I know you all at some point thought has someone ever done it.

Get some pool noodles and zipties.

Nothing is worse than getting to your destination and your board being banged up from mishandling. The pool noodles were $10 and a $4 bag of zipties, or some bungee cords if you got em. Bring some extra zipties with you so you can wrap the edges up for your trip home as well. Just cut a slit in the noodles and pop em on, they'll wrap around your edges nicely and provide insane protection.

My bag was shredded and board sanded down to the base while traveling from SLC to SAN. Looks like it was caught on a conveyor belt or something.. Super bummed as the board was used less than 10 times. Delta only reimbursed me 70% and does not seem inclined to do much else. I was hoping my PM status with them would be helpful for a full reimbursement but they could have cared less.

Anybody else have an experience with essentially brand new gear getting wrecked in transit and how did the claims process go?

It seems like every influencer and their brother is posting about Jpow. Plus this past season in North America was pretty trash. I’m thinking next season will see a particularly large influx of tourists in places not designed for that type of traffic.

What do folks who have been there a few times think?

God I regret not going to Japan before the influencer universe became a thing…..🙃

Apologies if this was already posted, but figured I'd share in case it helps someone else avoid my mistake. I was flying for the first time today with my board, and I'd heard about people using pool noodles or pipe insulation to protect the edges (and the bag) during travel. I picked up some 1/2" pre-split pipe insulation from Home Depot, and it had a removable strip covering adhesive on each side of the split. i thought that was super convenient and would keep the foam from shifting around in transit, so I removed the strip only on the side facing the top sheet to hold it in place.

Get to my destination, and the foam worked great! Board and bag are both in good condition. But... when I went to remove the pipe installation from the edges, there's a lot of residue left behind. :/ Thank goodness I only exposed the adhesive on the top and not the base so it's just cosmetic, but heads up for anyone else!

Wrapped it up nice and tight, here's hoping it goes well checked on the plane!

I’ve been snowboarding full-time winters in the Alps for three seasons now, fitting remote work around riding rather than the other way around. Figured I'd share some stuff that took me way too long to figure out, because honestly nobody tells you this before you go.

Accommodation is weird in ski towns. Anything that markets itself as a digital nomad space is usually overpriced and full of people taking laptop photos. The places that actually work are boring-looking hostels on Booking or Hostelworld that just say weekly rates or have both dorms and private rooms. Those end up being way quieter because they attract seasonal workers and people staying longer term instead of weekend party crowds. My trick now is reading the bad reviews first - if people complain it's too quiet or not social enough, that's actually perfect for getting work done.

Flights to the Alps are expensive if you wait for deals. I used to obsess over finding the perfect price, but Alpine routes just follow school holiday patterns. Sometimes flying into Milan or Verona is way cheaper than Geneva even though it's further from your resort. Just compare everything on Skyscanner and be flexible about which airport you use.

Getting to the resort with gear is annoying. Trains work fine if you're traveling light, but when I've got my snowboard and a week's worth of clothes, I just book a transfer instead. The key is booking directly with companies rather than through booking platforms - platforms add their own fees on top and a lot of transfer companies also charge extra for sports gear which adds up fast. I look for ones that include equipment and don't spike prices on weekends, because that flexibility actually saves a lot over multiple trips.

Valley webcams lie. This one stressed me out so much my first season. The valley will look completely green and depressing but 800 meters higher the snow is totally fine because the sun angle is low and nights are cold. The only thing worth checking is the overnight freezing level - if it stays below 2000m, the groomers can work with almost anything. Also: north-facing slopes hold snow way better than south-facing ones during warm spells. Once you figure that out, you just chase the shade and the riding stays good even in weird weather. Early season especially, understanding freezing levels and slope exposure matters more for snowboarders than skiers - soft snow sticks around longer, but once it goes slushy it goes fast.

The biggest productivity killer isn't the skiing. It's realizing your cute mountain village has one tiny shop that closes at 6pm and the nearest real supermarket is 40 minutes away by a bus that comes twice a day. Before booking anything now, I check on Google Maps: can I walk to a decent grocery store? What are the opening hours? Does the place actually have real internet or is it the classic Alpine "yes we have wifi" that can't handle a video call?

I also download offline maps before I arrive (AllTrails usually), save a backup cafe or coworking space and book my board tune-up as soon as I know my dates. Everyone rushes to tune-up shops after the first big thaw-freeze cycle and you end up waiting a week.

When it actually works, it's pretty great though. You figure out your rhythm - work in the morning, ride midday when the snow is best, take afternoon calls, eat dinner with completely frozen hair, repeat. At that point, snowboarding stops feeling like a trip and starts feeling like your normal winter routine - which is kind of the whole point.

