It’s an app life, and there is one built for nearly everything we do. Here’s a rundown of go-anywhere apps designed to put you on the powder, hook you up with sweet lift tickets deals, help you stoke your day on the hill, and even teach you how to shake your thang at night.
1. Open Snow
A powder bum’s day begins with wondering about snow. Did any fall last night? Where did it fall? And damn it, why didn’t I know about it?
When it comes to meteorologists and forecasters, you want someone who looks at the data through the lens of the powder addicted. Joel Gratz, founder and CEO of Open Snow and his team of meteorologists put you on the powder with a steady stream of weather updates and forecasts.
Download Open Snow in iTunes or Google Play.
2. Ski Nation
With Ski Nation you can stoke your ski day and support your home hill by collecting and sharing pins from more than 1,025 North American ski areas including Nordic areas and ski jumps. Ski Nation is the brain child of Jack Turner, a former U.S. ski team member with knack for sailing off of 90 meter jumps and shooting rifles at long distance–otherwise known as Nordic Combined.
Pins can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and the app is powered with updated snow and trail reports, maps, and more.
Download Ski Nation in iTunes or Google Play.
3. SnoCru
Ed Lewis grew up racing in the mountains of New England eventually moving west to Colorado and Utah. With Ed’s SnoCru app you can track your runs, speed, distance and elevation. Other features let you search for the nearest bar, shop, ATM or gas station and you can post photos and updates and share it via Facebook and Twitter.
Download SnoCru in iTunes or Google Play.
4. PeakFinder
Once you reach the top of the mountain, you’ve got to take a breath and have a look around. PeakFinder shows you the names of all mountains and peaks with a 360-degree Panorama display. The app is loaded with more than 250’000 peaks – from Mount Everest to the little hill around the corner.
Download Peak Finder in iTunes or Google Play.
5. Pocket Snow Storm
With Pocket Snow Storm you can make everyday a powder day no matter where you are, even in summer! Hold up your device and pan around and you’ll see Virtual Snow falling all around you. The snow moves in 3D as you move your phone.
Download Pocket Snow Storm in iTunes or Google Play.
6. Bluelight Emergency Help App
Now that it’s a total whiteout, you’re going to need the Bluelight Emergency Help App. In cases of emergency, the app calls the closest emergency services and provides them with your exact location using the sophisticated GPS technology in your phone. That means you’ll get the help you need in the fastest way possible.
Simply press the big blue “Request Help” button and the app calls ski patrol immediately. In the event you don’t have an Internet connection, BlueLight will make a standard 911 call. Right now, the app is available at six Tahoe ski areas, but the folks at Bluelight can get other ski areas hooked up in about two hours.
Download Bluelight Emergency Help App in iTunes or Google Play.
7. Ski Jump
Most of us won’t have the opportunity, or guts, to ski off a 90 meter jump. For us chickens, there’s the Ski Jump app. Tap once to start, double touch to jump, swipe up and down to control the jumper and ski angle, and then double touch a second finger to land the jump. Roar of the crowd not included.
Download Ski Jump in iTunes or Google Play .
8. Ski Challenge 15
The latest edition of the 3D Ski Challenge 15 features renderings of some of the most fabled downhill course in the world. You can even scream down Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey course in the 2015 World Alpine Championships. Compete in tournaments, collect World Cup points, and become the new Ski Challenge champion!
Download Ski Challenge 15 in iTunes or Google Play.
9. Nordic & Alpine Ski Wax
It’s easy to overlook the importance of wax, at least until you’re stuck in the snow while others are gliding by. Keep your wax right with the Nordic and Alpine Wax apps.
Download the Nordic Wax app in iTunes.
Download the Alpine Wax app in iTunes.
10. Stickman Snowboarder
With Stickman Snowboarder you can stomp 1000’s of trick combinations on ski slopes and in the city. Grind on whales, avoid the crush of falling snowballs, launch off giant chilis, and escape the police. Upload video replays directly to Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
Download the Stickman Snowboarder app in iTunes or Google Play.
