Skiing

Mammoth Mountain, California will be open for skiing and riding this Memorial Day Weekend, but we all know that's not new.

However, what is new is that Mammoth is opening all of the summer activities - mountain biking, golfing, climbing wall and kids zipline - on Memorial Day Weekend.  This means that $99 buys you 9 holes at Sierra Star golf course and unlimited skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking at Mammoth.

Mammoth will offer lift access out of Main Lodge from 7:30am - 2pm through Monday, May 28. The Bike Park will open the lower-mountain trails on Saturday, May 26 and Sierra Star has been open since May 18th with the tees, greens and fairways of this championship course in great shape.

Mammoth is also hosting the annual Memorial Day Madness on the Main Lodge Sundeck and at the all-new Yodler BierGarten along with the Luau Pig Roast and beer tastings.

More Information: Mammoth Memorial Day Madness

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_{Image Copyright Mike Doyle}

It's almost time for skiing at Chile's historic Ski Portillo resort and Portillo's ski season is set to begin on June 16, continuing through October 6.

A ski vacation to Ski Portillo, Chile is a unique experience.  The oldest and most exclusive resort in South America, Portillo combines old-world elegance, breathtaking scenery and epic skiing, all in an intimate resort that accommodates only 450 guests a week.

This is a good time to book, with special offers already available.  For reservations, call 1-800-829-5325, or email reservas@skiportillo.com.  More information on Ski Portillo is also available at www.SkiPortillo.com.

Read More: Skiing in Chile | Skiing in Argentina

_{Skiing at Ski Portillo, Chile Photo Copyright Jonathon Selkowitz}

If you're anything like me, you probably have a bunch of old ski equipment that you haven't used in a while.

You don't need to waste money or storage space by letting your equipment sit uselessly in the back of your closet or in a corner of your garage.

In fact, your used ski equipment might actually garner you some cash that you can put towards a new pair of skis or boots.   Another option is trading in your gear if it's in good shape and there are good deals out there on this season's gear.  Here's how to sell used ski equipment.

Read More: How to Donate Ski Equipment

_{Image Copyright Mike Doyle}

Sun Valley is located in Sun Valley, Idaho, is great mountain for all level skiers. Sun Valley has something for everyone - Dollar Mountain, called "the finest teaching mountain in the world," is a great place for beginners, and intermediates will love Warm Springs. Everyone (including advanced skiers) will love River Run's variety of terrain.

Sun Valley is also perfect venue for a summer vacation, offering nearly 28 miles of hiking and biking trails on beautiful Bald Mountain and horseback rides on scenic Dollar Mountain.

The Sun Valley area is is full of charming yet sophisticated shops, restaurants, galleries, theaters, and attractions.

Here's more on Sun Valley summer vacations and summer activities.

Related: Sun Valley | Mountain Resort Vacations

_{Image Copyright Sun Valley}

The U.S. Freeskiing's best athletes, including recently crowned AFP halfpipe World Champion Torin Yater-Wallace (Basalt, CO) and AFP slopestyle World Champion Tom Wallisch (Pittsburgh, PA) are at Mammoth Mountain's,  award winning Unbound Terrain Park for a weeklong intensive training camp.

This is the first spring training camp since the inauguration of U.S. Freeskiing in December 2011 and provides a unique opportunity for dryland training, one-on-one coaching and video review. Mammoth's Unbound Terrain Park and its ideal spring conditions allow for competition level on snow training with jumps and the signature halfpipe and airbags for these elite team members.

Not only are athletes learning new tricks in a relaxed environment, but consulting with their coaches looking to strategize for the upcoming 2012/2013 season. "Team training camps are essential to athlete training not only for skills, but team building. While they are on the same team, these athletes still compete against each other at events," said Mike Jankowski, U.S. Freeskiing Head Coach. "This spring training camp is a great way to get together outside of competition to progress in a pressure free environment."

The camp opened May 4 and will run through May 14.

_{Mammoth Mountain halppipe action © Sarah Brunson/U.S. Freeskiing}

The U.S. Women's Ski Team is practicing right now at Mammoth Mountain,  California where women's speed Head Coach Chip White and the Mammoth Mountain Race Department have constructed terrain mimicking World Cup race hills for specialized training.

Mammoth Mountain has made their resort available to the U.S. Ski Team starting each morning at 6 a.m. for two and a half hours of private training before opening to the public at 8:30 a.m. "It took a lot of work to get the slopes to this point," said Coach White. "But the crew at Mammoth has been incredibly energetic and supportive in helping us produce terrain to specifically help our team build skills in areas where we need more work."

