Christie Hampton reveals where to find the next best thing to a ski or snowboard fix while you wait for winter.
Autumn is a fickle time of year. The cooler temperatures have probably triggered your desire to ski or board, an itch that won’t be scratched until those snowflakes start to fall but, let’s face it, that could still be months away.
So what can you do to keep the dragon at bay until then? Here’s a few activities that will help satisfy your need for high speed, perilous and expeditious activities until the white stuff hits the ground.
Mountain biking
Why do it?
There are numerous similarities between mountain biking and skiing or snowboarding. Both are fast, furious and can test your fitness. Each can result in leg burn so severe you’ll dread moving your body from sitting to standing for days afterwards. Both also require enough coordination to negotiate trees at a rapid pace while praying to god you don’t hit a wayward root or rock.
Who’s doing it?
The question is who ISN’T doing it.
There’s a rumour going around that dirt is the new snow.
Brown is the new white. Mud is the new pow. Get the picture?
Where it’s at
Mountain bikers build trails with the enthusiasm and intricacy of burrowing rabbits. Here are a few of our suggestions.
Sydney – Manly Dam
Meeting Place: Park near the corner of King St and Arana St, Manly Vale and ride up the road towards the Manly Vale School.
Description: Great 10km ride for beginner to advanced cyclists.
Canberra – Stromlo Forest Park
Meeting Place: The main entrance gate is off Uriarra Rd in the ACT (near the intersection of Uriarra Rd and Coppins Crossing Rd).
Description: Trails to suit all standards. Like a ski resort they range from green to double black.
Thredbo
Meeting Place: Bottom of the Kosciuszko Express
Description: Riding at Thredbo is as close as you’ll get to skiing in summer. The MTB trails criss-cross their way down the ski runs and you can catch the Kosciuszko Express back to the top.
Mt Buller
Meeting Place: Bottom of the Northside Express Chairlift
Description: Like Thredbo, Mt Buller has put a huge amount of effort into building and maintaining MTB trails. It’s a perfect destination for Melbournites with trails to suit all standards.
Trampolining
Why do it?
Trampolining allows freeskiers and snowboarders to perfect new tricks in a controlled environment before taking them to snow. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun, a huge adrenalin rush and a great way to get fit to ride.
Who’s doing it?
Any professional freeskier, freestyle skier or snowboarder worth their salt. Think David Morris, Russ Henshaw, Anna Segal and Scotty James
Where its at:
Melbourne and Perth
Bounce Inc. This giant facility is basically a spring-loaded playground. There are over 100 interconnected trampolines and you can literally bounce off the walls.
Sydney
Boing Central. Remember the trampolines of your youth? They were basically bouncy death traps complete with rusty springs that just screamed ‘tetanus’. There’s nothing like that at Boing Central. It’s a similar concept to Bounce Inc. Just good, clean, springy fun and no, you won’t find cigarette holes in the trampoline mats.
Skate Boarding
Why do it?
Sure you may think that skateboarding is a young punks game. But that’s not true because if THIS guy can learn to skateboard, so can you.
Who’s doing it?
Russ Henshaw swears by skateboarding as a form of cross training for skiing. You’ll often see him at the Jindabyne Skate Park on his down days. And of course there’s Shaun White who manages to stay just as well-coiffed on a skateboard as he does on a snowboard.
Where’s it at:
You’re never far from a skate park. Just ask any young punks you know.
Surfing
Why do it?
There’s something beautiful and wonderful about the unpredictability of nature. It giveth and then sometimes it won’t giveth for days. This is something surfing and snowboarding have in common. Nature teaches you patience as you wait for a powder day or swell. But we’re not saying take up surfing to learn patience, it’s just a damn fine way to exercise outdoors between trips to the mountains.
Who’s doing it?
Three words. Alex. Chumpy. Pullin
He doesn’t just surf, he sings while he does is.
Where its at:
We live on a giant island. 85% of us live within 50kms of the coastline. The possibilities are too endless to list here.
Indoor skiing
Yep, you hear right, In2Ski in Alexandria in Sydney offers indoor skiing and boarding so you can perfect your technique before you hit the slopes.
You’re not technically riding on snow but you are on a moving surface and strapped into your boots and boards or skis so we’ll take it any way we can until the real stuff falls from the sky.
Where do you go and what do you do to get your snow buzz while waiting for the snow to fall?
