Why Artificial Snow Will Have to Play a Continued Role in the 2026 Winter Olympics After three consecutive Winter Olympics held in non-traditional skiing regions—Sochi, Russia (2014), PyeongChang, South Korea (2018), and Beijing, China (2022)—the Games are returning to an area where skiing is a part of everyday life. Yet even high in the Italian Alps, artificial snow will remain essential to the success of the events, much to the concern of environmental activists. While […] Olympics Quinn Brophy | November 4, 2025 0 Comments
5 Noteworthy Ski Resorts That Don’t Rely on Artificial Snowmaking Many challenges and factors affect a ski resort season. Operational costs, staffing, and mountain upgrades are variables that resorts have to deal with every year. Climate change and warmer temperatures have made it increasingly challenging for all ski resorts to have a successful season. Some regions worldwide have seen less snowfall over the last decade, which can lead to a shorter operating […] Industry News Gregg Frantz | April 8, 2025 0 Comments
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is Hitting the Slopes — How Does That Look? For some, the words “artificial intelligence” get you amped, while for others, those two words provoke an uneasy feeling. Some companies are looking to capitalize on the A.I. technology in a new market: the ski industry. This technology could revolutionize the way skiers and riders use ski lifts, purchase gear, and hone their skills. Related: Gear Review: Carv Digital Ski […] Industry News Luke Guilford | February 23, 2024 0 Comments
Finland Ski Resort Building Artificial Glacier Levi Ski Resort in northern Finland is a leader in innovation and environmentally friendly development. That trend continues as they are building a man-made glacier and a new high-speed chair lift to service it. So far Levi says they have moved around 20,000 cubic meters of soil to create a smooth base for the slope to get it ready to […] Industry News Brent Glogau | August 24, 2022 2 Comments
Is Artificial Intelligence The Future of Avalanche Forecasting? Considered by some observers as more of an art than a science, avalanche forecasting involves a unique combination of human observation, analysis, and interpretation. Perhaps even some good luck. Even the best forecasters only reach about 75% accuracy in their predictions. After all, they are human too and susceptible to bias and imperfection just like the rest of us. One […] Avalanche Ryan Kime | June 22, 2022 3 Comments
Ironic Environmental Cost of 100% Artificial Snow at Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics have officially begun! Unfortunately, we may have seen more fake snowflakes during the opening ceremony than we will real ones over the next two weeks in Beijing. The images of brown mountains with small bands of snow are jarring for a competition celebrating snow sports. These Winter Olympics will be the first to use 100% artificial […] Olympics SnowBrains | February 6, 2022 3 Comments
Russia Using Cloud Seeding to Create Artificial Rain to Fight Fires According to the Russian Federal Agency for Forestry, they are using cloud seeding to create rain to help fight fires in the Siberia region of Eastern Russia. Related: Cloud Seeding | What is It, How Does It Work, and Does It Make a Difference? As of Friday, July 10, there were 158 forest fires covering 46,261 hectares (about 180 square […] Fire Clay Malott | July 14, 2020 0 Comments
World’s Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall Completed: Almost Ready For Send Copenhill, home to the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall. New Atlas Amager Bakke waste incinerator plant, which is already home to Denmark’s tallest artificial ski slope (Copenhill), is now home to a world’s tallest creation. In November 2019 they completed construction of the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall, but the powers that be decided not to place climbing holds on […] Climbing J.T. Pulfer ll | July 10, 2020 1 Comment
Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Your Skiing? You may already be using one of many apps currently in existence to track and record data surrounding skiing performance or achievement. However, a new app claims to not only track data concerning your skiing performance, but to actually provide coaching based on the data collected through the use of artificial intelligence. The system is comprised of a thin, custom […] Gear Jon Roubik | November 2, 2018 0 Comments
VIDEO: Winter in Japan is Underway | 100% Artificial Snow and Costume Party! Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti is famous for always recently being the first outdoor ski resort in Japan to open every season… albeit with 100% artificial snow. For the 2018-2019 season, one run was open from 19th October 2018. And it looks like they had a lot of fun making those first few turns too! You might also like: VIDEO: What It Looks […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 26, 2018 0 Comments
