Snowboarding is a fun past time for students, family and friends during breaks and weekends. Along with other winter activities, it can help people bond while getting them off the couch and away from the TV. Snowboarding is also a thrilling experience to do in the winter time along with skiing, sledding and other winter activities. 

“I used to go to Fort Collins to snowboard and ice skate with my family in the winter season. It was a family tradition to us,“ said junior Gabriel Broudy. 

Some popular places in Arizona that some students go to for winter activities are Flagstaff, Sedona, Sun Rise Park Resort and Mt. Lemon Ski Valley in Tucson. All of these places also offer classes for beginners along with passes going up to the whole winter season for students and families. In Flagstaff, many people go to the Snowbowl, where people can stay for a weekend or for all of spring break. This means that many students can have more time to be able to do their winter activity, along with just having a good time. 

“I’ve been up to Flagstaff a lot to go snowboarding with my family. I love going because it just makes family bonding more fun than boring,” said junior James Rice. 

Elk Ridge Ski and Recreation Center, on the southern western side of the Grand Canyon, specializes in skiing. This recreation center offers lessons and a good environment for beginners, along with a fun family feel with the employees and is typically open Thursday through Monday, Thursday’s are ski only days at the center.  

“My best snowboarding experience would have to be learning how to snowboard by myself. Even though it wasn’t the correct way to do it, it was still a lot of fun for me,” said senior Odette Harry, “I’ve also tried skiing but I didn’t like it as much as snowboarding. The boots were just way too uncomfortable for me.”

These winter activities are not only limited to the winter time, they also follow to into spring time. Spring break is one of the biggest times to snow board or ski with friends because some sites have more snow during this time period. 

“I went snow boarding with my family on spring break in Colorado. I was shocked, but there was even a huge snow storm once, it took my breath away.” said junior Steven Keller. 

In many different places snowfall can range around the year, so before you think of taking lessons or going for a trip, it’s best to research and what you are doing there so you are prepared. Also to keep in mind many winter activities can be just as dangerous as normal sports. In all of the places mentioned, all the employees have had training in the medical field just in case of accidents, but it is still a good idea to avoid most injuries by just doing your research.