Archive for January, 2006
Spring Conditions and Binding Frustration
So the wacky weather continues. It was six degrees and slightly slushy
and Blue yesterday, with tons of sunshine. It made for a great day to
ride, but also for some suspect conditions on certain runs.
I’m glad we went yesterday, though — it’s pouring outside right now.
I had a good deal of fun riding, but had to [...]
Finally - Serious Snow in Southern Ontario
Yesterday we went to Blue Mountain. It was quite an adventure for
several reasons, but the big one was the snowstorm. It took us more
than two and a half hours to get from Toronto to Collingwood thanks to
a huge storm that forced us to drive well below the speed limit on
highway 400 and beyond.
The upside? Blue [...]
Here Comes the Snow
The temperature reached 11 degrees in Toronto today. Perfect weather for a…
SNOWSTORM!
Toronto is going to get 5cm tonight/tomorrow, and Barrie is looking at
15. We’re hitting Blue tomorrow, so we’ll have to drive carefully.
Hey, maybe we won’t have to ride on ice!
Get Ski and Snowboard Conditions Via SMS
Got an email today from World Mobile Info telling me about a nifty service that delivers ski conditions via SMS to cellphones. I sometimes pull conditions via the web using a Treo, but getting the conditions via SMS instead seems very handy.
The site lists resorts across Canada. I believe the company is based in
Quebec, and [...]
In Canada, It’s National Ski & Snowboard Week?
Who knew?
And what happens as a result.. nothing, from what I can tell. No
special discounts. No good weather. (Well, it’s *is* snowing in Barrie.)
I think they should jazz this up every year by having a contest: a ski
vs. snowboard pipe competition. If the ski team wins, it’s called
National Ski & Snowboard Week. If the riders [...]
Endless Ontario Rain and Private Snowboarding Lessons
I’ve been trying to plan a getaway to Barrie (maybe even a return trip
to Blue?) but the weather is not co-operating. Furthermore, my Alberta
plans are slowly slipping away.
Must. Plan. More. Riding…
Oh well. Worst-case scenario is Jay Peak in two weeks. But when you’re used to riding every weekend, that’s a long time.
In the meantime I’m [...]
Toronto Snowboard Stores and Mole Snowboards
Finding Snowboarding Gear in Toronto
There are five places in Toronto I really like to visit when looking for snowboarding equipment and accessories.
Hogtown Extreme Sports: Great store, lousy website. Offer possibly the widest selection of ski and snowboard bags I have ever seen. Knowledgeable staff, and only seem to carry high-quality stuff. Definitely worth a visit [...]
Upcoming Jaunts: Real and Fantasy
So I get to go to Jay Peak at the end of the month (have I mentioned
this before?). This will be my first real mountain since Whistler. It
will be nice to try my new board on a real hill.
One of the best things about Jay is its green glades. This is something
I’ve never seen anywhere [...]
Great Article on the Rise of Snowboarding
This article
does a good job of summarizing the rise of snowboarding, and what it
means to the bottom lines of ski resorts. I’m not sure I agree with the
notion that snowboarders care less about powder and more about terrain
parks, but I certainly agree that every seems to be getting into it
these days.
First Trip to Blue Mountain
Many people have no idea that Ontario is actually home to an Intrawest resort: Blue Mountain. It’s actually Ontario’s largest mountain resort, but I use the term “mountain” lightly.
After visiting Blue Mountain, I’m pleased to say there are plenty of nice things about it:
* It has a nifty little village, very much like Whistler;
* There [...]
