The Great, Wide Wonderland Of Snow And Skiing
By Sandy Knoll, Fri Dec 9th

You've made up your mind. You've resolved (maybe again) to getmore exercise. All that's left is deciding what to choose. Whatif you wanted something you can do either indoors or outdoors,in any season, at nearly any time, and provides an all-over"workout" without feeling like you've done any work?

Think a minute: This easily describes several of the differenttypes of the surprisingly varied world of snow skiing. The imagemost people think of is standard: You get on a chairlift, dropoff easily, and ski down the slopes. You're wearing heavy,cold-weather gear and usually topple over once or twice on theway down, skis askew in the air, the biting chill of the windhitting your face.

Thankfully, the world of snow has broadened widely andhas become a year-round enjoyment for millions -- while alsoproviding an excellent source of cardiovascular exercise.

Downhill, or classical, skiing, is the picture-postcard most ofus think of when we hear the word "skiing." It usually involvesplaces like The Alps, Aspen, Telluride, or just about anywheremost jet-setters and celebrities frequent.

This is the one that involves a chairlift, and downoften-steep slopes. There is either real snow or manufacturedsnow, and you will get cold, but you'll warm up once you getgoing.

The sport is not too difficult once you get the hang of it, butit definitely will not be easy the first day you try. Actually,you can expect to fall down many times. Lessons are usually agood idea, and this type is is going to be expensive.Lift ticket prices, travel to and from ski sites, ski rentals orpurchase, and appro-priate wear, including sunglasses, are goingto cost you more financially, but the results can beexhilarating and quite fun -- again, once you catch on.

Next, there's cross-country skiing. Admittedly, this is going tobe physically challenging to most people. Here's where you doall the work yourself. There are no chairlifts to bring you upthe hills, and you must ski up on

