Riders Battle Heavy Snow and Slippery Trails in Mountain Bike World Cup Opener in Poland BIELSKO-BIAŁA, Poland — Elite mountain bikers from around the world opened the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season with dramatic victories and crashes this weekend in southern Poland, where freezing weather and treacherous trails tested even the best in the sport. British rider Tahnée Seagrave and France’s Loïc Bruni claimed hard-fought wins in the downhill competition at Szczyrk Mountain […] Biking Martin Kuprianowicz | May 19, 2025 0 Comments
Made in Tahoe Festival and Final Days of Skiing Set for Memorial Day Weekend at Palisades Tahoe, CA Local businesses, artisans, and entertainers come to celebrate all things local, May 24-25 Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and at Palisades Tahoe, California, that means it’s time for the beloved Made in Tahoe Spring Festival. Taking place May 24–25, this vibrant celebration fills The Village with more than 95 local artisans, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and performers, all […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 19, 2025 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] More Snow for New Zealand as Resorts Fire Up Snow Guns Six weeks after the season’s first snow dusted slopes in New Zealand, followed by a dump on May 1, Mother Nature has delivered again, allowing some resorts to begin snowmaking. Opening days are just a couple of weeks away, with Mt. Hutt planning to open on May 31, its earliest opening in 16 years. Related: Mt. Hutt, New Zealand, Announces […] Kiwi Brains | May 19, 2025 0 Comments
[VIDEO] GoPro Announces Overall “Line of the Winter” Winners for 2024-25 GoPro has announced the Overall “Line of the Winter” winners for the 2024–25 season, awarding $10,000 each to four standout athletes in skiing and snowboarding. These season-long awards follow monthly contests, with the winners of April’s contest announced just a few days ago. Related: GoPro Files Complaint Against Insta360 Alleging Several Patent Violations Men’s Ski: Craig Murray The 27‑year‑old New Zealander, […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 19, 2025 0 Comments
NSAA Honors Best in Ski Industry 2025 at Annual Awards Ceremony Association recognizes innovative strategies in sustainability, safety, marketing and growth. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) named the winners of its annual awards in sustainability, safety, marketing, and beginner conversion (growth). The awards were presented to ski area members with the most innovative and successful programs in each category at the association’s National Convention and Tradeshow in Marco Island, Florida, […] Industry News Press Release | May 19, 2025 0 Comments
NOAA June 2025 Outlook: Hotter Than Normal Across Most of the United States Last week, the NOAA released its monthly outlook for June 2025. Below is a summary for those unfamiliar with meteorological terminology, and the full discussion further down for those who are. Related: NOAA Winter 2025-26 Outlook: Long-Lead Seasonal Outlook Gives Sneak Peek of Next Winter TL;DR: June 2025 is forecast to be hotter than normal across most of the U.S., […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 19, 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
Big Bear’s Snow Summit Bike Park Opens June 6: SoCal’s Premier Lift-Accessed Riding Returns for 2025 Mountain biking season is right around the corner in Southern California, with Snow Summit Bike Park officially opening for the summer on June 6. Located in the scenic San Bernardino Mountains, the park offers one of the region’s most popular lift-served downhill and cross-country biking experiences — a summer favorite for riders of all levels. A Diverse Trail Network for […] SnowBrains | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
The Growth of Skiable Terrain in the Western U.S. Has Been Far Greater Than You Might Think What if I told you that, over the past 30 years, the Western U.S. has effectively added the equivalent of 22 ski areas the size of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort? For most skiers and snowboarders, that would sound like an impossible dream — or at least a wildly optimistic projection. And yet, that’s exactly what has happened across the 11 […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
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
Local Billionaire Wants to Buy Park City Mountain Resort, UT, From Vail Resorts and Build Gondola to Alta Matthew Prince, a billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Cloudflare, has purchased the Town Lift Plaza at the base of Park City Mountain in Utah and claims he has even discussed purchasing Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) from Vail Resorts, according to KPCW. The deal, finalized May 16, transfers ownership of the prominent Main Street property from the Sweeney family, […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
Eastern Sierra, CA, Report: The “Bat Cave Chutes” In 5-Star Corn Snow Report from May 16, 2025 2 days ago, we saw this zone on our hike up University Peak and I loved the look of it. Convoluted, spines, chutes, and open faces all in one zone. We came back for it the next day, yesterday. 2 days ago, it was cool in the morning. Yesterday was hot. We battled up that […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 17, 2025 0 Comments
2 Dead After 7 Swept Away and Buried by Avalanche on Eiger Peak, Switzerland [UPDATED: 12:45 p.m. PST] In a press release at 8:23 p.m. local time (12.23 p.m. PST), the Bernese cantonal police confirmed that seven people had been swept away and buried by an avalanche on the Eiger, Switzerland, killing two of them. The release is below: Lauterbrunnen: Five people rescued after avalanche – two dead On Saturday afternoon, an avalanche occurred […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 17, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: The East Face of 13,595-Foot University Peak, CA Report from May 15, 2025 I knew we wanted to start south this year in the Eastern Sierra, CA, but I didn’t make it here until May 10 due to a family issue. Even more reason to start in the south. Fox had just been down there to a zone I’d never been to and said it was special. I […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 17, 2025 1 Comment
Winter Park, CO, Ski Train Sees 153% Ridership Boom in 2025 The data doesn’t lie: it’s fun to ride the train. The final numbers are in, and the data shows that the first season of expanded Winter Park Express service has been a roaring success. Related: Skip the Ski Traffic and Take Colorado’s Winter Park Express Train The train, operated through a partnership between Winter Park Resort in Colorado and Amtrak, runs […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 17, 2025 0 Comments
SnowBrains Forecast: Major Storm for South America This Week A potent early-season barrage dives into the Andes this weekend, dropping the deepest accumulations at Las Leñas and the high-elevation Chilean Three Valleys while spreading lighter refreshes north and south. A warm, wind-whipped opener tonight quickly cools, then a colder Saturday-night surge unloads more than a foot on the central spine. Snow levels hover near 8,000 feet for the Chilean […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 16, 2025 0 Comments
Solid Snowfall Hits the Last 2 Resorts Still Open In Colorado With More in Forecast It may be mid-May, but people are still skiing at resorts throughout the country. It’s that time of the year when the die-hards come out to grab the last laps of the season and enjoy the warm weather and soft conditions. 15 resorts in the U.S. are still open, and two are located in Colorado. Arapahoe Basin and Winter Park […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 16, 2025 0 Comments
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nominates 2025-26 Alpine Ski Team Members U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 49 athletes nominated to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team for the 2025-26 season. Nominations include athletes who qualified based on the published selection criteria. The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team announces its teams in two phases: nomination and acceptance. The athletes are formally nominated to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team in May. […] Industry News Press Release | May 15, 2025 0 Comments