When obsessions collide: Pensions, skiing and climate change
This will be of limited utility but we find it difficult to ignore a set of stories that tickle three—count ‘em—three of our current preoccupations. To begin: workers in France are in a major state of whip-up-idness over proposed changes to their pension system. Pensions…for younger American readers who don’t work for the government…were a...
Vail Speaks! Vail Speaks! (And More About Crowds)
On Wednesday, we complained about the poor communication from Vail Mountain concerning last weekend’s hideous lift lines; shortly thereafter, we got a statement from Beth Howard, the resort’s chief operating officer. It was too long a’coming but it did cover the bases: we’re sorry; here’s what happened; not our fault; safety first; we’ll try to...
Ski Passes Suck But Also Don’t
Let’s begin by noting what was all over the news in recent days: the lift lines at Vail were appalling last weekend. Does it feel a little good to see a horde of wealth-signaling skiers at America’s most wealth-signaling resort being forced to line up like refugees fleeing a war zone? No, no, it shouldn’t....
A mid-season reminder that (some) seniors ski free (or cheap) in (some) places
Ski resorts are expensive to operate. Leases, insurance, lift maintenance, lift-operator maintenance, those groomers high up on the mountain with their lonely headlights casting shadows across steep runs as you stumble back from dinner and drinks. When you factor in all that’s required to keep everyone safe and happy, those shockingly dear lift tickets are...
Every ski hill is Disney-fied
Most ski villages—that space at the base as you approach the lifts—can be divided into three starkly different subgroups: places that look like a municipal building with swanky pretensions, places that look like they were a sleepy town before skiing boomed, and places that look like they were dropped in whole by crane over a...
An article about arteries. And runners. And tribes.
No young person thinks about their arteries, nor should they. But arterial health looms large as one ages and larger with each year. That’s why Gretchen Reynold’s piece in the New York Times might be of interest. The details are fairly straightforward: Researchers tracked the arteries of sedentary people who, God knows why, decided to...
Skiing. Still cool?
Some decades ago, a well-meaning mentor advised me to give my kids skiing lessons. “As they get older, they won’t want to hang out with you. But if you say you’re going on a family ski trip, they’ll be all in.” It worked out for my wife and me, sort of, especially when they were...
Snowmaking Won’t Save Recreational Skiing
“The ski resort claimed they had six feet of snow,” a disappointed friend said. “I assumed they meant deep.” Welcome to the 21st century, where old passions (skiing, reef-diving, cuddly koala bears) go to die. Maybe the object of your desire will outlive you, which is lucky. (Sort of.) The point is, thanks to climate...
Skiing is good for the soul. And brain.
There are a great many reasons to stop skiing. The cost of a lift ticket. The risk to life and limb. Your lack of updated skiwear and your refusal to spend $949 on a jacket. But there are other, better reasons to stay on your sticks. Fresh air. Adrenaline. The satisfaction of slaying the...
The Future of Biking is in the Netherlands
Young urban planners love bikes. They will shut down vehicle lanes, reroute busy streets, generally commit any abuse to car traffic that promotes the flow of bicycles–regardless of the size of the current cycling population. In other words, they are planning for a time when cities might be even denser but also more...
Bests in show?
Writers sometimes excuse their laziest writing by labelling it service journalism. Other times, they will excuse their lazy research by calling it curatorial reportage (i.e., consolidating information from other published accounts). The following combines both of these lame gambits in a single flaming post. Despite its obvious limits, you might still find it useful. ...
Are We Harvesting the National Parks?
When a business executive looks at his or her product lines, it’s common to come across an offering that appears to be on its last legs. Maybe sales have stopped growing, or there’s a looming patent cliff or unstoppable competition. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t make sense to keep investing in it. Instead, the decision...
