Outdoor Reads: Cross train with family fun in the snow, plus Chip Wilson gets more flak

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other industry insiders might find interesting? Read on to find out!

• If you have a couple thousand dollars lying around and are looking for a last-minute holiday gift, consider giving the gift of heli-skiing or snowboarding. Virgin powder, great memories, long descents and gorgeous views. Check out this Forbes story — it will most definitely make you want to take a heli-skiing trip.

• Last week we read a story titled “Chip Wilson Can Kiss My Fat Yoga Ass: A Lululemon Ambassador Speaks Out,” about how one yoga ambassador stepped away from the company because now ex-chairman of the board Chip Wilson said the company’s clothes weren’t for some women. The author writes a follow-up, encouraging people to not buy Lululemon because Wilson is still the largest shareholder. She goes in deeper about Lululemon’s “shadiness” in her second story found here. Lululemon recently appointed former Burton and Tom’s executive Laurent Potdevin to take over as CEO.

• Ah-ha. It’s articles like this that are converting road runners into trail-running lovers. The story gives a ton of reasons to hit the trials including relieving stress and getting some mental clarity on life’s inevitable bumps. The author also gives tips on how to get started, including buying new gear which is where you come in handy, retailers.

• Or maybe it’s articles, like this Competitor story, that are making trail running so popular. The story reports it’s important to vary running surfaces. It keeps your knees and joints happy when you switch out asphalt and concrete for softer trails and grass every now and then because the softer surfaces absorb the impact.

• Recognizing women who make a difference to others is an awesome thing, so we were tickled when we stumbled upon this list of nine inspiring female skiers including the late Sarah Burke and outdoor and wintersports industry sweetheart Sally Franklyn. Check it out and post your favorite female athlete in our comments section below.

• Incorporating yoga into your life is a perfect resolution, this story said, because it makes you feel better. The article goes on to say that yoga is continuing to gain popularity because science is now backing up the claims yogis have been making for so long.

• If you’re not a winter camping kind of gal or guy, then you’d relate to the author of this story. He chronicles his first winter camping experience. He had a stellar time. He saw some cool views, bagged a peak, but when the time came to go home a series of unfortunate events begins. Will he do it again next winter? Read the story and find out.

• We like winter running and winter hiking. An hour in the snow is a much greater workout than an hour in perfect conditions. Winter hiking has a special allure, this story said, because it’s a great way to get your nature fix and cardio in at the same time.

• So next week is when all that Christmas jazz happens and there will be parties and presents and hectic schedules. You might not have time to hit the road to run, but incorporating some family fun in the sun (get that Vitamin D) can help you cross train and work off the calories from grandma’s cookies. This story recommends skiing, sledding and ice-skating. Bonus: families might need some extra gear for all that stuff.

• Speaking of that hectic holiday schedule — some moments during the holidays it really doesn’t feel like the most wonderful time of the year. It’s stressful, expensive, crowded and there are constant nutritional nightmares surrounding you. But one ancient form of yoga can help cure all that stress, according to this Boston Globe story. Yoga nidra isn’t about exercise, it’s about relaxation and deep meditation. We’re going home tonight and kicking off the weekend with some yoga nidra before next week’s madness begins.

Did you read anything awesome this week? Email us because we want to read it, too!