World Cup athletes including Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA), Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) have been training on a "bumpy traverse" similar to what they saw at the 2012 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Finals in Schladming, Austria, which will host the 2013 World Ski Championships next February.

For a second straight spring, U.S. women are also utilizing the Mammoth camp to work on specific form exercises with Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Team Captain Mike Rogan. "It's been great to have Mike back with us this spring," said Stacey Cook. "I think we all benefited from his perspective last year and now he's like a member of the team. He can see things in our technique that help compliment what our coaches see. It's a huge gain for us to have him here."

_{Mammoth Mountain © Mike Doyle}

The Winter Dew Tour which has held three competition events over the course of the winter is scaling back to just one winter venue at Breckenridge Ski Resort, CO.

Citing industry trends and other competitions vying for the top athletes the Winter Dew tour will not be stopping at Killington, VT or at Snowbasin, UT.

The Breckenridge competition will be held December 13-16, 2012. Breckenridge puts on a really good event and you can pretty much be assured of snow so make your plans accordingly.

_{Breckenridge Copyright Breckenridge Ski Resort}

It may still be two years away but plans for the Vail/Beaver Creek, CO 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are well underway as officials from the International Ski Federation (FIS), the Vail Valley Foundation, Tridem Sports, EBU, Vail Resorts and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association wrapped up two days of Coordination Committee meetings Wednesday in Vail.

"This is a terrific process to work directly with organizers and to have everyone around the table providing value," said Sarah Lewis, Secretary General of the FIS.  "The ability to have all parties working together allows us all to uphold the value of the World Championships as the premier event outside the Olympics."

Coordination Committee meetings are held with World Championship organizers twice a year. The group last met in December during the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek and this week Vail Resorts vent organizers gave a detailed tour of the Birds of Prey finish area, outlining proposed plans for upgrades to the existing finish stadium and creation of a new women's downhill course.

While most of the competition events will be held in Beaver Creek, it is anticipated that Vail will become the epicenter for fans, with key events at Golden Peak and daily medal ceremonies located in the heart of Vail Village. FIS officials were especially excited about the opportunities presented by Vail's Golden Peak venue that will play host to the opening ceremony, qualifying events and the Nation's Team Event.

The World Championships are set for Feb. 3-15, 2015. FIS will meet again with organizers this fall.

Park City, Utah is one of America's most accessible mountain recreation destinations, located only 36 miles from the Salt Lake International Airport. With its wide range of summer activities, events, the arts, spas and dining options, Park City offers something for everyone.

Each of Park City's three ski resorts offers a variety of activities, from scenic chairlift rides to lift-served mountain biking, an alpine slide, zipline, miniature golf, a climbing wall, disc golf, and more.

If you're thinking about summer vacation plans, Park City is a terrific option.  Here's more on Park City, Utah summer activities.

Park City Ski Resorts: Park City Mountain Resort | Canyons | Deer Valley Resort

More: Utah Summer Vacations

_{Image Copyright Mike Doyle}

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) recently announced that the U.S. Freestyle Championships will return to world-class Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, starting March 29 - 31, 2013.

Heavenly last hosted the championships in 2004 and is one of only a handful of resorts to do so two years in a row. Recent peers include Stratton Mountain Resort (2011, 2012), Squaw Valley (2009, 2010) and Killington (2006, 2007).

"Building on our heritage of freestyle skiing and competition that dates back to its roots in the 1970's, we're excited and honored to host the 2013 and 2014 U.S. Freestyle Championships at Heavenly on Gunbarrel," said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly's general manager. "Gunbarrel is the most iconic moguls run in North America and has spawned such great skiers as Glen Plake and current U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athlete Sho Kashima. It's the ultimate challenge for America's top freestyle skiers."

Aerials competitions will be held at night under the lights while the competition finish lines will sit in direct view of the  California Lodge, located at the base area. Heavenly is also home to the legendary Gunbarrel moguls run, a popular competition venue, and features two man-made terrain parks that include jumps, bank turns, table tops, rollers, hits and rail slides, providing optimally-diverse training opportunities for up-and-coming skiers and pros alike.

The 2014 U.S. Championships event falls after the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, spectators will also have the opportunity to watch U.S. Olympic athletes compete after they return from the Games.

"Heavenly will provide a great combination of spectator-friendly venues plus a rich heritage of freestyle skiing," said USSA Vice President, Events Calum Clark. "The U.S. Freestyle Championships will showcase our most accomplished freestyle skiers both as they prepare for and return from the Olympics in Sochi."

Read More: Heavenly | 2014 Winter Olympics