It's All Downhill: It's time for the Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo

[View web version]( [It's All Downhill. The latest from the slopes of New England and beyone by Matt Pepin] Friday, November 2 | [Follow Matt Pepin on Twitter]( THE PLACE TO BE It's no secret I'm a big fan of [the annual Boston.com Ski & Snowboard Expo](. It's such a fun way to get jazzed about the upcoming season, whether you're shopping for a good deal on a ski trip, in the market for new equipment, or just want to browse the booths and collect swag. My kids love to collect stickers and posters from the resorts, and I like to chat with the reps from the far away places about the logistics of traveling there. Some of the best trip deals around are to be had there, and you can comparison shop in a far more effective and insightful fashion than booking a trip online because you get your questions answered by a real person who lays out all the details instead of clicking a hundred times. Some resorts have websites that are absolutely maddening to navigate or find answers when you're trying to shop for or book a trip. But at the ski show I've had reps tell it like it really is, like for instance suggest that one accommodation option was older and less well-maintained, or point out that a certain inn might be better for a younger, rowdier crowd. Here are some highlights of this year's show that organizers shared with me: SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN: The "Her Turn at the She Shed" exhibit will feature prominent women in the world of snowsports, including Olympic skier Donna Weinbrecht, writers Peggy Shinn (author of "World Class", a book about the rise of the US women's cross-country ski team), Iseult Devlin (author of "Winter Sports - A Women's Guide"), and Wendy Clinch (The Ski Diva website), and industry insider Barclay Rappaport of Volkl Skis. VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCES: Red Bull Crashed Ice, the downhill ice skating event that will be held inside Fenway Park in February, and Teton Gravity Research's "Stokemobile" will both feature virtual reality exhibits. INDOOR RAIL JAM: The Boston Open, for amateurs and pros, will be held on a synthetic snow surface using a 12-foot scaffold that features three drop-ins and three rails. Interested athletes can find [sign-up links and info at the event website](. This year's show is Nov. 8-11 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, and there's plenty of parking (pro tip: if you don't mind walking a little more than a mile, look for a weekend special at garages in the Financial District, such as Post Office Square) or you can take the Silver Line train to the World Trade Center stop. [Tickets are available at the expo website]( and you can use the discount code GLOBE to get $3 off. Also, there are a number of side events related to skiing and snowboarding in Boston next week. Several of this year's big ski movies will have Boston showings, including [Teton Gravity Research's "Far Out"]( and [Warren Miller's "Face of Winter."]( The Boston Ski & Sports Club is having its annual "Blizzard" ski season kickoff party Nov. 7 at Royale Boston. You do not have to be a member to attend, and it features swag, raffles, and lift ticket giveaways. [Here's a link for more details](. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! Permit me one brief personal aside here to wish my mom a happy birthday today, and I'll even connect it to skiing. Beside the fact she's a faithful reader of It's All Downhill despite not being a skier herself, I vividly recall way back when to the time my mother took me to a sporting goods store in New London, Conn., to get my first pair of skis. This was significant because no one else in my family was a skier — I got hooked via middle school ski trips and tagging along with a friend's family. I loved those silver and blue Hart skis, which served me well right up until the day I broke a tip skiing moguls at Stowe. After that I was on my own for skis, but mom enabled what became a lifelong passion. CHILL OUT The Globe's annual "Chill" section comes out in print on Sunday, and the stories have all been posted to the Globe's website already. Here's this year's lineup. DAD MOVES: My contribution, somehow written during the busiest month of the year for a sports journalist, [is a collection of advice and observations compiled from years watching other ski dads to becoming one myself](. I reveal my go-to moves, often completely futile, because on paper they should work and hopefully they do for you. UPHILL BATTLE: Saddleback Mountain in Maine (pictured below) is heading into what is expected to be its fourth consecutive season of dormancy. While the ski area gives the appearance of needing only a blanket of snow in order to be ready to open for the winter, the reality is much more complex, [writes Eric Wilbur](. FUN FOR ALL: It has never been easier to go on a “ski trip” and never actually ski. With the introduction of snow tubing, winter zip lines, dogsled rides, dedicated snowshoe trails, and more, New England ski resorts woo non-skiers with a host of wintertime activities and amenities. [These are the best New England ski towns that even a non-skier can love](. HIDDEN GEMS: Of course, there’s a place and fondness for big, sprawling ski resorts, but sometimes smaller is better. The littler resorts are often less crowded, usually cheaper, laid-back, and kid-friendly. [Here are five small but mighty New England ski resorts]( where glitter and gloss are replaced with character and charm. CLOTHING TO KEEP THE CHILL OUT: Winter is coming and you’ll want to be prepared for whatever it brings. [Here’s a roundup of some of the best cold weather clothing]( that will keep you warm and dry even if (when) the nor’easter blows in. ACCESSORIZE: Of the things outdoor companies invent to make our day on the slopes easier, dryer, and warmer, some are worth the money; others are not. Diane Blair and Pamela Wright identify some of the [most useful (and favorite) on-mountain accessories](. MEET HALLEY: Halley O'Brien is the host of “The Snow Report,” [a weekly Web series presented by Ski Magazine]( where O’Brien has found room to display her witty energy and a place to carve her niche in a role that might compare to a late-night talk show host dedicated to all things skiing. THE KILLINGTON CUP: The World Cup made its return to New England ski slopes for the first time in a quarter-century two years ago, and the record-setting crowds that followed made Killington Mountain Resort an obvious return destination for the International Ski Federation, [writes Eric Wilbur](. NEW FANS: A decade ago, most of us thought curling was something you did to your hair, not an Olympic sport. But in this year’s Winter Olympics, the US men’s curling team won the gold, and, suddenly, curling has become nearly as common a spectator sport as skiing, snowboarding, or hockey, [writes Jessica Teich](. [Subscribe to BostonGlobe.com]( [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe.]( [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( About This Email You received this message because you signed up for the It's All Downhill newsletter. To automatically unsubscribe, [please click here.]( Please note: this will unsubscribe you from the newsletter only. If you wish to cancel your BostonGlobe.com subscription, please call 1-888-MY-GLOBE (1-888-694-5623). 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