Engineers Are Creating Artificial Glaciers to Store Fresh Water Around The World In high the deserts of northern India, climate change and receding glaciers have left villages critically dry in the spring. Engineers are creating “ice stupas,” or artificial glaciers, to store fresh water during the winter that would otherwise have flown away downstream. In the Ladakh desert region, only about 4 inches of rain and snow falls annually. Villages rely on glacial […] Brains Mike Lavery | August 4, 2018 1 Comment
World’s Largest Artificial Ski Area and Adventure Resort Being Planned for Wales A major artificial ski slope development is being planned as part of a new ‘ultimate adventure playground’ in the new Afan Valley Adventure Resort in South Wales. The resort, currently slated to be built on a 450-acre site in South Wales, is being developed by a company called Northern Powerhouse Developments (NPD) and alongside the world’s largest synthetic slope will […] Industry News Steven Agar | April 30, 2018 0 Comments
Beyond Powder: Artificial Ski Slope Set to Open at Buck Hill, Minnesota Buck Hill, a tiny Minnesota ski area located 30 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, is out to change the face of off-season skiing. Set to open for the first time later this week, the resort has designed an artificial ski slope utilizing a new surface that simulates skiing, without the snow. Owners Don McClure and David Solner traveled to Italy last year […] Robin Azer | September 25, 2016 1 Comment
Swell Saturdays: Roxy Girls Surf the World’s Best Artificial Wave The perfect artificial wave has been a dream since surfing first came to California in 1907. In it’s actualization, it’s been hit and miss. Mostly miss. Wavegarden in Northern Spain has come the closest to making a great, rip-able wave. The form of the wave is there, it’s just a touch small. If they could make this exact same wave […] Surf SwellBrains | July 20, 2013 1 Comment
Vail, Alterra, Boyne, and Powdr Hit With New Antitrust Lawsuit Alleging Ski Pass Price-Fixing Three skiers have filed a new federal class-action lawsuit accusing four of the biggest ski resort operators in the United States of conspiring to raise and stabilize prices for ski passes, lift tickets, and other destination ski products. The 84-page complaint, filed Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, names Vail Resorts, Alterra Mountain […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | August 7, 2026 0 Comments
Italy’s Alpe Tognola Ski Resort Cuts Infrastructure and Boosts Capacity in Major €16 Million Upgrade Northeast Italy’s Alpe Tognola is getting a big-time summer facelift. In one of the biggest investments in the history of the Funivie Seggiovie San Martino area, Alpe Tognola is getting a variety of upgrades that aim to improve the area’s skiing experience, snowmaking efficiency, and reduce the impact of infrastructure. The 16 million euro ($18.2 million) investment includes a brand-new […] Industry News Quinn Brophy | July 28, 2026 0 Comments
Elk Mountain Lodge in Aspen, CO, Sells After 18 Months for $90 Million Less Than Original Asking Price One of Aspen’s most recognizable luxury ski estates has finally found a buyer—but not at anything close to its original asking price. Elk Mountain Lodge, billionaire Bill Koch’s sprawling 52-acre ranch outside Aspen, Colorado, sold for $33.515 million following a no-reserve Concierge Auctions sale this month. The sale represents a dramatic 73% discount from the property’s original $125 million asking price when […] SnowBrains | July 22, 2026 0 Comments
ChatGPT Leaves 2 Hikers Stranded in Tatra Mountains, Poland There’s a saying that goes something like “don’t trust everything you see on the internet.” It looks like that statement might carry over to A.I. On July 4, 2026, a pair of Lithuanian hikers were taking a hike through the Tatra Mountains in Poland when they decided to consult the popular A.I. chatbot ChatGPT about an alternate route through the mountains. […] Hiking Quinn Brophy | July 16, 2026 1 Comment
Despite Its Natural Beauty, Utah Ranks Among CNBC’s Worst States to Live In On July 11, 2026, Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) published a list of the 10 worst states in the U.S. to live in. Surprisingly to some, Utah found itself squarely on that list. The states were ranked based on CNBC’s own quality-of-life score, determined by factors such as air quality, childcare, general health, worker protections, and safety. In many of […] Kien Warren | July 15, 2026 0 Comments
Winters Are Getting Less Predictable — Could Snow Farming Be the Answer? Winter ski conditions are now more unpredictable than ever before. Resorts are looking for new ways to ensure they can open as much terrain as possible, even when deliveries from Mother Nature are lacking. This is particularly important during the early season, when in certain years — last winter across the American West, for example — natural snowfall seriously under […] Industry News Kien Warren | July 15, 2026 0 Comments
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