Mikaela Shiffrin Becomes Newest Investor in Colorado’s First Professional Women’s Soccer Club, Coming to Denver in 2026 Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated alpine skier in history, has joined the ownership group of Denver’s forthcoming National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, set to debut in 2026. The Colorado native and two-time Olympic gold medalist described herself as a “small-level investor” in the team, marking her first foray into professional sports ownership. Related: [VIDEO] Chris Tomer’s Mountain Weather Update […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 6, 2025 0 Comments
Burke Mountain, VT, New Owners Aim to Triple Snowmaking Capacity in Time for 2025–26 Ski Season After nearly a decade in federal receivership, Burke Mountain Resort in Vermont officially has new owners. On Friday, May 2, 2025, the Bear Den Partners ownership group closed on the purchase of the 72-year-old ski area in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, setting the stage for a new era of independent ownership and mountain investment. Related: Burke Mountain Resort, VT, Sells for […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 6, 2025 0 Comments
Arapahoe Basin, CO, to Host 4th Annual Gay Basin Celebration May 17–18 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (@arapahoe_basin) Arapahoe Basin Ski Area will host its fourth annual Gay Basin: Ski & Ride With Pride event on May 17–18, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with a weekend of skiing, music, and festivities. The event kicks off Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with a Pride parade from the […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 5, 2025 0 Comments
Skier Rescued After Sliding 800 Feet on Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT A skier was rescued Friday after sliding approximately 800 feet down the south face of Mount Superior in Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. The man, visiting from out of town with two companions, had removed his skis and donned hiking boots when he lost his footing and slid uncontrollably down the mountain, Fox 13 News reports. Salt Lake County Search and […] Martin Kuprianowicz | May 5, 2025 0 Comments
Ski Portillo, Chile, Announces June 21 Opening for 2025 Season Ski Portillo will open its 2025 season on June 21, welcoming skiers and snowboarders to the Andes through September 27. The resort, located about two hours northeast of Santiago, is known for its high-altitude terrain, iconic yellow hotel, and views of Laguna del Inca. Related: Snow Forecast as Cold Front Sweeps Across South Africa Portillo offers a range of accommodations, […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 5, 2025 0 Comments
Arizona Snowbowl Extends Season Again, Announcing 2 Additional Weekends of Skiing and Snowboarding Arizona Snowbowl is extending the 2024–25 winter season once again, announcing two additional weekends of skiing and snowboarding: May 10–11 and May 17–18. With the added bonus days, Snowbowl will close the season with 179 total skiable days—its longest in recent memory. Related: New Mexico Ski Instructor Clinches 3rd Freeski National Title The Arizona Gondola will run from 10 a.m. […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 1, 2025 0 Comments
New Mexico Ski Instructor Clinches 3rd Freeski National Title Edward Herrera, a 38-year-old ski instructor from New Mexico, secured his third overall freeski national championship at the 2025 United States Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) National Championships, held April 5–9 at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Representing the Southwest Freeride Series, a regional competition circuit that gives skiers and snowboarders across New Mexico and the Southwest a chance to qualify for […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 1, 2025 0 Comments
Norway Mountain, MI, Plans May 3 Reopening After Discovering 7 Feet of Leftover Snow Norway Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula may not be entirely done with winter just yet. In a surprise announcement on social media on Wednesday, the resort revealed it had discovered a “hidden treasure” of over seven feet of snow still on the mountain. If conditions hold and snow can be pushed out successfully, the ski area plans to reopen this […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 1, 2025 0 Comments
Mount Ashland, OR, Wraps Up Longest Ski Season in 30 Years Mount Ashland Ski Area has officially closed for the season, capping off its longest winter in 30 years with a total of 318 inches of snowfall and one of the strongest turnouts in the mountain’s history. The final lifts spun Sunday, April 27, as skiers and snowboarders soaked in spring conditions with a celebratory barbecue and beer garden. The closing […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 1, 2025 0 Comments
Mount Bohemia, MI, Received 314″ of Snowfall This Season, Surpassing Ski Resorts Across the Western United States and East Coast In a winter that surprised much of the ski world, a remote ski area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula quietly outpaced some of the biggest names in North American skiing in one key metric: snow. Mount Bohemia, known for its rugged terrain and expert-only runs, ended its season on April 27 with a total snowfall of 314 inches—more than what was […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 30, 2025 1 Comment
