‘My Health Comes First’: Brignone Cautious as Milan-Cortina Dream Hangs in the Balance Two months after a devastating crash in Val di Fassa, Italy, ended her successful 2024-25 World Cup season, Italian alpine skiing star Federica Brignone is cautiously optimistic about her comeback. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, June 3, from J-Medical in Turin, the 34-year-old offered a hopeful, but realistic update on her recovery: “I’m positive. The leg responds well, and the […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | June 6, 2025 0 Comments
Val d’Isère, France, Opens for Summer Skiing on the Pisaillas Glacier This Weekend Perched high in the French Alps and framed by the dramatic peaks of the Vanoise National Park, the Pisaillas Glacier at Val d’Isère, France, is once again opening for summer skiing. Accessible only via the Col de l’Iseran—the highest paved pass in Europe—this seasonal tradition offers a rare chance to ski above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) well into July. The […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | June 5, 2025 0 Comments
Where Alpine Luxury Lives: Top 13 Most Expensive European Ski Home Markets Which snow fanatic has not dreamed of owning their own ski home? The idea of simply strapping on a pair of skis from the comfort of your own holiday home in the Alps is certainly enticing to many. According to a recent study by UBS entitled “European Alpine Property Focus,” this dream has never been more expensive. According to the […] Brains Julia Schneemann | June 4, 2025 0 Comments
New York Father & Daughter Found Dead After Disappearing on Mount Katahdin Hike A father and daughter from New York who went missing while hiking Mount Katahdin, Maine, over the weekend have been found dead, according to Baxter State Park officials. Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, both of Ulster Park, New York, were last seen around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, as they made their way toward the […] Hiking Julia Schneemann | June 4, 2025 0 Comments
The World’s 11 Most Unique Glacier Ski Resorts From surreal summer skiing to panoramic peaks that seem to scrape the stratosphere, glacier ski resorts offer experiences unmatched by traditional alpine resorts. With around 40 glacier ski areas left worldwide, these high-altitude holdouts are increasingly rare—and increasingly worth the trip. Here are 11 of the most fascinating glacier resorts on Earth, each offering a mix of scenery, challenge, and […] Brains Julia Schneemann | June 2, 2025 0 Comments
Afriski to Open June 1, Kicking Off 2025 Winter Season in Lesotho Afriski Mountain Resort, Lesotho, one of only two ski resorts in Southern Africa, will open its 2025 winter season on Sunday, June 1, welcoming skiers and snowboarders back to the high-altitude slopes of the Drakensberg-Maluti Mountains. Perched at over 10,571 feet (3,222 meters), Afriski is located in the Kingdom of Lesotho and relies on a powerful snowmaking system to support […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 30, 2025 0 Comments
Mikaela Shiffrin Shares Honest Recount of Her Struggles with PTSD Following Killington, VT, Crash Mikaela Shiffrin does it again—capturing hearts and minds with her honest, raw recount of her struggles with PTSD following her crash at Killington, Vermont, in November 2024. Published in The Players Tribune, her personal essay about her feelings and struggles offers a rare, unfiltered insight into the pressures and expectations weighing on an elite athlete’s shoulders, and the silent battle […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 30, 2025 0 Comments
Austrian Winter Tourism Grows Despite Global Economic Uncertainty Despite a backdrop of global economic turbulence and geopolitical tension, Austria’s winter tourism sector has delivered a resilient performance—nearing all-time highs in both guest numbers and overnight stays. According to preliminary data released Friday, May 30, by Statistik Austria, the 2024–25 winter season (November through April) saw 72.25 million overnight stays, up 1.6% from the previous year, and just shy […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 30, 2025 0 Comments
Vermont Snowboard Manufacturer Halts Snowboard Production Due to Trump’s Tariffs In a heartfelt announcement on Instagram, Vermont-based snowboard brand Goon Gear revealed it will not produce snowboards for the upcoming 2025–26 season. Citing “unpredictable tariffs and rising costs,” the company said the financial risks have simply become too great for a small operation. Despite the setback, Goon Gear emphasized that it’s not closing down—apparel drops and community events like Goonfest […] Julia Schneemann | May 30, 2025 0 Comments
