If you are fanatical about snowboarding, you’ll be eager to pit your Best Snowboard Boots and skills in top snowboarding destinations around the world. With a variety of slopes and conditions, you’ll also get to experience the local culture.
Any top snowboarding destination should be a powder haven that offers something for the novice to the expert. It should also have accommodation facilities close to the slope. Other local attractions can be a bonus. Keeping these points in mind we’ve compiled-
7 Best Destinations For Snowboarding Fanatics
1. St. Anton, Austria
St. Anton is the place to be if you’re looking for a little nightlife to go with your boarding. Also known as a freerider’s dream, S. Anton is only one of the places in the world where heliboarding is offered. The legendary apres ski in S, Anton has a slope-side bar crawl known as Run-1 that kicks the festivities off early in the day.
2. Hokkaido, Japan
This gem in the northernmost island of Hokkaido, relatively unknown, is highly rated by the veteran snowboarders. It is a powder haven that offers an unbeatable experience. It is the best place in the world for powdery snow because there is a constant fall of fresh snow. It creates amazing powder pillows and unique snow features that make it a snowboarder’s powdery haven.
3. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
Set in vast, breathtaking northwestern beauty, Whistler Blackcomb will put you in awe. You can drive up into the mountains through areas where the ocean meets craggy mountains and into forests of towering Pacific Northwest trees.
Whistler hosted the 2010 Olympics alongside the city of Vancouver. This ski resort has 8,171 skiable acres, over 200 trails, 37 lifts, 5,000-ft plus vertical drop, and 3 glaciers! If you are looking to improve your skills, Blackcomb Glacier hosts many snowboard camps during the summer.
4. Wanaka, New Zealand
Because New Zealand has open snowfields, snowboarding here is unique. You have an endless expanse of snow without a tree in sight! You can choose a way down the mountain without any established trails. Wanaka is easily accessible to main resorts like Cardrona, Treble Cone, and Snow Park NZ.
You can access the terrain using towropes, surface lifts, or hiking. Slope-side bunkhouses provide convenient accommodation. Your experience is further enriched by the vast natural splendor of New Zealand. National Parks, volcanoes, mountains, glaciers, fjords oceans, and waterfalls are all within reach. It will be an unforgettable experience forany outdoor enthusiast.
5. Breckenridge, Colorado
If you want to share the slopes with the snowboarding pros, Breckenridge, Colorado is the place for you. This picturesque town boasts an Olympic class 22-foot halfpipe, 2 additional half pipes, and 5 different terrain parks. Breckenridge has hosted snowboarding competitions for over two decades and maintains the highest quality powder. Its parks are unequaledwith light and fluffy snowfalls and a long ski season from November to the end of April.
6. Chamonix, France
The jagged Alps of Chamonix, France are for grizzly snowboarding veterans. Known for being rough around the edges, the charm of Chamonix lies in the lack of structure the mountain offers. It has everything from the antiquated lifts to the unfettered free riding. Your trip to Chamonix will be an adrenal-pumping and a hair-raising experience.
7. Lake Tahoe, California
Lake Tahoe boasts of 7 main resorts and some of the best backcountry riding in the world. It is one of the most preferred snowboarding destinations in the United States as it offers something for the intermediate and the expert snowboarder.
You can choose between several well-groomed parks featuring half-pipes and powder pillows or the more advanced- the uncharted backcountry runs that offer breathtaking vistas of the lake. Squaw Valley or Kirkwood offers magnificent powder turns, steeps, and cliffs. For more intermediate terrain and park riding, you can try Heavenly or Northstar.
You get excellent backcountry riding on clear cloudless days and plenty of snow all winter long. If you feel up to some adventure, you can check out the infamous Donner Pass on your way out. One can spend days hiking and exploring the Donner Pass area. You’ll something new to ride every time.
Preparing for your snowboarding trip:
- Plan a snowboarding trip well in advance. Time your trip so that you avoid the rush of the holiday season. A crowded slope is a major turn off!
- Taking fellow snowboard fanatics along is a great idea. Along with a like-minded company, you may be able to save on expenses.
- You can rent snowboarding boots and other accessories, but your own gear is best in the long run especially since you are a snowboard fanatic who hits the slope every opportunity that he gets.
- Talk with the locals and other snowboard junkies to get to know the local conditions.
- Prepare well by taking appropriate clothing for the conditions.
To wind off
The above list is by no means exhaustive. There are plenty of other top snowboarding destinations like Mammoth Mountainin California, Verbier in Switzerland, Garmisch in Munich Germany, Innsbruck in Austria, and several lesser-known locations.
The destinations mentioned in the list are not ranked. Each one of them has a unique charm. What is important is choosing the most convenient destination, discovering new ones, and enjoying snowboarding to the hilt.