On two skis

From the Nordic World Ski Championships in the Czech Republic to the Freestyle World Championships in Japan to a small family rope tow in Maine, skiing takes many forms. Important competitions across many of skiing's disciplines prove that while spring may be around the corner, snow season is still very much alive. Join us as Big Shots looks at the diversity of the sport with pictures from just the last couple weeks. ( 26 photos total)

Racers get airborne during the men's ski cross final of the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Inawashiro, Japan March 2. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Tomas Slavik of the Czech Republic soars through the air during the large hill individual Gundersen event of the Nordic Skiing World Championships February 28 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty Images) #

30,000 skiers take the start at the "Ski-track of Russia", an annual mass skiing competition in Yakhroma, Russia. (AP Photo) #

Bruce Martin attends to an engine that powers the 800-foot rope tow at Powderhouse Hill January 3 in South Berwick, Maine. The engine is mounted on the back of a 1938 Ford truck at the top of the hill. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) #

Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland lies in the snow after winning the ladies cross country 30KM race at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 February 28 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) #

Carolina Ruiz Castillo of Spain jumps during the Alpine Skiing World Cup ladies' downhill training session in Tarvisio, Italy February 19. (REUTERS/Max Rossi) #

Athletes leave the start of the men's cross country 50km Race at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 March 1 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) #

Nikolai Glushkov, 56, prepares for a popular amateur cross country skiing competition in Novosibirsk, Russia February 21. (AP Photo/Ilnar Salakhiev) #

Russia's Anton Kamenev takes his first competition jump in Nordic Combined competition during FIS Nordic World Championships in Liberec on February 19. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images) #

American Bode Miller competes during the men's slalom at the World Ski Championships February 15 in Val d'Isere, France. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Liisa-Riitta Raponen of Finland competes during the women's relay 4x5 Km classic/free event of the Nordic Skiing World Championships February 26 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty Images) #

American Tim Burke races during the men's 12.5km pursuit of the IBU Biathlon World Championships February 15 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (Martin Rose/Getty Images) #

15,000 skiers participating in the 85th long distance cross country ski race ‘Vasaloppet’ make their way from the start in Berga By for the 90km trip to Mora, Sweden March 1. (REUTERS/Ulf Palm/Scanpix) #

Austria's Stefanie Moser competes during the women's downhill training at the FIS Ski World Cup in Tarvisisio, Italy February 18. (DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images) #

Estonian Karl Tiirmaa competes during the 10km mass start race of the Nordic Combined event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 February 19 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) #

An exhausted Pirjo Muranen of Finland lies on the snow following the ladies cross country 10km Individual Classic race at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 February 19 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) #

Austrian Wolfgang Loitzl smiles after winning the men's ski jumping 100m hill competition at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 February 21in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) #

American Bill Demong lands a jump during the ski jumping 100m hill competition of the nordic combined individual event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships February 22 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) #

Austria's Elisabeth Goergl crashes during training for an alpine Women's World Cup downhill race in Bansko, Bulgaria February 26. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati) #

Petter Northug of Norway celebrates winning the men's 30km pursuit gold medal at the Nordic Skiing World Championships February 22 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty Images) #

A fan cheers for Norway's team during the men's 4x7.5 km relay race at the IBU Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea February 22. (REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won) #

Kamlia Rajdlova of the Czech Republic competes during the ladies cross country team sprint at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 February 25 in Liberec, Czech Republic. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) #

Harri Olli of Finland soars through the air during a practice jump for the men's ski jumping competition at the Nordic World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic February 25. (REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger) #

Anssi Koivuranta of Finland flies during the ski jumping event of the nordic combined 10km individual competition at the Nordic World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic February 22. (REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger) #

American Scotty Bahrke performs during the men's aerials skiing qualification of the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Inawashiro, Japan March 3. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) #

Skiers carry flares as they head down Grouse Mountain overlooking Vancouver, Canada February 12, a parade of light to celebrate the one-year countdown for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. (REUTERS/Andy Clark) #

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On two skis