The Best Ski Resorts For Athletes

The way we see it, athletes require two things of their ideal ski destinations: Muscle-challenging ski runs and access to top-notch fitness facilities. Meg Austin, a ski expert who lives and works in Vail, Colorado, shares her favorite resorts for those who won’t take double-black diamonds without NFL-level hotel gyms.    Vail, Colorado The skiing: “If you plan for bumps and lead your turns with your poles, they make a great core workout and a mental and physical challenge. It’s intimidating because everyone on the chairlift watches you—and because the lift sign says ‘experts only’—but that also means there’s never a line.” The hotel gym: The Lodge at Vail has an enviable location at the base of the two-year-old Gondola 1 (which has heated seats and wifi), a big fitness facility and a fabulous spa.   Beaver Creek, Colorado The skiing: “Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey lift leads to three or four steep runs that are real workouts on powder days: When you can’t see the bumps, your legs become shock absorbers and you feel it in your thighs by day’s end.” The hotel gym: The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa is ten minutes north of Beaver Creek Mountain, so it’s less expensive than Beaver Creek hotels.