World Cup Finals: Mikaela Shiffrin gets best of Tina Maze for Slalom title, but Maze wins 3 titles

March 17:  Slovenian superstar Tina Maze may have clinched the World Cup Giant Slalom season crown in January, but that didn’t stop her from winning the final race of the season on Sunday (March 17) in Lenzerheide. The victory means Maze brought home three titles — Giant Slalom, Super G and Overall — while also setting the season record for overall points with 2,414 and for total podiums (24). Read more.

March 16: There is NO way an 18-year-old should be able to do what Mikaela Shiffrin did this season. Not only did she ski well enough all season to be in the hunt for the slalom season title going into the season’s final race, she was able to battle through the intense pressure to not only win the race but get the best of Tina Maze, who had a record-setting season. See how she did it with an amazing second run. Read more.

Weather 2, Ski Racing 0. That’s the score after heavy snow overnight and strong winds during the men’s Super G forced cancellation Thursday (March 14) of that race and the women’s competition in Lenzerheide at the World Cup Finals.

As a result,  Aksel Lund Svindal earned his second Cup title (adding Super G to Downhill) and Tina Maze added a third to her previous crowns in Overall and Giant Slalom. It was a reversal of fortune for Maze, who was virtually assured the Downhill season crown before fog canceled that race on Wednesday. The World Cup does not make up races at the Finals.

The cancellation was a disappointment for Julia Mancuso, who had a chance to catch Maze with a good showing (she trailed the Slovenian 420-365).  Here’s where to find 

Ted Ligety, Mr. GS, wins in Slovenia to claim World Cup season title in discipline

Ted Ligety (US Ski Team)

Ted Ligety made it official with his Giant Slalom victory on Saturday (March 9) at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The American really IS “Mr G.S.”, as he clinched his fourth season title in the discipline.

Not that is was a runaway. Even though Ligety has won five of the seven GS races this season, the amazing Austrian Marcel Hirscher, who ran second, had stayed close enough in the season standings that it took until Saturday for him to be eliminated. Read more.

The American has been on fire this season, dominating

Tina Maze wins, sets up winner-takes-all race with Mikaela Shiffrin for World Cup slalom title

UPDATE: Slovenian superstar Tina Maze won the slalom on Sunday (March 10), in Ofterschwang, Germany, to overtake Mikaela Shiffrin in the slalom standings. Even though the 17-year-old American earned an amazing sixth podium this season (plus a World Championship) with her third-place finish, she now stands 7 points behind the Slovenian with one race to go. Learn more.

March 9: Austrian Anna Fenninger won Saturday’s (March 9) Giant Slalom in Ofterschwang, Germany. Fenninger bested Tina Maze, who still will win the discipline for the season, and Viktoria Rebensburg filled out the podium. Julia Mancuso topped

Find out what’s next for gloves in Skiing Business interview with John Kloser of Swany America

The good folks at Skiing Business conducted a live Facebook chat with John Kloser, Vice President of Sales for Swany America, about the latest in gloves. Here’s a look at the great questions asked by Skiing Business and other Facebook users, along with John’s answers.

Jarl Skibumdad Berg (Facebook user): What is your best choice for spring gloves?

John Kloser: I would recommend our FX-10. This is a light-weight Flexor glove with leather palms and fingers. Flexor has mobile knuckle joints for better dexterity. It also has a 3D mesh on the back and a wrap-around strap.

Skiing Business: Would that be a good backcountry glove too, John?

One of the new gloves with Touchtek leather coming out this fall from Swany

Kloser: Yes the FX-10 would be a good ascent glove, lightweight and flexible. But we have developed some backcountry specific gloves for 2013. We are using the NeoShell fabric from Polartec. NeoShell is a waterproof fabric that has unprecedented breathabilty. We have three models (See them here) that are being well received in the marketplace. REI is putting all three of our backcountry gloves into their stores for this fall.

Skiing Business: Speaking of new fabrics and technologies, it seems like more brands are incorporating technology into their handwear. Where do you see that market going?

