skiing

While it lacks the subtle charm of Alberto Tomba, this robot is just as much at ease flying down a slalom course. Designed by Bojan Nemec of the the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia, the robot utilizes two computers to stay upright and pointed downhill.

How much air is big air? Just check your iPhone. The latest application for the iPhone is Hangtimer, which allows skiers to quantify just how big they went. Download the application for an absurdly cheap $10, and the iPhone's -- or iPod Touch's -- internal tri-axial accelerometer detects when your feet leave and touch the ground. After each jump, the iPhone displays your flight time, while a plot provides a running tally of your jumps and speed throughout the day.

There's gondolas, and then there's the new Whistler Blackcomb resort's Peak 2 Peak gondola. The modern marvel opened December 12, creating the world's longest unsupported span, which stretches 1.88 miles across Fitzsimmons Creek at a measly 1,427 feet above sea level. The full 2.73-mile gondola trip joins two mountains, providing more than 8,000 acres of ski-able terrain to the most enthusiastic bums.

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Entertainment & Gaming, The Score, Brett Zarda, gondolas, skiing, sports

The Atomic D2 Vario Cut is like two skis in one: It's straight and narrow for zooming downhill but expands to be wider at the tip and tail when you turn -- creating a curved ski that, like a sharply turned car wheel, carves through a tight arc.