Almost A Century of Fun: A Brief History of Pond Skimming Throughout history, spring skiing has brought forth sunshine and smiles, bikinis and bathing suits, and most famously, the pond skim. People have been using skis or variations of skis for thousands of years for transportation, hunting, and recreation. The concept of water skiing and skimboarding took shape in the early 1920s. So, when did all of these get merged together? […] Brains John Cunningham | March 29, 2026 0 Comments
Spring Skiing Road Trip Around the Epic Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts: Day 3–Kirkwood Mountain Resort There’s no question that Lake Tahoe is home to some of the most beautiful ski resorts in the country. But what’s truly special is access to three unique resorts offering world-class terrain and amenities, all on the Epic Pass. Within the Tahoe region, Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood Ski Resorts provide everything that you could want, need, and possibly be looking […] Trip Report John Cunningham | March 25, 2026 0 Comments
Spring Skiing Road Trip Around the Epic Lake Tahoe Resorts: Day 2–Heavenly Mountain There’s no question that Lake Tahoe is home to some of the most beautiful ski resorts in the country. But what’s truly special is access to three unique resorts offering world-class terrain and amenities, all on the Epic Pass. Within the Tahoe region, Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood Ski Resorts provide everything that you could want, need, and possibly be looking […] Trip Report John Cunningham | March 24, 2026 0 Comments
Spring Skiing Road Trip Around the Epic Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts: Day 1–Northstar California Resort There’s no question that Lake Tahoe is home to some of the most beautiful ski resorts in the country. But what’s truly special is access to three unique resorts offering world-class terrain and amenities, all on the Epic Pass. Within the Tahoe region, Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood Ski Resorts provide everything that you could want, need, and possibly be looking […] Featured Article John Cunningham | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
A Look at the Spring Phenomenon of Wiggle Runs As the snow begins to soften, resorts all over experience the same incredible phenomenon: the “wiggle runs” start to appear. Also commonly referred to as “snake runs” due to their obvious appearance, they are hard to miss and a lot of fun to ski or snowboard down. Related: Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Hangman’s Chute, Wipe Out, The Chair 3 Wiggle Wiggles […] Brains John Cunningham | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
Top 5 End-of-Season Spring Skiing Traditions As ski resorts begin to close, it’s a great time to look back and reflect on the past winter. The ups and downs. The chairlift-chats and gut-busting laughter with friends, both old and new. The long days filled with powder and après. But just because the snow is winding down, doesn’t mean the fun has to, too. If there is […] Brains John Cunningham | March 21, 2026 0 Comments
Spring Break: From the Slopes to the Beach, Protect Your Skin with Aloe Up Spring is, in my opinion, one of the most unique and exciting times of the ski season. As the days get longer and the temperatures get warmer, the sun’s angle gets higher, and the goggle tan starts to show. It’s important to remember to protect our body’s largest organ, the skin. Here on the slopes of Lake Tahoe, the combination […] Featured Article John Cunningham | March 17, 2026 0 Comments
5 of the Best Apps for Skiing and Snowboarding Thanks to constant upgrades in technology, many different apps for skiing and snowboarding have been developed and exist specifically to help skiers and snowboarders. User-friendly apps are regularly being designed for the millions of snow enthusiasts around the world who also always have a mini computer in their pocket with them. From tracking your friends or family’s locations on the […] John Cunningham | February 11, 2026 1 Comment
Gear Review: First Impressions of the BOA Fit System on 2 Different Pairs of Ski Boots Nothing has changed the ski industry this decade like the emergence of BOA ski boots. We have taken on the challenge here at SnowBrains to have two writers review two different BOA ski boots over this season. Aunika will review the Atomic Hawx 115 Ultra XTD single BOA, while John will review the K2 Cortex 130 Zonal (double) BOA. Reviewer […] Gear John Cunningham | January 22, 2026 0 Comments
Protect Your Skin This Winter With Aloe Up Sunscreen and Daily Moisturizer As winter quickly approaches, so do the unforgettable days spent enjoying the outdoors and doing what we all love so dearly: skiing and snowboarding. Whether you’re a fan of sunny, blue-bird days or white-out blizzard days, protecting your skin—and especially your face—from the elements is more important than most people care to realize. Bundling up and wearing a balaclava or […] Gear John Cunningham | December 18, 2025 0 Comments
