Winter vs Summer Olympics?

So we at www.familyskitrips.com are obviously skiers and lovers of all things snow sports related...so we are not as excited about the London Games as we were the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. We will watch the Summer Olympics 2012, we are particularly eager to see how the Brits fare competing with the last Summer Games 2008 opening ceremonies in China. The British are proper but probably not quite as polished and precise as the thousands of Chinese drummers in cadence. That was an unforgettable performance, like the agony of defeat, the unison of one huge country's beat.

We recently posted a poll on our family ski trips facebook page asking what you prefer, winter or summer games! Of the participants, mind you these are mostly skiers and snowboarders, the results were not surprising. While the majority of responders said  "I never miss watching the Olympic Games", the next most popular response was "I prefer Winter Olympics, skiing, snowboarding, even ice dancing, over Summer Games."

A few funny replies to our Winter versus Summer Olympics poll included:

"Nothing more exciting than the Open will come out of the UK this year"
&
"How can London possibly top the frenzy of the Queen's Jubilee?!"

We believe that last response was slightly sarcastic, don't you?!

Still the fact remains, Summer Olympics are more popular, more widely watched, with more participants than the Winter Games. Gymnastics, swimming, soccer, even Equestrian starring Ann Romney's horse will draw more couch potato viewers than Downhill Racing or Snowboarder Cross. 

Well, enjoy these 30th Summer Olympics on ABC with a pint of ale in hand, as the next Winter Olympics aren't going off until Feburary 7-23, 2014. The Sochi Russia 22nd Winter Olympics will feature skiing venues at The Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort near Krasnaya Polyana. After much deliberation and petitioning by the US Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Teams, the IOC will include ski and snowboard slopestyle in the 2014 Winter Games. Ski Mountaineering and Ski Orienteering did not make the cut this time...stay tuned on those crazy winter sports.

Game on, go Phelps and Rafalca - Ann Romney's dressage horse!

Summer, no bummer, just waiting for ski news!

While we are enjoying our summer, waterskiing, hiking the green mountains and dreaming of them turning white, ski resorts are busy prepping for next winter. Ski brochures and trail maps are on order, ski show displays are in the works, and websites are being tweaked to offer the best season pass deals and ski and stay packages to lure you at the first sign of snow. 

Jay Peak and Burke, now sister resorts in Vermont since Jay bought the North East Kingdom resort in the spring, is offering a Kingdom United Pass valid at both ski resorts. We at www.familyskitrips.com had predicted this, so we are pleased at the Vermont pass deal at $749 unlimited. Of course, that does not make Jay Peak or Burke Mountain any closer by car – but still we expect exciting things from these two hills with the EB5 investment opportunities and obvious recent growth at Jay – two hotels, a waterpark, and a new fixed grip Stateside quad for next season.

Since last winter was low on snow throughout most of the US, don’t expect many more fancy new lifts. Park City in Utah is just happy to be reopening, their land battle with Talisker who owns abutting Canyons resort continues. Stay tuned, keep your skis tuned. Winter will be here soon!