Welcome To The New And Improved City and Slopes Magazine

What You Can Expect In The Months To Come

Hi all,

Building on the success of our inaugural issue last year, City and Slopes is set to return with our second annual edition. For new readers, welcome! Before we dive into what to expect this year, let me give you a brief introduction to myself, the brand, and how our first edition played out.

I’m Andy Hirscheld, our editor in chief. I’m a journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering hard-hitting news stories. I’ve produced content for CNN, CBS News, and Bloomberg, reporting from the path of storms, responding to major political events, and even covering war zones on the ground.

More recently, I served as the anchor of the Business Report, a nationally syndicated business news show for local stations across the United States. The program aired on select NEWSnet, ABC, CBS, Fox, and CW stations. In addition, I write for outlets including Al Jazeera English, Fast Company, Slate, and The Daily Beast. You may have heard me recently on NPR or Marketplace, or seen me on Al Jazeera, Ticker News Australia, CGTN, or TYT.

I keep busy, and skiing is my escape from my hectic professional life. For my birthday a few years ago, I decided to treat myself to a ski vacation. Most of my closest friends in New York City are not skiers, so it was a big ask for them to join me on a pricey weekend trip for a sport they don’t enjoy. Instead of going solo, I found a group travel trip to Idaho. It seemed like a great way to hit the slopes while also making new friends who share my interests.

The company that operated the trip is called Ovrride, which organizes travel trips like a week in the Austrian Alps and day trips to places like Hunter Mountain and Belleayre. After participating in about a dozen trips with them, I approached the company’s founder, Jamie Kiley, about launching a publication closely associated with the ethos of their brand. With my background in top-tier reporting, Jamie’s media expertise, and his loyal base for Ovrride, it felt like a perfect fit.

Last year, we launched City and Slopes to channel our experience and the ethos of our interests.

New York City isn’t typically what comes to mind when you think of America’s ski cities. Denver is close to the best of the Rockies, just like Salt Lake City. Boston has easy access to some of the best skiing in the Northeast, including Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. However, New York City is actually near some excellent options for day trips, such as the aforementioned Belleayre (which boasts the best snowmaking in the Northeast) and Hunter Mountain, both just a few hours away. 

Living in New York City doesn’t mean you have to abandon a lifestyle of regularly hitting the slopes. With an airport that makes flying to the Rockies and other top mountain ranges a breeze, New York City is a fantastic base for mountain enthusiasts.

City and Slopes is designed for New Yorkers who love to ski or snowboard and often feel left out of the discourse surrounding the snowsports lifestyle. Our programming resonates with readers by helping them plan the best possible day trips, from easily accessible mountains to après options in the city, while also providing insights into the best skiing and riding around the world.

City and Slopes is a publication brought to you by Ovrride, as I mentioned earlier. Ovrride is a travel company operated by some of the top veterans in the ski and snowboard industry. It offers day trip bus rides to locations in the Poconos, Vermont, Catskills and the Adirondacks, as well as weekend getaways to New England and Utah, and longer organized trips to destinations in the West, New England, Europe, Asia, and South America. I’ve made some of my closest friends on the trips they operate.

So how did the first edition do, you ask?

Last year, we printed 250 magazines, distributing them in outdoorsy stores, coffee shops, barbershops, and waiting rooms across New York City. We also saw significant readership numbers on digital platforms, including our website and Issuu. In total, we reached a circulation of 52,000.

The magazine featured a diverse array of articles appealing to everyone from hardcore off-piste skiers and boarders to those who visit the mountain just for the lodge. These pieces were written by a wide range of authors and industry professionals, published in outlets ranging from Ski Magazine to Bloomberg Businessweek. 

We collaborated with artists published in Vox and partnered with major brands like Microsoft and WeWork. Last year, we partnered with brands including Bauer’s Brew, Soul Meets Nature Juices, Cutwater Spirits, Pacifico Beer, Burton Snowboards, Paragon Sports, and many others.

So what’s next?

In the coming months, we’re excited to launch our next edition, featuring new expanded offerings. We’ve been working diligently to prepare ahead of the 2024–2025 season. With snow already on the ground in Utah, Vermont, and the Alps, we clearly have our work cut out for us.

As you can see, we are moving our web content to Substack. This transition will allow us to operate a standalone website and release our content throughout the season as a newsletter seamlessly.

So What Should Readers Expect?

INFORMATIVE ORIGINALS: At the heart of our magazine is smart and insightful journalism that informs and inspires you about the world around us. Currently, we have top-tier writers working on features about a ski team in Afghanistan, an inside look at the resort with the best snowmaking in the Northeast, and informative how-to guides from many of the writers we collaborated with last year.

COMMERCE DEALS: Our gear guide last year was a hit, and we’re expanding it further this year. By ordering through our links, you might snag some decent discounts.

EVENTS: Last year, OVR’s season launch party also served as a fundraiser for Hoods to Woods and of course, the unveiling of our inaugural issue. It was in the basement of Paragon sports. It was a hit! If you have ideas or want to host something with us, please get in touch. While our magazine won’t be up and running yet OVR’s first event is November 7th.

OVRRIDE: This year, we will align more closely with our parent company. On our web platform, we will publicize their upcoming events and offerings and provide updates on our events, trips, and other essential news to reach a bigger audience.

PODCAST: In addition to our other offerings, I will host a podcast where I sit down with some of the biggest names in snowsports for insightful interviews. As a long-time broadcaster who hosted my own nationally syndicated business news show for several years, I assure you these discussions will be compelling.

SYNDICATION: We’ve developed distribution deals with several other publishers to share relevant reporting on health issues related to our coverage area, including Grist and Kaiser Health News.

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS: Through brand partnerships and advertising, we will highlight boutique ski brands, new hotels, and even bands you should know about.

MAGAZINE: Our print magazine is the centerpiece of our brand. We will continue to offer limited free editions at outdoor stores, coffee shops, barbershops, and waiting rooms across New York City. We will share a map of locations, and we invite you to support these businesses. Additionally, we will offer print magazines for order throughout the season if you want your own copy.

We have even more offerings that we are working on behind the scenes that we’re still ironing out so stay tuned here as the season develops. We are very excited about what’s to come!

Stay Tuned, 

Andy