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Tag Archive for: snowboarding adventure

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

snowboarding gear, snowboarding travel

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

best-snowboarding-moments-2024-2025

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.

blue-mountain-ontario-trail-map-north-side

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.

May 9, 2025/0 Comments/by cerpnjakjohn

Test Riding the Burton Kendo Boots at Blue Mountain

snowboarding travel

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.

 

December 29, 2022/0 Comments/by cerpnjakjohn

Step 9 Snowboarding in Lake Louise, AB

snowboarding travel

Back in 2017, our snowboarding crew, Step 9, and I went on a trip out west. We road tripped to several mountain resorts.

We rode Sunshine Valley, Revelstoke and Kicking Horse, which all had sub-optimal snow conditions. We focused on having fun and made the best of what we could find.

At each resort we hiked around certain peaks and bowls trying to find powder. But we hadn’t found a line yet that could seal the deal on the trip. We just wanted to get our money’s worth in higher quality snow.

At this point we were near the end of our snowboarding trip so we were running out of time to find better snow.

As we packed up the SUV, we had to make the decision to either start driving back to the Calgary airport, or we could fit in one more resort in search for powder.

So while driving back to Calgary we pulled off the highway and headed for Lake Louise. We figured we would just try it out to see what was there. And even if the conditions weren’t great, well at least we could still hang around one of Canada’s most iconic landmarks.

Luckily for us, the snowboarding in Lake Louise was the best of the whole trip. Not to mention we had a lot more sun light too!

The top of the mountain was rather windy but we were prepared with the right amount of layering.

We only rode Lake Louise for a few hours but I captured a good amount of great footage with my  GoPro Hero Session. I edited all down to an 8 minute video for your viewing pleasure.

Within the video embedded above, there’s some music tracks I’d like to credit:

  • Fanshawe by El Ten Eleven
  • The Distance by Cake

After riding the mountain resort we checked out the chateau and neighbouring areas. There was people ice skating on the lake and ice sculptures to walk around and admire. I even got to have a tasting of ice wine from Inniskillin. It was nice to see some delicious Ontario wines making it out to Alberta.

snowboard road trip
snowboard road trip
snowboard road trip
snowboard road trip gopro
snowboard road trip gopro
snowboard trip driving
snowboard trip driving
lake louise photographer
lake louise photographer
lake louise gopro
lake louise gopro
lake lousie ice sculpture Canadian flag
lake lousie ice sculpture Canadian flag
lake louise horses
lake louise horses
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise ice sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise snow sculpture
lake louise ice wine inniskillin
lake louise ice wine inniskillin
john cerpnjak zack zaza
john cerpnjak zack zaza
September 23, 2021/0 Comments/by cerpnjakjohn

Step 9 Snowboarding in Kicking Horse, Golden, B.C.

snowboarding travel

Back in 2017, our snowboarding crew (Step 9) and I went on a trip out west. We road tripped to several mountain resorts. This video is a compilation of footage that was taken while we were snowboarding in Kicking Horse.

It was my favourite resort that we visited. I’m going to make a point of returning to Kicking Horse again one day in the future.

During our trip snowboarding in Kicking Horse, we were there for only one day. I captured a couple hours of footage on my GoPro Hero Session. I edited it all down to a video just under 14 mins.

Kicking Horse was the second resort that we visited on our trip. We were first at Sunshine Valley in Banff, Alberta. I ended up dislocating my right shoulder towards the end of the first day riding. Although it wasn’t the first shoulder injury I’ve had, it is the first shoulder dislocation.

I had to sit out on day-two of Sunshine Valley. But once we got to Kicking Horse I was ready to strap in again!

I styled it easy while snowboarding in Kicking Horse. I didn’t want to re-injure myself.

snowboarding in kicking horse

Panoramic view of Whitewall.

Some notable memories from the day is when we hiked along a mountain ridge called Stairway to Heaven. We got to the top of this one run called Whitewall. It’s the steepest incline I’ve ever tried snowboarding, even to this day. Because of my shoulder injury I took it real slow, which is why I’d love to go back to Kicking Horse again. I’d love another shot at riding Whitewall where I can give it my all.

It you watch at the 5:11 mark in the video, you’ll get a sense for how steep it was. But to be honest, I don’t think the GoPro footage truly does it justice.

  • snowboarding in kicking horse
  • snowboarding in kicking horse
  • john cerpnjak snowboarding kicking horse
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Within the video embedded above, there’s some music tracks I’d like to credit:

  • Make it Wit Chu (remix) by Virgin Magnetic Material
  • Weekend Friend by Goth Babe
  • Desert Cruiser by Truckfighters

If you’re ever considering a snowboard trip to Western Canada, I recommend you try snowboarding in Kicking Horse. I think you’ll have a great time just as my friends and I did.

June 18, 2021/0 Comments/by cerpnjakjohn

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