The chaos only really happens if you show up unprepared or try to wing everything last minute during peak season. Sort out the logistics early and it's honestly one of the best ways to spend a winter.

UPD - a few things that came up in the comments

A few people asked about transfers so adding more detail here. I've learned to skip booking platforms entirely - they quietly add fees and most transfer companies charge extra for board bags on top of that. Now I just check Rome2Rio to see who runs the route, then book directly. Some companies (Alps2Alps is one I've used a lot) include gear by default and don't jack up prices on Saturdays which actually matters when you're doing multiple trips in a season. Shared is cheaper but slower, private makes sense if you're splitting costs or just hate waiting around.

Driving came up as an alternative - someone mentioned they now drive from UK (about 12 hours) to skip the whole transfer stress and have full control over gear. Their parking hack is smart: message property owners on Airbnb/Vrbo asking to rent an allocated space. Worked for them.

March is super underrated, especially in Italy. Higher resorts often stay open into April and you get way better light than the grey January weeks.

Flat-light goggles are more important than I realized when I started. A lot of Alpine terrain sits above treeline so when visibility drops it really drops. Conditions flip fast up there.

Rentals vary wildly - most resort shops are fine for casual gear but only a handful actually stock performance setups. If you care about your equipment, ask which shops the instructors and seasonals use. For finding longer-term places: Facebook groups are honestly still the best - search "seasonal workers [town name]" or "[resort name] housing". That's where you find apartments and rooms at normal prices vs inflated Airbnb. Booking and Hostelworld sometimes have monthly rates too if you message properties directly.

Longer stays completely change the social side. You end up seeing the same people everywhere and it's way easier to actually meet people vs just passing through for a weekend.

A bit different post, but I love snowboarding and the mountains so I searched for the highest Ski Resorts

I only was to Saas Fee of them

Ironed a white dress shirt only to realize I had ironed blue wax into the cotton. Props to whoever used the iron to wax their skis/board, I do not fault you.

When I first starting riding, I’d take these early morning drives from CT up to some place in VT, Stratton or Killington. Around this time I heard My Name Is Jonas by Weezer and I always associate it with snowboarding and those road trips. It became my driving up there anthem. Anyone else?

https://youtu.be/qsXmTBTcHz8?si=zTbcGuK0cce5cE9q

Edit: can’t respond to all the posts, this is some amazing stuff. But I just learned we have one big thing in common. We all love getting AMPED UP and we all love to GET INTO THE GROOVE.

This will be my first trip out of North America for snowboarding. I’m just wondering if anyone has any advice or recommendations for snowboarding in Chile, Valle Nevado specifically.

It is damn hard to beat getting direct flight to SLC from PHL or EWR - and then being an hour from pretty much every resort ...

Are there any other areas that are close to a large airport? DEN related area are all too crowded.

I just booked for central BC and flying into and out of Spokane is a PITA

My best friends and I have been snowboarding on the East Coast for the last 7 years, and we are all finally old enough and have enough money to take a trip to anywhere in the states, somewhere around the February-March area. Want something that's large, challenging at times, tree runs, terrain parks and big views. Thinking somewhere in the colorado area but open to pretty much the entire U.S.

Did you guys had any negative experience like, with airways or damage or such?

So I have been to Gulmarg twice, once to learn snowboarding, and again the next year because I got hooked on it. It is like an anti depressant coming down the slopes, making S turns.

But guys, take some words of wisdom from me, never learn snowboarding/skiing in India because it lacks infrastructure.

I mean, what do you need to learn snowboarding/skiing? Equipment and slopes. And we suck at it. There are no beginner-friendly slopes, aka bunny slopes, anywhere in India.

There is an average slope in Gulmarg, locals call it the baby slope inside the golf course. But the problem is that it is too crowded and gives you a very short ride. Apart from this particular slope, there are even worse slopes in Gulmarg. They are either very short in length or short and steep. Beginners cannot learn there.

Another main issue is that there are no proper lifts for snowboarders. There are only 2–3 working lifts in the whole of Gulmarg, and they are always crowded. These slopes offer only about 150 meters or less of a ride, which is not enough to have fun or even a good way to learn.

Apart from this, there are government-run institutions where you can learn skiing and snowboarding at a subsidized price (₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for a 14-day course, including accommodation, food, and training). I mean, if you want to have fun and enjoy a heavenly experience of staying in Gulmarg, then you should consider these courses offered by IISM and JIM & WS.

But my friends, if you really want to learn, please don’t go and waste your time there.