7 U.S. Ski Resorts Directly Connected to a Ski Town When visiting or moving to a ski town, one of, if not the most important thing to consider, is proximity and access to the local ski resorts. Having the ability to be right in town, just minutes away from the mountains and fresh tracks, is always the goal, at least for the majority of us. With that being said, these […] Brains John Cunningham | October 10, 2025 5 Comments
Inaugural Tahoe Games Mountain Sports Festival Brings Big Stoke and Even Bigger Sends to End Summer in Northern California Over the past weekend, South Lake Tahoe, California, was home to the inaugural Tahoe Games Mountain Sports Festival at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Amphitheater at Caesar’s Republic. This free, first-of-its-kind, two-day event to grace the shores of Lake Tahoe featured a combination of music, professional mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, yoga, live art, vendors, food trucks, and more. Festivities kicked […] Competition John Cunningham | September 29, 2025 0 Comments
[PHOTOS & VIDEOS] Top 5 Massive Road Gaps and Ski Jumps Incredible photos and videos of skiers and snowboarders launching off huge jumps and sailing timelessly through the air have graced the covers of magazines and made rounds all over the internet and social media for decades. Since the origins of freeriding daredevils, thrill-seekers, and those just looking for a major adrenaline rush have sent ginormous jumps, drops, cliffs, and even […] Industry News John Cunningham | August 16, 2025 0 Comments
5 of the Best Real Foods for Fuel and Recovery Some of the simplest, staple foods we know and love are also the best “real foods” for our bodies, especially before and during recovery after physical activities. These real foods must be easily digestible for our bodies to metabolize efficiently, and full of nutrients to do what we need them to do. Also, anything jam-packed into a bottle or crammed into a […] Brains John Cunningham | July 19, 2025 0 Comments
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Second Season is Still Going Strong in the Sierra Report from June 5, 2025 As my 3:15 a.m. alarm broke the silence and stillness of the night, part of me questioned my own sanity. But after that split-second thought passed, I jumped right out of bed, beyond eager to get this day started and go skiing. In the past couple of weeks, Mammoth Mountain, California, announced not one, but […] Conditions Report John Cunningham | June 8, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Celebrating Day 100 This Season With Sun and Slush at the Spring Skiing Capital Report from May 8, 2025 Every time we load our gear into the car at 4:45 am for a Palisades spring skiing trip—pitch-black and only half-awake—it ends up being a phenomenal, fun-packed 16 hours. And once again, this gorgeous May day proved to be no different. Since Palisades Tahoe is, as always, the last resort open around the basin, it was […] Conditions Report John Cunningham | May 10, 2025 0 Comments
Boyne Mountain, MI, is Still Blowing Snow in April While ski resorts across North America are slowly starting to close for the season, one resort in the Midwest refuses to call it quits just yet—and perhaps anytime soon. On April 7 and 8, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, Michigan, fired up snow guns across the hill to help hold on to the last of winter. This 2024-25 season was […] Industry News John Cunningham | April 9, 2025 0 Comments
Gear Review: Aleck x Smith—Where Outstanding Sound Meets Premier Safety For myself and so many others, safety is always the number one priority while skiing and snowboarding. With that being said, an almost equally important factor to a good day on the mountain is having fun and enjoying yourself. The feeling of freedom and finding your flow as you cruise or dance down the snowy mountain is indescribable. Now, thanks […] Gear John Cunningham | March 17, 2025 0 Comments
Top 9 Must Ski Destinations Around the World Who doesn’t love a good destination ski trip? Anticipation levels are sky-high while planning your travel, from finding accommodation to checking out local dining options. The immediate thrill when arriving in a unique winter paradise accompanied by friends, family, or your own good fortune. There are not many feelings quite like it. Each year, TripAdvisor puts together a list of the […] Industry News John Cunningham | March 16, 2025 1 Comment
Gear Review: Testing Out LEKI’s New Griffin Pro 3D Gloves and Detect S Ski Poles Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of testing LEKI’s new Griffin Pro 3D gloves and the Detect S ski poles. While gloves and poles are usually an afterthought, my experience skiing with these products has altered my thinking. From the effectiveness and ease of use of the Trigger System to the overall feel and functionality of the new […] Gear John Cunningham | February 10, 2025 0 Comments
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