VietnamSurprise – Are your feet starting to itch for the next big snowboarding adventure? Do you long for the taste of mountain air and the powdery crunch of fresh snow underfoot? If you do, it could be time to start organizing your next snowboarding holiday. Even if your nine to five job and your weeping bank balance force high altitude adventures to be few and far between, the mountains will always be there.
The question is – where to next? If you’re an avid snowboarding fan who’s getting a little tired of visiting the same old resorts in France and Switzerland, it could be time to travel a little further out. A thirst for excitement and a healthy dose of determination can take you anywhere that you want to go. Here’s a guide from NothinButSnow to some of the best places in the world to go snowboarding.
St Anton, Austria
According to Telegraph journalist Chris Gill, St Anton is the western extremity of the Tirol – at the foot of the road that leads up to the Arlberg pass. This makes the resort a very large, sprawling complex that stretches right across the valley. It takes in many different kinds of slope, from beginners pistes to the most adrenaline fuelled expert ones. There’s room for everyone at St Antons, but it does tend to get very busy during peak times. The Valluga lift is a popular slope with experienced snowboarders, as is the now infamous Rendl area. It’s not just the snow slopes that get a little crazy either. The après ski nature of this resort is legendary.
Banff, Canada
Banff is widely regarded as one of the best ski resorts on the planet. It also happens to be pretty handy when it comes to snowboards too. In fact, it’s a place that feels like it’s been designed for those who love to snowboard. The weather in this part of the world is so harsh that even sitting in your lodge watching television feels extreme, says Guardian journalist Gemma Bowes. Unsurprisingly, it’s probably not the best place to learn how to snowboard. However, if you fancy yourself as quite a pro – Banff in Alberta Canada could be the perfect place for you.
Ruka, Finland
Unlike Banff, the resort in Ruka is ideal for beginners and those who aren’t quite as confident with their skills as they’d like to be. The slopes here aren’t challenging but they are good fun. Pistes are soft, rounded and non-threatening, so it’s a great place to find your ski-legs – so to speak. Ruka also has some unique and interesting features, like several frozen lakes and waterfalls. If you’re feeling brave, you can also try your hand at snowmobiling with a pack of rowdy husky dogs.
Breckenridge, Colorado
The British Olympic snowboarding team has used this resort as their training ground for the last three years – you can’t argue with that. The World Snowboard Guide calls it ‘a true classic and an amazing park.’ Though it tends to be quite an expensive area to visit, Breckenridge has some of the best slopes in the whole of the USA. It has four separate snowboarding peaks, so there’s never any trouble finding a slope to match your ability here. Breckenridge is particularly well known for the quality of its freestyle snowboard park. If you want to try your hand at a little freestyle boarding, this is definitely the place in which to do it.
Wanaka, New Zealand
Snowboarding in New Zealand is a truly unique experience. Unlike almost every other slope in the world, the slopes in New Zealand tend not to have any trees growing upon them. Slopes in this part of the world are regularly dubbed ‘snow fields,’ because they stretch out in front of you in an impressive expanse of white. This also means that there are few constrained trails in New Zealand. In Wanaka, snowboarders are free to fling themselves down the mountainside in whatever manner, direction and speed that they feel is best.
Author Bio:
Sarah is a snow sports enthusiast who visits the slopes at least twice a year. She is currently enrolled on a snowboard instructor course with Nothin‘ But Snow. Her favourite place to snowboard is St Anton.
