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It’s Snow Good To Ski You: 11 of the Best Books About Skiing and Snowboarding

Liberty Hardy

Senior Contributing Editor

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

National Geographic Books

This ultimate skier and snowboarder bucket list, from celebrated runs in Alta, Utah, to the challenge of Switzerland's 4 Vallees races through 100 energizing snowy experiences for all levels. Filled with beautiful National Geographic photography, wisdom from experts, need-to-know travel information, and practical tips, this inspirational guide offers the planet's best ski and snowboarding experiences on breathtaking slopes around the world and makes a great gift!

To everything, turn, turn, turn: Each of the four seasons has its fans, if you live in an area where you get the different seasons. Summer is for surfers and beach bums, fall is for leaf peepers, spring is for…okay, I’m not really sure what people are excited for in spring. Spring training? The end of winter? But winter sure has its die-hard fans. There are lots of amazing winter activities to do, and one of the most popular involves hitting the slopes! If you’re a fan of strapping equipment to your feet and hurtling downhill at varying speeds, or just like looking at breathtaking images of wintery wonderlands, this list of 11 of the best books about skiing and snowboarding is for you!

From how-to guides about getting started at skiing and snowboarding, to leveling up in the sports, to coffee tables books about the best slopes and the most stylish skiers, to memoirs written by professionals, there is something here covering most of the aspects of these sports! It should be pointed out that while there are very few books about skiing and snowboarding available from authors of color, the sports are growing more diverse every year. To learn more, check out the excellent articles about African American snowboarders and skiers, and read about the persistent racism in the sports.

cover of Unbound: A Story of Snow & Self Discovery by Steph Jagger; image of woman skier laying back in the snow high on a slope

Unbound: A Story of Snow & Self Discovery by Steph Jagger

Jagger decided to walk away from her life with nothing but her her ski equipment and her laptop. She sold everything else and traveled North and South America, Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, with the goal of skiing four million vertical feet in a year. This is an account of her global adventure in the snow.

cover of Powder The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet by Patrick Thorne, featuring large snowy slope with ski marks in the snow

Powder: The 50 Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet by Patrick Thorne

Thorne, a journalist, set a goal for himself of skiing every available location on the planet. This is a comprehensive look at 50 of those spots, with commentary from Thorne based on his expertise.

cover of Breakthrough on the New Skis: Say Goodbye to the Intermediate Blues by Lito Tejada-Flores featuring image of blurry skier headed down a slope

Breakthrough on the New Skis: Say Goodbye to the Intermediate Blues by Lito Tejada-Flores

If you’re looking to transform your skiing skills from ordinary to extraordinary, pick up this reissued guide. Tejada-Flores, a skiing expert, breaks down the moves you need in easy-to-follow steps to become the fabulous skier you’ve always known you are.

cover of The Stylish Life: Skiing by Gabrielle le Breton, featuring glamour shot of skiers in the 1950s

The Stylish Life: Skiing by Gabrielle le Breton 

And whether you love skiing, or just glamorous coffee table books, this is a great look as people being dashing in the snow. It features vintage photos of celebrities and other glamorpusses striking a pose on the slopes.

cover of Take It All On Board: 8 Steps To Mastering The Slope & Life With Confidence by Kate Mackay, teal cover with yellow outline of light blue outline of snowboarder in mid-air

Take It All On Board: 8 Steps To Mastering The Slope & Life With Confidence by Kate Mackay

Certified Performance Coach Kate Mackay details her journey from beginner snowboarding to BASI instructor training. Using the lessons she learned, she’ll help you achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of, on and off the slopes.

cover of Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die Downhill Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations by Chris Santella; featuring skier mid-air after jumping off a peak in a high mountain range

Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die: Downhill Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations by Chris Santella

And if you’re such a snow bunny that you can’t learn enough about the incredible slope destinations around the world, then pick up this book of beautiful full-color photographs of 50 of them, chosen by experts.

cover of Inspired: Pursuit of Progress Kelly Clark, black and white image of a snowboarder about to head down a steep incline

Inspired: Pursuit of Progress by Kelly Clark

Clark is a four time Olympian, three-time Olympic medalist, and the winningest athlete in snowboarding history. She talks about the hard work, faith, and dedication that got her to the top of her game.

cover of The Fall Line: America's Rise to Ski Racing's Summit by Nathaniel Vinton; image of a skier close up, leaning to one side

The Fall Line: America’s Rise to Ski Racing’s Summit by Nathaniel Vinton

Drawing on more than a decade of research and interviews with some of the biggest names in skiing, Vinton details the past, present, and future of the exhilarating competitive sport of downhill skiing, and how the U.S. Team mastered the slopes.

cover of Mastering Snowboarding by Hannah Teter and Tawnya Schultz; photo of woman snowboarder with long blonde hair in mid-air

Mastering Snowboarding by Hannah Teter and Tawnya Schultz

Olympic gold medalist and X Games champion Teter and expert snowboard writer Schultz teamed up to bring you the tips you need to be a snowboarding wizard. From the equipment to the moves, they’ll have you pushing powder like a pro in no time.

cover of Ultimate Skiing by Ron LeMaster, photo of several downhill competitive skiers making a turn around a flag

Ultimate Skiing by Ron LeMaster

Ski instructor, coach, and technique expert LeMaster will help you take your ski skills and boost them into the next level. Learn how to move like the masters in no time in this easy-to-follow guide, which includes full-color photo montages and 3D diagrams.

cover of Vintage Skiing: Nostalgic Images from the Golden Age of Skiing by Ray Atkeson; black and white photo of skier mid-jump from the 1940s or 50s

Vintage Skiing: Nostalgic Images from the Golden Age of Skiing by Ray Atkeson 

And last, but not least, visit the slopes of yore with this great art book of black-and-white images from the mid-20th century. A wonderful gift for yourself or someone else!