Big ski areas and small suffer emergencies. Some drag their feet; others call “all hands on deck” (or the snowy equivalent), and everyone pitches in.

Typically Buckeye skiers and riders have about a month left to get out on Ohio’s slopes. Ohio ski resorts are offering numerous incentives right now to get out and enjoy some of the best conditions of the season.

Now in its sixth year, the Maine Ski Heritage Classic will ring nostalgic on Saturday (Feb. 16) at Sugarloaf as attendees can learn about the past while enjoying the conditions of the present. 

Despite the popularity of the recent movie “Lincoln,” U.S. presidents don't seem to be a big feature at ski and snowboard areas across the country for Presidents Week. But, fun tops the agenda everywhere.

Skiers in Europe are used to skiing from village to village. Outside of Quebec, you find few places in North America where you can do that. It’s a tradition that European skiers have enjoyed for years. 

Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania is calling it the cutest thing to hit boarding since little bitty boards and boots. It’s the just-opened Pittsburgh Pirates Riglet Park at Seven Springs.

Timing is everything, and if you have considered a New Hampshire ski and ride vacation this month, your timing is corduroy perfect. Ski New Hampshire is offering substantial ticket savings that can be used during the Presidents’ Week holiday and beyond.

Mountaintop dining is popular at ski resorts out west.  While there aren't a lot of opportunities in the Midwest, there are a handful of ski resorts scattered around the Heartland that offer mountain top diners both great food and great views. 

The West Yellowstone, Gallatin National Forest area of southern Montana, which includes Big Sky Resort, offers plenty of winter adventures to choose from. It ranks high among western trip choices for skiers/riders from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. 

When the torch is lit at the Opening Ceremony Feb. 7 at the Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) in Lake Placid, N.Y., it will be witnessed by some 1,000 athletes who will converge on the Adirondack region for the four-day winter sports festival.

Midwest Olympians held their own at the X Games in Aspen and the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Stoneham, Canada.  

We are reaching the crescendo of the ski and ride season as late January turns into February and the popular Presidents Week holiday in mid-month. Resorts are multi-tasking as operation departments continue to pile up the snow and events departments nail down logistics.

One of the best kept secrets in skiing and riding is the relative emptiness of the slopes on Super Bowl Sunday. What are you waiting for?

Conditions are some of the best the Heartland has seen in the last few years, and Minnesota ski areas are enticing skiers and riders with some sweet lift ticket deals to get out and enjoy the great snow.

Eastern-based athletes in the snow and ice sports are now channeling their efforts on the next Winter Olympics, which are less than 13 months away.

The United States freestyle ski team couldn’t wait for mogul skier Hannah Kearney to get healthy and re-join the team on the World Cup tour. She did last Thursday (Jan. 17), and didn’t disappoint at Whiteface Mountain, N.Y. 10 miles from Lake Placid.

With an adaption of the old adage, “the family that plays together stays together,” Lutsen Mountains hosts its annual Family Festival the weekend of Feb. 1-3. 

In a state known more for basketball, corn fields and race cars, it’s a bit of a surprise to find a couple of ski areas in southern Indiana catering to not only Hoosier snow sports enthusiasts but Kentucky and Tennessee as well.

Anyone who recognizes FIS – the International Ski Federation – thinks of it as the world governing body of ski racing. Who knew it has a frivolous side? 

You’ve made it through the holiday spending season and even took a few days to enjoy the bountiful snow conditions at your favorite eastern winter resort. Now, however, funds might be a bit tight. Never worry.