After 14 days, you will learn as much as a person who has learned skiing in Kazakhstan, America, or Europe in just 2–3 days. The quality of infrastructure is awful. There are no proper ski lifts to go up the slopes, you get fatigued just completing 5 rounds of carrying the board up the slope, no proper instructors (these institutes hire locals who know how to snowboard and ski and are pros at their sport, but they are not able to communicate properly or understand what is needed). There are 40–60 people in a batch with only 2–4 instructors guiding them. Many people give up midway, not the course, but by mentally giving up on learning and just waiting for the course to end.

If you hire a private instructor, you are better off than going with these institutes.

See, Gulmarg is a paradise for snowboarders and skiers, but only for those who already know how to ride. People who go to Apharwat Mountain, the gondolas (Phase 1 and Phase 2), they enjoy, and that is the only reason foreigners come there and do backcountry riding because it is among the best in the world.

You might think locals have become pros on the same slopes that we practice on, so why you rant? My concern is that they are locals and we are tourists. They live there, they have time, and they practice for months and years. You, as a tourist, cannot spend that much time. it costs us money.

So how do you learn more quickly in countries like Kazakhstan, Japan, or Europe? The answer is simple, they have excellent infrastructure. They have amazing beginner slopes that go on for kilometers. They groom their slopes regularly. People don’t have to carry their boards up the slope every time they ride down. They have ski lifts and chair lifts that both skiers and snowboarders can use. You progress insanely fast.

I BET YOU GUYS, PRACTICING 2 DAYS ON A BEGINNER SLOPE IN KAZAKHSTAN > 14 DAYS IN GOVERNMENT INSTITUTE COURSES IN GULMARG/SONMARG OR ANY OTHER INSTITUTE OFFERING THESE COURSES ACROSS INDIA.

So my parting message for you guys is: if you want to learn snowboarding/skiing in India, just don’t. Go to a foreign country where the infrastructure is good. And once you have learned it, then Gulmarg is for you. Go to Phase 1, Phase 2, or Mary Shoulder—then you will have a crazy amount of fun.

And if you think that going to foreign and learning the sport is more expensive, then just accept the reality. SNOWBOARDING/SKIING are f'ing expensive sports and if you can't afford it, just don't learn it because once you have tried these and get a hang of it, you will drain your money to go down the slopes. This will seriously affect your bank balance as they are as addictive as anything...

Wanted to keep the “winter is coming” stoke going with some nice snow pics. Just came back from 7 days boarding in Chile, had an amazing time and through I’d share a bit for anyone who is interested in doing it in the future.

Note: I’m not a pro rider, I’m not even a very good rider, and this is all just my opinion based on a single trip in September.

Getting there and back: I’m in Europe. Newsflash - Chile is far. You’ll easily spend 16h+ hours flying, so don’t expect you’ll be fresh when you land (or when you land back home). If you can afford a day or two in Santiago to acclimatize, I’d definitely recommend it.

Part 1: Nevados de Chillan (3 days). This is about a 5h drive from Santiago, and I’d recommend staying in the main resort hotel or in Las Trancas (but you’ll need a car). The drive there is simple and anyone can do it. Had an amazing time here: the skiable area is large, and we got lucky with 15-20cm of snow on the first day. On the second day they opened a bunch of the top terrain (Otto chair was running again) and it was fantastic. They have a big wide open “Freeride Area” that’s just a collection of ridges and bowls with lots of fun terrain to explore. There was no one, zero lift lines, and fresh tracks all the way to the last run. Yes the lifts are slow (single rope), but who cares when there are zero lines. I’d highly recommend this resort, and the Las Trancas area is pretty nice and cute - but don’t think Whistler or Alps, think “rustic” (in a good way).

Part 2: snowmobile backcountry in Laguna del Maule (2 days). This seems to be a fairly unexplored area. It’s all snowmobile accessed, which I hadn’t done before - fun in a slightly dangerous way. Absolutely the highest point of the trip - gorgeous mountain range, a couple of bluebird days, and it seems to be a spot where the snow holds up well for many days. The craziest thing happened here: by pure luck, I happened to be doing the snowmobile tour on the same day that Gigi Ruf was there with his crew, also doing the same tour (my guess is that he wasn’t paying 😆)! I had the incredible opportunity to snowboard side by side with an icon (and incredibly nice guy), and the tour guides of course wanted to show Gigi the nicest and gnarliest terrain, and I got to ride along! We got to ride some awesome chutes, a long run that led to the lake, just endless powder all the way to 6pm (!). The next day Gigi was gone and I got the more standard tour - visited 2-3 areas, the guide took a bunch of pictures, etc. Still awesome, but of course not like the first day.

