Skier Caught With His Pants Down on Lift. Literally.

I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm afraid of heights. (See what I did there -- a simple offsetting of a phobia with a non-phobia. Whatever. It helps me sleep.) And I'm also not afraid to tell you that if I found myself dangling upside down on a ski lift that something bad would probably happen with my pants.

Although, it's probably not the same thing that happened to the unidentified man in the photos above and below (rescue shots below, duh). See, he completely lost his pants. Via the always amazing and yet still underrated Smoking Gun

The January 2 mishap apparently occurred after the male skier and a child boarded a high-speed lift in Vail's Blue Sky Basin. It appears that the chairlift's fold-down seat was somehow not in the lowered position, which caused the man to partially fall through the resulting gap. His right ski got jammed in the ascending chairlift, and that kept him upended since his boot never dislodged from its binding.

And see, it's even okay to chuckle at the, ahem, size of the problem, because, as you can tell, he was later rescued. We apologize in advance for the excess of anus (for lack of a less crass or scientific word) shots today.

Burton Snowboards Push Boundaries With Playboy Designs

Burton Snowboards -- and Burton in general -- are by far and away one of America's most popular choices for winter snow-related activities. They've found a home in Vermont for over 15 years and are considered a leader in their field.

But Burton's recent decision to push the envelope with a few different board styles has raised some eyebrows, particularly with their new Playboy model, "Line of Love".

"When you really think about it, it's a young man standing on top of a naked woman's body," said Zarrillo, 38, an office manager for a nonprofit based in Burlington, also home to Burton's headquarters. "I probably could have gotten past it, because I try to have an open mind, but seeing it like that, it's offensive."

The outcry hasn't made a dent in sales of the new lines, Burton cofounder Jake Carpenter told the Burlington newspaper Seven Days in November. The Playboy line, called Love, and a second line called Primo, which depicts mutilated hands, have "completely oversold by virtue of this exposure," he said.

Now, you might say this is a stretch to call this "travel related". I would say that you're stretching it to prove that I'm "enjoying myself without actually being on a ski slope this Monday morning."

And I would win ... unlike Burton, who may be facing just too much heat from parents, purchasers and the general public to continue on with the "Line of Love". Plus, won't someone just think of the children???

The iPod: Saving Lives Since 2008

iPods -- and all MP3 players -- are fantastic for a number of reasons. The primary being that they contain hours of music and can save travelers from a near death-like experience of having to actually converse with the person in next airplane seat.

Additionally, they're fantastic for skiers and snowboarders who like to jam out while cruising down the slopes. And a lost skier and snowboarder in Switzerland found a different use for their MP3 player this weekend: saving lives.

The two — a skier and snowboarder, both from France — had got lost late in the day Friday outside marked runs near the resort of Savognin in southeast Switzerland, said Gery Baumann, spokesman for mountain rescue service Rega.

“The two winter sports enthusiasts were found by the crew of the Rega helicopter shortly after midnight — thanks to the faint light of their MP3 player,” he said.

Yup, thanks to their MP3 player, the pair only suffered "mild hypothermia", which, while quite lame in and of itself, is vastly superior to the alternate: "death". The lesson as always? Go out, buy yourself an iPod (or whatever) and carry it with you at all times. Also: bring a battery pack.

FareFinder: Put those free ski jackets to good use

Professional Travel Guide version 1.0 offered up a chance to grab some free stuff. Now through PTG v.2, FareFinder wants to help put those freebies to good use. Namely, hit the slopes. How does Telluride sound? I thought so.

The Inn at Lost Creek is offering major discounts on their peak-season rates for you early birds looking for a wintry getaway.

The Telluride, Colorado-based luxury, boutique hotel is offering a 20% discount for early reservations for the winter season. Book a three-night or longer stay from November 30 through April 5, 2009 (excluding Holidays and black-out dates) before November 30th to save.

I checked out their booking machine (FYI -- it's in Flash, so make sure your computer's updated) and the rates with this special drop anywhere from $80/night for a regular one-bedroom to an insane $175/night for those living high on the hog needing a two-bedroom suite.

There are some blackout dates, namely the times you'd want to get away to avoid family enjoy holiday weekends (Xmas/New Year's week, Prez's week and good ol' drink green beer week), but other than that it's a savings smorgasbord.