Ski journalism

[skef]

If you’re not already reading Stuart Winchester, you’re doing it wrong.

“This may seem paradoxical, as no trees equals more terrain, but one glade run at a small ski area like Berkshire East can feel larger than a whole open bowl, as each line feels distinct in a way that un-treed skiing never can.”​

Podcast #137: Valle Nevado General Manager Ricardo Margulis

"They don't buy ski resorts to keep them as they are."

open.substack.com

Also send Mountain Gazette $70/year for some excellent coffee table type mags.

Is there anything else at this point, really?

 

[kbroderick]

https://www.theskijournal.com/ is another one that has real writing and good photography, with minimal advertising (it's clearly subscription-driven and priced accordingly).

 

[Harvey]

Stuart is a content machine. I've never seen anything like it, certain not in skiing.

 

[machski]

Stuart is a content machine. I've never seen anything like it, certain not in skiing.

He is, but he has also become a bit slanted towards certain groups. IE, Indy Pass vs Ski Cooper reciprocal pass.

 

[Harvey]

I'm not sure I agree with that. But if I did, that's ok. He's allowed to have an opinion.

From what I've seen, he's likes any pass that lowers the cost per ticket per day.

I consider Stuart a friend, but on that point ^^ we disagree.

 

[Killingtime]

I'm not sure I agree with that. But if I did, that's ok. He's allowed to have an opinion.

From what I've seen, he's likes any pass that lowers the cost per ticket per day.

I consider Stuart a friend, but on that point ^^ we disagree.

I feel his podcasts started out with an emphasis on smaller, Indy type places which I found more interesting since the people he spoke to were free to discuss topics basically without any corporate filter. I think he will always have an affection for the small, underdog resorts. Now he seems to be throwing in the large places too. The website is one of the best in the ski industry and his podcasts make some great listening.

 

[Harvey]

To me that all comes back to the "content machine" thing. He expanded beyond his original scope (Northeast) because he wants to continue to crank it out, and he saw his original narrower scope as a limit.

 

[jimk]

Wasn't familiar with the guy, but took a look at some of his stuff thanks to the steer from @skef in this thread. Good stuff. Will try to follow him some more in future. For me the expansion of his range of ski topics is what will get my eyes (and ears) on his content. He just did a podcast with the GM from Timberline Mtn, WV that caught the attention of a lot of folks in the mid-Atlantic

 

[RH29]

I've recommended Storm Skiing to just about everybody I know. The articles are meticulously researched and well-written, and the podcasts are informative, and a great listen on a multi-hour ride up to Vermont.

 

[djd66]

I've recommended Storm Skiing to just about everybody I know. The articles are meticulously researched and well-written, and the podcasts are informative, and a great listen on a multi-hour ride up to Vermont.

how much is the subscription?

 

[drjeff]

how much is the subscription?

Stuart has a free version that has the same podcast interviews available a few days after the subscribers get them, and then plenty of extras in the very well done write ups that accompany each podcast. I believe the annual subscription is $50 (I could be off on that as I don't even think twice now about my annual renewal fees with the value I find from the content!)

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast | Stuart Winchester | Substack

Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains. Click to read The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast, by Stuart Winchester, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

www.stormskiing.com

 

[2planks2coasts]

I'm not sure I agree with that. But if I did, that's ok. He's allowed to have an opinion.

From what I've seen, he's likes any pass that lowers the cost per ticket per day.

I consider Stuart a friend, but on that point ^^ we disagree.

I generally find his stuff well researched and applicable to my own skiing interests. Trying to make Ski Cooper look like the bad guy for building a large reciprocal network for their relatively inexpensive pass is something else though......

I really miss print ski mags. Most (ski/skiing) didn't have much true journalism, but sometimes there would be a gem hidden in the glossy pics. Snow Country and Powder had better writing. Backcountry still publishes periodically. I should probably subscribe.

 

[skef]

I really miss print ski mags. Most (ski/skiing) didn't have much true journalism, but sometimes there would be a gem hidden in the glossy pics. Snow Country and Powder had better writing. Backcountry still publishes periodically. I should probably subscribe.

See also Mountain Gazette, mentioned at the top of the thread. Yes, lots of great glossies. But some good writing, too, on ski and ski-adjacent topics.

 

[Harvey]

Trying to make Ski Cooper look like the bad guy for building a large reciprocal network for their relatively inexpensive pass is something else though......

His quote on this was:

"As skiers it's not our job to protect ski areas from their own decisions."

I read that as... the Cooper pass may be fucked up, but you can't expect skiers not to buy it, if ski areas jump on board and participate.

 

[thetrailboss]

I generally find his stuff well researched and applicable to my own skiing interests. Trying to make Ski Cooper look like the bad guy for building a large reciprocal network for their relatively inexpensive pass is something else though......

I really miss print ski mags. Most (ski/skiing) didn't have much true journalism, but sometimes there would be a gem hidden in the glossy pics. Snow Country and Powder had better writing. Backcountry still publishes periodically. I should probably subscribe.

I subscribed to Backcountry for a while. As the title suggests, its focus is less resort/side-country and more earn your turns/ski mountaineering. I don't do much of the latter.

 

[2planks2coasts]

His quote on this was:

"As skiers it's not our job to protect ski areas from their own decisions."

I read that as... the Cooper pass may be fucked up, but you can't expect skiers not to buy it, if ski areas jump on board and participate.

It's his implication that the Cooper Pass is fucked up that is ...well....fucked up. It was quickly weaponized on social media by Erik Mogenson, the new owner of the Indy Pass.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/indypassholders/posts/1039881270311550/

This post is especially rich because Indy: A. Isn't even selling passes right now, having cut them off in early April, well before many mountain passes even went on sale. This screwed partner mountain passholders out of being able to buy a discounted (or any) Indy pass, one of the purported benefits of the partnership.
and B. operates on an exclusionary network in order to maintain the payment-for-use model they are insisting is so superior. Only a certain number of resorts in a region are allowed to join to avoid diluting the redemptions.

While Stuart does mention that Indy is off sale, the overall editorial tone of his article is clearly slanted against Cooper.

As you said, he's a content machine and has worked his way into being one of the more authoritative and important voices in the ski blogosphere. I really like his stuff. That's what makes the Cooper article so bizarre.

 

[Bosco DaSkia]

i find his “bro” everything writing style to be highly annoying. it’s kept me from wanting to subscribe.

 

[jaytrem]

Funny, I always figured Doug Fish got the whole Indy idea from Cooper.

 

[Harvey]

Funny, I always figured Doug Fish got the whole Indy idea from Cooper.

I believe Doug has developed other products in the past that might be considered fore-runners to Indy.

 

[jaytrem]

I believe Doug has developed other products in the past that might be considered fore-runners to Indy.

That's great, but Indy most resembles the Cooper pass and it was around long before Indy. I figure it must be 10 years at least by now? No way Doug was blind to it's existence. I don't have a problem with him creating Indy, good for him and me! What products did he work on? Might give a little credit if it was Descencte/Geigerrig Passports, other than those, no other mutli-resort discount even came close to the Indy/Cooper deal.