snowboarding!!

[BLEGH!]

World Nomads are really easy to deal with, and are inexpensive considering they cover outdoor activities like sb.

Cheers!
I did originally recommend this to him but he must not have seen the bit that says covers snow/ski and dismissed it.
I have redirected him back to it - it is so cheap as well $84 for 2 weeks !!

Has anyone actually tried to claim with this World Nomads ? Seems cheap - I'm just wondering if they'd pay out.......

[Psyche]

x 1 million

go to japan, hokkaido has had 11m of snow this year so far.

VIC/NSW is lucky to get 1.

cost of going to japan compared to heading east (from perth) would be similar when you factor in everything.

only thing is if you go to VIC/NSW and you decide you don't like snowboarding, then you're stuck in VIC/NSW.

if you head to japan and you decide you're not into it, it would be pretty easy just to switch up and then in 4 hours be somewhere like tokyo, kyoto or somewhere like that that is maybe a bit more interesting than Albury-Wodonga.

but if you go to japan and go snowboarding, there's no chance you're not going ot like it.

especially as a beginner, because you'll have a lot more snow to cushion the impact.

Good advise man. Hmm... Could be a plan.

[tension]

Disintergration, I would check out Red Mountain. Its on my 'to do' but I've not been yet.
We are not expecting any snow until Sat/Sun which unfortunately will be when all the Yanks are here for Martin Luther King weekend.
We have been getting blue skies, so its great for photo or park sessions.
Took some freshies up 7th on Blackcomb yesterday

Attachment 39433

We went to Red yesterday. amazing terrain but it was hard packed and icy. had a good 3 inches on tuesday up at white water which was fun

[d-vo]

Double check the small print though. Some places won't cover off piste injuries.

[sidez]

I've been thinking about heading over to NZ for about 10days of boarding this year, but when looking on the nets have been snowed under with information (yes pun intended). From everyone's experience when would be a good time and place for a beginneer/intermediate near queenstown? Has anyone ever stayed at backpackers over there?

[BLEGH!]

Double check the small print though. Some places won't cover off piste injuries.

What's piste injuries ?

[David]

An injury from a piste tard.

[BLEGH!]

That wasn't very helpful david.

I wikki'ed it.

piste^[1] is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports

So uh, whats the point of getting the insurance if they won't insure you when you're doing your thang down a ski run ????

I'm totally jel, have not seen snow.

[Yossarian]

What d-vo was referring to was OFF-piste injuries. As in injuries that occur outside a marked ski run. Another specification may be whether the injury occurs within the bounds of a resort (which is different again) or not.

Most beginners or intermediate will probably not go off piste at all, but if you're an advanced boarder/skiier you may spend a fair bit of time off the marked runs and possibly even outside the resort.

[BLEGH!]

What d-vo was referring to was OFF-piste injuries. As in injuries that occur outside a marked ski run. Another specification may be whether the injury occurs within the bounds of a resort (which is different again) or not.

Most beginners or intermediate will probably not go off piste at all, but if you're an advanced boarder/skiier you may spend a fair bit of time off the marked runs and possibly even outside the resort.

Oh I seeeeeeeeeeee !! I'm a dummie. hahahahahahaha!!

Nah I doubt he'll be 'off-piste' - he's already got all his passes etc sorted.

Cheers!!

[Yossarian]

Nah I doubt he'll be 'off-piste' - he's already got all his passes etc sorted.

I would check. Having a lift pass really has no relevance as to whether you are going to stay on piste or not.

[BLEGH!]

I would check. Having a lift pass really has no relevance as to whether you are going to stay on piste or not.

I'll let him know.
Cheers !!

[d-vo]

I've been thinking about heading over to NZ for about 10days of boarding this year, but when looking on the nets have been snowed under with information (yes pun intended). From everyone's experience when would be a good time and place for a beginneer/intermediate near queenstown? Has anyone ever stayed at backpackers over there?

Queenstown is the place to go. Never been myself but from what I hear and read it has easy access to the surrounding mountains. Easy to use link buses up the mountain (you don't stay on the mountain) . It's a big town centre with heaps of accomodation to suit all budgets. Check out their website, its all there. Only drawback is that the town is pretty pricey

[Birt]

Queenstown is the place to go. Never been myself but from what I hear and read it has easy access to the surrounding mountains. Easy to use link buses up the mountain (you don't stay on the mountain) . It's a big town centre with heaps of accomodation to suit all budgets. Check out their website, its all there. Only drawback is that the town is pretty pricey

Queenstown was my first snowboard vacation, and it just so happens to be my favorite place in New Zealand. The mountains that you can get to are a short bus ride away, you can drive up yourself but no point as you will probably get the lift ticket with the bus pass when booking. Not only is Queenstown on a very pretty lake and is surrounded by very pretty hills the town itself is great especially for after a long day on the slopes.

