Chris Steiner is a Chicago-based father of three, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Tech Founder and Engineer. In spite of his busy schedule, he always manages to score the best powder days in every season.  

Chris created ZRankings.com, a site that ranks all of the ski resorts in North America based on an algorithm he calls the “pure awesomeness factor”.  

Listen in as we discuss the best resorts and when to ski them. Chris serves as a fount of knowledge when it comes to the best times to visit various North American ski resorts, so tune in and start planning your ski trips! 

Topics: 

[03:20] It’s hard to move to a ski town at any point, but the best time is probably in your twenties. 

[03:46] Since he lives in Chicago, Chris is very cognizant of where he travels to ski and when. 

[04:43] A good early season pick is Steamboat, CO. 

[05:38] Because he has three children, he has to plan his trips more carefully. 

[06:01] Chicago has a lot of direct flights to many ski locations. 

[07:42] ZRankings worked with Open Snow and Google to create a feature that finds “powder fares” on airlines. 

[08:15] Dallas is a place that has a lot of great direct flights to ski locations. 

[09:20] Chris loves Jackson Hole and spends a lot of his ski-time there. 

[09:30] It has great conditions and is a safe bet during any point in the season. 

[10:05] Come spring, Chris likes Telluride and other Colorado destinations. 

[11:40] Utah is great all season long (any resort or mountain location). 

[12:00] Utah has some of the best snow on the continent and it’s north-facing. 

[12:15] Snowbird and Alta are almost always going to be winners at any point in the season. 

[14:00] Fat skis have allowed more skiers to tackle any type of terrain, so it’s busier on more challenging runs, even though the skiers are less experienced. 

[16:34] Staying in Salt Lake in December is the cheapest ski trip you can do. 

[17:00] Skiing in Salt Lake is great because you don’t run into a large amount of locals. 

[16:52] If you get a snow day, Alta and Snowbird will be packed. Solitude is a great alternative, even though the runs aren’t as steep. 

[18:15] Resorts in California get storms that other places do not. They also have to deal with the effects of drought. 

[19:55] The pros and cons of the Epic Pass and the Icon Pass.  

[24:20] Crested Butte is in a remote area (the only game in town), so they can charge what they want. 

[26:20] How your location often affects which ski pass you should buy. 

[29:00] Winter Park changes and how they have improved the resort. 

[29:29] Copper Mountain vs. Vail and Beaver Creek. 

[29:45] Copper is one of the best Spring ski resorts. 

[31:00] If you only ski groomers, you’re not going to get better. When you challenge yourself, you improve. 

[31:22] Nothing can teach you to ski better than huge bumps. 

Resources: 

Wagner Custom Skis 

Chris’ Website 

ZRankings