It's All Downhill: A soundtrack for the slopes

[View web version] [It's All Downhill] [Friday, December 16] [Follow Matt Pepin] [Mountain music] Music is such a great conversation starter. Just drop the old "what was your first concert" line, or maybe "what was your most-played album as a kid" and let the babbling begin. The topic of playlists is also a slam-dunk source of never-ending debate. Just Google "running playlists" and you'll see what I mean. Until a few years ago, however, I never thought much of skiing with music. But then one day I found myself needing to ski with headphones on so I could hear my phone in case I was needed while chaperoning a youth trip. So I hit shuffle. And I really liked it. Naturally that led to playlists for specific places and types of skiing, but also got me thinking about how certain tunes match certain parts of a ski trip. Here's a list of some of them: - Waking up the kids for a day trip: Hells Bells, by AC/DC - As we pull out of the driveway: Over the Mountain, by Ozzy Osbourne - As we pull into the parking lot: For Those About to Rock, by AC/DC - As we pull into Whiteface's parking lot: Bugler's Dream, by pretty much anyone - Gearing up in the lodge: Adventure of a Lifetime, by Coldplay - If I'm on first chair: Get Lucky, by Daft Punk - If I'm not on first chair: Over the Hills and Far Away, by Led Zeppelin - First run on a powder day: My Silver Lining, by First Aid Kit - First long cruiser of the day: Orion, by Metallica - First diamond of the day: Jammin, by Bob Marley - If I am skiing a snowfield or bowl: When You Were Mine, by Prince - Last run of the day: Surrender, by Cheap Trick - Ride home: Comfortably Numb, by Pink Floyd What are your favorite tunes for specific aspects of a ski trip? [Email me yours] and I'll reprint some in next week's newsletter. [Story Photo] LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL: Loon (pictured above, courtesy of the ski area) and most other northern New England ski areas were praising Ullr, Mother Nature, and anyone else they could thank for all the natural snow lately. Trail counts, open acreage, and base depths are all on the rise as the all-important holiday period arrives. Boston.com's Hayden Bird [has a look at the happy reports] from snow country. ATTENTION DISNEY: The tale of Ugandan snowboarder Brolin Mawejje could be the next Eddie the Eagle or Jamaican bobsled team feel-good Olympics story. Jason Blevins of the Denver Post [caught up with Mawejje], who wants to be his country's first winter Olympian, at Breckenridge last week at a Dew Tour event. Mawejje, 24, was adopted by a Massachusetts family that introduced him to snow sports. He recently graduated from a college in Utah and wants to become a medical doctor. He says his Olympics dream is serious, and he hopes to be in the 2018 games in South Korea. "I think it's a reachable dream," he told Blevins. [Read the full story and watch a video of Mawejje on the Post's website]. YOU REALLY SHOULD WATCH THIS: Every parent of a child who participates in sports like skiing and snowboarding should have their child watch [the High Five Foundation's recently released \] It's an impactful look at five athletes who have suffered life-altering injuries, produced by an organization that exists to educate mountain sports athletes about risks and assist those who have been injured. High Five's "Minister of Stoke" (that is his real title, it's even listed on his business card) Jonny Klemko will do a presentation on the group's B.A.S.I.C. program at Arc'teryx on Newbury Street in Boston on Dec. 22. [You can register for the session, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., on EventBrite]. GOOD ADVICE: The Boston Herald's Moira McCarthy [outlines the \]. It's a good refresher course as we all start to ramp up our on-slope activity this winter. THE SOUL OF NEW ENGLAND SKIING: Another [good one from Eric Wilbur in Metro Boston] in which he reviews those ski areas where "it's about thrills, not frills." He includes Wildcat, Black Mountain in New Hampshire, Magic Mountain, Mad River Glen, and Cannon. I'd add Berkshire East and Ragged Mountain, two places that really have the right vibe. THE SNOW REPORT: This week, Halley O'Brien visited Sunday River in Maine and asked the snowmaking crew a bunch of questions. And then she randomly bleeped out some of their words, a classic video gag that is funny every time. [Check it out here]. THE MOUNTAIN REPORT: We'll also be bringing you installments of The Mountain Report's videos this season, trimmed down for It's All Downhill. This week's features a visit to New Hampshire's Bretton Woods. [Watch it here]. [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe]. [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters]. 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