Powder Days
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4.1 • 20 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
*An Outside Magazine Book Club Pick*
"A sparkling account."—Wall Street Journal
An electrifying adventure into the rich history of skiing and the modern heart of ski-bum culture, from one of America's most preeminent ski journalists
The story of skiing is, in many ways, the story of America itself. Blossoming from the Tenth Mountain Division in World War II, the sport took hold across the country, driven by adventurers seeking the rush of freedom that only cold mountain air could provide. As skiing gained in popularity, mom-and-pop backcountry hills gave way to groomed trails and eventually the megaresorts of today. Along the way, the pioneers and diehards—the ski bums—remained the beating heart of the scene.
Veteran ski journalist and former ski bum Heather Hansman takes readers on an exhilarating journey into the hidden history of American skiing, offering a glimpse into an underexplored subculture from the perspective of a true insider. Hopping from Vermont to Colorado, Montana to West Virginia, Hansman profiles the people who have built their lives around a cold-weather obsession. Along the way she reckons with skiing's problematic elements and investigates how the sport is evolving in the face of the existential threat of climate change.
Customer Reviews
From one ski bum to another, awesome job!
This book points out the side of ski bumming that makes ski bumming a fantastic way of life. It also points out the hard truth we don’t want to talk about. And that is what makes this book right on. Thank you!
Wanted to read about skiing not race
The entire book became about race racial inclusivity and social issues around race and sexuality I wanted to listen to ski stories not stories about race at the ski resort boring
A little nostalgia, a lot of cringe.
Came for the nostalgia of my ski bum days and got a heavy dose of contradiction, white guilt (took it way back to the Native Americans), and entitlement. I live and ski in Utah and have been around the industry for thirty plus years, I have loved skiing my entire life. That said, no one is entitled to live at the base of Jackson or Park City. She claims you can’t make it in a ski town anymore, then interviews multiple former ski bums who have made good and comfortably live and work in ski country. I personally know several ski town successes and stand in the ever growing lift lines with them. She also reminds you through out that she skis and drinks all day with the ones who just can’t seem to make it for some reason, weird. Life ain’t easy, skiing is a respite not a right. The author would do well to remember that she is making a living as a capitalist by leveraging the ski industry to write books and articles. She got my $20 so more power to her. Can I get a refund?