Ski resorts are ready for the season. Here’s what’s new and how to hit the slopes safely

Christian Corsini wasn’t sure what to expect at the start of the last ski season or whether he would be able to ride. With COVID a persistent concern and activities in the region off limits because of the pandemic, the 32-year-old Los Angeles County firefighter and snowboarder said Mammoth Mountain, his favorite resort, “had an unusual vibe, for sure.” “All in all, though, I had a good season other than a broken collar bone that kept me off the snow for a while,” said Corsini, who works out of Gardena. “If all goes well, we’ll even be able to host the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix from Jan. 6-8, which is the last qualifying competition for the half-pipe and slopestyle skiing and snowboarding events at the Winter Olympics, which will be held in China in February.” Big Bear Mountain Resort spokesperson Justin Kanton said he’s hoping most of the rules imposed last season won’t be necessary this season. “We required guests to buy passes, lessons and rentals online in ad vance to limit human contact,” said Kanton about the resort, which includes Snow Summit and Bear Mountain and is 100 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino Mountains. “We had 5.3 million skier and rider visits, up from 5.1 million during the 2018-2019 season,” said Alison Palmintere, a spokesperson for Ski Utah, the marketing arm for the state’s ski and snowboard resorts.