Sure do, I've been on most NZ Ski fields with the club fields being favorites for hiking in and using nut crackers. No groomers so need good snow.
They keep the crowds down and the stoke high.
Hmm so go to South Island Fields and base could be 50cm with total coverage. On Whakapapa (rockapapa) 50cm means rocks stopping you to track everywhere.
Enjoy

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Harrow said..
Wondering whether to switch over to snowboarding this year? It looks awkward.

Hey Harrow
some good advice in 515s post.

I dont know the merits in Aus, but in places with consistent great snow and terrain, you'll pick up boarding no problem in a day or 2 given your background- and then it's just about your expectations from the experience. If you're happy to slow it down a bit, target bowls hips n gullies, even just messing on groomers, with like minded crew or your kids, you'll have a blast. If you have your skiing brain still wired in, you'll feel like you've wasted days on hill. That's excepting full blown powder runs, which are well, as u know, epic on any board really if you've got the skills

I had some local friends, early 30s in the Canadian Rockies, very very good skiers. Being a crab Aussie, they would just throw the board on once a week to come out and spend the day riding with me and others, to mix it up. Different terrain, a few laughs, beers, doobs, meet some bunnies - instead of the full on and technical sh$! They would otherwise be doing.

my 2 cents is get the basics, then have the right mindset and enjoy whenever you feel like it!! Learning something new is fun in itself!!

Edit: forgot to add, said skiers were still next level better than this very avg Aussie but bless them they let me keep up and it was fun!!!

Learning and progressing is really where the fun is in most sports. Im sure you would really enjoy it. Just dont decide to try if conditions ar shxt. Dont learn when its icy. Soft groomed snow required. Big difference is avg snowboarder 3- 5 days all mountain and enjpying powder/ deep fresh snow. Vs skier enjoying deep fresh snow many years. And yes gret for things like surfing style riding. Rhose fluent in both will choose depending on conditios (as someone said above) and terrain. Give it a go

Got a bit fired up thinking about this so I've grabbed one of the kids, grabbed the powder skis (soul 7's and Kastle MX89's) packed the car and taken off to hit Perisher for a bluebird powder day !

Got as far as Grafton and I'm on the side of the road , it's 5.15pm and my car is pissing oil ??

Hi Main,
Awesome to hear the keenness. I'm trying to get my teenage daughter into snowboarding who has skied a bit.
Cars eh!
From Queensland thats a drive! I complain about the extra hour making it over 5 hours driving from Auckland and our roads are nowhere as good as yours.
Earlier today I did get a deal for snow planet (indoor). I've been there once for myself but to get her on the snow learning is all part of the Master plan

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Main said..
Got a bit fired up thinking about this so I've grabbed one of the kids, grabbed the powder skis (soul 7's and Kastle MX89's) packed the car and taken off to hit Perisher for a bluebird powder day !

Got as far as Grafton and I'm on the side of the road , it's 5.15pm and my car is pissing oil ??

Wow, that's a heck of a drive. Hopefully your kid can share the driving.

Its not a bad option to fly to Albury and go from there, or even Cooma is doable. Heck, even to Canberra and driving from there.

I think it was pretty windy there today, and the wind is still hanging around for Sunday, but hopefully light when I am there on Monday!

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causehecan said..
I got his back.

Slide
The pussycats and tired old drunks who hate water almost as much as theyre dislike for soap tend to congregate on xk aka extreme kites theres a large number of us both here and theyre but to be honest theres alot more nonsense going on over here so we tend to stay here hope mentioning that doesnt bother lauzarus too much (he'll be back dont worry)

thx for the pointer , I've joined and posted, pete

It's all good !!
dropped the car at a mechanic in Grafton and can pick it back up Wednesday.
Stayed the night at my cousins in Grafton and watched the wallabies get up !!
Got a hire car pickup at 8am.
Scored 3 nights at Sundeck - because of a cancellation.
Its still puking down there !!
And monday is a bluebird day !!!

talk about frothing to get down there !! Been awake and pacing the house since 4am waiting for the car hire to open.

