Five Top Skiing Apps for your iPhone

Heavy snowfalls are generally unwelcome - unless you are a child, a polar bear, or an avid winter sports enthusiast. I’m going to make the assumption you fit into the winter sports enthusiast bracket! While everybody else complains about clearing their driveways and tackling icy roads, skiers are out conquering the slopes, and some are doing it smarter than others simply because they’re using ski apps to make the most of their skiing experience. iPhone ski and snowboarding apps can cover everything from snowfall levels to skiing instructions to all the gear you need to make the most of that snow. There are hundreds of great apps listed in the App Store for download, but I’m going to share with you just 5 – the 5 best iPhone ski apps!

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Ski Tracks ($0.99) is an amazing app that uses GPS to track your statistical information while skiing. Just turn it on before your first run, and check your stats throughout the day. Ski Tracks uses your phone’s built-in location service to identify your location without any need for manual intervention. It even knows when you are on a chairlift, so it can begin a new run automatically. No need to fiddle with your phone every time you ride to the bottom of the mountain!

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Ski & Snow Report (free) is an excellent app for tracking the conditions at your favourite mountains. Ideal if you’re skiing in an unfamiliar area, the app also has a “nearby” feature, which allows you to check the conditions of the mountains within a reasonable distance of your current location. Push alerts will inform you whenever one of your favourite mountains receives a fresh layer of powder.

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On the Snow Gear Guide (free) is an app for sourcing new ski or snowboard equipment. Find skis, snowboard, and boots ideal for your specific skill level, gender and sport (ski or snowboard). Receive personalised recommendations on the appropriate snow gear, and access video reviews from experts on the season’s top gear. You can even compare equipment side-by-side using a pioneering split-screen view and share your selections via Facebook.

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SnowEdge (free) is the ideal app for those who like their ski stats. It assesses your skill based on your speed, the acceleration of your turns, and how much air you get on jumps. If you leave the app open, it will measure each of these factors for every run you perform. A great feature is the app is the highlighting of your latest run and your best runs throughout the day on the same screen. This allows you to track your progress easily.

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SkiTips ($3.99) means you can take your skiing instructions in your pocket when you hit the slopes. The concept of teaching yourself to ski using your phone may seem strange, but this app means you can watch the instruction and then practice your attack! It features 30 lessons that teach all the basics of skiing and 20 lessons that demonstrate all the advanced techniques, including high speed carving, control turns, bumps, ice, and powder.

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Aoife O’Carroll is a staff writer for Ireland based Nova Car Hire, a popular site offering car hire in more than 26,000 destinations including popular Irish ski destinations in France & Switzerland.