POWDER Magazine

While the Northern Hemisphere had one of its worst winters ever, the Southern Hemisphere’s winter season has been quite the opposite. Storm after storm has pummeled Chile, leading to road closures, early terrain openings, and many, many powder days. In particular, Portillo has gotten more than 23 feet of snow throughout the season, which has led them to extend their season.

Passo Stelvio, a summer-only ski area perched high on an Italian pass, paused operations but hopes to reopen. Views of Passo Stelvio earlier this summer.Photo: Passo Stelvio As the Alps and Western Europe continue to bake amid a record-hot summer, another summer ski area in the region, Passo Stelvio, has called it quits for now.

After a two-decade hiatus, Vancouver-area ski resort Cypress Mountain will reopen its bike park next summer. The park, which originally opened in 2005, is being rebuilt by Whistler-based trail-building company Gravity Logic, which has built and designed world-class mountain bike parks across North America. An Environmental Management Plan is in place as part of the rebuild to govern tree removal and other impacts throughout the process.

For the first time ever, Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Mountain is opening its gondola to mountain bikers looking for a quicker way to hit the trail. The Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association, Heavenly, the Tahoe Fund, and the Forest Service, which partnered on the project, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday for the new access and the opening of the Panorama Trail.

All seven of United’s central US hubs, including Boston Logan, will have nonstop routes to Jackson Hole this winter. Not bad for a tarmac view.Photo: Eric Seymour, Courtesy of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Starting this winter, East Coast skiers will have an easier way to ski the Tetons. Last week, United Airlines announced a new, nonstop flight between Boston Logan International Airport and Jackson Hole Airport for the winter season.

From Vermont to British Columbia, these unique ski areas are about far more than duct tape and rope tows. Park session at Bogus Basin, Idaho.Photo: christiannafzger/Getty Images Every skier, whether they’re part of the diehard crowd or a casual dabbler, knows the titans of industry—the sprawling resorts with villages that rival small towns, expansive lift infrastructure, and more places to buy a burger than you can count on one hand. “Destination” resorts, as you might call them, have their place.

ZipFit has built their reputation (and cult following) on ski boot liners that use to a special cork blend to customize fit. Why cork? Simple. It doesn’t pack out the way foam liners can, and ZipFit designs their liners to be able to add or subtract said cork material to adjust fit. Last fall, ZipFit expanded their product line beyond just ski boot liners to include insoles, using the same cork base technology. Call them footbeds, orthotics, or whatever—I’ll just call them insoles here.

Reno-based Moment Skis has dropped their 2026/27 ski lineup, including the new Countach Tour. Moment Skis If the marginally shorter days are making you stare longingly at your ski gear in your garage and think “maybe I should get some new sticks this year,” we’ve got great news for you. Reno-based ski brand, Moment Skis has released their 2026/27 lineup.

Mt. Baker Ski Area got a logo update for the first time in 25 years, ahead of the 2026/27 ski season. Photo: Izzy Lidsky Ahead of the 2026/27 ski season, Washington’s Mt Baker Ski Area has unveiled a new logo. The ski area’s previous logo has been in use since 2001, although it was revised slightly in 2016. The new logo was designed by Bellingham local Terra Johnston, who grew up snowboarding at Mt. Baker and now works as the ski area’s graphic designer.

Hess raised tens of thousands of dollars for the non-profit in just two months via the Real Loser Project. Hunter Hess of the United States during the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 20, 2026. (Photo by Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images) Following the launch of the Real Loser Project earlier this year, Olympic halfpipe skier Hunter Hess has donated a whopping $30,000 to non-profit organization, STOKED.