Kloser: Wearable technology is becoming very important. We are currently selling G-Cell gloves that are bluetooth adaptable and will sync to your phone. You don’t need to take your gloves off to talk on the phone — you feel a vibration and just push a button to talk. The

Tina Maze wins downhill, sets World Cup season points record, but Mancuso challenging for Super G season title with one race left

Julia Mancuso (US Ski Team)

UPDATE (March 4): Slovenian star Tina Maze received police protection on Sunday at the Super G in the wake of an e-mailed death threat after she won the Downhill on Saturday. Read more.

Tina Maze made World Cup history with her Downhill victory on Saturday (March 2), establishing a new season record for most overall points. Here’s a look at all the women’s World Cup races

Ted Ligety scores another podium to keep lead in World Cup Giant Slalom

Ted Ligety (US Ski Team photo)

What kind of a season has it been for Ted Ligety? It’s news when he DOESN’T win a World Cup race.

The American has been on fire, dominating the Giant Slalom discipline on the circuit, and in the recent FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Ligety won an astonishing three medals (Super G, Super Combined and Giant Slalom).

But you can’t win ’em all, as Ligety proved by placing third in a Giant Slalom on Sunday (Feb. 24) in Garmisch. Frenchman Alexis Pinturault won the race, followed by Austrian Marcel Hirscher. Read more.

Ligety’s result does mean he has finished on the podium in all six of this season’s giant slalom races (4 wins, 2 thirds) and leads (520-415) Hirscher in GS discipline standings.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

Everyone loves the Swany G-Cell, the glove that’s also a phone

Let’s face it: No one can resist the G-Cell, the glove that’s a phone.

Need  proof, just look at these two videos. Above, the good folks at Freeskier take the glove for a test-ride at the recently completed SIA Snow Show in Denver.

Or watch Bill Dzierson from Swany illustrate how to use G-Cell at the Snow Show in this AOL Skiing Video.

Want one? Of COURSE you do. Here’s where to buy it.

Want to win a G-Cell? Enter here.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

World Championships results, from Ted Ligety to Mikaela Shiffrin, Marcel Hirscher to Tina Maze

Here are complete results for the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships, which were jam-packed with great performances, as well as the frightening crash of Lindsey Vonn in Super G that ended her season.

The home country Austrians claimed the most overall medals (6) during the events held in the town of Schladming. The Americans were second with 5 medals, but claimed the most Gold meals (4)  thanks to Ted Ligety’s astonishing string of victories (Super G, Super Combined and Giant Slalom) and precocious teen Mikaela Shiffrin’s win in Slalom. Julia Mancuso took bronze in Super G.

Slovenian star Tina Maze, who has been dominating

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Gold in Slalom at World Championships continues her historic season

Mikaela Shiffrin continued her amazing season with Gold in Slalom at the 42nd FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming, Austria.

The victory on Saturday (Feb. 16) means the 17-year-old from Colorado now has four slalom victories this season and has stamped herself as both the world’s top World Cup slalom racer and the favorite headed into the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. (And she might be a contender in Giant Slalom after a strong sixth-place finish at the championships).

Shiffrin was third after the first run to  leader Frida Hansdotter, but out-skied her in the second run to relegate Hansdotter to silver. Home country favorite Michaela Kirchgasser took the bronze. Read more.

MEN’S SLALOM

Ted Ligety will just have to “settle” for three golds at the World Championships after the American popped out of his ski on the first run in Men’s Slalom on Sunday (Feb. 17).

Defending overall World Cup champ Marcel Hirscher delighted the home country faith with the win, while countryman Mario Matt added to the fun with bronze.  Felix Neureuther took home the bronze. Read more.

FIND COMPLETE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS HERE.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

Ted Ligety wins Giant Slalom to make history at World Championships

Ted Ligety’s winning has become historic, thanks to a victory in Giant Slalom on Friday (Feb. 15) that earned him his third gold at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming, Austria.

The medal means Ligety is the first man to win three golds (he previously won Super G and Super Combined) at a single World Championships in the modern era. He’s also making American ski history, since his four career gold medals at Worlds now ties him with Bode Miller for most overall.

Ligety, who has dominated Giant Slalom this season to the point he has been dubbed “Mr. GS,” locked up Friday’s race after securing a huge 1.30 second lead in the first run. He ultimately won by .81 over Marcel Hirscher and Manfred Moelgg. Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal just missed a medal. Read more.

FIND COMPLETE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS HERE.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.