Ski and Snowboard News, Deals, and Events

Ladies, grab your pink outfit and head for the slopes at Ohio's Mad River Mountain; no cross-dressers please. It's the second annual Pretty In Pink snowboard competition for women of all ages and skill levels, which is set for Saturday, Jan. 24. Enthusiasm counts as much as skill. It's a charity event with proceeds going to breast cancer research.

Women who feel a little tentative about their riding skills might consider joining the Snow Angels. It's a program designed for women and features women instructors. Sometimes women just relate better to other women who understand their instructional needs and fears.

The lessons are offered on Sunday afternoons, beginning January 11 and running through February, from noon to 3 p.m. You will improve your skills and confidence, and meet like-minded women with whom to ski or ride. Lessons are for both disciplines. Call the resort's main office at 800- 231-7669 to register. It's $20 per session or $100 for all six.

Mad River has been serving Heartland skiers and, later, riders for more than 40 years. The area offers 23 trails that drop 300 feet into a beautiful valley and three terrain parks. There are six chairlifts and eight surface tows, including three carpet lifts for beginners, to keep your lift-line waits to a minimum. The Avalanche Tubing Park has 10, 900-foot lanes.