Colleen Cardarella - Gold Skis

Gold Skis

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Colleen Cardarella

Lifelong Skier & Traveler. 60+ mountains skied. Led marketing & tourism in a ski town. Taught alpine for decades, with a focus in adaptive. Share the past. Enjoy the present runs. Stay at your best to keep skiing long into the future.

Collage of photos from Snow Ridge and Turin, NY in the 1950s

Snow Ridge, Early Ski Mecca - Part II of My Ski Roots

Snow Ridge Ski Resort is known for natural snowfall, on the Indy Pass and recently celebrated their 80th season. I knew of Snow Ridge from family stories. I visited during their anniversary event to uncover details of my ski roots and left with an understanding of what makes this ski area special.

Emptty ski chairlift over mountains in spring

When Ski Season Wraps Up Take These Steps

Don't just shove your gear in storage and move on. Do take these steps and choose some goals to set yourself up for a great start to next season.

Fireworks in the night sky

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Inductions

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame inducts 8 new members as the class of 2025. The class includes top athletes as well as individuals who have helped shape and advance Snow Sports.

Magic carpet surface lift at Emery Park

My Ski Roots – Emery Park, a Family Beginner Area

Small areas for learning downhill skiing, once widespread, are now few and far between. Welcome to Emery Park. I returned to my ski roots and found it's still free and still about families sharing a successful first day on the slopes.

Photo of skier going down mountain

Senior Savers- 2026-2027 Season Pass Rate News

New information and commonly asked questions for 2026-2027 senior ski pass rates. Mountain Collective plus NYSKI3 now offers a combined option for skiers 70 or older.

Image of microphone captioned When pro ski racing was on the radio

When I interviewed Phil Mahre & Felix Belczyk

The Jeep King of the Mountain Downhill pro ski race at Sugarbush was broadcast live on the radio in 1998. I got to interview Phil Mahre and Felix Belczyk. The lead commentator was Ken Squier.

Nervous skieer with caption choosing a ski pass shouldn't be scary. Find the right ski pass.

Skiing Featured

Choosing a Ski Pass for Next Season

The earlier your buy next year's ski season pass, the better the deal. The options between mega passes, regional passes and a single ski area can be overwhelming. Here's how to do your research and make the best decision on what's the best ski pass for you.

Senior Saver Alert: Places where seniors ski for free

Budget Featured

Where Can Seniors Ski Free? 30 Places

This Senior Saver Alert shares 30 places where you can ski for free after a certain age. Yse the guide to search by state for free skiing by location and the minimum age requirement.

Woman stretches in a forward lunge

Q & A: Stretching & Warming Up Before Skiing

Why do skiers skip warming up? The benefits to a good stretch and warmup before skiing are clear. Timing might be the reason. Here's how to fit in a good warmup.

Special Guest: Kathy Brennan, CEO of PSIA-AASI Eastern Region

Skiing Featured

Podcast 302: Back to (Ski) School with Kathy Brennan

Skiing with a pro helps assess your skiing and overcome challenges at any age. Instructors are trained to recognize disruptions to skiing common among seniors and help them. Many skiers find joy as instructors later in life. Kathy Brennan of PSIA-AASI Eastern Region is our Gold Skis Podcast guest.

Althlete performs a ski ballet competition move on 1 ski

Remember Ski Ballet? What Happened to It?

Ski Ballet, sometimes referred to as Acroski, featured alpine skiers in an on snow competition with nuances of figure skating or gymnastics. It was a demonstration sport in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics and later lost favor to newer snow sports.

Guest: Dr. Leslie

Podcast Featured

Podcast 301: Keep Skiing Longer

An ACL injury can end a ski season. Dr. Leslie Desrosiers, talks about the ACL, why skiing puts it at risk, and what skiers over 50 can do to stay powerful, balanced, and injury-resilient to keep skiing longer.