Best of Vermont skiing

November 19, 2009

Looking for a few inside tips? The Globe has surveyed the scene from top to bottom and taken notes:

Best comeback

Last February, for the first time in four years, skiers soared off the 90-meter jump at historic Harris Hill in Brattleboro, one of only six Olympic-size ski jumps in the country. Thanks to a $300,000 community fund-raising effort, world-class jumpers will once again take flight at the storied venue, which was forced to close in 2005 but has since been upgraded to international ski jumping specifications. Built in 1922, the natural-hillside jump has hosted 18 national and regional championships, and Feb. 13-14, the 86th Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition will serve as the launch pad for a new generation of United States Ski Association athletes.

- T.D. THORNTON

Best use of technology on a ski slope

Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stratton Mountain might be on to something with their personal GPS technology, which records distance, elevation, speed, and the locations of trails conquered by kids enrolled in ski and snowboard classes. Each child is fitted with a Flaik GPS unit, and at the end of the day they can review the data to chart progress and share their adventures. Smugglers’ Notch makes the units available to students signed up for Snow Sport University camps (ages 3-15), while Stratton reserves the units for pupils 12 and under. The technology can also be used as a location device, and the GPS units will also be available for rental to guests at both resorts.

- T.D. THORNTON

Best way to earn bragging rights

If you think you can live up to Mad River Glen’s famous “Ski It If You Can’’ slogan, then mark your calendar for the Feb. 6 kickoff to the 2010 Mad River Glen Triple Crown. The grueling series begins with the Unconventional Terrain Competition (steeps, cliffs, jumps, rocks), followed by the Feb. 26 Vertical Challenge (runs restricted to the expert Chute and Lift Line trails only), and the March 20 Mogul Challenge (described by organizers as “knee-pounding fun’’). The men’s and women’s winners get prizes, but who needs swag when you’ve got bragging rights?

- T.D. THORNTON

Best chance for X-C to get extreme

Cross-country skiers can get air in the grassroots terrain park at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center. Outside the main lodge at the base of Bear Hill, the park is about 150 yards long and consists of a series of rollers, a couple of tabletop jumps, and two rails. Opening is anticipated in early December.

- TONY CHAMBERLAIN

Best ongoing expansion plan