How to : Avoid Becoming a Seasonaire Cliche 

Picture this…unwashed hair – almost dreadlocking in places, “weathered” clothes, a slight aroma of beer following you, MASSIVE goggle tans, hoodie with 2016 seasonaire nicknames on the back, bar tabs up to your eyeballs, seriously malnourished as you have existed on solely baguettes for 6 months, shadows under eyes, gaffa-taped equipment, foggy memories, lost belongings and stolen dogs (true story)…This is how many people end up after their first season (sometimes 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons too). In fact, I think I have just described myself after my first season – and yes, I had a really good time.

No matter how you enter your first season (nice clothes, equipment that works, fresh faced with good intentions), a seasoned seasonaire will normally end up in a similar state by the end…”The Seasonaire Cliche”

This isn’t a bad thing, and for your first season I almost feel like you have to experience this. It’s nice to get swept away with the whole new way of life, fashions, seasonaire existence and the mountain bubble. Many would say that their first season was actually their best season. I definitely would second this!

Ski seasons have got a bad reputation. Renowned as being filled with crazy parties, wild fancy dress outfits fashioned from household objects, naked snow diving, inappropriate clothing, shots, shots and more shots, and safe to say not much actual mountain time. Many would liken doing a season to being a fresher student at uni, and if you’re a snowboarder, the reputation is even more rebellious for some reason?!

BUT it doesn’t have to be like this every time you go away for a season or even for a ski/ snowboard holiday. You might get to a point when you decide you want to do your seasons differently. This season you may feel ready for a change. A healthy change.

“A season doesn’t always have to be full of unwashed socks and unwanted tattoos (I could tell you tales).”

In fact there’s a new trend for ski and snowboard holidays and seasons with a healthier approach. Sounds weird but it’s doable, your body and bank balance will definitely thank you, plus you might even enjoy it more…

Here are some tips on how to avoid slipping into the seasonaire cliche:

Eating

Firstly, what you put into your body, you get out of your body. You need to fill yourself with delicious, wholesome, nutritious food if you want to maximize your potential on the mountain. I have spent many a season living on the cheapest meals possible for example, baguettes…sometimes with canned soup, finished off with cereal. It’s hard not to feel sluggish and unmotivated after a few weeks of ‘dining out’ on such a menu. Ironically I saw it as saving money for snowboarding. In hindsight, my snowboarding was worse because I wasn’t eating properly.

However, there are cheap ways to eat more healthily. Shop around and find the best bargains for fruit and veg; sometimes local markets or little grocery stores are the best. Cooking from fresh can be a faff but can work out a lot cheaper. Everyone knows that mountain supermarkets are EXPENSIVE. So if you have a car, I’d recommend driving out of resort to food shop once a week, as you’ll save so much money. You could even club together with friends and housemates and take it in turns to cook. Eating/ shopping together like this really cuts the costs and means you don’t have to cook every night.

Season accommodation doesn’t always have the best cooking equipment, so think about what you can bring out from home to help you out, for example a small smoothie maker. You can make little adjustments like having porridge instead of sugary cereal, which will make a massive difference to your energy levels on the mountain and you’ll feel fuller for longer. Similarly, instead of taking chocolate bars as a mountain snack, swap in nuts and dried fruit – as they’re better for you and way cheaper!

Try to make dinner times a focus and as an opportunity for a social occasion, rather than just grabbing a pasty on the way to the pub. Meat can be expensive to buy, so enjoy it as a treat 2 or 3 times a week, and then get your protein from other cheaper sources such as beans, pulses, eggs and dairy.

Accommodation

People on the sofa, people on the floor, someone in the bath, people top or tailing in bunk beds. Enough said! Bad, dirty or crowded accommodation can affect your sleep quality, while busy and poorly equipped kitchens make cooking all that much harder. All this could affect your riding. So again, when picking your accommodation for the season, really shop around. There are some really lovely affordable places out there. If there are a few of you, you can get a bigger, nicer place and share the costs between you. Really think about the people you are sharing with though and if they have the same agenda as you do i.e. are into more snowboarding and less partying.

Another option is to stay in a place that has your meals included, for example Ticket to Ride’s newly launched Mountain Lodge in Meribel. Their accommodation is pretty luxurious for season accommodation and meals are healthy and nutritious as opposed to the standard cream-heavy resort fare. Affordable mountain accommodation with personality are popping up all over Europe – you just need to look out for them! Whilst in America, it’s easy to get good accommodation at amazingly low prices and most of the houses come with hot tubs too!

Activities

Have a clear plan in your mind of activities other than snowboarding that you are going to do in your spare time. That way you won’t get too sucked into the party/ drinking scene and become a seasonaire cliché. Hobbies could be anything from reading, yoga, swimming, knitting, skating, singing or even ice sculpting?! You just need to have something else to focus on and keep your mind active when you aren’t riding. It will also give you a mental break from riding and keep you fresh.

Snowboard Retreats

They are all over the world and normally offer an alternative type of snow holiday, with a real focus on health and wellbeing, including wholesome home cooked food, yoga sessions, massage treatments, body recovery and nutrition guidance. Even if you can only afford to go on one, it’s a good way to get you started and get ideas on how to follow a better path with your seasons/ trips. You will definitely come away feeling inspired, and it’s a great way to meet like-minded people who are looking to make similar changes to their lifestyles and improve their snowboarding/ skiing.

Are you looking to take your snowboarding to the next level but want to do it in an relaxed and stress free environment? Check out our girls only camp hosted by Katie. 

Season Goals/ Trick list

Before you leave for your season or holiday, write down what you’d like to achieve by the end of it, and then try your hardest to stick to it. By having a goal, you’ll have something to work towards and this can keep you stay on the straight and narrow. It can be as something as minor as doing your washing once a week, to eating healthily or learning how to ride powder.

I always have a trick list at the beginning of a season and refer back to it constantly. It reminds me of what I want to learn and stops me from just coasting along doing the same old stuff. It also keeps me excited about snowboarding and motivates me to progress rather than bar hopping…

Packing

Finally, think about what you’re going to take to resort to avoid falling into the seasonnaire trap. If you don’t think you’re going to be able to do that much washing whilst you’re out there, ditch those fancy dress outfits and pack those extra socks. Take more than just the one hoodie if you think trips to the launderette will be few and far between. You could even take some hand wash powder, so you don’t have to wash your clothes with shampoo in the shower!

And most importantly of all, WEAR SUNCREAM! The goggle tan is a massive giveaway that you’ve become a true seasonaire. Granted, it does look pretty cool whilst you’re in the mountains (like you’ve spent lots of time on the hill and NOT just been sunbathing, hungover, with your goggles on) but it will look ridiculous when you get back to the UK. Especially if you’ve got a big family wedding the day after you get back, important job or uni interview where first impressions count…

If you’re looking for affordable mountain accommodation for your next snow adventure, check out the Meribel Mountain Lodge