Winter sports
 

Are winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding more affordable than in uk? One of the big draws for me moving to canada is the outdoor lifestyle which we don't have to same extent in uk. I suppose it depends partly on what province you live as Ontario only has ski hills, although they're not to far from some mountains in New York State. I've noticed Canadians seem to embrace winter whereas some Brits seem to hibernate once the autumn begins.

Re: Winter sports
 

I wouldn't think so, not for people living in Ontario. The keen skiers around here go to Utah, Chile or Austria on holiday, those places aren't that much nearer to here than they are to the UK. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing would be cheaper here.

Re: Winter sports
 

Bit of a generalization regarding how people see winter. A lot of Canadians avoid winter, either by simply hibernating in their houses, or going to sunnier climes. On the other hand, a fair number of Brits. seem to like the winter here, and ski, skate and toboggan.

Re: Winter sports
 

A family season pass at Nakiska (site of the alpine skiing portion of the 1988 Winter Games) is $1,400 for the 2013-2014 season (cheaper if purchased during the early bird period).

I have no idea how that compares to the UK.

Re: Winter sports
 

In Ontario, getting to mountains (real ones) is more expensive than in Europe, also skiing in Canada (eastern) is often a lot colder seriously colder than skiing in the Alps including glacier skiing..

To be honest there are somedays you come off the mountain when the cold has made it “not fun anymore” I’ve noticed I ski a lot less these days even though I have all the gear or put nicely when you need your Canadian goose parka to ski, its the type of day I don’t ski anymore..

Re: Winter sports
 

I think its more expensive to ski here in Canada (even as a local driving to the mountains from Calgary) than it is to spend a week skiing in Europe. It is also really difficult to just have a week of skiing lessons. Lessons by the hour here are extortionate.

BUT I do think the whole ski experience in the Rockies is WAY better than in Europe. You don't spend hours waiting for lifts, the lifts are faster, the powder snow is amazing, as are the views.

Re: Winter sports
 

If by "embrace the winter" you mean sit in their living room watching ice hockey on a 70 inch screen for six months of the year, then yes, Canadians do.

The whole "embrace the winter" thing is bollocks. In my experience Canadians enjoy the winter no more than people in Britain. In fact, cradles generally seem to moan about the weather - winter and summer - just as much, if not more than folks back home.

Re: Winter sports
 

Blue Mountain Ontario: http://www.bluemountain.ca/winter_lift_tickets.htm

http://goskiinggosnowboarding.ca/set...-snowboarding/

There are so many places across Canada you can ski, snowboard etc., just put in a google.ca search.

(Actually, click the link - I did it for you)

:)

Re: Winter sports
 

Too true!

Re: Winter sports
 

Affluent Canadians embrace the winter in Florida (or Texas, Arizona, Mexico, even Normandy).

Re: Winter sports
 

I'm sure you meant to say 'iced hockey :D'. I'm Canadian, don't ski, don't skate (very well), yet still managed to break several bones playing the game. Own good army snowshoes (snowshoes for sale!), x-country skis, (skis for sale!). But one thing I do is ice fishing, and if that isn't a winter sport there aren't any.

Re: Winter sports
 

Yes, bit of a slip up there I'm afraid. :o "My bad", as the locals say.


Just as an after thought. Ice(d) fishing has to be more of a mental disorder than a sport surely?...

Re: Winter sports
 

Bit of an aquired taste perhaps.

Re: Winter sports
 

I think skiing is cheap here, though it's very dependent on your access or a ski hill. Seasons pass at Sun Peaks in BC is $600 (early bird price). Ski 10 times or more during the 140 day season and you save on the daily rates. The weather is mild here by Canadian winter standards, so it's rare to be too cold to ski.

Skating is generally free at several of the city owned rinks if you just want recreational exercise. Cross country skiing is very inexpensive, snowmobiling is similar to owning a dirt bike in terms of outlay and overhead.

Re: Winter sports
 

I don't know about cheaper, never skiied in Europe, but it is much more accessible (less than 1 hour drive) which means we go every weekend.
Acitivities like ice skating are much more accessible too, at least around here, every park has an outdoor rink maintained by the city and free to use and x-country skiing opportunities abound too :)

Re: Winter sports
 

We have been put off skiing because it seems so expensive, we've only done it twice, end of season in Montana, lessons and equipment hire and whatever else and it was still $100 ish for three for the day and that was 40% off.

The local ski hill season pass early bird is around $500 per person.

Iced skates are cheap from Walmart as are snowshoes and locally we can hire snowshoes and x country skies, to see if we like it before spending the big bucks.

Most Canadians I know hole up and wait for it all to be over.

Re: Winter sports
 

or curl.

Re: Winter sports
 

You are kidding, if you believe that is expensive, aren't you? From the sound of it, you have no equipment, obtained a lesson and were able to use the facility all day at a cost of $100 for 3:eek:

Re: Winter sports
 

No that was cheap, it was 40% off but it was also in Montana. So a 7 hour drive, hotel stay, ski hire and stuff, not a cheap weekend. We have found the costs to be ridiculously expensive in Canada, by the time equipment has been rented and the ski hill paid for and the travel and the hotel, we could have a week away somewhere warm:p Now I know the costs would be brought down if we bought our own equipment, but why would we do that if we weren't sure if it was for us? A season of winter activities can easily run you into the thousands for a family if you were to regularly ski/snowboard imo.

Same as snowmobiling, something like $300 per snowmobile for a couple of hours, or you buy your own, then you need a truck and stuff to take it anywhere so you can attempt to kill yourself.

