Ladies it’s that time of year again…. to pull up your snowboard pants and throw your board over your shoulder… or on the other hand do what you do with your ski’s… yipee!!
As you have probably guessed I am indeed an avid snowboarder, I’ve been going to Val D’isere in France for the past seven years and absolutely love it. I was also in Mayrhofen in Austria last year for three weeks which I would also recommend. Once we get to our snow destination we are up at the chair lifts for 8.30am each morning and are usually the last to leave the mountain at 5pm!
So I thought I would put together some tips that might help you if you’re going for the first time or just some tips in general. One thing I must point out - you won’t win any fashionista awards on a snowboarding holiday so save that for Apres ski!
First things first, you’re going to need the right clothing! Skiing and snowboarding clothing used to be very difficult to find and expensive as it seemed that only the ‘elite’ went skiing, therefore very few shops stocked it! Now however, every second person seems to be going each year, so more and more shops are beginning to stock it thus reducing the prices which is always a good thing.
Obviously if it’s your first time going you don’t want to spend too much on the clothing incase you never go again (something is wrong with you if you don’t like it)!! Taking this into account you do have to be very careful when buying the cheaper ranges from the likes of Top Shop as sometimes these are not fully waterproof. If you are snowboarding you need to make sure that your gear is waterproof and of really good quality as you will most definately be spending a lot of your time on your bum! With skiing on the other hand you should remain more…. let’s say ‘vertical’, so it wouldn’t be as important to have really good ski pants on but, in saying this you have to take into consideration the wind chill factor (which can be bloody freezing), so there’s no point in getting something that will not keep you warm.
My advice is instead of picking up a pair of snowboard pants in Topshop etc, go to TK Max instead as it has many of the top named snowboarding/skiing brands for a snippet of their original price. You will get quality clothing that will keep you dry and warm on the top of any mountain! Other places that sell snowboarding/skiing gear are The Great Outdoors on Chatham St Dublin 2, Pamela Scott South William St Dublin 2, Snow and Rock Dundrum Town Centre, 53 Degrees North The Park Carrickmines or Blanchardstown. Personally if I’m looking for a new jacket or snowboard pants I’ll always have a look in TK Max first as it really does have great bargains. You can bag yourself a pair of Burton pants or a Quick Silver jacket for under €100 (above €369), you won’t be getting them for that if you head for the likes of Snow and Rock or 53 Degrees North! My favourite snowboarding brands are Burton, West Beach, Special Blend, Four Square, Bonfire and Quick Silver… to name but a few. I’m a ‘clothing junkie’ when it comes to the snow, having a collection of jackets and pants Eddie the Eagle would be proud of, I think I need to get my habit under control!
So what to pack on your week long holiday!
Firstly NO HEELS! You always know the snow virgin in your resort as she will be tottering/skidding about in her 6 inch stilletos, short skirt and quivering with the cold. Ski holidays are totally relaxed therefore you need to go with the flo. What you need to pack:
1) 1 pair snowboard pants
2) 1 snowboard jacket and I would recommend bringing another casual jacket for the evenings because usually your ski jacket will still be wet by the time your going out in the evening. If snowboarding try to get a jacket with a ‘snowskirt’ at the bottom, this is a tight band that you pull closed before zipping your jacket up and it prevents snow from going up your back or front if you fall, a great little bonus!
3) Ski socks – a pair for each day, if you don’t fancy doing any washing on your holiers! Get proper ski socks as they will come up to your knees and will protect your legs from your boots rubbing against your skin. If you want to splash out you can get proper snowboard socks which have added padding in areas that your boots will dig in to. (above from 53 Degrees North, €27)
4) Thermal vest – this will keep you dry when you perspire and keep you nice and toastie, again you can pick these up in TK Max for a fraction of the cost in other shops.
