In the age of technology that we live in, people are now using game systems to practice and train for sports. The Nintendo Wii game system has several sports games that are helpful for athletes and more specifically snowboarders. Sure, the Shaun White snowboarding game is hardly educational, but it has a snowboard deck-like controller from which you control the game. I have never played this game and I wonder if it is really lifelike. Does it help you keep fine tune your riding skills and keep in shape during the off-season?

It is time that Nintendo comes out with a game for alpine skiing. The possibilities would be endless. The game could go from beginner level(green runs) all the way up to expert(double-black diamonds). Imagine, bombing down the resort of choice any time of the year.

I think the biggest hurdle behind this game would be a controller/pad that can realistically simulate downhill skiing. But nonetheless, there is a huge market for a product that can physical educate and train novices and experts alike.  The end result would be more skiers at the resorts. Which, inturn, brings revenue to the community through lodging, dining, ski rentals and retail purchases.

Ski Butlers won the Vail Platinum Service Award for the second year in a row for outstanding customer service and The Denver Post, Park City Record, and The Vail Daily all mentioned it!

Every Tuesday night during the summer the town of Vail has its "Hot Summer Nights" free concerts at Ford Park.  Little did I know there was pretty large amphitheater in Vail.  The first couple of months have had decent turn outs with decent bands.  This past Tuesday however there was a Queen cover band.  The turn out was amazing, every seat was filled and you could  barely see the lawn because it was packed with people.  The band was truly amazing the lead singer sounded as close as anyone can come to singing like Freddy Mecury.  And the fact that they were playing Queen songs everyone in the audience was singing along and having the time of their lives.  Having gone to many other concerts this summer and normally the music is a background  noise and everyone is there to socialize.  This night was so different, the music was cranked way up and everyone was facing the band singing/screaming the lyrics to all their favorite Queen songs.  As foreseen they closed out with their two most famous songs We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions.  It was a night to never forget.
JS

It is very important to stay in Shape in the off-season, not only will it make the beginning of your season more enjoyable, it will help prevent serious early-season injuries.  A combination of cardiovascular exercises to increase your stamina and endurance, coupled with strength training should have skiing from 1st chair to last without needing to stop.  Some quick training tips:

Cardio:  This can be anything from running, biking and hiking to anyone of those crazy contraptions at the gym with the Tv's on them.  Cardio should be done 3-4 times a week for at least 30 mins each time.  If you are just getting started start with 15 mins 3 - 4 times  a week and gradually increase 1 - 2 mins each week till you get to 30 mins.

Strength Training:  This is going to keep your legs strong so that injuries are less likely to occur, especially in the knee area.  Strength exercises should be done 2 - 3 non-consecutive days a week.  1 - 3 sets of 8 - 12 repetitions each, or to muscle fatigue.  Again if your just getting back in to it, start with less reps and gradually build up.  Great strength exercies are Squats, dead-lifts, lunges and side-step hops.

Another important focus should be core strength and flexibility.  Core strength will improve your skiing ability and can be strengthened by ab and back workouts and core centered activities such as pilates and yoga.  Flexibility will help all these other workouts, it will also help greatly reduce injuries.

The main thing to remember is you need to keep your head into it - the mind is the biggest part of any workout - if your heads not in it it becomes tough to stay motivated.  Here's some motivation for you; keep up with off-season training and while all your friends have called it after a couple runs on a deep powder day you'll still be making fresh tracks and feeling great!

Recently decided to change the graphics on my ski rental delivery van. I called around South Lake Tahoe and got some quotes to have the vinyl removed.  It was looking like it would cost $800 just for the removal when I discovered a great product called "Vinyl Off".

I have to admit I was very skeptical when shelling out $85 for this product. The online video I saw showed a man removing vinyl like it was nothing. Well the video was completely accurate!! I was able to remove the vinyl and all the adhesive in just over 6hours. Vinyl Off saved my company $800!!!    Now my South Lake Tahoe Ski Rental delivery van is primed and ready for some new vinyl graphics.

