Latest posts on skiing, snowboarding, and snow science

Zorb death is tragic reminder: watch your fall line!
Like a human hamster ball, a zorb is a sphere that people ride in.

Face shot: powder nirvana and a staple of ski porn
What is a face shot? A face shot occurs when snow sprays a skier or snowboarder’s face on a powder day. The snow must be deep and light enough (e.g., blower, Champagne Powder®) and the rider must have sufficient speed to elevate the snow to face level. I took the shot above with a GoPro camera attached to the end of my ski pole. I was skiing the Mine Dump trail at Copper Mountain and found the tops of the moguls to be

Sick day, as in ski sickness (aka Häusler’s disease)
Ski sickness is a form of motion sickness that can strike skiers when visibility is poor in fog, whiteout, blizzards, and flat light conditions.

Wolfpack: your posse on a powder day
A wolfpack is a group of friends, usually guys, who ski or ride together, similar to a posse.

What is sastrugi (aka zastrugi)?
Sastrugi is a wind-sculpted snow formation with irregular grooves and/or ridges.

Ski goggles technology and terminology
Goggles are one of the most important pieces of skiing and snowboarding gear. Without them, you could be in for a long day on the slopes.