Since its beginnings as more of a fringe spot, snowboarding has made huge inroads into resorts originally intended for those on skis. In fact, many of the world’s best ski resorts have added specific snowboarding parks, including areas for those who prefer a ride on the half-pipe to a day out on the trails.

While the word snowboarding circuit consists of some well-known resorts that everyone’s been to at least once, truly adventurous snowboarders, as well as pioneers of the sport, have been spending a lot of time searching far and wide for some of the best and rarest mountains. After all, everyone knows you can hit the slopes in Colorado-England and Florida, not so much. For a true taste of adventure, getting off the beaten path can really be a rewarding experience, not to mention an incredible vacation.

That’s why we’re here to help all of those aspiring globe-trotting snowboarders. While it might be great to hit the resort in your backyard all winter, it’s even more rewarding to find the common bond of snowboarding can make you friends all over the world, while seeing incredible new countries and riding some great mountains. Whether it’s the southern hemisphere or the northern hemisphere, a world-class resort or a smaller, more local hill, there’s so much more to boarding than your own back yard. Here are some of the world’s greatest destinations for snowboarding that you may have never heard of.

The Summit at Snoqualmie – Located on Snoqualmie Pass in Washington, this snowboard and ski resort consists of four smaller base areas that used to be their own independent resorts. Today, the resort is open during the season seven days a week, and six nights out of the week, for a chance to get in even more time on the slopes. With a majority of the slopes catering to advanced boarders, beginners definitely will find the area a challenge. If you’re new to the sport, it’s not a good place to start.

Whistler Blackcomb – Located in British Columbia, this hugely popular ski and snowboard resort is the largest resort of its kind in all of North America. High-speed lifts mean less wait time between runs, and there’s even an area for tubing when you get sick of boarding.

Bansko, Bulgaria – Western Europe is so last year, anyway. Try what European boarders already figured out, and book a flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. Bansko is only a couple of hours away from the country’s capital city, but it feels like a world once you see those beautiful snow-covered mountains. Located in the beautiful Pirin Range, Bansko has over 20 kilometers of tree-lined slopes in its three separate areas of the mountain.

Borno, Italy – Located in Italy’s Lombardia region, this medium-sized resort offers a truly impressive 700 meters of vertical descent for its skiers and snowboarders. A short trip from Milan, it’s popular with beginner snowboarders because of its large amount of beginner-oriented trails, but both experts and intermediates will also find a number of runs to their liking.

Blafjoll, Iceland – With Iceland’s economy tanking, it’s never been more affordable for snowboarders to head to this magical world of fire, little people, northern lights, and even some excellent snowboarding. One of the largest resorts in Iceland, Blafjoll is best suited for intermediate snowboarders, with slightly more difficult trails. It might have one of the best views around. Night boarding is a popular activity here.

Damian Papworth adores snowboarding in Japan. He also knows that for cheap japan snow accommodation, the Hooting Owl Lodge in Niseko is hard to beat.

categories: snowboarding,snowboarding apparel,winter gear,sports clothes,winter sports,extreme sports,snow sports,winter,snow,sports,sports and recreation,travel,travel and leisure

Getting ready for a day of snowboarding can be a daunting task for anyone who isn’t from a snowy wintery environment. But whether or not you’re a seasoned snowboarder or a newbie from Florida who’s never even seen snow, it’s easy to learn the right way to dress not just to impress, but to survive out on the slopes.

While choosing the right board and binding is important, no one, beginner or expert, should consider a day on the slopes without planning accordingly.

Cotton should be avoided at all costs because unlike synthetics, it actually holds water in instead of wicking it away. That matters when snow is melting on your boots and potentially getting into your socks. An excellent sock made of a materiel like SmartWool will keep you dry and healthy, while cotton will only lead to trouble. Don’t even put a layer of cotton over something synthetic: avoid it at all costs. Good winter gear won’t have cotton elements.

As far as layering goes, it’s the best way to stay both warm and cool out on the slopes. For those snowboarders who are going to be out during spring season, sometimes it’s necessary to remove a layer to beat the heat of the mid-day sun. If, instead of one very thick winter coat and one long underwear shirt, you layer long underwear, a thin sweater, a thick sweater, and a coat with a shell, it will make staying as cool or as warm as you want to be a breeze.

Long underwear and non-cotton socks make up the first layer to any snowboarding outfit, known as the core or initial layer. The purpose of this layer is to wear material that clings closely, but comfortably, to your body, keeping the heat trapped in. The thinness also makes the layers that come afterwards feel and appear a lot less bulky.

The second layer, known as the middle or insulation layer, is all about providing an extra bit of warmth that will trap the pre-existing warmth provided by your base layer. This layer consists of either a wool or fleece sweater or jacket, apart from the lining of your actual outer layer jacket, snowboarding pants, and snowboarding boots. The pants should have extra padding in the knees and the rear for those high-impact falls, enough room for long underwear, and tapered bottoms for decreased chances of melted snow getting inside either your pants or your boots. The boots themselves should lace up firmly and securely and not have any leak room. Boots should never pinch your feet!

The final touch for any snowboarding outfit is the outer layer, where it’s the most important to look cool, too, if that’s something you have in mind. Thankfully, with a world of designers making snowboarding jackets for all styles, from vintage cool to contemporary chic, it’s simple to get something right up your alley. Just be sure that the jacket has a shell that will keep snow from getting in if you take a spill, and try to get one with a hood that folds out at a moment’s notice in case of a particularly bad dumping of snow while out on the mountain.

The outer layer of clothing for snowboarding also consists of gloves, which are particularly important given that most snowboarding falls put the most impact on the hands and wrists. Make sure to get a pair that has extra padding in the palm, as well as sufficient insulation. Sometimes, a thin wool glove is worn inside of the large waterproof glove, for extra warmth on particularly cold days.

Snowboarding goggles are important because of many things. One, in the event of a sudden weather change and a big snow, you’re going to need something to block the snowflakes from getting in your eyes. Another is that a bright, white, reflective surface can do damage to your eyes after an hour or so, so the tinting in the goggles decreases the UV rays. Goggles also keep things like tree branches from doing any damage to your eyes.

The most crucial part of your snowboarding outfit is the snowboarding jacket. A water and wind repelling jacket is a must for riders, as well as an inner-shell that fits a little more snugly and keeps water out in case you fall down at any point during the day. Once you’re all suited up, it’s time to hit the slopes!

If you are considering traveling to the Japan Snow, go the Niseko resort. It is outstanding for those who want to go snowboarding in Japan

categories: snowboarding,snowboarding apparel,winter gear,sports clothes,winter sports,extreme sports,snow sports,winter,snow,sports,sports and recreation,travel,travel and leisure

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