If you listen closely to the commentators at an alpine World Cup race, you'll likely hear talk about course injection, a process during which water is injected into the snow in order to make a harder surface. While the practice is often discussed, the injectors themselves are seldom seen. Here's an up-close look at what they are and how they work.

The world's best skiers dare to do what we mortals can only dream. Here's a guide on who to watch—and what to watch for—as Olympic history unfolds.

Lindsey Vonn says an article that claimed she has a size advantage over smaller racers helped motivate her to win three consecutive races last weekend. “If all it took to be good at ski racing was weight then we all would be stuffing our faces," she said during a conference call with reporters on Monday.

Skiing two miles downhill without taking a break is hard enough. Try doing it at 80 mph on a sheet of ice. That's what it feels like to be an Olympic racer. Think you've got what it takes? Give it a shot on one of these former Olympic downhill courses. Quad burn mean anything to you?

The freeskiers who invented it don’t have to like it, but skiercross—make that ‘ski cross’—is now an official, FIS-controlled Olympic event, and former World Cup racers like Daron Rahlves are among the favorites. Burning questions remain, like how baggy should your clothes be, what exactly are the rules, and who’ll win the first gold medal.

50 years ago, Whistler was founded on the outlandish claim that someday it would host the Winter Games. The resort finally delivers its destiny—and a whole lot more.

Skiing two miles downhill without taking a break is hard enough. Try doing it at 80 mph on a sheet of ice. That's what it feels like to be an Olympic racer, and you can still ski the 2002 Olympic Downhill Course at Snowbasin if you're willing to give it a try.

50 years ago, Whistler was founded on the outlandish claim that someday it would host the Winter Games. The resort finally delivers its destiny—and a whole lot more.