This winter’s bumper snowfall notwithstanding, the future of Ruapehu’s famous ski fields is highly uncertain. But the mountain itself will remain important in other ways.
As temperatures warm, ski and snowboard resorts are investing more in snowmaking and seeing their seasons shrink. Those costs roll down to customers in an already expensive sport.
As the Winter Olympics are showing, the unique cultures of action sports seem to support long careers among the top athletes – something other sports and society in general could learn from.
An analysis of 21 former Winter Olympic venues found that only one of them would be suitable and offer safe racing conditions for athletes if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
The mainstream embrace of snowboarding for its youthful audience and sponsorship riches also dented its once-alternative image – but a new generation of stars could change all that.
The inclusion of new action sports can offend Olympic traditionalists and outsiders alike. But it’s part of a long-term strategy to keep the games relevant and appealing to younger fans.
Halfpipe snowboarders like Scotty James may seem laid-back and relaxed, but they are subjected to high physical load and fatigue induced by training and competition.
Snowboarding and freeskiing are relatively new to the Winter Olympics, coming from highly-skilled amateur backgrounds. Their athletes are often risk-taking individualists, at home on social media.
Some of the most exciting moments in the Sochi Winter Olympics will be in racing events such as ski and snowboard cross and short track speed skating. While it may seem obvious that vision plays a big…