Re: Winter sports
 

We learned to ski at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. IIRC the cost of an initial lesson (introduction to skiing/snowboarding) was $45. That included rental of all equipment, lesson and lift pass for the day. I tried to find a link but it is all about the summer activities at the moment.

No need to leave the country and, from Red Deer to Calgary, easily doable in a day.:p

Nakiska had a similar program.

Re: Winter sports
 

Except that depending upon where you live & how much snow you can be assured of during the winter, it might be like a dirtbike that you can only ride for 1 month out of 12. ;)

Re: Winter sports
 

I visited mont tremblant in summer last year. People in Ottawa and Quebec are lucky as you've got good ski areas nearby. I'd like to visit Ottawa when they have their winterlude, and skate on the river. Need some lessons first though. :)

Re: Winter sports
 

It really depends on where you are. In NB we get quite a lot of snow, and me and my son joined the cross country ski club and paid for the whole seasons membership and lessons for $110. We also bought secondhand equipment because we didn't know if we'd like it, my son loves it and is good, I don't much like it (or the winter) and suck! Downhill is a about an hour away, and can be pricey, we don't have a lot of places for down hill compared to say Calgary or Whistler. Next winter I'm going to try snow shoeing. There are many Canadians who have absolutely no intention of embracing the winter.

Re: Winter sports
 

Lessons are $40 an hour fpr private $20 for a group plus rental in red deer, we only skiied in Montana because we happened to be there. We havn't tried red deer as we have heard it gets iced up making it difficult for beginners, still not a cheap day out whatever way you look at it.

Re: Winter sports
 

COP is icy as hell too. If you can ski there, you can cope with conditions in most locations.

I appreciate that not everyone has access to the facilities that those near Calgary do.

Re: Winter sports
 

The link I gave earlier shows this program, it's available over most of Canada - it's a great idea to find out if you like it :)

Re: Winter sports
 

Red Deer in a surprisingly OK hill. Sure it can get prone to ice, but it will have decent days too and its very good value. Keep an eye on the forecast and give it a go!

Re: Winter sports
 

I find the snow at COP is completely different to the stuff you get in the mountains, I think because its mainly artificial.

Re: Winter sports
 

Skiing for my family costs about $1000 for all of us for a season pass at the small local hill in Ontario, and then we spend another couple of hundred for a week or twos lessons for the kids, or they join the race team that adds another couple of hundred bucks to the cost.

THere is lots of used equipment out there that keeps the costs down, as well as the organised ski swaps that sell last years new equipment at reasonable prices.

My whole family has learned to ski here in Ontario and derived whole seasons of pleasure and amusement (and occasional pain!) for the cost of pretty much one weeks trip to the places you mention.

A weekend away in Quebec comes in at around $500 for the family. Much less than a trip to the big mountains.

Re: Winter sports
 

Don't get me started ............. :frown:

I have never had the desire to ski / board- be it downhill / uphill / off a big curly jump etc.

However as Caretaker and DBD have said there are other winter sports. Ice fishing is wicked awesome. You don't 'have' to have a shack but it helps- even a tent set up on the ice will keep the sun out of your hole, you will need to buy and ice auger, and a 2ft long fishing rod though. Oh an maybe something with 4wd just in case you get stuck on the snow on the lake.

Curling is great fun and a good way to make friends, a really popular sport (well here in AB it is) and very - ahem - sociable too if you know what I mean :beer:

Re: Winter sports
 

But what if the sun shines OUT of your hole eh? What then!?:sneaky:

I honestly believe ice fishing has bugger all to do with catching fish and far more to do with having a few warming bevvies in the peace and quiet far from the prying gaze of your significant other.

Re: Winter sports
 

I don't get how those bevvies are warming. You chug half frozen beer while huffing and puffing and stamping your feet then have to wander outside and take off your mitts in order to rummage in ten layers of fleecy fabrics to find your dong which is now shrunken to a point that it barely sticks through said layers. Your shivering hand causes you to write your name, whether you mean to or not. The whole experience is like going to watch the Green Bay Packers.

Re: Winter sports
 

Well, it may not be my cup of tea, but i wouldnt go so far as comparing it to having to watch american football:eek:. Lets try and keep at least a little perspective.

Re: Winter sports
 

*ahem* please stop releasing the old secrets, especially where non male
eyes can see. You could ruin it for the rest of us.
Thank you.

Re: Winter sports
 

ummm, perhaps you are doing it wrong. :confused:
Space heaters help.

Re: Winter sports
 

There's a few things that help -

Re: Winter sports
 

don't for one minute think that it's all about being cold and miserable.

OK in shacks like ours and Caretakers if you don't take a heater it can be, but some of the outfits the guys pull onto the lake (and leave them there for a season - are like mini homes. Seriously. It's like a big shed on skids (or even an old trailer) with a big hole in the floor (for obvious reasons) and you have all amenities of home - right in the middle of a frozen lake :confused:

I agree its not strictly fishing as such - but it is really cool to see them swim right up to your hook - or past the hole.

Actually last ime we were out, a couple guys in a dodge were literally sitting all day in their truck - watching their holes (no shack over them) and the rods they had in them had the indicators on (like a flag that pops up when you get a bite). So all they would do is jump out of the truck - pull up the fish - drop the line back in and go and sit down again!

And they caught more than us :(

Re: Winter sports
 

No hibernating for us - thank you very much :D

Re: Winter sports
 

This is proper winter sports. :thumbup:

Re: Winter sports
 

Nice :thumbsup: We usually partake in that type of sport after a day on the slopes!