Ever since my son was born, I have been dreaming of the day when I will finally get him on some ski rentals in Tahoe. Keep in mind, he is rather small so I am sure he won't get out there until the 2010/11 Lake Tahoe ski season. Although he is small, he has tremendous lower body strength and can manage his weight quite well.  I took him to a local ski rental shop last season, and he amazed at all the different kinds of equipment. I could see the excitement growing in his eyes. I can't wait to stuff him in a little one-piece ski suit and watch him shred some Heavenly ski rentals.

Obviously we would be a bit biased and say that anywhere Ski Butlers is offering their hassle-free ski rentals makes for a great resort!  That does certainly add to a great resort but does not make the whole enchilada.  Their are many attributes that combine and compliment each other to make for a great resort.  "Afterthought: I have given them numbers below but now that I think about it, every person will order these to their own preference, think of the numbers as bullets!"

1st, you need to have good snow, luckily here in the west we have that, some winters more than others, but between Utah, CO, WY, CA and B.C you will find tons of snow every season.
2nd, you need to have a great town with other winter activities, great restaurants and bars, and shopping!  Take Whistler, B.C. labeled by most that have been there as one of the best ski towns in North America - the nightlife is just incredible.  If shopping is more your activity Aspen is your town, you will want to make sure you know your credit card limits, because at Louis Vuitton, Coach, Ralph Lauren, and others you can get there quick.
3rd most important thing to make a great resort, good skiing!  It is one thing to have good snow, but the mountains need to be set up so that you can truly enjoy it, a great mix of beginner to advanced.  The more that compromise is met the more family oriented it will be and the better time every one will have.  Which leads me to my next point:
4th - It needs to be fun, or people need to have fun while they are there!
5th - infinity - there are many more, airport close by, nice weather, public transportation, lots of parking, your favorite beer on tap, etc.  Too many to mention here.
A lot goes into making a great resort and I think everyone's taste define which is right for them.  But since Ski Butlers is in 25 resorts in North America, most of them defined as the "Top Resorts" of the country, it may be safe to say that ski rentals (Ski Butlers) plays a big part in the decision.

Of all the reasons to come to Tahoe, 4th of July definitely draws the largest crowd.  As I drove to the beach, I saw six females with open containers hanging out of a cab. This really ruffled my feathers, but I was easily distracted when i noticed a jet ski trailer tipped over on the highway. I thought to myself, "lets get off the highway soon before someone hits us".  I finally got to the beach and realized I was in for the biggest crowd in Tahoe since I have lived here.  At Zephyr Cove, there were no boat or jet ski rentals available and the cave was absolutely full. I decided to get out of there quick and head home. As I drove back into town, I saw several ski rental shops selling off old equipment. I wonder if any of these summer tourists will be interested in ski rentals in the middle of Summer?

I didn’t think it could be possible but Telluride may be more gorgeous in the summer than in the winter!  The San Juans still have snow clinging to their summits and you can just make out tracks on different peaks.  The town is alive with people and things to do.  The bluegrass festival was a couple weekends ago, the wine festival was last weekend and there is more coming ahead.  There are great deals being offered as well, like stay 3 nights get the 4^th free over this upcoming weekend.  There is round trip airfare from $240 and lodging for $49/night, how can you afford to sit home with deals like this.  The perfect chance to check out Telluride in the summer and realize how beautiful it is year-round.

Just got an email form a friend of mine who is on a ski trip in Chile. He described the Andes as the most magnificent mountain range on Earth. The skiing has been alright so-far as it is still early winter in the South Hemisphere. Anyway, checking out local ski rental shops, he noticed that the majority of people at the resort  had snowboard rather than ski rentals. Of course, there were ski suits everywhere with straight skis too!!! The ski rentals were out-of-date and snowboards were newer models.  I remember when I was at Valle Nevado a few years ago, three or four people asked me if they could buy my Burton Custom X from under me.