#1: FIS World Cup Ski Racing Recap: Tommy Ford Gets it Done:

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Now that we’re deep into the FIS World Cup Ski Racing season, things are starting to get pretty interesting, particularly on the Women’s side of things. As you’re likely aware, Mikaela Shiffrin’s been away from the circuit for several weeks now as she copes with the loss of her father. In her absence, Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova had been making a run for first place in the overall standings, until she went down with an injury during last weekend’s races. As a result, Vlhova’s progress has been halted, opening the door for Italy’s Federica Brignone to shift to the top of the overall standings following a strong showing in last weekend’s races at Crans Montana, Switzerland. While the U.S. Women’s Ski Team didn’t manage to shake up the standings last week, a number of athletes still logged some notable results. Alice Merryweather for instance, took home 5th in a Super G race, and 8th in an Alpine Combined event. Breezy Johnson also had a solid weekend, taking home 5th in a Downhill race, 15th in the Super G, and 19th in the Alpine Combined. Finally, Alice McKennis notched some solid results as well, placing 16th and 24th in each of the two Downhill races. For a full recap of last weekend’s action in Crans Montana, click here. To preview this weekend’s schedule in La Thuile, Italy, click here.

On the men’s side of things, only one race was successfully held, but for U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford, that was enough. In the Giant Slalom race held in Niigata Yuzawa Naeba, Japan, Tommy Ford logged his second podium finish of the season,finishing in third place. For Ford, a season such as this one, in which he’s earned two podium finishes, has been a long time coming, as explained in this great article from Ski Racing Magazine. In addition to Ford’s strong showing, American Ted Ligety also performed admirably, securing an 11th place finish. Looking ahead, the men find themselves in Austria this weekend, where they’ll compete in a Super G, Alpine Combined, and Giant Slalom race. To preview this weekend’s schedule, click here.

#2: Aspen's Skier Visits Are Up Despite a Decrease in Local Passes:

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In other news this week, we caught an article from the Aspen Times that provides something of a mid-season update in regards to skier visits at one of America’s most popular resorts: Aspen Snowmass. There, it’s been reported that skier visits are on or above pace from last year’s record breaking numbers. Last season, the resort tallied approximately 1.55 million skier visits, surpassing a high mark set 21 years ago. This season, the resort looks to surpass that figure for a second year in a row. That’s the good news. For those who’ve bemoaned conglomeration culture, here’s the bad news: despite being on track for another strong year, local pass use has actually decreased at the resort. In place of locals, Aspen is reporting that they’re seeing, “a significant increase in Ikon Pass use,” according to Jeff Hanle, the resort’s VP of Communications. This of course, is pretty much in line with what we’ve been observing all season long at resorts belonging to multi-passes, where congestion has become increasingly prevalent.

From a wide lens perspective, this dynamic is partly troubling, and yet also exciting. On one hand, we’re starting to see the negative impacts of ski resort consolidation. While many were concerned that corporate ownership would suck out the heart and soul out of formerly independently owned ski areas, it’s turning out that the consolidation of skier visits is the real issue. On the other hand though, this dynamic creates opportunities for new business models to emerge, as it’s undeniable that dedicated skiers are unimpressed with the current state of things. As such, there’s a growing market of skiers in search for a solution in which crowded days on the slopes are somebody else’s reality. While that pain point has yet to be truly solved, we’re seeing small steps being taken towards solutions as concepts like Bluebird Backcountry and Denver’s Ruby Hill Rail Yard (which we’ll discuss in highlight #4 this week) are beginning to offer options beyond traditional ski resorts. At the moment, we’re in the early phases of the post-consolidation era of skiing, but despite the current congestion at North America’s most popular resorts, there’s reason to be excited about the future. For more on this year’s skier visits at Aspen, check out this report from the Aspen Times.

