Since its humble beginnings in the 1970s to its official inclusion in the Winter Olympics, snowboarding sure has hit it big. Once considered the land equivalent of surfing, its participants a bunch of blissed-out stoner slackers, snowboarding has enjoyed a truly explosive mainstream popularity and now boarders outnumber skiers on many mountains around the world.
Whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned professional, it’s often difficult to plan the perfect snowboarding vacation. Whether it’s higher costs at old favorites or a desire to try new things, looking around when there are so many options can be tough. Since snowboarders are often a brave and daring group, there has been more of a movement to find far-flung resorts with ideal conditions, but actually making arrangements can be a little bit intimidating.
That’s why we’re here to help all of those aspiring globe-trotting snowboarders. While it might be great to hit the resort in your backyard all winter, it’s even more rewarding to find the common bond of snowboarding can make you friends all over the world, while seeing incredible new countries and riding some great mountains. Whether it’s the southern hemisphere or the northern hemisphere, a world-class resort or a smaller, more local hill, there’s so much more to boarding than your own back yard. Here are some of the world’s greatest destinations for snowboarding that you may have never heard of.