Let's face it, we all want to be warm, comfortable and stylish on the slopes. Usually this combination comes at a price. If you're like me and need to outfit a family including kids that are always outgrowing clothes from season to season, this can quickly burn a hole in your pocket and leave you with less money in the budget for lift tickets than you'd really like.

I've found that bargain stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls offer some great discounts on brand-name gear from Spyder, Columbia, Marmot, North Face and Smith Optics (just to name a few). You've got to time it right (normally late fall is when their winter inventory starts to arrive), and you've got to be prepared to look around. The people in my area generally live fairly comfortably, yet these stores still get picked over pretty quickly, leaving nothing but XS and XXL sizes. Typically if I go to some of the same stores a few towns away, there's often plenty of items to choose from. Using this strategy, I'm able to save between 50 and 60 percent off RRP, and those extra dollars in the family piggy bank sure help to offset the costs of our days spent skiing.

While bargains might be hard to come by this late into the season (late enough to see swimwear appearing on the racks as I write this), be sure to mark your calendars for next fall so you can grab some savings before next winter.

I've even heard of people pouring through the racks at these stores, finding the best deals, and then re-selling the items on eBay for a nice profit. Bravo for their ingenuity - I wish I had thought of this sooner ! Anything to save (or generate) a little more cash for lift tickets is always a bonus in these hard economic times.

Women's SNB SP Finals 1. Queralt Castellet 2. Elena Hight 3. Kaitlyn Farrington

Men's SNB SP Finals 1. Louie Vito 2. Matt Ladley 3. Greg Bretz

The snow storm conditions made the pipe pretty slow, so the tricks were difficult to really throw them down. To add to that, the sound system totally broke down for about 10 minutes, so everyone was scrambling around to get things going. With an odd silence, you don't realize how much the music and announcers add to the event, so be greatful for them. The Toyota Yeti took a run down the halfpipe to keep spectators entertained. And Kevin Pearce made a visit to cheer on and congratulate the riders (he was the one that got the severe brain injury just before the Olympics). Last year's champ, Danny Davis, was also out of the game today due to an injury.

Tomorrow brings the Slopestyle Finals, so there's more to come! I'll try to fit another blog in, in between riding all the new powder...

With Loveland being almost always the first ski resort to open, I wanted to check out why it's so popular even though a small area. I found out the three reasons: closest ski area to Denver, cheap lift tickets, and a nice variety of terrain.

I happened to go to Loveland on Thanksgiving day, which, surprisingly, wasn't too crowded, but it was awfully cold throughout Colorado. With the wind chill, it was well below 0. So unless you were covered from head to toe (including all those tiny spaces exposed on your face), you weren't protected from the elements and joined the crowds inside the lodge for a few hours.

Taking the lift up the south side, we rode the bowls (try Lift 1 to 6 to 2). The views were amazing - you'd never think these open spaces would be so close to Denver. It was pretty awesome. The wide areas are good for beginners, but riding in and out of the trees and through a park area made for more advance skills. If you want to get out the wind, take Lift 1 straight up. If you're looking for more of a challenge, when it's open, head over ridge up top.

The terrain is cool, but the people can be a little strange (think old Star Wars bar scene). You've got a little bit of everything at Loveland, including a lot of old school and hippie types. It makes for great people watching in the lodge. Whodathunk there are still people skiing and boarding in jeans? or a leather jacket! The thing is that they really think they're are "IT". So yeah, take it all in as you enjoy the great outdoors!

Because Loveland is first resort open, several ski teams come to practice up here. When I was there, the French Ski Team was rolling in. If you need lessons, there's a great program. And best idea yet is that Loveland has a special rental deal that sets you up with everything you need to wear and ride for one price. Great for visitors who didn't plan on riding.

Because Loveland is a smaller resort, they don't have lodging right by the mountain. If you choose to want to stay as close as possible, you'd be in a nearby town (check out www.SkiLoveland.com for more info), or if you plan on checking out more ski areas in the vicinity, stay centrally in Summit County.

So overall, for the price and location, by all means ride at Loveland! You've got to experience it at least once and soon enough you'll be slapping on their bumper stickers like everyone else! Easy and fast to get to mean more ride time.

So the Beginning of another season and I can only dream it's gonna be a good winter. The weather so far has been somewhat normal,I wish it was a lot colder and the snow guns were firing away everywhere. With that said lets move on to the subject at hand. The Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo at the baside Expo Center. I will be attending this Saturday Nov. 21st. It runs from Nov 19th to the 22nd.

I went last year and grabbed a bunch of discount and free lift passes, not to mention I won a free trip to the berkshires. It is not just for northeast resorts either, there were canadian resorts there, Tahoe region, and Colorado. I brought my 2 and 4 year olds and they had a great time. I cannot say enough good things about the Expo. All I can say is if you are a serious Skier or Rider you needto get there for at least one day. You'll save alot of money in the long run and have a blast while your there.

SO if your in the Boston area this weekend and want to see the hottest new gear, grab some killer gear discounts and possibly lots of free stuff, stop in. You won't regret it.

See you on the slopes folks Bryan

Thankfully, Oregon's brief moment on the surfing map has ended. The 2009 Nelscott Reef Tow-in Classic has wrapped up after lucking into some solid surf. Known more for cold waters, sideways rain, surly locals, and hungry sharks, Oregon's coast is recognized once a year for its big wave surf.

In 1995, Nelscott Pioneer John Forse braved the monstrous surf he had observed breaking a half mile offshore for years. Using a zodiac to reach the lineup, Forse pioneered what is now considered the most consistent break on the Pacific big wave contest circuit. Hosting its 5th annual event in Lincoln City, the Nelscott contest has not missed a year due to lack of surf, protest by organized sasquatches, or the spotted owl. While certainly not the biggest wave on the Tow-in scene, Nelscott Reef is no pushover at 20-30 feet, excluding the 20 foot logs that commonly float in Oregon's lineups and wait patiently to chop a surfer in half.

This year was no different. Sets of 30+ foot waves steamrolled into the lineup through what was a foggy morning, a common theme on the Oregon coast. Much of the day remained perfect with no wind, however, a sadly uncommon theme on the Oregon coast. Even the sharks stayed away, most likely looking for less psychotic prey elsewhere. (click for more and video)

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