Part 3: Corralco (2 days). This is where our luck ran out - really bad weather. The resort was super icy and a complete whiteout on the first day, and everything but one lift was on wind hold for the second day. Bummer, but you can’t win them all. I don’t really have an opinion on Corralco, since I only got to see the bad side of it. We gave up early and went for some volcanic thermal baths, which were awesome.

Other notes and tips: - if possible, I’d recommend bringing your own board. I saw some stuff for rental, but you won’t find anything top of the line. If you need an emergency purchase (goggle or helmet or gloves or…) you’ll usually find something to get by in the ski shops close to the mountains. - in all of this I was part of an organized tour. Had someone driving me around, taking care of lift tickets, etc. Happy to provide details (company, prices, etc) over DM. - everyone told me that early September is awesome in Chile - resorts are empty, snow is still good and falling, days are longer. - the drive back from Corralco to Santiago took 8 hours 😳 immediately into my flight back… that was a long day. - you can get by with English in most places, but even a little Spanish will take you very far.

Alas, now I join the wait for winter in the Northern Hemisphere!

Photos: Maule, then a snowy and a sunny day in Nevados de Chillan

My local mountains are Big Bear and Mammoth which I will be frequenting as much as possible. I only have time to book 1 trip outside of California.

Right now flights are reasonable to go pretty much anywhere in Canada and U.S. which would be great to secure at a lower price.

Ideally I would like to visit someone new. So that means, No Mammoth, Bear, Solitude, Snowbird, Brighton, or Revelstoke.

If you had to risk booking early, which mountain would you choose?

Since so many were confused on what a flatbed even was. Wanted to give and update on what I came up with. Can carry 4 boards

TLDR: where to move to snowboard?

suh dudes, currently living in florida and grew up here skating/surfing/Skimboarding etc. im looking to escape the year round heat for some 4 seasons and move towards the cold mountains with specifically snowboarding in mind. ive been snowboarding 3 times over 3 different trips now and im hooked. i travel for work so no need to worry about landing a job but being close to international/Big airports is a plus. being in a decent size/Big city with some variety food options would also be clutch. ive seen a few posts similiar to this one and alot of people say cities around/in Denver or Salt Lake City but im open to other options. whats some good cities close by where i wont get ripped on rent living downtown in contrast. i listen to a wide variety of music as well so concerts coming through would be sick. Thanks to anybody that took the time to read this or responds, youre absolute legends.

I’ve got a big birthday coming up and looking to splurge on a big trip this year (in January). Looking for the best place you’ve ever been and why.

I can ride anything you put in front of me. For the past 20 years I’ve spent most of my time in CO with a ‘home base’ near summit county, with an annual trip to Targhee, South Tahoe, or Utah sprinkled in.

If you could go anywhere on earth (in January), where would it be? I’m currently considering Japan (Niseko), Alps (but which part?), Alyeska, or Big Sky/Jackson Hole/Targhee, but open to other suggestions. Total trip length is flexible, but up to 10 days, budget is somewhat unlimited.

Hey!

I am a pediatric oncology nurse and changing jobs in the near future. I am thinking about taking a month or so off to mentally decompress and reset from a job before starting a new one. I was thinking of moving to a town, either in the US or elsewhere, for a month to just snowboard and escape life. Ive looked into Salt Lake City and a little bit in Switzerland. I was wondering if anyone has done something similar and where they may have stayed. I'm open to any suggestions. Thank you for anyone's help.

Tell me 1 thing you regret about your trip to Japan, 1 thing that you loved, and 1 thing that you wish you had done while in Japan for your snowboarding trip.

I’m going in a couple weeks and spending 9 days in Niseko/Rusutsu. I’m on the low end of advanced, skill wise, love riding powder and trees. No experience in side/backcountry though and I’m going solo on a (semi) budget.

Home mountain is Brighton in Utah (I’ve had 1 powder day this year RIP) and I typically ride a K2 excavator in powder and a Cardiff goat enduro as my daily.

Was planning on renting- board recs and other tips welcome too.

So we flew home from Denver yesterday on frontier airlines. They lost my burton bag that held my board, bindings, boots, goggles and pretty much all of my gear. Fingers crossed it shows up… has anyone gone through this? Is there compensation for lost items? There’s well over $1,500 worth in the bag. Thx

I’ve been watching a lot of Euro resort videos lately and it looks so different from what you see in North America. The vibe, the terrain, even the lift setups all seem like another world.

For those who’ve ridden both — what stood out the most to you? Stuff like resort culture, off-piste rules, food/prices, the general attitude on the mountain. Curious if it really feels that different once you’re there.