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Best Snowboarding Moments of the 24/25 Season | Blue Mountain & More

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best snowboarding moments 2024 2025

driving-to-blue-mountain-in-snow-stormOne of my best snowboarding moments of the 2024–2025 season happened during a surprise Southern Ontario snowstorm over the Family Day long weekend. On February 16th, I braved the whiteout conditions and made my way to Blue Mountain.

As you can see in the photo, visibility was almost nonexistent—the horizon had completely vanished.

When I arrived, it was a solid Ontario pow day. Now, it wasn’t on the same level as a big-mountain resort powder day, but conditions rarely get better than this around here. In fact, snowboarding conditions in Ontario are usually much worse, so this was a rare treat.

While at Blue Mountain, I rode the groomers, dipped into the trees, and hit a few features in the terrain park. I also brought my GoPro Hero Session action camera to capture footage. Check out my snowboarding video recap below!

Best Snowboarding Moments of the 2024-2025 Season

Season Overview
Best Snowboarding Moments
Why I Didn’t Get an Ikon Pass Again
Favourite Runs and Locations
New Gear I Got This Season
Looking Forward to Next Season

Season Overview

The 2024–2025 snowboarding season was a memorable one, packed with standout moments.

First, it was my daughter Juniper’s first snowboarding season, and I couldn’t be more proud of how she progressed. We kicked things off at the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show, where I grabbed a new jacket and gloves, and we picked up some new gear for the family.

We also made a trip to Corbett’s to grab the last few essentials and get all our snowboards waxed and tuned.

This season, I rode at both Blue Mountain and Horseshoe Valley. And notably, I chose not to buy an Ikon Pass this year — more on why and how much money I saved below.

Best Snowboarding Moments of the 2024-2025 Season

The season really began when we attended the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show. (You can read more in my Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show 2024 Review.)

My first day on snow was December 14th, 2024. It was a beautiful, sunny winter morning. My wife and I packed the car and headed to Blue Mountain. I wasn’t planning to ride myself — the goal was to introduce my daughter to snowboarding for the very first time.

First Time Snowboarding with Toddler

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She’s only a year and a half old, so I wasn’t expecting much beyond pulling her around the flats, spending time on the bunny hill, and letting her slide down a few gentle inclines. I wanted to focus on building a positive association with snowboarding and being outside in the Canadian winter.

Right now, she’s not a fan of her snowboard boots. I think she finds them too restrictive and doesn’t quite understand them yet. She still prefers wearing her regular winter boots in the bindings — we’ll work on that next season!

I didn’t buy a lift ticket that day since I didn’t use any of the lifts. We stayed around the base of Easy Rider — the bunny hill just north of the Grand Central Lodge at Blue Mountain. I brought my snowboard along, but mostly rode it with just one foot strapped in. Check out my recap post to see how action-packed the day actually was!

 

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Why I Didn’t Get an Ikon Pass Again

I got out for five snowboarding days this season — the same number as last year when I had an Ikon Pass. The year before that, I had the Ikon Pass again and managed eight days on snow.

The main reason I didn’t renew my Ikon Pass for a third season is the cost vs. value. The 2023–2024 Ikon Pass cost me $1,039 CAD. At that price point, I’d need to go at least 8–10 times in a season to make it worth it. But there just aren’t that many weekends in Ontario with conditions good enough to justify a 2-hour drive to Blue Mountain — that’s a 4-hour round trip.

The Ikon Pass made more sense back in the 2022–2023 season, when I took a trip out west to Red Mountain, BC. That year I rode three days at Red Mountain and five at Blue Mountain. When you compare the cost of individual lift tickets to the price of the pass, it paid off.

Is the Ikon Pass worth it for Blue Mountain Ontario?

This year, I bought lift tickets as I went. In total, I spent about $620 CAD on five days of riding.

If your local mountain is Blue Mountain, I don’t recommend buying the Ikon Pass unless you’re confident you’ll go at least 10 times. Especially now, with the Ikon Base Pass costing $1,359 CAD, the math just doesn’t make sense unless you’re also planning a trip to another Ikon resort.

