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Quickly outgrowing its beginnings as a sport for intrepid mountaineers, skiing is now a mainstream winter activity for the whole family. And ski resorts have kept up with the demand, adding hotels, restaurants, après-ski entertainment, and all manner of indoor and outdoor recreation. But for skiers, it’s the snow that counts, and the terrain of the mountainsides it falls on. Although the world’s best-known ski resorts are in Europe and North America, the 1998 Winter Olympics put Japan firmly on the ski map, and enthusiasts’ quest for year-round snow has brought the Andes more attention.
