Snowboarding Tours
Few sports have environmental
requirements as distinct as those of skiing and snowboarding.
Once the last of the snow has melted from your local
slopes, you might find the logistics of practicing your
sport increasingly stressful. Before packing away your
board for the summer, however, keep in mind that snowboarding
doesn’t have to be a seasonal sport. Whether you’re
intent on staying within the United States or you’re
willing to venture further, there are plenty of places
where you can board year-round.
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Within
the United States, there are mountaintops in
several states, including the more popular snowboarding
destinations of Colorado and Oregon, where the
snow never entirely melts. Mt. Hood, the highest
peak in Oregon, is situated on the banks of
the Columbia River just 45 minutes north of
Portland.
The peak offers
year-round glacier-free mountaineering ascents
and snowboarding descents.
If the 6,700
foot vertical ascent sounds overwhelming, you
can consider the Mt. Hood Timberline Ski Resort,
the country’s only ski resort opened for
the entire year. |
For snowboarding enthusiasts
willing to wander (and perhaps seeking to escape the
heat waves across America and Europe), there’s
an entire hemisphere full of possibilities: the southern
hemisphere. While we’re lathering on sunscreen
and planning excursions to the beach, our counterparts
south of the equator are experiencing their winter.
Thus, even in the heat of the summer months, only a
plane ride separates you from the natural winter of
New Zealand or Australia.
The least stressful way to make these cross-globe
expeditions is to book a tour with a reputable
travel company that has already secured your
lodging, park/resort fees, and snowboarding
instruction.
There are several
companies that offer these trips, such as Access
Trips, a New Zealand company which offers snowboard
camps and holidays tailored for all snowboarding
enthusiasts, from the amateurs to the experts.
Of course, if
the inconvenience of any travel outweighs the
potential benefits, there’s always a ‘snowboard
trainer’ like the Tierney T-Board, a piece
of equipment resembling a skateboard that allows
you to practice snowboarding skills (like carving
on an edge) on hot summer, pavement rather than
powder. |
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Ultimately, you quit snowboarding
during the summer months only if you want to. For the
boarder who can’t stay away from the slopes, however,
there are multiple options – from your bedroom
to the far corners of the map – to continue boarding
year-round.
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