Mammoth has received 400 inches of snow so far this season!! There has been epic skiing and riding all over the mountain and from what I hear we have some of the best snow around. As my boss at Mount Hutt would say “it’s a winter wonderland with wall to wall snow”.

One of the best things about having lots of snow is that all the terrain is open. This means people tend to disperse and the groomers can be relatively quiet. Perfect for cruising or working on your carving. Once you are tired of that there are great bump and steep runs and even some secret powder stashes to be found.

Of course if you are learning to ski it’s great that other skiers are off all over the mountain leaving you to focus on getting down the hill without it being too busy.

If you have heard of better snow elsewhere at the moment let me know!

It has been quite exciting here in town as Mammoth Lakes locals Stacey Cook and Greg Bretz are competing in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver this week. Stacey will be competing in the Downhill, and Greg in the Snowboarding Halfpipe. Both of their events air at 8:30pm tomorrow (Feb 17) on NBC.

Anyone that happens to be in town is invited to the watch party at Lakanuki, kicking off at 6:30.

For more information about these two, check out Mammoth Mountain’s Home Town Heroes join the US Olympic Team – Stacey Cook and Greg Bretz.

Go Stacey! Go Greg!

Here’s a great photo from my early days skiing up at Whakapapa, NZ (that’s me third from the left).

Skiing with friends was great and a fun way to learn. I often wonder though had we had a lesson how much faster we would have progressed? and then had even more fun!

Skiing mid week at Mammoth is fantastic! (especially in January). You will rarely encounter a queue and the trails are uncrowded. In fact I’ve heard people saying they wished there was a wait for the lifts so they could get a rest before the next run! And unlike some other resorts I’ve been to Mammoth keeps all lifts operating on quiet days giving you access to 100% of the terrain, weather permitting of course. It’s a great time to enjoy a lesson too, since you can concentrate on what you’re doing rather than worrying about other skiers and riders. There can often be midweek deals and discounts on lift tickets and hotels etc, visit mid week and enjoy the white space!

I get asked all the time whether to buy new skis or boots or continue to rent. Largely it depends on your budget and how often you ski. For me as a rule of thumb if you do one week or more a year seriously think about buying some boots. Rental stuff does the job for the odd day but imagine how many people have worn that boot before you, each with a slightly different foot. These days most boots can be custom fitted and they really can feel comfortable!

In terms of skis I think renting for a while is a good idea. That way you get to try lots of different models before splashing out on a pair. Also once you own skis you need to worry about keeping them waxed and the edges sharp. Generally beginners want a softer ski that is a little more forgiving, but you will require a stiffer ski as you get faster and more confident. So if you are progressing quickly you may outgrow the skis you’re on. Renting will allow you to match a ski to your skill level.

You can generally get very good deals on the internet if you live in the United States. If you need some advice on what would best suit you drop me a line.

Here are 10 reasons to take a ski lesson:

1. If you have never skied before, a lesson can make a challenging day super easy, build confidence and allow you to develop at speed that suits you. You’ll also learn about the mountain, snow, weather, skier code etc…

2. Cut the queues. In a lesson you have priority to the lifts, not having to wait for a chair lift 20-30 minutes per run on a busy day rocks.

3. Local knowledge. This includes both the mountain and town. Get taken to the best snow and terrain for your ability. Find out where to eat and drink in town.

4. Update your technique. I’ve taught lots of people who are use to the long skinny skis of old, you know the ones that stick above your head when you are waiting at the gondola. Modern skis make skiing so much easier; once you know how to get the best out them that is!

5. Bust through the dreaded skiing plateau. A lesson will help you breakthrough to the next level.

6. Maybe you want to venture off-piste into the powder, bumps, steeps etc. Get some tips that will help you to do this and more.

7. The better you get at skiing the more fun you can have! I hope that my lessons are fun too.

8. Ski improvement shouldn’t finish once the lesson is over, take away skills and drills from the lesson to practice on your own.

9. When I ask people what they want from a lesson a lot of people want to look stylish, a lesson will work on this but then again it’s up to you what you wear on the slopes.

10. Be safe, time and time again I teach people that have had a bad experience ‘learning’ from a mate or family. Getting dragged up to the top of a black run on your second day of skiing usually ends in tears. Leave it to the professionals. I’ve spent lots of time training to be an instructor and make sure the lesson is safe and that clients build confidence at their own pace.

Went to go for a couple of runs today and ended up spending 5 hours skiing knee to waist deep powder. This would rate in my top 6 days ever. Up there with heli-skiing in New Zealand (I use to manage a helicopter company with some great perks!) There’s still a few days in the storm cycle left so Mammoth will be the place to be for a while yet.

So far we have had three feet of new snow in the last 24 hours and as I enjoy a Mammoth Epic IPA it’s still trucking it down outside. Some locals reckon we can expect another 10 feet in the next few days, time to breakout the fat skis and get a lesson on powder skiing!!

Well it’s snowing which is fantastic, the minis I’m teaching tomorrow may well be up to their waists in fresh pow pow!!

I’m very excited to get my site up and running. I hope to provide some great content about skiing and getting lessons at Mammoth Mountain, and living in Mammoth Lakes. Look forward to more information and posts soon!