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515 said..
Hi Main,
Awesome to hear the keenness. I'm trying to get my teenage daughter into snowboarding who has skied a bit.
Cars eh!
From Queensland thats a drive! I complain about the extra hour making it over 5 hours driving from Auckland and our roads are nowhere as good as yours.
Earlier today I did get a deal for snow planet (indoor). I've been there once for myself but to get her on the snow learning is all part of the Master plan

Long drive but I think it will definitely be worth it.

They are digging out lifts and Im hearing 1m pow off the sides and it's still snowing!'

ive got the ski crazy son on this trip who's only 14 so I'll be doing all the driving. Biggest drama will be the fight over the fattest skis

Arctic blast happening snow at sea level for south island

I always wanted to try snowboarding so went night skiing and swapped with my son for the night, could skate no worries and made it on and of the chair without a stack. BUT then struggled to push up of arms and stand. Gave up and walked down the hill and changed boots back.

Someone later suggested i could have flipped onto my knees but too late..

I'll stick to skiing for now..I did make my kids promise to remind me to get fitter before heading next trip

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jbshack said..


Someone later suggested i could have flipped onto my knees but too late..

You mean, sticking the board out, and flipping it over first, and then stand up... yeah, I figured that one out after a little bit. Much easier.

I am sure its like a lot of sports and you wonder how you couldn't do it before.

Thanks guys, plenty of good tips. I'll wait for a day with good snow and when I'm with some less serious skiers that are happy to muck around on the hill.

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Harrow said..
I've been skiing for 40 years, well past the point of ever falling over, so which is easier is not the question for me. I know I'm not going to come close to my skiing ability with a snowboard, but just wondering if it's fun to try for a change, or is it eternally frustrating? Would be great if it does have the flowing feeling of riding a board on water, but I seem to see a lot of people just sliding down the hill sideways on the edge of the board just to get to the next flat spot so they can push themselves along with one foot. It's as if the concept of riding a snowboard doesn't match the reality. Is that an accurate take? I wonder if it would be better in deep snow, might be more like a wave then.

It's fun.

That said, i've never skiid ...skied ...ski'd? at least not since I was very young. I've "boarded" headps though; skateboards, surfboards, waterskis, windsurfed etc. etc.

On powder it is ****ing magic. Like maybe the most magic ever. You really plane, and its silent, and soft. It's worth it just for that alone.

Not hard if you can "board already". I actually used to bodyboard and the spins are exactly the same, just standing.

That said I didn't like snowboarding that much in Australia; it's all ice runs. Snowbaord and ice are kind dodgy. Exciting, perhaps, if you like danger, but not fun. I went to Japan in January. Will never ski Australia again. Hell, we had 50cm nearly every night, sometimes more. Had to find the steepest runs because of all the powder. Stop and you sink in to above your head.

I dont know what he looked like this year but last year he looked identical to all the 40 year old kiters who have told me they use to ride boots but theyre old now/injured

Today at Perisher, I was missing my good friend, ice, as the snow seems to have covered it! It was magic. Still a few patches that were icy, but nowhere near normal.

I was surprised how much more fun it is to go down steep slopes when you have snow instead of ice.

I don't know how I would go skiing in powder as it has me completely confused when I need to turn.

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evlPanda said..

That said I didn't like snowboarding that much in Australia; it's all ice runs. Snowbaord and ice are kind dodgy. Exciting, perhaps, if you like danger, but not fun. I went to Japan in January. Will never ski Australia again. Hell, we had 50cm nearly every night, sometimes more. Had to find the steepest runs because of all the powder. Stop and you sink in to above your head.

Thanks! Now I have to learn how to snowboard, just so I can justify a trip to Japan!

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FormulaNova said..
Today at Perisher, I was missing my good friend, ice, as the snow seems to have covered it! It was magic. Still a few patches that were icy, but nowhere near normal.

I was surprised how much more fun it is to go down steep slopes when you have snow instead of ice.

I don't know how I would go skiing in powder as it has me completely confused when I need to turn.

I've been here a few days. Snow cover is pretty good.
I forgot how quickly it gets tracked out in Oz after a big dump.
No shortage of people either

Hi Main,
What no photos
After a powder day you would ring your mates with "you missed out".
Powder pigs!
It used to be mainly snowboarders and a few skiers then came the fat skis.
I'm still sick and news confirmed that colds are worse and taking longer to get over.

