2 Nov
Snow sports in general are tremendously entertaining and fun, although truth be told they can be incredibly physically grueling as well. Skiing and snowboarding professionals are people in peak physical form, without exception, and despite the fact that you may not be intent on matching their prowess on the slopes you will want to be in relatively decent physical shape yourself before strapping yourself in and hitting the trails.
Regardless of which snow sport you plan to engage in, it is important that you be somewhat in shape to do so. That being said, the specific snow conditions will influence just how physically demanding your day of skiing or snowboarding will be, and therefore it is important that you be aware of the implications each condition presents.
Most snow sports fanatics will agree (though not all of them necessarily) that their favorite kind of snow is virgin powder?or ?white gold? as some have been known to call it. Powder skiing or boarding demands that you be very agile from the hip down, more so than with other snow conditions. As it is difficult to detect bumps and gulleys beneath the snow, you need to become one big shock absorber. Quite the challenge indeed, but also perfectly addictive!
Quite unlike powder, there is a distinctly “rough” feel to man-made snow. It is much easier to compact and therefore the risk of sliding and slipping on stretches of man-made snow is higher than on other surfaces.
Similarly, icy patches of trail (whether dealing with natural or man-made snow, it doesn’t make a difference) are areas that must be handled with extra care. Avoid panicking when you reach such areas of the trail, and do your best to carefully brake without making any abrupt movements.
In a category of their own with special physical challenges and demands, spring snow conditions tend to be more like “soup” or “sludge” as avid snow sports lovers tend to put it. You will feel like you are much heavier in the snow, and movements will require you to exert yourself more than would be the case in more wintry conditions. Of course, the bonus is that you get to hit the slopes in your shorts and t-shirt!
One issue that needs to be considered very seriously is whether or not to leave the tended skiing trails to venture beyond the markers/flags out into the “wild” snow fields. The depth of the snow may be a treacherous detail, not to mention the risk of people getting lost or causing avalanches.
Lastly, make sure to give your braking skills a lot of practice if you are considering doing a little tree skiing. This kind of skiing is more dangerous than skiing on open trails given the obstacles in your way, and you will need to be able to stop with little notice. This is a physically demanding activity, and you must be able to regulate your speed and should generally move along at a slower rate than on a normal course.
If you’ve brought kids along on your skiing or snowboarding vacation, let them get a little training in from an instructor before riding on any sort of slopes. And lastly, bear in mind that you should never assume others are experts at the sport (similar to when driving a car on the road), and should be extremely cautious when skiing or snowboarding along side others.
Whenever Byron Jonas goes skiing Japan, he enjoys a lodge which he always uses for snow accommodation Japan – The Hooting Owl Lodge.
categories: skiing,snowboarding,winter sports,snow sports,extreme sports,japan travel,japan tourism,japan,travel,travel and leisure,recreation and sports,sports
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