11. The Après App
After a full day on the mountain it’s time to kick off your boots, unwind, and refuel in the perfect hangout. The Après app let’s you browse local restaurants and bars, menus, and special offers. It’s an app that smacks of Scandinavia with a warm interface and a hearty menu, the perfect hangout while you search for the perfect hangout. But save room for dancing.
Download the Apres App in iTunes or Google Play.
12. The Dance App
Everyone should see me dance Hip Hop in the Aerie Lounge at Snowbird. When it’s time to bust a move, the Dance App turns a stiff-legged Wisconsin boy into a dancing fool in just a few minutes and a couple beers. The app is inspired by Jerome Alexander who helped Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, and a host of others find their groove.
Download the Dance App in iTunes or Google Play.
13. Virtual Fireplace
After the party, it’s time to chill by the fire, and rest up for another powder day. If your slope-side condo looks more like a Volkswagen, you and your sweetie can still snuggle up to Virtual Fireplace that even crackles like the real thing.
Download the Virtual Fireplace in iTunes or Google Play.
14. Steven Nyman’s App – Fantasy Ski Racer
Three-time Olympian Steven Nyman handed his brother—a computer engineer—a napkin after a race at Lake Louise with a diagram of what he thought would be a sweet app for ski racing fans. The result? Fantasy Ski Racer.
Players select who they think will be in the top 10 of every race—be it in Beaver Creek, Kitzbuehel, Wengen, Flachau, or Lake Louise. Name all top 10 racers in the right order, you get 100 points. If none of your racers end up in the top 10, you get zero points. You can also challenge your friends and create your own leagues.
In true Steven Nyman fashion, 50 percent of the app’s proceeds go to a foundation that helps support up-and-coming ski racers.
Download Fantasy Ski Racer in iTunes and Google Play.
15. Liftopia
Now that you’ve found the pow, you’re going to need your lift tickets! With the Liftopia app, skiers and riders can score the best advance-purchase prices on the go. The app also shares details on resorts including mountain stats, latest ski & snow conditions, resort descriptions & photos. Browse and buy your lift tickets in advance and save up to 80%
Download Liftopia in iTunes.
No Ski Tracks? Are you nuts?!?
Hear, hear! How in the world could Ski Tracks have been overlooked?
Thanks for your comments. Tracking apps are quite popular so obviously I had to include one, but with so many of them out there I knew I couldn’t include each and every one. Thanks to your input, Ski Tracks is now in the house!
And to answer your second question, yes. I guess we’re all a little crazy some times. : )
Troy, it’s the middle of August and in order to get a little vicarious hit of snow, I am revisiting your list and downloading some of the apps I overlooked last winter.
Thanks!
Some, unfortunately, are no longer available.
I guess we may need to update this post…which ones did you find were missing?
Don’t remember exactly, Troy, but click on the iTunes links you posted and you will quickly discover.
Yes, Pocket Snow Storm is a great one for the dog days of summer! Thanks Steve!
Nothing for Windows phone?
Which one would you suggest?
And of course we can’t forget the world’s most popular snow sports tracking app Trace Snow, formerly AlpineReplay and now with Trace the tracking device. This is used as the resort app at areas like Stratton, Snowshoe, Winter Park, Steamboat, Ski Vermont and others
Thanks for sharing this info…so many great apps out there! #AppLife
No Trace Snow? This list must be sponsored…… Thanks for the jaded corporate info.
Thanks Zach, this was not a sponsored list, it’s just near impossible to include each and every great app that’s out there. I tried to find some of the lesser known ones. Perhaps that’s jaded, but definitely not corporate. Ski on!
Yeah, my comment was a little harsh, I love Liftopia, and I know you guys represent the “little guy” ski resorts and do a lot of cool things for the ski industry. I jumped the gun when I didn’t see my favorite app listed, and thought it might have been a sponsored list. Glad to hear otherwise. 🙂
We don’t mind getting called out, that’s how we all get smarter, thanks!
[…] It’s an app life, and there’s one built for nearly everything we do. Here’s a rundown of go-anywhere apps for all the skiers and riders out there designed to put you on the powder, hook you up with sweet lift tickets deals, help you stoke your day on the hill — and even teach you how to shake your thang at night. READ FULL POST […]