Better Skis, Snowboards and Resorts

Breathtaking mountain views, vigorous exercise, a chance to flaunt fun fashions—is there any downside to downhill winter sports? "Many of us in the ski industry are very concerned about global warming, because without enough snow, what do we have?" says Barbara Thomke, public relations director of Vermont's Smugglers' Notch Resort. By mid-century, springtime snow pack is likely to decrease by 37 percent in the Rockies and by as much as 80 percent in the Southwest, according to an April 2006 Colorado College "State of the Rockies" report. In New Hampshire, by 2050 the ski industry could lose $42 to $84 million annually as the number of ski-days shrinks by 10 to 20 percent, the U.S. Global Change Research Program projects.

Ski-resort operators bear some of the blame themselves for emitting greenhouse gases. Most ski lifts are powered by diesel engines; cars, buses and airplanes ferry people and supplies; and resorts clear acres of forest to build ski runs with heavy equipment. Some ski operators have launched an environmental initiative called Sustainable Slopes, but the program has been criticized by environmental groups for being voluntary and non-binding and for failing to set concrete greenhouse gas limits.

A better environmental guide is provided by the non-profit advocacy group Ski Area Citizens' Coalition (www.skiareacitizens.com), which puts out a report card of Western ski resorts. For their energy efficiency, water conservation and use of renewable energy sources, top scorers include Aspen (CO), Sundance Resort (UT) and Mount Bachelor (OR). Worst offenders include Crested Butte (CO), Breckenridge (CO) and Copper Mountain (CO) for their aggressive expansion programs.

In the East, Smugglers' Notch Resort buys renewable energy, recycles, composts and uses low-VOC paints. "We save tens of thousands of dollars a year with energy efficiency measures," Thompke says.

Once you've found your way up to the right green (and white) peak, it's time to consider how you'll get down. Unfortunately, most equipment is industrially produced from fiberglass, metal and copious amounts of plastics. Some companies offer more natural alternatives, however, such as the beautiful wooden snowboards from Arbor ($299 to $599; www.arborsports.com, 310-577-1120). Jessica Ng, Arbor's marketing manager, explains that the glowing Hawaiian Koa wood is hand-selected from naturally downed trees. Renewable materials used include cork, eucalyptus and fast-growing bamboo. Germany's Indigo makes both snowboards and skis with bamboo cores, though they are pricey ($1,220; www.indigosnow.de). For less-costly bamboo skis, try New Zealand's Kingswood fats (NZ$960; www.kingswoodskis.com).

Unlike petroleum-derived paraffin waxes, which use perfluorochemicals related to Teflon, Hillbilly Wax-Works products are made with vegetable-based glycerides and food-grade dyes. Try the Swamp Bastard Spring Wax for snowboards ($19/150-gram bars; www.hillbillywaxworks.com, 888-MTN-GOAT).

So next time you burn down the slopes, do so without melting all the snow.

Resources
To help preserve mountain watersheds, see the Snowrider project: www.surfrider.org/snowrider
Downhill Slide: Why the Corporate Ski Industry Is Bad for Skiing, Ski Towns, and the Environment by Hal Clifford (2003, Sierra Club Books, $15.95)