Tourists flock Narkanda in Himachal for snow sportsThaindian.com, Thailand - 9 minutes agoNarkanda offers ideal conditions for skiing and several other winter sports activities for professionals as well as beginners. It is favourite with
DailyIndia.com, FL -Narkanda offers ideal conditions for skiing and several other winter sports activities for professionals as well as beginners. It is favourite with winter ...<br/><br/>::
Teaching skiing a newfound career in Eagle Co.Vail Daily News, CO - 43 minutes agoEAGLE COUNTY, Colorado A Money is often said to be no object for those who live and vacation in the Vail Valley, and for several of the valleyA s ski ...Va
The Ann Arbor News - MLive.com, MI -A 12-year-old Ontario boy who was critically injured Wednesday when he was caught in and dragged by a snow groomer at the Mount Brighton Ski Area was ...<br/><br/>::
SNC's McGinty out for season
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, NV -Bonanza Photo - Jen Schmidt Jonathan Cherry shows some fancy footwork on the flat section of a slalom training course Jan. 17. &quot;It's tough missing Tyson. ...<br/><br/>::
BC-EU-SPT-SKI-ALP--WCup-Women's Downhill Training, 1st Ld ...PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 17 minutes agoOlympic slalom champion Anja Paerson of Sweden was fourth in both training sessions on the 2828-meter (yard) course on
Tahoe Daily Tribune, CA -When Wednesday's Tahoe Basin Ski League giant slalom was postponed due to soft snow conditions, nobody knew what to expect when they arrived at the race ...<br/><br/>::
Skiers hosting Quillin's Cup MondayOnalaska Life, WI - 39 minutes agoThis year's meet will be conducted at Mount La Crosse, Monday, beginniug at 9 am, The order of events will be super G, giant slalom and slalom. ...Confessions from Val
SkiRacing.com -Slalom skier Markus Larsson finished fifth from the 62nd start brightening his prospects for Sunday's combined event (one run of downhill and one run of ...<br/><br/>::
Workout: The water skierDaily Breeze, CA - 2 minutes agoPosition yourself as if you were water skiing on double skis. Lean back slightly, while keeping your knees bent. Use as heavy a weight as possible, ...Alaska's tourism hitting boomT
Seattle Post Intelligencer -&quot;I tried downhill skiing once and it was fun, but I didn't feel like I wanted to go back and do it again,&quot; she said. &quot;This is awesome. ...<br/><br/>::
A Snapshot of Fed LeadersThe Associated Press - 24 minutes agoHe also works up a sweat cross-country skiing, bicycling and roller blading. Mishkin brings sterling academic credentials to the Fed job. ...Women's Nordic Skiing Pushes To Compete At
Ottawa Business Journal, Canada -As a youngster, his favourite hobby was downhill skiing. Since moving to Ontario, he has switched to cross-country skiing. His other hobbies include biking ...<br/><br/>::
It's called skiercross, and Canada has a teamTimes Colonist, Canada - 15 minutes agoHe raced for the Czech Republic at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 10th in combined, 15th in slalom, 23rd in giant slalom. ...Skiing: Mil
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, MA -Senior Jason Small had an outstanding performance at the PSU carnival in the giant slalom, registering a first-place finish for the Minutemen. ...<br/><br/>::
Fun to ski or seeChicago Sun-Times, United States - 1 minute ago&amp;quot;The trail's a little icy today,&amp;quot; explained my skiing companion Ned Zuelsdorff, as he patiently waited for me to get up from the snow -- an awkward maneuve
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY -On Monday, heavy snow and wind gusts up to 80 mph plagued the western mountains, shutting down skiing in Jackson Hole and closing highways. ...<br/><br/>::
Pedigree of the Week with Frank MarrionHarnesslink, New Zealand - 1 hour ago... horse that seemed to skim over the ground with no more exertion than water running downhill, his footfalls as light and airy as a ballet dancerA s. ...Newpor
Enterprise-Record, CA -... shifts on the opposite side of Mount Soledad. A large collapse in October sent four houses slipping 15 feet downhill and left two more uninhabitable.<br/><br/>::
City blames rains for mudslide in La JollaContra Costa Times, CA - 1 hour ago... shifts on the opposite side of Mount Soledad. A large collapse in October sent four houses slipping 15 feet downhill and left two more uninhabitable.City b
San Jose Mercury News, USA -... shifts on the opposite side of Mount Soledad. A large collapse in October sent four houses slipping 15 feet downhill and left two more uninhabitable.<br/><br/>::
Cyclists in A 370000 court clash on claim weak grip caused pile-upScotsman, United Kingdom - 1 hour agoMr Telfer estimated they had maintained an average speed of about 18mph, and his speed increased to 25mph on a downhill stretch of the
Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung), Germany -... release: a Brent's Method routine for single-variable problems, as well as Downhill Simplex and Simulated Annealing Methods for multi-variable problems. ...<br/><br/>::
THE GRAVEL TRAPITV.com, UK - 26 minutes ago... Pollock were no longer together A ending a partnership that began when Craig spotted JV competing in a downhill skiing race at the tender age of three. ...Hunting/fishing reportSan Diego Uni
Times Online, UK -My partner and I would like to spend Christmas in a ski resort for 2008 and are considering La Clusaz. Having had a look at the website though, ...<br/><br/>::
The Crazy Calabogian; Aaron Dowd stars at football and rugby, but ...The Kingston Whig-Standard, Canada - 10 minutes ago&amp;quot;Slalom is probably my favourite because it takes so much technical skill. Once you get good at it, slalom i
Denver Post, CO -And at this tiny little ski area, something like 12000 people turned out for Saturday's giant slalom, another 10000 for Sunday's slalom. ...<br/><br/>::
Even fall can't stop BBA's BenedictBennington Banner, VT - 2 hours agoKILLINGTON A Both Burr and Burton Academy Alpine ski teams took second place in a giant slalom event held at Pico Mountain on Monday. ...World-class skiing at Whistler
Seattle Times, United States -... to the Dave Murray and Wild Card trails, which will be the runs for the men's and women's downhill and super giant slalom races in the Olympics. ...<br/><br/>::
A dangerous raceRocky Mountain News, CO - 10 minutes agoBecause of thin snow, the cross-country skiing leg had been moved to a logging road. Like many such abandoned roads, this one had a big pile of dirt pushed ...The Crazy Calabogian;
Belleville Intelligencer, Canada -&quot;Everything feels good about my game,&quot; said Weir. &quot;I'm kind of sick of the snow and sick of skiing now, so I'm ready to play.&quot;<br/><br/>::
Bay Area Man Dies At Tahoe Ski ResortCBS 13, CA - 4 minutes agoRead more in our Privacy Policy Authorities say a San Francisco man was killed in a skiing accident at Homewood Mountain Resort near Lake Tahoe. ...Cox Hits Slopes With Ski C
Canada East, Canada -&quot;I'm kind of sick of the snow and sick of skiing now, so I'm ready to play.&quot; Log in to access premium content and features on this site.<br/><br/>::
Mike Weir believes 2008 could be his best year on the PGA Tour yet570 News, Canada - 11 minutes ago&amp;quot;Everything feels good about my game,&amp;quot; said Weir. &amp;quot;I'm kind of sick of the snow and sick of skiing now, so I'm
RussiaToday, Russia -The children were skiing and sledging on the mountain slope when it was hit by the avalanche. According to the local emergencies officials' preliminary ...<br/><br/>::
Win lifts Miller to overall Cup leadChicago Tribune, United States - 1 minute agoThe American skier finished in a combined time of 2 minutes 34.58 seconds after winning the downhill in Chamonix, France. &amp;quot;I was wondering this mor
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, AR -... from Arkansas 23 on Forest Road 1003 (White Rock Mountain Road ), a total elevation gain of 3, 500 feet intermixed with 1, 900 feet worth of downhill. ...<br/><br/>::
Miller storms to overall Cup leadBBC Sport, UK - 21 minutes agoMiller, 30, won the downhill section of the two-discipline super-combined and clinched the slalom from Ivica Kostelic and Rainer Schoenfelder on Sunday. ...Miller Wins Super-
Citizen, South Africa -Miller turned on the slalom style to take control of the overall World Cup after winning the penultimate combined event of the season here Sunday. ...<br/><br/>::
Miller Wins Super-Combi World Cup EventLongview Daily News, WA - 38 minutes ago&amp;quot;I fell Saturday during the slalom practice. I have a bruised left hip.&amp;quot; Slalom specialist Ivica Kostelic of Croatia moved from eighth after
Duluth News Tribune (Subscription), MN -&quot;I fell Saturday during the slalom practice. I have a bruised left hip.&quot; Slalom specialist Ivica Kostelic of Croatia moved from eighth after the downhill to ...<br/><br/>::
US at the double as skiers Miller, Sullivan top podiumTurkish Press, MI - 3 minutes agoEurope's skiing elite were pushed into the shadows here Sunday as Bode Miller made sure the USA grabbed a rare double on the men's World Cup circuit.
CBC News, Canada -Bode Miller was victorious in the super combination Sunday in Chamonix, France, to take the lead in the men's overall World Cup alpine skiing standings. ...<br/><br/>::
Miller wins super-combi World Cup eventMonterey County Herald, CA - 11 minutes agoThe American skier finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 34.58 seconds after winning the downhill run. Miller replaced Benjamin Raich of Austria at the
Yahoo! Eurosport, UK -American Marco Sullivan upset the giants of the downhill Saturday to claim his maiden World Cup win on the 60th anniversary of the famed Kandahar race ahead ...<br/><br/>::
Late-Friday Bets A Roll of the DiceGold Seek - 32 minutes agoThe Dow head-faked its way to an undeserved hundred-point gain Friday morning, but it was all downhill after the opening bar. ...Miller Wins Super-Combi World Cup EventBlueRidgeNow.com,
In-Forum (subscription), ND -The American skier finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 34.58 seconds after winning the downhill run. Miller replaced Benjamin Raich of Austria at the ...<br/><br/>::
US at the double as skiers Miller, Sullivan top podiumCitizen, South Africa - 39 minutes agoAmerican Marco Sullivan upset the giants of the downhill Saturday to claim his maiden World Cup win on the 60th anniversary of the famed Kandahar
Longview Daily News, WA -The American skier finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 34.58 seconds after winning the downhill run. Miller replaced Benjamin Raich of Austria at the ...<br/><br/>::

