JOURNAL Blog Home

One of Open Snow’s top forecasters isn’t a meteorologist—he’s a lifelong powder chaser. For 35 years, PowderChaser Steve has tracked storms, built a loyal following, and kept his identity secret. We finally caught up with him to learn how he always finds the best snow.

If there’s a sport that inspires more inventions than skiing, we have yet to see it. Why are skiers so prone to garage tinkering? It might be a mix of optimistic dreams—getting rich and skiing daily—or having too much free time (and weed) during long, cold winters. Curious about the weirdest ski inventions? Check out the summary for our favorites.

Pro skier Drew Petersen turned his struggles with mental health into a mission after a life-changing accident on Mt. Hood. His film Ups and Downs shares his story to help others, particularly in mountain towns with high suicide rates. In Next Level Skiing, host Jason Blevins interviewed Petersen just before the movie’s release in February 2024. Here's what he had to say.

Wagner Custom is honored to have a new series of topsheets designed by Lerew, which are stunning and psychedelic black-and-white images inspired by sound waves. To find out more about Lerew—and what musical genre he was listening to at the time of his creations—we caught up with him at his home in Denver, Colo. Here’s what he had to say.

As a guide in some of the world’s rowdiest terrain, Grant knows how to settle skier jitters like no other. To find out just how she manages to help so many skiers be their best selves, our inimitable podcast host Jason Blevins caught up with her in January 2024. Here’s what she had to say.

Kylee Firlit is a rarity, as she’s both an artist and a graphic designer—and she’s insanely talented at both. She’s also a passionate skier, climber, mountain biker, and runner, which is why her resume is packed with brands like Black Diamond, Mountain Hardwear, Kühl, and now, we’re honored to say, Wagner Custom.

Jake Hutchinson, the then- lead trainer of Salt Lake City’s Gym Jones, created Wagner’s Six-Week Ski Prep program. In 2018, Jason Blevins caught up with Hutchinson to talk about injury-proofing your body, the importance of self-assessment, and how the mountain can separate the wheat from the chaff. Here's what he had to say.

Jumping out of a helicopter on top of a peak in the Tordrillo Mountains guided by Olympic gold and silver medalist Tommy Moe sounds like a dream, but it can be a reality. Here are some skiing tips from the man himself.

If you ask Tordrillo Mountain Lodge heliski guide Wes Wylie what makes him uncomfortable, it’s not high-consequence skiing. Learn more about your TML guide and what drives him to keep skiing.

On our 'Next Level Skiing' podcast, the inimitable Jason Blevins interviews some of the biggest names in skidom. In December 2019, he interviewed H...

Learning how to ski is not easy. It takes courage, determination, and a lot of practice. We strongly encourage lessons for beginners, but we also know they can be cost-prohibitive. With that in mind, we’ve compiled what we think are the best instruction tips for beginners.

Have you listened to our Next Level podcast, on which Jason Blevins interviews some of the biggest names in skidom? If not, here’s an excerpt from one of our favorites that you may have missed—the incredible Michelle Parker.

Kim Beekman, former editor of both SKI and Skiing Magazine (as well as our beloved ski-nerd-in-chief), has put together this 12 question quiz for you to test YOUR knowledge of all things skiing. We know all the answers. Do you?

Wagner team ambassador, Telluride native, and former mogul competitor Benni Solomon just launched a new film. Called “Recess,” it is about a contin...

James Niehues is the artist behind pretty much every ski resort map in North America. To find out more about the man behind the maps, we caught up with Niehues over the phone while he was vacationing on the Oregon coast. This is what he had to say.

In the beginning, all skis were custom-made. Skis used for winter transportation, for cross-country racing and jumping, were carved by hand, from a single plank of wood, by the skier or a family member. We look back to see how Wagner Custom brought the industry full-circle.