IOC Reaffirms Ban on Russian Teams for 2026 Winter Olympics The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reaffirmed this week that Russian national teams will remain barred from participating at the next Winter Games, continuing sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That means teams in iconic winter sports—including Russia’s powerhouse men’s ice hockey program—are excluded from Olympic contention. However, Russian athletes may technically be eligible to […] Julia Schneemann | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic Wins Prestigious Matteo Baumgarten Award for Excellence in Sport and Scholarship Zrinka Ljutic, Croatia’s rising Alpine ski star and a dedicated kinesiology student, has been named the 28th recipient of the International Matteo Baumgarten Award, an honor recognizing young athletes who balance academic excellence with elite athletic performance. The award, created in memory of Italian skier Matteo Baumgarten—a promising student-athlete who tragically died in a car crash in October 1995 while […] Julia Schneemann | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
Epic Expansion: Exploring the 6 New Austrian Ski Destinations Added to the 2025-26 Epic Pass Vail Resorts has significantly broadened its European footprint by incorporating six renowned Austrian ski resorts into the 2025-26 Epic Pass. This strategic move enhances the pass’s appeal to international skiers and snowboarders seeking diverse alpine experiences. Related: Vail Resorts Adds a Total of 6 New Austrian Ski Resorts to Epic Pass Offering—1Day Ahead of Price Hike While the expansion of […] Julia Schneemann | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
History with SnowBrains: How a Legendary Rescue Inspired the Birkebeiner Cross-Country Race In the depths of a Norwegian winter in the year 1206, two warriors strapped wooden skis to their feet and raced across snow-covered mountains for miles, a precious cargo in their arms: the infant crown prince. Their heroic journey from safely from Lillehammer to Østerdalen and from there to Trondheim, is commemorated to this day eight centuries later for the […] Julia Schneemann | May 28, 2025 0 Comments
Rob Katz Returns as Vail Resorts CEO in Surprise Leadership Shake-Up In a surprise move that has caught much of the ski industry and Wall Street off guard, Vail Resorts announced on Tuesday, May 27, that longtime chief executive Rob Katz will return as CEO, replacing Kirsten Lynch effective immediately. Lynch, who had served as CEO since November 2021 and spent 14 years with the company, is stepping down but will […] Julia Schneemann | May 27, 2025 0 Comments
Top 13 Ski Areas With the Highest Lift Capacity in the World No one likes lines, so we all appreciate efficient infrastructure that gets you on the mountain and ready for some fun fast. Naturally, people will be drawn to resorts with the highest lift capacity to maximize the time on snow. The most common way to measure a ski area’s lifting capability is the hourly capacity of all its lifts. It […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 27, 2025 1 Comment
History With SnowBrains: How Whistler, BC, Got Its Name Whistler Mountain was known by the Lil’wat Nation as Cwítima or Kacwítima and Sk̲wik̲w by the Squamish Nation. In 1932, the mountain was named London Mountain because the thick fog surrounding the area reminded the first British settlers of London’s infamous pea soup fog. However, as more and more European settlers flocked to Canada, the name Whistler started to take […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
History With SnowBrains: The First Ski Lift in the World The first ski lift in the world was created over 100 years ago by a German hotel owner in the village of Schollach in the Black Forest region of Germany. Robert Winterhalde, manager of the “Schneckenhof”, wanted to make it easier for hotel guests to access the local hill and created the world’s first ski lift, which started operation on February 14, […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 19, 2025 1 Comment
Fresh Snow Dusts Australian Alps As Resorts Kick-Start Snowmaking for the 2025 Season A modest early-season snowfall blanketed Australia’s alpine ski resorts over the past 24 hours, offering a brief taste of winter just weeks before the official start of the season. Perisher, Hotham, and Thredbo all reported a light coating of fresh snow at their upper elevations, though totals remained just under 5 centimeters (2 inches). With snowmaking operations underway and temperatures […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
After 47 Years and Multiple Breakdowns, Iconic Swiss Gondola Is Getting a $29 Million Replacement After a string of mechanical failures last winter, one of Switzerland’s most distinctive gondolas at Flims-Laax-Falera—linking the alpine peaks of Crap Masegn and the Vorab Glacier—has taken its final run. The aging six-person gondola, built in 1978 by Swiss ropeway manufacturer Habegger, broke down three times in less than 10 days last January, prompting frustration among skiers and renewed scrutiny of […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
Is Early Season Snow a Harbinger of Good or Bad News—A Statistical Analysis for Australia With the first snow of the season hitting Australian resorts such as Perisher and Thredbo, excitement for the 2025 season is starting to build. The idea that an early dusting portends a stellar winter has deep roots in ski lore, bolstered by the thrill of advanced openings and first turns on untouched snow. While early-season snowfall certainly generates enthusiasm, some […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
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