For passionate snowboarders, summertime is a let-down. The beginning of the summer season means another six months without waist-high snow, death-defying drops as well as high-flying half-pipes. For board-sport enthusiasts, there’s some solace in surfing and skateboarding. However, nothing is quite like the smooth carving thrill and strapped-in control of snowboarding.
In the early 90s, a couple of snowboarding guys in California were searching for a way to beat the summertime blues. They rigged up four tires to a snowboard-sized deck, screwed on a few modified bindings and began shredding the grassy slopes of off-season ski resorts. Bailing on dirt, grass and gravel proved to be a little more painful than snow, but the ride was equally addictive.
Want to find out where to go mountain boarding? Well, we’ve got you covered! Here are our top picks.
Bugsboarding, UK
As a family-run outdoor activity facility, Bugsboarding is very well-known for being one of the most advanced outdoor activity and mountain board centres in the UK. There aren’t a lot of sites where you could find an utter beginner riding 100 metres away from the current World Freestyle Champion.
If you are an extreme-sports enthusiast and are looking for a new adrenaline buzz that’s as good as what you’ll get when enjoying NZ betting for mobile, there will be something that will challenge you at Bugsboarding, from mountainboarding to grass sledging.
Camp Carolina: North Carolina, US
Alfred Thompson is the Director and Owner of this mountain boarding location. He lives on the property all year round with his wife, Mary Eccles, son Alfred Jr, and daughter Bren. Alfred has been the Manager and Director since the early 90s. Alfred’s wife, Mary Eccles, has been the Office Manager from 2007. The Thompson Family has over a century of joint experience running a private summer camp.
The Thompsons have been associated with Camp Carolina since 1959.
In 1946, Nath Thompson (Alfred’s father) got his very first summer camp job. There was a countrywide gas shortage so he set out on his 50 lb. single speed bike and then rode 235 miles from Thomaston, Georgia to the mountains in Western North Carolina. With just 55 cents in his pocket, he rode for five days. This adventure started his lifelong career and passion for summer camping.
It is his resolve and love of the camp which has been so important to his family, Camp Carolina, as well as the larger camp community.
Adventure Okehampton, England and Wales
Adventure Okehampton was established in 1996 to develop a Youth Hostel in Okehampton. From 1997 it has been offering activity residentials for schools and groups in addition to providing accommodation to YHA members, families as well as individuals during the holidays.
Their main ethos is to provide people with the opportunity to experience Dartmoor and to undertake some tough activities because where you stay shifts who you become. Together with this, the company wants to run their operations in a sustainable fashion. From the beginning, the company has employed local staff and utilised local suppliers.