When I booked which was a few years ago I was able to book lift tickets, and hotel accommodation. It was a great trip.

[d-vo]

Nz rules

[tension]

holy snow gods... just finished riding over 12 inches of new, fluffy, dry powder all day. only a couple of hundred people. fresh tracks everywhere. was our last day on the hill and the best day of the season. white water rules!

[~Msv~]

Did anyone see on the news the other night about the Japanese snow fields about 300km away Tokyo (starts with H, cant remember the name). there was plenty of snow but only a handful of people because of Fukushima.

[tigeryas]

Did anyone see on the news the other night about the Japanese snow fields about 300km away Tokyo (starts with H, cant remember the name). there was plenty of snow but only a handful of people because of Fukushima.

Not Hakuba is it? Because Hakuba is about as far from Fukushima as Tokyo is...

[~Msv~]

Not Hakuba is it? Because Hakuba is about as far from Fukushima as Tokyo is...

Yea thats it! it was empty with plenty of snow. They said on that particulcar day it was televised, there was only 3 people on the slopes.

[d-vo]

Hakuba Fkn rules

[splinter]

If there's sfa people at Hakuba would they keep many lifts closed to conserve power etc?

[~Msv~]

If there's sfa people at Hakuba would they keep many lifts closed to conserve power etc?

Not sure, on the footage they had there was lifts running. Im sure they would start them up if you wanted to use a particular one, if it wasnt in operation.

[fatnick]

Queenstown is the place to go. Never been myself but from what I hear and read it has easy access to the surrounding mountains. Easy to use link buses up the mountain (you don't stay on the mountain) . It's a big town centre with heaps of accomodation to suit all budgets. Check out their website, its all there. Only drawback is that the town is pretty pricey

yeh Queenstown absolutely rocks. I had been 2 other places before i hit Queenstown (Mt Hutt, Mt Rhuapeu), but Queenston has so much to do and SUCH a pretty town, it wins hands down. Town planners should take note.
My favourite Queenstown slope was Cardrona. Remarkables and Coronet Peak were quite icy and too popular (but still top spotst). Treble Cone was a bit too far out and a bit hard core, freestyling spot. Stay in the town as the drives to each spot are about max an hour away and the drives/views are beautiful.

[d-vo]

Methven ftw. Close to mt hutt which is awesome and with an hour or so drive to a bunch of the club fields which are truly epic. Including temple basin which transworld snowboard mag said if they had to choose one place to board for the rest of their lives, temple would be it.

[fatnick]

Hmm, well I stayed in Methven the first time because it was cheaper ski pass + accom than Queenstown and although mt hutt was a great slope, there wasnt much to see in the town and or do at night touristy wise. In fact the highlight of that trip was the day trip to Queenstown! But sure, if you are there strictly for the powder/slopes then maybe its a contender.

[tigeryas]

Been to Queenstown twice. Would recommend it to anyone (especially with the exchange rates atm). Worth the 3 hour flight from Sydney to C'Church (and then an extra hour to Queenstown unless you wanna drive 6 hours)

[d-vo]

west coast US will be horrid all winter, a la nina system this winter.I just pulled the plug on next weekends aspen visit, 36cm base can suck a dickhave pulled some strings for a freaky deaky little alaska adventure in march - guess ill have to wait for epicness then..

32" at breck in the last week. More for Wyoming with epic amounts forecasted. Looks like you got your la nonnas or noonahs mixed up eh? Might pay to spend more time learning to snowboard than throwing bones in the air and stargazing holmes.

[David]

d-vo from your experience whats the cheapest airline to get to Japan?

[d-vo]

There was only one that went direct for the last few years which was qantas. Now its changed. So not sure. Ask tiger eyes or yossarian for tips

[tigeryas]

Not sure, on the footage they had there was lifts running. Im sure they would start them up if you wanted to use a particular one, if it wasnt in operation.

Yeah they'll probably run them on demand?

So me and the missus have decided to hit Hakuba for a day and a half in mid March. Will get to see the diff between Hakuba and Niseko

[sidez]

Thanks for the advice, I'll check it out hopefully I can budget some time in the snow sometime this year

[Wrath]

x 1 million

go to japan, hokkaido has had 11m of snow this year so far.


but if you go to japan and go snowboarding, there's no chance you're not going ot like it.

especially as a beginner, because you'll have a lot more snow to cushion the impact.

+ 1 million & 1

Just returned from Nozawa onsen.

Absolutely amazing stuff.

Could not believe how much snow was around that place, great runs to cater for all levels too.

