Olympic Spirit? 10 Updates Before You Hit the Slopes

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Olympic Gold Medals won by snowboard king Shaun White and Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn have given ski resorts renewed hope.

The U.S. population of downhill skiers has gone, well, downhill by 17 percent since 2001. Skiers aged 7 and older who hit the slopes more than once per year total only 6.4 million in 2006, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.

The snowboarding population also has slid 17 percent since 2003, turning out only 5.2 million boarders in 2006. The trend is widespread. According to the National Ski Areas Association, visitors to the Northeast's 139 ski areas in 2007 fell 5.6 percent from the 2005-2006 season to 11.8 million, the fewest in more than a decade.

Resorts hope, however that a new crop may be coming along while older skiers become reinvigorated by the Olympics. According to the National Skier/Boarder Opinion Survey of children on the slopes, 13 percent are under age 5 years, 41 percent are between the ages of 5 and 10 years, and another 46 percent are between the ages of 11 and 15 years.

Here are 10 updates to consider before you hit the slopes.

1. Snow Reports are Fudged
One ski area reports 10 inches of “packed powder” while another just 20 miles away reports just 5 inches. The discrepancy is a result of varying measuring guidelines within the industry. The key term here, however, is "guidelines," as there are no set rules and abuse is fairly frequent. A 2009 report from Dartmouth College found resorts report 23 percent more new natural snow on Saturday and Sunday mornings where as there was no such “weekend effect” in government reports. Before you get snowed, download the iPhone application SkiReport for real-time reports from skiers on chairlifts or at base lodges.

2. Fake Snow Abounds
Snowmaking equipment rarely creates first-rate conditions but a soft winter can devastate ski slopes. So resorts have responded by heavily bolstering their snow-making equipment. Not only does that mean lousier snow but it also means a huge increase in expenses. Slopes are also cutting corners where they can on staff and supplies, such as hiring fewer ski patrollers who may not be as well equipped as they should.

3. Skiing Green
Some resorts aren’t all about the profit as they implement green measures. For example, Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort in Bend, Ore., purchases 100 percent of its power from renewable energy sources,. That includes wind, biomass, solar, small hydro and geothermal power sources, which add about 2 to 4 percent to its energy bill on an annual basis. Other resorts run environmental-impact studies to minimize land damage before installing new lifts or terrain. Silverton Mountain, a one-lift resort in Colorado, reportedly purchased a used lift and salvaged “handheld radios, furnishings, carpet, bar equipment, ski-patrol toboggans, rope and bamboo, all headed for the dump.” The trend hasn't spread to the entire industry, but it's a good start.

4. Never Pay Full Price
Don't wait until you hit the mountain to buy your lift ticket. Local retailers and ski Web sites such as CheapSkiingGuide and Liftopia, offer discount lift tickets, among others. Keep in mind prices tend to rise and fall throughout the season, so keep an eye out for deals.

5. Watch Those Knees
Watch the Olympics and you know skiing and snowboarding can be particularly tough on the knees. Though the incidence of debilitating knee injuries declined roughly 40 percent between 1990 and 2006, the risk of serious knee sprains is still double what it was in the early 1970s. At the current rate, experts anticipate about 15,000 sprains of the anterior-cruciate ligament each season. Part of the problem relates to the trend by resorts to over-groom trails, or remove piles of powdery snow to make the runs smoother and sleeker. This makes for action-packed skiing but also can increase the chance of knee injuries.

6. Look Out For That Tree!
More resorts offer skiing on wooded trails, which makes for picturesque runs through pine trees and natural areas. The downside, however, is the increased chance of death by impact. A 30-year study by the Rochester Institute of Technology revealed approximately 38 skiing deaths each year are related to impact injuries, a statistic that hasn’t changed since the 1980s. The researchers recommend skiers, often running at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour, at minimum stay alert and wear helmets.

7. Breathe!
Marijuana isn't the only thing on the slopes giving people a Rocky Mountain High. Flatlanders, who tend to forget oxygen is thinner and drier at higher altitudes, need to drink more liquids than they would at home and remember to breathe!

8. Keep in Touch
Should someone in your ski party be injured, ski patrollers need an emergency contact. This is particularly true for children. Write on a piece of paper the name and phone number of your hotel or condo, as well as a contact cell-phone number, and leave it in a secure pocket.

9. Board Safely
Preventing a fall or possible injury means wearing the necessary snowboard protection and taking the needed steps to improve your skills & performance. It also means staying sober. The most common reasons for snowboarding injuries include a lack of necessary skill; muscle fatigue, exhaustion, intoxicated or hungover; poor visibility; dull edges; fear; speeding; poor protection; and poor conditions. One last word of advice, don't try the Double McTwist 1260, unless you're Shaun White.

10. Got Olympics Withdrawal?
The Olympics are over, but the first ever Winter X Games Europe are coming up March 10 to 12. The games at France's Tignes Ski Resort will feature ski jumps, snowboarding tricks and a combination of half-pipes. Many of the competitors will have participated in the Olympics, so it's a chance to see some of the world’s best in action without paying Olympic-sized prices.