5) Gloves – SNOWBOARDERS BEWARE! If you are going snowboarding not only will your backside be in the snow a lot but your hands too! Each time you need a break you will generally sit down on the slope and your hands will be resting in the snow and helping you to get up and down on your board. Therefore it really is of utter importance that you invest in a good pair of gloves. I guarantee you if you buy a really cheap pair before you go, you will end up on the second day of your holiday buying a proper pair in the resort! There is nothing worse than being cold and wet up the mountian for hours. Personally I went for Level gloves which have an inner glove too for extra warmth, try and get gloves with Gortex as this is the closest you will get to being waterproof. DON’T put your gloves on a radiator after a day on the slopes as this will render their waterproofless! You can place them near the radiator or above it but do not place directly on the heat itself as it will damage the Gortex.
6) Neck Warmer – another must have, it does what it says on the tin! Just pull it over your head and it keeps the chilling wind at bay especially on the freezing chair lifts.
7) Hat – Obviously don’t forget this item! Make sure to get a hat that pulls down over your ears to keep you warm. There are plenty of great hats out there to keep you looking cool and will keep you warm, I have a cute Analog hat that keeps me nice and toastie.
Other than the above necessary items, you should just pack maybe two pairs of jeans, some nice tops as it will be warm in the pubs and clubs, a good pair of boots, remember obviously not suede or toeless! Warm casual gloves a must, scarf, warm casual jacket, hat and need I say it again…. NO 6 inch heels! Remember to bring your iPod to listen to whilst you whizz down the mountain and you may want a little something in a hipflask if your planning on spending a full day up there!
Safety Gear!
Ok so you may be a first timer or you’re just looking for tips in general, well check out this section as it could save you from sitting on a pillow at your desk for the next 6 months! If you haven’t already heard skiing and snowboarding are quite dangerous sports activities so my advice is to take precautions! I am in fact speaking from experience as 3 years ago I arrived home from my holiday in a neckbrace, with a broken bone in my neck! Apart from having a few creaks and twinges now and again I’m back to normal, well as normal as before the accident! There are a few items of safety that you can get before you go so I’ve listed them below:
1) Impact Shorts – A MUST HAVE…. if you are snowboarding! From our first year snowboarding we all had our shorts, they are brilliant. They are basically padded so when you fall on your bum… which you will do 100′s of times they protect you and your coccyx….. thank god!
2) Knee Pads – Again if you are going snowboarding I really recommend you get a pair. You will fall on your knees and sometimes they will take your whole body weight which let me tell you will hurt! If you don’t have the money to invest in a proper pair some people just wear skateboarders knee pads which essentially will do the same trick. (pair pictured from Snow & Rock)
3) Helmet – They say you should wear a helmet when on the snow at any time, just look at poor Natasha Richardson who died whilst skiing on the baby slope last year. If you are brave enough to venture into the snowparks for some jumps and tricks many of these now state that you must wear a helmet there. You can get pretty cool helmets now, particular brands I like are Smith, Red, Bern or Protect and if you get a plain helmet you can put stickers on it or do a little artwork to make them more individual. You can expect to pay about €70 upwards for your helmet.
4) Back Protectors – Snowboarders, you really only need to get one of these if you are a more advanced rider. They are great for protecting your back if you are going to be going into the park and doing rails etc.
5) Gloves with wristguards – Again if you are snowboarding, the first rule of thumb is… if you’re going down… keep your elbows and hands into your chest! Do not try and lessen your impact with your hands as the most common injury with snowboarders is broken wrists. You can get gloves with wristguards to protect your wrists, however these are generally on the pricey side but worth the investment.
Don’t go snowboarding or skiing without travel insurance, we use Get Cover (www.getcover.ie) each year as it’s the most reasonable for what you get. If you plan on going off piste this covers you too, as if you’re not covered for off piste your friends will have to drag you back to the run before calling for help as you will not be covered if you leave the designated skiing areas.
I hope you find some of the information above helpful and if you have any questions feel free to ask below in the comment box. I’ve attached a link below for you to look at and I hope by the time you’re back from your holiday you will have perfected the Rodeo 1080…… I only wish I could say it was me on the clip, maybe this year I’ll perfect it myself!
Skip the hat and go with the helmet! Also, I recommend wearing mittens rather than gloves, your fingers will be much warmer