[d-vo]

Yeah they'll probably run them on demand?So me and the missus have decided to hit Hakuba for a day and a half in mid March. Will get to see the diff between Hakuba and Niseko

Hakuba is a village niseko is a resort. Hakuba is bigger, steeper but not as much constant snow as niseko. There is still plenty though. Fireworks are legal in hakuba. There are also less bogans and more varied food.

[miss_p*]

Ok body is officially damaged goods.
Massive pow day today after two days of riding (yesterday another epic one, one of my fave areas being opened for the first time after 4 days of heavy snow)

Its funny I have to keep reminding my mum that breaking a bone is the least of my worries out here.

Getting in 'a situation' with the option of:
falling down a vertical snow stripped drop (not land-able and cannot slide down)
or
hoping that after I literally hop sideways over the edge of the flat but on and angle (like the surrounding snow) rock I found myself on, that the 'snow' to my left is actually snow and not more rock.

Ah some of the binds I have found myself in on this mountain are just plain scary. I was jelly legs and heart race after. But I have to admit, it does fee AMAZING once you have gotten out of dodgy situation and back into the pow!

[d-vo]

Wanna get married miss star pee?

[miss_p*]

No polygamy unfortunately,..

[d-vo]

Let's move to Utah then

[d-vo]

Just got my hands on the 2013 Burton catalogue. Looks pretty sweet. Some nice new hardware including some split boards. Swoite.

[David]

Xgames this weekend on epsn apparently.

Busting it out street styles.
http://search.espn.go.com/real-snow/videos/6

[d-vo]

Bosses son is selling his Burton love. 162 cm and large mission bindings. Only used for a month. 550 for the lot. In cottesloe mainpeak

[littlegracie]

Argh... should I try skiing or snowboarding at Snowbombing this year?? Have to make my mind up this week.

[dart]

do you know how to do either?

[littlegracie]

do you know how to do either?

Nope! I got my dad to pull me around with my ski's held out in front of me as a kid in Switzerland and last tried skiing in NZ when I was 13 but I wont have any skills I can draw from at all. Would be like starting from scratch again. Can't skate or surf either... I can purchase some lessons as part of the package on the snowbombing website though... I also have to choose between gold & silver hire packages but I'm not sure what the difference is... So many decisions.

[tigeryas]

2 weeks from today I'll be in Japan. +2 more days and I'll be in Niseko. Can almost feel the snow...

[BLEGH!]

My brother has just been to Niseko in Japland!
The powder over there looks AH-MAZE balls !!!!!!!!!

Here's a couple of pics I ganked off his FB to make you start frothing

[dart]

Nope! I got my dad to pull me around with my ski's held out in front of me as a kid in Switzerland and last tried skiing in NZ when I was 13 but I wont have any skills I can draw from at all. Would be like starting from scratch again. Can't skate or surf either... I can purchase some lessons as part of the package on the snowbombing website though... I also have to choose between gold & silver hire packages but I'm not sure what the difference is... So many decisions.

it's probably easier to get up to speed snowboarding than it is skiiing. . that would be my suggestion

perhaps between now & when you go away you could get a skateboard and start learning.

[littlegracie]

it's probably easier to get up to speed snowboarding than it is skiiing. . that would be my suggestion

perhaps between now & when you go away you could get a skateboard and start learning.

i'll see if my little brother will let me steal his

[tigeryas]

My brother has just been to Niseko in Japland!
The powder over there looks AH-MAZE balls !!!!!!!!!

Here's a couple of pics I ganked off his FB to make you start frothing

Looks good, it'll be my first time travelling anywhere north of Tokyo.

[d-vo]

3 weeks in the states early march, was hoping for longer, but any holiday is a good holiday atm. Hitting up Colorado and hopefully Jackson hole in Wyoming which is on my bucket list. Hngggghhhhhhhh. Excited

[miss_p*]

Nope! I got my dad to pull me around with my ski's held out in front of me as a kid in Switzerland and last tried skiing in NZ when I was 13 but I wont have any skills I can draw from at all. Would be like starting from scratch again. Can't skate or surf either... I can purchase some lessons as part of the package on the snowbombing website though... I also have to choose between gold & silver hire packages but I'm not sure what the difference is... So many decisions.

I can definitely see you on skis. Plus if you are only doing a few days/weeks worth of lessons you will definietly be able to acheive more in that time on skis thus have a better time overall. If you were there for a long time you would be able to try both or just snowboarding.

Silver vs gold package might be to do with the performance of the gear. If you are a great skiier and like to try something other than a basic ski you would want a high performance package. If you are beginner or watching the price tag you will be ok with a standard ski which are designed for beginner to low intermediate skiiers.