Last word - Page 1
July 10, 2008 @ 8:29 AM
Summer snowboarding, summer snowboarding… To me those two have never been opposites or incompatible in any sense. This is because I can recall almost as many good times snowboarding in a just a sweatshirt on sunny glacier as from spraying dry January powder. Wanna join me?
Words: Anders Hagman
A couple of issues back we put a story about some “ultimate” road-trips on this very page titled ‘Hit the European Roads Jack’. It turned out to be a popular theme with many readers, albeit a little late to use for planning the winter, according to some. A few also mentioned that most of the suggested trips were a bit on the over-adventurous and expensive side for – but that’s another story and nothing a good car and the right companions can’t sort out.
Anyway, on popular request I’ll continue down the same alley once again, offering a few suggestions for successful summer snowboarding holidays. And this time no fat wallets are required… Well, you may need to cut that booze- and Euro-guzzling EasyJet charter to Ibiza out of your vacation plans, but your vital organs will only thank you for doing this.
Here are some routes across Europe which includes both great glacier snowboarding as well as some off-snow fun. They have actually been popular with snowboarders over the past decades and still are. I’ll stick to the undercover story and low-down on each one, as in this day and age any fool with a computer hooked to the net can type earth.google.com and find maps along with the rest of the practicalities.
The Austrian-Italian-Brenner-Pass-Connection: Ahh… Austria, the glamorous epicentre of European snowboarding! At least if you ask a Bavarian that is. But they are probably right too. This is where the early ski industry got a permanent foothold back in the 50s and snowboarding did the same thing early 90s. Innsbruck, or IBK as many insiders refer to it nowadays, and the surrounding area is a likely place to find pros and look-alike-pros in action also in the summer.
For a mellow time on a mellow glacier, one might hit Sölden or Kaprun for a short while, but the slopes on these glaciers are a bit on the flat end of the spectrum. Better yet, go straight to Mayrhofen to set up a base camp, with just a quick 20-minute drive for hitting the Hintertux glacier every morning. Hintertux often spots a sick park for the majority of the summer, with a peak in shaping efforts around July when summer camps are running the show. Coming at the same time as a camp can, however, be a disadvantage as you may need to pay some kind of homage or fee to get to ride the park at those times. One thing is for sure with a camp in town, and that’s that it’s party time each night!
When you’re done snowboarding and going rafting (another fun activity in the area) – and unless your liver has said “enough of Weiss Bier, bitte” – the hop to recovery on great beaches is shorter than one would think.
Pack the car and caress it carefully up the famous Brenner Pass, just south of IBK. At the top, stop at the Mickey D’s and enjoy a shitty burger with a great view. Then continue the 5-hour drive to hit a true Italian beach classic: Rimini & Riccione. This is where the northern Italian locals go for vacation – and the place is actually blessed with not having hoards of drunken Brits yelling names of Premier League teams all night long. Instead, expect to spot models from Milano slowly sipping after-dinner Limoncellos after a hard day’s work on their tan lines. Just beware that unless you’re a Robbie Williams lookalike, you’ll need more grace than “Ciao Bella!” to even get to talk to them. Although, if you hook up, suggest a trip to nearby Venice for some Bond-style romantic getaway time. But unless this is the case, or you’re a history buff, this place may otherwise be left to the bus-loads of seniors.
The-Best-of-Switzerland-Overlooking-the-Chocolate: If you like it a little glitzier, do like the Swiss snowboarding mafia and pay the daily tourist tax required to even hang out in the remote village of Saas Fee. This place may have breast-fed more European pipe riders over the past decade than any other. So if this is your thing, plan to stay for a while. Although, after hiking pipe at 3200 metres above sea level, you’ll be fit as Lance Armstrong and may decide to switch career.