Favourite Runs and Locations

During the Toronto Ski & Snowboard Show, I picked up a 2-for-1 lift ticket coupon for Horseshoe Valley and decided to check it out. It was my first time back in nearly a decade. Honestly, I found it a bit underwhelming. I was starting to get bored within a few runs. There’s not much terrain. A small amount is steep and then the rest of Horseshoe feels like you’re cruising around on flats.

In my opinion, Blue Mountain is hands-down the best resort for snowboarding in Ontario. It has the most terrain, plus the Blue Mountain Village offers bars, restaurants, an arcade, and even a cannabis shop.

If you’re lucky enough to catch a fresh snowfall, head to the North Side of Blue Mountain. That’s where the steepest terrain is, and on a powder day, it’s the best riding Ontario has to offer. Untracked lines on the North Side? That’s peak Ontario snowboarding right there.

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New Gear I Got This Season

This year I had a new pair of leather gloves. You can read my review of the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves.

I thought they were a solid pair of warm, well-insulated leather gloves. They’re durable, featuring a pull-on loop at the base of the palm and a Velcro® strap that ensures a snug fit around the wrist. I’m hoping that by taking care of them they should last for a few seasons.

I also got the Volcom Men’s Brighton Pullover Hood jacket. You can read my review here.

My favourite thing about this jacket is the pockets. I was specifically looking for an anorak style jacket, so that I would have a roomy front pouch over my belly to stash and carry my GoPro camera and retractable selfie stick. You also get 2 pockets on the left and right side of the chest and a smaller kangaroo pocket that opens from the front.

However, I do wish the sleeves ran maybe an inch longer. I found with an outstretched arm, the sleeve would fall a bit short at the wrist. What the Volcom Men’s Brighton Pullover Hood jacket really needs is wrist gaiters. If it had wrist gaiters I would say this is a near perfect anorak style jacket for resort riding.

Looking Ahead to Next Season

My family is considering buying one of the bungalows in the Windfall Blue Mountain developments. We were thinking it would be nice as a secondary property we could use on the weekends to go to Blue Mountain more consistently. It would be a few years before the home is ready, but as my daughter gets older it would be a great place for family and being closer to nature compared to our primary home west of downtown Toronto. Until the Windfall home is ready, I don’t think I would consider buying the Ikon pass again. I’m fine with just paying as I go.

What was your best snowboarding moment this year? Drop it in the comments below.

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Test Riding the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves at Blue Mountain

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Quick Review: Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves

Coming in at around $150 CAD, the Burton Gondy Gloves are a solid pair of warm, well-insulated leather gloves. They’re durable, featuring a pull-on loop at the base of the palm and a Velcro strap that ensures a snug fit around the wrist. While they add a bit of bulk to your hands, you’ll still be able to pinch and grab zippers or ratchet your bindings. I’d recommend these gloves to all-mountain riders. This pair works just as well for someone looking to ride groomers at a resort all day or anyone who wants to carve lines through the trees and deeper snow conditions.

Full Review of the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves

I headed out to my usual stomping grounds at Blue Mountain. The weather was decent—low wind, but the sky was overcast, and the lighting was flat. It seemed like as good a day as any to try out a new pair of leather snowboarding gloves.

For a while, I’ve been riding with pipe gloves and using a separate pair of liner gloves for insulation. I developed a preference for this glove setup while snowboarding in Ontario, as it gave me the most dexterous fit. However, during my last trip out west to BC, I found that the pipe gloves—acting as an outer shell—would start to stiffen and freeze in the colder, mountainous air. My hands never got cold while wearing the liners underneath. But I wanted to find a new pair a gloves that could suit my riding needs both locally in Ontario, and also better withstand a trip into the backcountry.

When I tried on the Men’s Burton Gondy GORE-TEX Leather Gloves, I immediately noticed the density of the insulation. I knew I wouldn’t need liner gloves with this leather pair. The insulation in the Gondy gloves is plush and warm. However, I’m curious to see if the ThermacoreECO insulation, which contains 95% recycled materials, will packout and lose effectiveness over time.

