From Alabama Slopes to Billionaire Resorts: 8 Surprising Skiing Facts

You’ve met up with a friend for a drink or a nice walk, and the conversation, regrettably, begins to wane. You could ask another question about their work, their spouse, or, instead, turn to option C: deliver a fun, random-seeming fact without context.

The world’s filled with these random tidbits. The Mariners have tied the record for the most MLB games won in a season (alongside the Cubs), and yet, somehow, they’re also the only active MLB team that’s never made it to the World Series. A jar of peanut butter contains about 540 peanuts. Water might not be wet?

The facts don’t stop when you grab your skis and head into the mountains—these are eight skiing kernels of knowledge that you may have never encountered before.

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The Speed Skiing World Record Is 158.76 Miles per Hour

In the U.S., the fastest legal speed limit is 85 miles per hour, found in Texas. The land speed record set by a skier is almost twice that. In 2023, the French skier Simon Billy hit a staggering 158.76 miles per hour as he sped down the slopes of Vars, France, which has a famously steep run with an incline of 98%.

Billy set the record at the World Speed Skiing Championships, an event where competitors don skin-tight suits and unique helmets that look a bit like the one worn by Rick Moranis in Spaceballs. During these races, skiers regularly break the 100 miles per hour barrier.

In the alpine racing World Cup—where skiers have to actually, you know, turn—the speed record is held by Johan Clarey, who raced down a section of a Swiss course at 100.6 miles per hour in 2013. Surprisingly, Clarey only placed fifth in the race that day. 

The Second-Highest-Paid Female Athlete in the World Is a Skier

Compared to mainstream sports like tennis or basketball, skiing isn’t known for being particularly lucrative. It may come as a surprise, then, that the second-highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2024 was Eileen Gu, a skier, according to Sportico.

On the list, Gu was joined by big, recognizable names like the tennis player Coco Gauff and the basketball player Caitlin Clark. Gu has emerged as a dominant force with Olympic medals in all three freeskiing disciplines—halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air—a rare feat. But she’s more than a skier. 

Gu also studies at Stanford and models on the side, contributing to her ever-increasing public profile. Unlike many of the other athletes on Sportico‘s list, almost none of her $22.1 million in earnings came from prize winnings. Instead, they came endorsements.

The Temple of Doom Was Filmed at Mammoth Mountain, California

About 15 minutes into Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy and his compatriots find themselves in a pickle—they’re stuck on a crashing plane without parachutes. To ameliorate the crisis, they grab an inflatable raft, climb aboard, and jump into the air. 

The plan works. They slam down onto a patch of snow that’s supposed to be in the Himalayas, navigate some dirt, fall off a cliff, and conclude the ride on a rushing river. The scene wasn’t shot anywhere near Mt. Everest, though.

Instead, the production crew for the Temple of Doom relied on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain, California, to capture snow sliding footage. Mammoth’s staff built a track in the snow the raft would reliably follow for repeat takes.

Near Mt. Hood, a Rock Demands Total Silence

Stuck in the car with a friend who won’t shut up about how many days they’ve already skied this season? Consider taking a detour to Mt. Hood, Oregon. Along the way to the mountain and its accompanying resorts, there’s a local tradition—or superstition—that requires silence. Fittingly, it’s called Silent Rock.

The rocky formation is perched on the side of Highway 26, which connects ski resorts like Meadows and Timberline Lodge to Portland. When you pass, you’re supposed to stay completely quiet; otherwise, some terrible fortune will strike, like bad snow, a twisted knee, or a ripped ski edge. That silence includes shutting off the radio. Some even hold their breath in the presence of Silent Rock.

The myth’s origin story isn’t clear, but it’s been connected to a car accident and other terrible past events, usually involving death or mangled vehicles in the valley below. Fiction or not, we aren’t inclined to test fate on a powder day, so mum’s the word. 

Alabama Has a Ski Area?

The South has a perhaps misguided reputation for being hot, muggy, and home to more gators than you can count. None of those calling cards has much to do with skiing. And yet, in Alabama, there’s a ski area called Cloudmont.

Located in the northeast corner of the state near Tennessee and Georgia, Cloudmont saw a revival during the 2024-25 season after being closed, with some help from a group of volunteers. It was, unquestionably, a special moment. Over 25 people showed up to pitch in, and that January, Cloudmont welcomed skiers and snowboarders.

While Cloudmont may not have sprawling gondolas or oodles of terrain, it’s a fun reminder that skiing can exist—and thrive—in the most unexpected places. A little snowmaking and a can-do attitude go further than you might think.

There’s a Montana Ski Area That Only Allows Millionaires and Billionaires

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Yellowstone Club, which may be North America’s most exclusive ski area. Located in Montana, near Bozeman and Big Sky, the mountain and community are reserved for landowners, homeowners, condo owners, and their guests. In 2022, the SF Standard reported that their wealthy ranks included Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and investor Warren Buffett.

How does the skiing there look, though? Well, first off, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that no one on POWDER’s staff has paid the Yellowstone Club a visit—we’re still a few tax brackets away. The club’s website provides some clues, though, touting “2,900 powdery acres” that receive over 300 inches of snowfall each year.

Unsubstantiated social media reports suggest that because of the thin crowds at the Yellowstone Club, the powder sticks around for a while, which makes sense. 

Alta Ski Area Used Artillery To Fight Avalanches

What’s the best way to deal with an avalanche? Blow it up with a big gun. Or, at least, that was the program at Alta Ski Area, Utah, for years and years. 

To control avalanches, the mountain relied on artillery to launch explosives at snow-laden slopes. The program was the brainchild of World War II veteran Monty Atwater, who, in 1949, had a question for the Utah National Guard. Could they try using artillery to trigger avalanches? 

The Guard agreed, and the idea worked. At first, only National Guard members were authorized to operate the guns, but Atwater, then a Snow Ranger, eventually received clearance to use them (that only happened afterhe shot the weapons without prior approval from the Forest Service). Artillery fire remained a tool used by Alta’s ski patrol until 2023.

Skiing Is Far Older Than You Might Think

The origins of skiing date back to between 8,000 and 7,000 BCE, when planks were used for transport, hunting, and war, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. While remnants of skiing have, of course, been found across northern Europe, the sport has a history in ancient China, too. 

Skiing as we know it, though—with its chairlifts, mega-passes, and crowded lines—isn’t particularly old. North America’s first destination ski resort, Sun Valley, Idaho, was established in 1936. Powder skis and twin tips didn’t hit the mainstream until the aughts. And it’s been barely more than a decade since park skiing first appeared in the Olympics. What’s next? More BOA dials, most likely.

Related: The Secret to More Ski Time? 6 Resorts Just Minutes From the Airport