your own. But, on the flipside, you won't careen down mountains near as steep as the onesin downhill skiing, and it's much more affordable than downhillski-ing. Trail passes and ski rentals are relativelyinex-pensive, and you probably can teach yourself -- hence, nolessons!

"Skate" cross-country is another form of cross-countryskiing that requires slightly different skis. You can actually"skate" with regular, classical skates, but skis do make iteasier. You can pick up speed by simu-lating the physicalmotions of ice skating. It's not too difficult to pick up skatecross-country, but it is harder than classical cross countryskiing, and requires more physical endurance. It is also helpfulto have clear and wider trails for this to be truly enjoyable.

If you're really the adventurous type, the ski jump, in whichyou leap from specially prepared jump slopes, will definitelytest your stamina and maneuverability. Note that this will alsotest your checkbook balance, as well as alpine skiing, which hasfewer twisted courses that permit much faster speeds, but again,it will have a more pronounced affect on your bank balance thanthe other types of snow skiing.

Snowboarding involves a single wide ski, or snowboard, no poles,and is similar to surfing. Ski experts have also now come upwith ski boarding, which employs shorter and wider skis that aregenerally used without poles. Ski boarding also offers the skiersome of the sensa-tions of ice skating or in-line rollerskating. It is usually easier to learn than classical skiing,largely because ski boards are simply more "handle-friendly."

With the comprehensive, attractive array of methods outthere today, there's something in it for everyone. Can't standthe cold? Try cross-country. Love the idea of bounding from aslope onto hard, impacted snow and hitting the ground hard andfast? Simple. Take up ski jumping. But please -- take lessonsfirst!

About the author:Sandy Knoll is the webmaster for http://www.fxsnow.com which isa great resource for all things related to snow and snowactivities. Please be sure to visit the site athttp://www.fxsnow.com