering tele-skiing at the age of ten. It is amazing how effortless it is for a little kid to get the hang of skiing. All it takes is a little pizza and french fry; at least that’s what the instructors always told me when I was learning to ski.

I remember one of the first times my family took my sister and I to the mountains. I never worried about getting out of control. In fact, I enjoyed getting out of control because most of the time that meant I was going fast. One of the funniest memories I have from that trip is flying down the mountain, being unable to turn to avoid the orange plastic fence that kept kids like me from crashing into a tree. Luckily, I didn’t weigh enough to break though the fence. It acted as a sling shot and flung me back onto the run. The look on my mothers face was priceless. All I can say is that I feel bad for parents who have to ski with children whose favorite part of skiing is getting out of control.

Children are beginning to ski when they can walk. Resorts offer ski school programs for kids as young as three years old. It is important to prepare for the weather and wear a helmet for safety reasons. Also, make sure that you start at a resort that has a wide variety of beginner terrain. You don’t want to get caught on a black diamond run your first day out with the family.

"Spring Ski on New Terrain"

Over Spring break, I had the chance to check out Arapahoe Basin’s new terrain. Montezuma Bowl opened in mid-January and is located on the backside of A-Basin. Unfortunately I have not been able to get out there until later in the season, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t great skiing. After a long winter every skier looks forward to that first spring day where they can wear light layers and come home with a goggle tan.

Montezuma bowl has increased A-Basin’s terrain by 80 percent and is the nation’s largest terrain expansion for the 2007-2008 ski season. The great thing about the new bowl is that it expands terrain for intermediate and expert skiers. Runs include blues, blacks, and double blacks and skiers and boarders can ride groomed trails or adventure to the cornices, chutes, glades and open bowls.

For many local skiers, A-Basin is their home away from home. Because the terrain is more difficult that most other resorts in the area, tourists are less likely to ski A-Basin. Lucky for me and my fellow skiers who don’t mind a ski area that is a little smaller, but has plenty of options now that the Montezuma Bowl is open. Make sure to check out the Basin’s new terrain before the snow stops falling.