Burke Mountain Resort, VT, Sells for $11.5 Million After Major Fraud Case Involving Former Owner Burke Mountain Resort, a staple of Vermont steep skiing and ski racing, is entering a new era. Nestled in the town of East Burke, the mountain is a favorite among locals and elite athletes alike and was recently sold for $11.5 million to Bear Den LLC, a consortium of entities with longstanding ties to the ski resort, the VTDigger reports. […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 30, 2025 0 Comments
New Wasatch Gravity Mountain Bike Pass Offers Joint Summer Access to Deer Valley and Solitude, UT, Bike Parks Mountain bikers and summer trail enthusiasts have a new way to ride in Northern Utah this season: the Wasatch Gravity Pass, a joint offering from Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort. The new summer pass provides unlimited lift-served biking, hiking, and scenic chairlift rides at both resorts for $450, with sales opening on May 1. Related: 9 Best Ski […] Biking Martin Kuprianowicz | April 29, 2025 0 Comments
Snowpack Levels Fall Below Average Across Most of Western U.S., New Data Shows The latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reveals a below-average snowpack across much of the western United States, raising concerns for water supply, wildfire risk, and drought conditions heading into summer. According to the NRCS Westwide SNOTEL report for April 28, 2025, snow water equivalent (SWE) levels—a key indicator of the amount of […] Weather Martin Kuprianowicz | April 29, 2025 0 Comments
Sven Coomer, Ski Innovator Who Revolutionized the Modern Boot, Dies at 84 Sven Coomer, a former Olympian and the designer widely credited with creating the modern ski boot, died March 10 in Aspen, Colorado, of heart failure. He was 84. Coomer’s breakthrough designs in the 1970s fundamentally changed the skiing experience, replacing the discomfort of stiff leather boots with supportive, plastic-shell footwear that remains the foundation of ski boot construction today. Related: […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 29, 2025 0 Comments
The Women Speed Riders of Chamonix Speed riding is essentially skiing but with wings. You clip into your skis, strap on a small glider, and take off. The glider or ‘wing,’ as it is referred, lifts, the skis carve, and gravity does the rest. It’s fast. It’s light. And when done right, it looks like flight sculpted in real time; the ability to glide only inches […] Martin Kuprianowicz | April 28, 2025 0 Comments
Black Mountain, NH, to Celebrate 90th Anniversary with Fireworks, Live Music, and $9 Lift Tickets on Closing Day After a long season and a major push to extend operations, Black Mountain Ski Area in New Hampshire is set to close for the season on Saturday, May 3, nearly two months later than last year. This year’s extended season marks a major milestone for the historic resort, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a special Closing Day event […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 28, 2025 0 Comments
Letter From The Editor: Myths, Fallacies, and the Usefulness of Social Media in the Backcountry I took my role as Editor with SnowBrains four years ago, when I was a young college kid at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. I wanted to ski every day and find a way to make a living from writing, and by some cosmic chance I landed an internship with SnowBrains. Not long after that, I was […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | April 27, 2025 0 Comments
Folgefonna Glacier Ski Resort in Norway Saved After Bankruptcy, Set to Reopen for Summer 2025 One of Europe’s few glacier ski resorts is getting a second chance. After declaring bankruptcy in fall 2024, Folgefonna Glacier Ski Resort—known for offering skiing in the middle of summer and referred to by locals as only “Fonna”—is preparing to reopen this May under new ownership. A new company, Fonna Sport AS, has stepped in to take over the operation, […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 24, 2025 0 Comments
Fishing Season Opens Saturday in Mammoth Lakes, CA, with “Fishmas” Celebrations, Derbies, and Prizes Anglers across California are gearing up for the annual fishing season opener in Mono County this Saturday, April 26—a tradition affectionately known as “Fishmas.” With alpine lakes, cold-water creeks, and well-stocked reservoirs dotting the region, the Mammoth Lakes area has long been recognized as a top destination for trout fishing in the western U.S. Locals and visitors alike will celebrate […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 24, 2025 0 Comments
Remembering Chuck Ferries: Trailblazer of American Ski Racing, Former President of K2 Skis, and “Best U.S. Skier Award” Recipient Charles Thompson “Chuck” Ferries III, a pioneering figure in American ski racing, passed away on April 17, 2025, in Ketchum, Idaho, at the age of 85. The US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame reports that, born in Houghton, Michigan, in 1939, Ferries began skiing at age four on Mt. Ripley, a modest 440-foot hill operated by Michigan Technological University. […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 24, 2025 0 Comments
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