#3: The Latest Innovation in Avalanche Rescue Efforts? This Packable Search Drone:

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Speaking of skiing beyond the ski resort, we caught word of a pretty exciting new product currently being developed that could greatly enhance avalanche rescue efforts. Designed by a German based company known as “Bluebird Mountain” (not to be confused with Bluebird Backcountry), the PowderBee is a packable drone capable of aiding in search efforts in the aftermath of an avalanche. Equipped with a sensor that can detect beacons, the PowderBee’s design is simple to use. In the event of an avalanche, just active the PowderBee and let it run its course. Programmed to automatically follow an ideal search path, the drone is capable of quickly searching avalanche terrain by hovering just a few meters above the ground. When the PowderBee detects a beacon signal, it automatically lands, signaling the location of the buried beacon. Compared to the effort and speed of human-powered rescue efforts, the PowderBee could ultimately be a legitimate game changer.

While this isn’t the first drone-based avalanche rescue effort we’ve come across, it’s significantly different in a number of ways. First of all, it’s intended to be packed and used by the touring party rather than by a separate, specialized rescue team. Secondly the drone itself is actually equipped to locate a buried beacon. To our knowledge, all previous drone based avalanche rescue products have been purely visual, rendering them ineffective in the event of a total burial. Finally, the PowderBee is being designed with the elements of nature in mind, meaning it’s capable of withstanding low temperatures and remains usable during windy or wet conditions. Currently, the PowderBee is still in the prototyping phase, but with any luck this excellent idea will hit the market sooner rather than later. To learn more, check out Bluebird Mountain’s official website.

#4: As Denver’s Ruby Hill Rail Yard Opens for the Season, Newschoolers.com Ponders the Bigger Picture:

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Finally, let’s round out this week with one more story on the topic of “where people ski,” as we caught word that Denver’s Ruby Hill Rail Yard has officially opened for the season, as of February 12th. The rail park, sponsored by Winter Park and hosted by Denver Parks and Recreation in the Ruby Hill public park, is open during park hours (5 a.m. - 11 p.m.) to anyone willing to hike for their hits. While the features are much smaller than what you might see in a resort’s terrain park, they’re ideal for those just learning how to slide rails and boxes, as well as those looking to ramp up their technical skills. Above all else though, their ease of access is something of a game changer for freestyle skiers and snowboarders living in a city that’s no less than one hour and one traffic jam from the nearest ski area. Plus, it’s worth reiterating that the rail garden is free to use, eliminating at least one financial barrier to the sport.

It goes without saying that this “ski area” is a pretty incredible concept. This week over on Newschoolers.com, opinion writer "YoungChristmas” found themself partaking in an activity that we’re quite fond of here on Chairlift Chat: speculating. In an article titled, "Ruby Hill Rail Yard and the Accessibility of Rail Skiing,” YoungChristmas ponders whether or not there’s room for more rail gardens like Ruby Hill in the sports of skiing and snowboarding. In addition to Ruby Hill, they also cite the recent opening of “Red’s Backyard,” a free-to-use rail park located at Copper Mountain backed by Olympic Snowboarder Red Gerard. While this particular park is located at a mountain rather than in an urban center, the concept is similar enough that it makes YoungChristmas, as well as ourselves, wonder if it could be the start of a trend. If it is, it’ll be interesting to watch the movement grow in parallel with the rise of alpine touring as it’ll create another way for a different segment of skiers to escape the congestion currently taking over resorts. Of course at this point, much like YoungChristmas, we’re finding ourselves guilty of significant speculation. For now, all we can do is keep an eye on the trend and hope that more urban based ski centers pop up. For more on this, check in with Newschoolers.

#4.5: Bonus Highlight: February is K2 Month in SkiEssentials.com's 2020 Ski Happy Contest!

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#5: And Now, Your Edits of the Week: Sam Favret is, A Natural Mystic:

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Ahmet Dadali's "The Euro Vanventure, Episode 3":

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"Latitude" is a Sea to Summit Story That Reminds Us Why We Ski:

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Finally, "The Kook" is a Decidedly Different Type of Ski "Edit":

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Written by Matt McGinnis on 02/28/20