18 Dec
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.
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