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causehecan said..
I dont know what he looked like this year but last year he looked identical to all the 40 year old kiters who have told me they use to ride boots but theyre old now/injured

Thanks for posting that! Just when I was starting to forget how pathetic the early 90's were, then this video!

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Main said..

FormulaNova said..
Today at Perisher, I was missing my good friend, ice, as the snow seems to have covered it! It was magic. Still a few patches that were icy, but nowhere near normal.

I was surprised how much more fun it is to go down steep slopes when you have snow instead of ice.

I don't know how I would go skiing in powder as it has me completely confused when I need to turn.

I've been here a few days. Snow cover is pretty good.
I forgot how quickly it gets tracked out in Oz after a big dump.
No shortage of people either

Yeah, I know, I have been here since Sunday. There were less people on the mountain today compared to Monday though, so there shouldn't be too much queuing unless you get trapped at the bottom of the Ridge chair when there are a lot of people.

I don't know about you, but here I am used to skiing on ice, and seeing snow and not having to dig an edge in hard is brilliant! It even sounds nicer!

Lots of people were saying it felt like spring skiing today, even though the temp was still around zero. I think the lack of wind made it feel warmer.

Supposedly more snow later in the week, and hopefully it means the weekend is going to be good, although the queues will be huge.

Another dump expected next week also..

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515 said..
Hi Main,
What no photos
After a powder day you would ring your mates with "you missed out".
Powder pigs!
It used to be mainly snowboarders and a few skiers then came the fat skis.
I'm still sick and news confirmed that colds are worse and taking longer to get over.

This is the only photo I took on the way out this morning.

Blue sky, heaps of snow cover and as FN said the weather is like spring skiing.

"No friends on powder days !"

Nice
Agree no friends on powder day

Backcounty powderpig in action , I can fly





Earn your turns

Are they heliski photos ?

Im am really keen to do the heliskiing in NZ but am **** scared of the avalanche risk. Of course the last two guys Ive spoken to about it have both had avalanche issues....

Not Heli skiing but at south island club field Mount Olympus. Its outside the nut cracker runs so talk to ski patrol about snow pack and how stable it is to reduce avalanche risk.
Patrol has made boot pack to check safety of different area's so you can hike there.
Ride with like minded mates with transceiver, small pack with shovel and probe for safety then learn how to use it.
Earlier today on Rueaphu, Turoa field has had an avalanche and last year. Lately there has been so many snow fronts come through so a "considerable risk".
I've done cat boarding at Mount Potts yesrs ago which was cheaper than Heli.
One of my mates did Heli and good operator shouldn't take risks.

Hmm, learn to board in Japan, I like that idea.

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515 said..
Not Heli skiing but at south island club field Mount Olympus. Its outside the nut cracker runs so talk to ski patrol about snow pack and how stable it is to reduce avalanche risk.
Patrol has made boot pack to check safety of different area's so you can hike there.
Ride with like minded mates with transceiver, small pack with shovel and probe for safety then learn how to use it.
Earlier today on Rueaphu, Turoa field has had an avalanche and last year. Lately there has been so many snow fronts come through so a "considerable risk".
I've done cat boarding at Mount Potts yesrs ago which was cheaper than Heli.
One of my mates did Heli and good operator shouldn't take risks.

Harris seem to be the biggest and pretty active around wanaka. Hope I can force myself up one day. I've really psyched myself out of it for some stupid reason. I need someone to tell me it's been blasted and I'd be ok.
I noticed a cat setup across from Cadrona as well.

Well if you must.. Dreams picture gallery..
Very familiar to Niseko visitors


Mt Yotei - slog up half the day!! powww down (oops - that is my son )




Big White - Our breakfast bar view - that's the Hot-tub on the left

Harrow - Definitely give snowboarding a crack - do not learn on powder - until you can flow it is exhausting. Horses 4 courses.
Back to skiing now.
Cheers
AP
(MMM tempting to drive down to do kite skiing - SE Qld is day and 1/2 solid to Hotham / Falls - just about same to fly to Japan!! )