SNOWBOARDING
The Top Places to Snowboard in the Summer Time
By Cliff Montgomery, ExtremeProSports.com
If you're interested in snowboarding, the summer months can be a drag for
obvious reasons. But if you have the desire -- and the money to get there -- you
can find some real meccas for the summer snowboarder. Here are some of the
best places in the world to get your summer fix from sweet lady snow.
Mt Hood, OR
Perhaps
the place for American
snowboarding over the summer months. There are a number of places to stay while
at Mt. Hood, but one good location is
Windells -- a Snowboard Camp,
Skateboard Camp, Ski Camp, and Winter Camp all rolled into one.
Windells Camp at Mt. Hood is the place for snowboard, ski and skate camps
-- winter, spring and summer. They host camps for kids and adults of all ages and
abilities. Their camp environment allows for just the right amount of independence,
while maintaining superior levels of safety and supervision. Windells Camp has
plentiful snow, a 12,000 square-foot indoor recreation and training facility, tons of
activities, and a friendly staff.
Glacier Snowboard Camps, Canada
Located in the heart of beautiful
Whistler, BC Canada, Glacier Snowboard Camps is by far the best deal for
anyone looking to improve their snowboarding and have a great time while doing it.
They pride themselves on being a smaller, more personal summer snowboard
camp. Unlike other summer snowboard camp owners, these owners are up on the
glacier everyday to make sure the camp's terrain is the best it can possibly be, and
that every snowboarder is having a wonderful time.
Switzerland
Austria's European equal in offering summer
snowboarding facilities. The Swiss boast a number of great destinations which
provide half-pipes or funparks; and like everything else in Switzerland, they are of
the very highest standard. One of the main places to check out is
Saas-Fee, which boasts to having Europe's only all-year-round half-pipe
and terrain park. Loads of pro riders hold camp here.
SAAS-FEE
Saas-Fee has been a well-known resort to snowboarders for many years.
With its high altitude glacier, Saas-Fee also provides a mountain where you can
ride fast and hard in the summer months. Indeed for some here, summer is the best
time to visit Saas-Fee. The glacier opens in early July until September, with access
to 20km of runs and a terrain park with kickers, " pipe, tabletops, rails and a
half-pipe. A lift pass will set you back 60CHF a day.
ICERIPPER
Iceripper Summer Camp has been running camps here since 1988 and has
gained a good reputation. There's instruction for freestyle from half-pipe to rails,
and room for beginners. In the afternoons there is fine wakeboarding, climbing,
tennis, golf, mountain biking, and ice hockey. 590CHF gets you 6 nights
Bed+Breakfast accommodation with 5 days riding and instruction, and yes, even a
T-shirt. The camp has half-pipe, big airs, corner, rails, chairlift, drag lift, skatepark
and some great snowside tunes with an occasional BBQ.
www.iceripper.com
ZERMATT
Zermatt has the largest summer boarding area in Switzerland, high up on the
Klein Matterhorn. The glacier opens in June until September and there is a number
of easy/intermediate runs, all serviced by t-bars and a terrain park.
The Gravity Park has a series of kickers and rails and a super-pipe alongside
the lift. A lift pass will cost you 60CHF, but the area is only open from 7:30 to
1:30pm; you need to get up early before it starts getting slushy. In the afternoon
you can even take a look at the worlds highest ice pavilion at 3,810m (11,430 feet)
if you're so inclined.
STOKED Summer Camp
Stoked runs 2 weeks of summer camps in July. A 6-night package including
tuition, accommodation, lift pass etc. will set you back 630 euros. For more info
take a look at
www.stoked.ch
In most cases, lodging is available at or near the base area of the slopes.
Las Lenas Ski Resort, Argentina
Trails
More than sixty kilometers of runs provide skiers and snowboarders of all
abilities with descents of varying difficulties, from a height of 11,253 feet above sea
level to the base at elevation of 7,349 feet. The vertical drop of the lift-served
in-bounds area of Las Lenas ski resort is a hefty 4,035 feet, with gradients ranking
from 12% to 53%.
Chairlifts
Built in 1983, Las Lenas boasts the most modern lift system in South America.
Lift lines are extremely rare at Las Lenas, since the mountain has 16 modern ski
lifts that allow a total uphill capacity of 9,200 skiers per hour. Ski lifts are named
after Roman and Greek Gods: Venus, Eros, Minerva, Vesta, Vulcano, Jupiter,
Apolo, Neptuno, Mercurio, Caris, Selene, Juno, Iris, Marte, Urano, and Cenidor.
Lifts run nonstop from 9am to 5pm daily.
These aren't the only good summertime snowboarding locations, but they are
certainly some of the world's best.
