Snowboarding

When I first went snowboarding, it was a huge experience for me. I had been to some mountains in Australia, but the snow was more or less dirty ice. It was huge to arrive in New Zealand and to drive from Christchurch to Wanaka in two Campervans. I remember getting out of the van when we first saw snow and going and grabbing a handful. True, it was dirty snow on the side of the road, but I believe that something new is an adventure. We had planned our two weeks around snowboarding. This meant that we would have a few days snowboarding, a break and then back to snowboarding on the slopes again.

I stayed in New Zealand for two weeks, doing various things, many which were awesome fun and adventurous. I snowboarded for 6 days, with a weekend break in the middle. I have to say it’s the most fun I have ever had in my life. Snowboarding is probably the activity in my life I miss most. Just to drive up a huge mountain which seems endless, on slippery roads in a campervan was so new and fun itself. Getting to the top of Mount Cardrona was absolutely breathtaking. We were all excited because of the prospect of trying out a new adventure, but to have gear and to stand in snow was amazing. Watching people snowboarding down the slopes was brilliant.

Like most sports, it takes time to get the hang of snowboarding. Snowboarding is similar to wakeboarding, but different also in many ways. It took me just over 2 days to be able to carve reasonably well, and stop when I wanted to (not on my behind either!). After that, snowboarding was absolutely brilliant. Each day I got better and better, and snowboarding became more and more fun. Admittedly, the first few days were a little painful, because of the amount of times I fell over – and believe me – snow isn’t as soft and fluffy as it looks, especially when compacted down. In saying this, snowboarding was the best fun I have ever had.

I enjoyed snowboarding so much that I was often the last person off the slopes at the end of the day, and the person waking my family up each morning so we could head off. I couldn’t recommend a better sport than snowboarding. There are a few things to know about skiing and snowboarding before you begin the adventure, and some are listed below:

•    Where do you go? You can go snowboarding in Canada, Japan, Australia, USA, New Zealand and many other places. Each have their own reputation, the snow is different, slopes are different and the costs are different. This means in turn the snowboarding is different. Some snowboarding slopes have trees and rocks, whilst others lack these. I can say that New Zealand has awesome snowboarding, if you pick the right time and right year. Some years don’t have much snow, and when you’re snowboarding on grass the adventure isn’t as good.

•    What accommodation do you use? Most mountains will have accommodation on the slopes for snowboarding and skiing, but it is usually booked well ahead and extremely expensive. It is however, it is awesome to stay in a wooden cabin on onto the slope. To get out of bed and go snowboarding is a privilege only some will get to experience. Some mountains have chairlifts from the bottom to the top, so you can park at the bottom and ride up. Others you need to drive up, and the roads can be narrow and slippery (you may need chains). This in itself is a fun experience, but can be dangerous if you have never done it before and are unsure of what you are doing. Its not quite worth your life to go snowboarding, so learn what needs to be done beforehand. We hired two campervans and stayed in a nice ‘Campervan hotel’. Sure, it took more time getting to the mountain and back each day to go snowboarding, but it was a lot cheaper, and still more than comfortable enough.  Remember, for the holiday to be fun, it has to be comfortable.

•    What equipment do you use? This is a main factor when snowboarding, and it will make or break your adventure. If the gear is poor quality, you are cold or the buckles keep undoing, the snowboarding will not be so enjoyable. Ensure that the gear that you have works properly and fits well. There is nothing worse than blisters on the first day from boots which are too tight. You can buy or hire gear, and this ultimately depends on how often you go. Generally, when hiring gear, the further away from the snow you are, the cheaper the gear is. This means you have less money spent, and a better adventure. Ensure that everyone tries on their gear, and borrow from friends anything that you can – save some money. Snowboarding is not fun if your equipment lacks quality.

•    What passes should you buy to go snowboarding? You have to pay to use the mountain slopes, and you can pay per day, per week etc. I would suggest that 5 days minimum is needed to learn snowboarding, so make sure you pay for at least that. Remember, buying in bulk saves money which you can use snowboarding at the cafes. We found that having a weekend where you have a break is a good idea. Snowboarding for 5 days straight can be very tiring and the holiday loses its fun when everyone is tired.

•    Remember to be patient; snowboarding isn’t a skill that you will pick up straight away. It’s a good idea to take at least one lesson, to be taught how to stop (which is the most important thing). You don’t want to ruin your snowboarding time by having an accident which could have been avoided.  Learn from others how to use chairlifts; these can be dangerous if you don’t use them correctly. I almost got very hurt using a chairlift in New Zealand, because I rushed to jump on it and slipped on the snow. I was lucky my snowboarding holiday continued.

•    Only attempt the slopes that you are comfortable. Trying to snowboard down a double black slope when you can hardly put a board on is a stupid idea. Start to go snowboarding on the beginner slopes, and work your way up as your confidence builds. Again, a fall often reduces the confidence and fun you have in your snowboarding trip; so don’t make it harder on yourself.
•    Be aware of the costs before you book. When snowboarding, you need to pay for equipment hire, accommodation, travel, slope passes as well as food etc. Your adventure will be fun if you are conservative with money.

I would recommend snowboarding as the number one adventure for myself. I have not gone back again, but I hope to one day. It is truly an awesome experience and if you are even slightly considering a fun time, try snowboarding.