For now, I’m deciding how to best use them. I’ve noticed the gloves don’t fit well under the cuffs of my Volcom Brighton Pullover jacket. The cuffs of my sleeves bunch up at the base of the gloves as I stretch and move around. Tasks like bending over to clear snow from my binding footbed or grabbing the straps to buckle in cause the sleeves to ride up and refuse to settle over the gloves properly. Additionally, the Brighton Pullover jacket doesn’t have wrist gaiters, so I’m concerned snow or cold air may get up my sleeves.

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How to Become a Snowboard Instructor in Ontario, Canada

how-to-become-a-snowboard-instructorIf you’re a young snowboarder with a deep passion for the sport and you want to get even more out of snowboarding, I recommend becoming a certified snowboard instructor in Ontario. Growing up as a teenager, I found it to be an incredible employment opportunity where I was able to make life-long friends, develop skills and create lasting memories.

I worked at Glen Eden in Milton, ON, for a number of seasons throughout high school and university. I first joined their volunteer apprenticeship program and then later became a CASI certified snowboard instructor. Going through Glen Eden’s snow school apprentice program in high school was a great way to collect the 40 mandatory community volunteering hours necessary for graduation in Ontario.

I’m providing this guide for any young person looking to navigate the process of becoming a snowboard instructor. By following the steps I list below, you’ll be able to carve out a path to finding employment at your nearest ski resort’s snow school.

The Ultimate Guide on How to Become a Snowboard Instructor

Step 1: Master your Snowboarding
Step 2: Understanding the Certification Process
Step 3: Get Volunteer Experience as an Apprentice
Step 4: Register for a CASI Course
Step 5: Secure Your Dream Job as a Snowboard Instructor

Master Your Snowboarding Skills

john-cerpnjak-snowboardingYou’ll never be able to teach snowboarding if you can’t snowboard well enough yourself. The first step to becoming a snowboard instructor is ensuring you have proficiency in snowboarding.

If you can, try to take snowboard lessons while you’re growing up. You’ll get a better sense of whether you’re a strong enough rider to pursue it as an employment possibility.

Most ski and snowboard resorts will provide snowboard lessons for youth up to the age of 16. In Ontario, all the major resorts (ie. Blue Mountain, Horseshoe Valley, Glen Eden, Mount St. Louis Moonstone etc.) provide 8-week programs. Where you can take a scheduled snowboard lesson once a week for 8 consecutive weeks during the winter season.

By having taken snowboarding lessons yourself, you’ll get a sense for how they’re run and if you could ever see yourself in the instructor’s position.

Understanding the Snowboard Instructor Certification Process

In Canada, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI) is the recognized authority for snowboard instructor certifications. They have certification levels ranging from Level 1 to Level 4. To find employment as a snowboard instructor you’ll need to have received your Level 1 certification.

To achieve a certificate, you’ll need to pass both a teaching and riding examination for each level.

The following video demonstrates the snowboard riding skills required to pass standards for Level 1. If you can snowboard as well as the people in the video, then you might just be good enough to get your level 1 certification.

You’ll also need to be proficient in teaching theory. To learn the theory of teach lessons, you can refer to this video and this resource from the CASI website.

You can find all the details to register for courses from CASI.

Volunteer Apprenticeship to Become a Certified Snowboard Instructor

The best way to get hands-on experience is by becoming an apprentice, which requires volunteering your time. The nice thing is that your time can count towards the required 40hrs of community service required for high school graduation in Ontario.

Most ski resort snow schools have an apprenticeship program. I was an apprentice at Glen Eden where I got to assist with lessons being taught by certificated CASI instructors. Instructors would often have the apprentices preform demonstrations for the students. While the instructor leads, you’ll gradually take on more teaching responsibilities. You’ll get exposure to lessons being taught to adults, teens and kids. You’ll also gain an understanding of the different learning paces of various individuals.

