What makes a good ski song? There is nothing quite like the perfect song while you are cruising down the hill. But what is it that makes a song so fitting for skiing?
Well for starters, you need songs that match the beat of your skiing. It also helps if the song has a strong beat that you will be able to hear over the wind rushing past your ears (without having the volume so loud you go deaf). But most of all, a song should have a good memory of skiing that goes with it. Most of the songs that I ski to were heard in ski movies, or in the car on the way down from an epic day of skiing.
I looked at my iPhone and realized that I have 3 playlists for skiing. Depending on the mood, I have playlists for snowy days, sunny days, and days where I just feel like ripping.
I realized that there were 5 songs that were consistent across all three playlists. This must mean that they are the songs that I find truly perfect for skiing. Here they are and why they are so great:
(Click the title for a youtube clip of each song)
1. Baba O’Riley- The Who. Whenever I plug in my music for the first chairlift ride of the day, I like to start of with this song. It is a great song to get you excited for a day of skiing. Great for long gondola or tram rides. Make sure that you enjoy the base line through this song… I hear it is pretty good… Hah!
2. Gold Guns Girls– Metric. When I get to the top of my first run, I like to have this song blasting in the headphones. It is a great song for a warm up run. Great beat, great intro, and not too intense. The beginning also gives you a great feeling if you can time your “drop in” with the start of the vocals.
3. Wolf like me, T.V. on the Radio. This is a great song for when you are well in to your day. Great beat to ski to and it is long enough to last most of a run! On a sunny day, plug this in at any point for a guaranteed dose of inspiration.
4. Soul Meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie. Alright powder fans, if you ever need a song to cruise to on a deep powder day, look no further! This song is the ultimate feel good skiing song. It compliments the feeling of flying that you get from powder better than flying itself!
5. The Final Countdown– Europe. If you ever need to feel like a superstar, this is the song for you. This song automatically instills greatness in even the most destroyed egos! Just fell on a green run? Have a tumble after your first attempt at a 360? Finding your first day in deep snow to be a challenge? Pop this song in to your head and all of a sudden you will feel like the world champion of anything!
6. Bonus song: The Cold Part, Modest Mouse. This song IS skiing, although I don’t really like to ski to it because I find it to be a little slow. If you are ever thinking about skiing or winter, this song is a must play. It is good to wind down from a long days skiing beside the fire.
Of course, with my love for music and skiing, I was extremely disappointed when I was told that there is no music allowed when Heli-skiing with CMH. From a safety point of view, I now see why this makes perfect sense… With helicopters whirling everywhere and guides giving you specific instruction, it is definitely a life saving asset to be able to hear. And plus, if you had headphones in your ear while heli-skiing, you would miss the amazing sound of the helicopter taking off followed by the greatest silence in the world as you stand with your group on the top of a snow capped mountain.
If you like any of the above songs, feel free to fire me and email @ jentwistle@cmhinc.com and I would be happy to recommend a song for the type of skiing you do!
-John Entwistle