Careers Pages for Snowboarding Jobs

Keep an eye out on the careers pages of your local ski resorts. Typically, positions will start posting around August to October in the lead-up to the coming winter season. Here’s some links to the careers pages of some ski resorts in Ontario:

Register for a CASI Course & Conquer the Examinations

You are now ready to register for the level 1 CASI course. This course takes place over 3 days. To see upcoming level 1 courses, check out this webpage and keep coming back to it for updates. The level 1 courses will take place at different resorts throughout the winter season. In the year that I got certified, there was a level 1 course taking place at Glen Eden during march break.

During the 3-day course, you’ll be lead by a CASI certificated course evaluator. You’ll spend the first 2 days learning about teaching techniques, safety protocols, and snowboarding theory. You’ll get time to practise your riding and get critiqued by the evaluator.

On the third day, you’ll be evaluated on everything you learned in the 2 days prior. Successfully passing these exams demonstrates your readiness to guide and mentor aspiring snowboarders.

Securing Your Dream Job

CASI-level-1-snowboard-instructor-certificateNow that you have your CASI level 1 certification, you’re ready to start applying to jobs!

Check out the careers pages that I linked to above and search for job boards online. Also note, you may also need to have your first-aid certification as a prerequisite for employment. This shouldn’t be too big of a problem as most grade 9 students in Ontario get first-aid training in school, usually through Phys. Ed class.

Your journey as an instructor doesn’t end with certification or landing your first job; it’s a continuous adventure of growth.

There are additional levels or certification that you can acquire. Additionally, if you continue to grow in your terrain park riding abilities, you can also get a Park Instructor certificate from CASI.

Becoming a certified snowboard instructor opens doors to a fulfilling career, but it’s also a lifelong adventure. As you guide others through their snowboarding journeys, you’ll witness the joy of progression, the triumph of conquering challenges, and the shared love for the sport.

If you’re a snowboard instructor, or thinking of becoming one, leave a comment below and share with me your experience finding employment in the industry.

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Test Riding the Burton Kendo Boots at Blue Mountain

test-riding-burton-kendo-bootsThe IKON Pass Experience at Blue Mountain

Southern Ontario got lucky with a snowfall during the Christmas break, so on Dec 27th, 2022 I decided to use my IKON pass to go snowboarding at Blue Mountain. Even though my IKON account says my pass was mailed out almost 2 months ago I still haven’t received it despite calling IKON customer support twice.

I was told that as long as I can show proof of an active IKON pass number and a photo ID, I should be able to receive a free lift ticket at participating resorts for the day.

This was put to the test at Blue Mountain and they passed! I had no issues acquiring a lift ticket.

Back Out to Make Some Turns…

This was my first time going snowboarding this season so I was excited. I brought all my video gear with me, which I carry strapped across my body with a fanny pack (it’s my wife’s fanny pack!) They had the snow-making machines going and there were scattered flurries throughout the day. The conditions were pretty decent for Ontario so I used the opportunity to stay off the groomers and venture out into the glades as much as I could.

I also have a new pair of Burton Kendo boots that I wanted to break in before my trip to Red Mountain in Rossland, BC later towards the end of January. I’ve been spending any extra time that I can find to prep and get into shape. I’ve been lifting weights and do calisthenic exercises at home. I’ve been trying to be diligent with my right shoulder after a few dislocations over the last several years. I’ve booked some physiotherapy sessions in order to get an assessment and make sure everything is functional before my trip.


Music: Three and a Half Feet High and Rising by El Ten Eleven

Test Riding Burton Kendo Boots

burton kendo bootsI was really happy with my new Burton Kendo boots. As far as the first day of riding with a new pair of boots ca go, I found them very comfortable. What I like most about these boots is their mid-flex and traditional laces.

I would describe them as having ‘goldilocks flex’, where it’s not too soft, not too stiff; just right. I got a solid 4 hours of riding out of them before my body was fatigued. The boots would have let me ride longer, but the muscles in my feet and calfs needed a rest.

I look forward to riding these boots while I’m out west. The imprint 3 liners in the boots were both supportive and warm. The articulated cuff is a key component to the boots’ mid-flex pattern. I’d recommend the Burton Kendo boots to anyone looking for a snowboard boot that has medium flex with a higher end liner, which should last you serval seasons depending on how much snowboarding you do.

 

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