Roxy’s Ride Days snowboard program is off and running, working to produce a new crop of avid freestyle jibbers and jumpers. No more 50-50’s and methods, cruising runs trying to keep up with boyfriends and wondering what that strange mish mash of metal and plastic is used for. We live in Ontario, the land of 72-second runs and fresh corduroy tracks. There is only so much heel to toe you can do in a day (for me about an hrs worth tops before I want to run to the nearest bar for après). If you aren’t in the park, I honestly don’t know how you can bear to keep this as a past time. We’re pushing these girls hard to earn their snowboard stripes. And the more girls we meet over the years in the Ride Days the more we see that the basic stuff freestyle riders know is completely foreign to so many out there. In the words of Tom Havorford, "here are the tails and if you are missing out, it’s not too late to come try it out for a day."

Season Passes! The program runs for 8 weeks across various resorts from East to West and North to South including: Beaver Valley, Blue Mountain, Horseshoe Valley, Glen Eden and Lakeridge. Our partner resorts can be ever so generous and welcoming. Building a good relationship with resort and park staff is key.

Sounds like a case of the Mondays. Our week starts on Mondays at Lakeridge in Uxbridge. Coaches Meg Watson and Ashley Braun (DC rider) warm the girls up to those mysterious freestyle skills before heading into the park.

Glen Eden was literally titty packed the first day with 22 girls coming from the Toronto and West of the city. Laura Brace and Meg Watson go over session details before the girls arrive.

A snowy night at Blue Mountain. With the season we have had, snowflakes the size of golf balls is a straight up God send.

The core girls were right into the rail setup, as they should be! Of course it can’t be a snowboard program without bails and injuries. Where’s that waiver! A front board to chin split here isn’t too devastating. If you aren’t falling, you aren’t learning.

Beaver Valley Saturday and Sunday program brings the mini shreds out in the park. Don’t mistake mini shreds with mini skills. With airbag training and one of the top parks in Ontario, their skills are getting a steroid injection this season.

Jess and I stay amped with post session laps at the Catalina Wine Mixer. If you have had the glorious pleasure of riding a private resort and you have seen the movie Step Brothers, you would understand why we call it that. The snow is always softer, the sun is always brighter, the beer is always better and the lift lines are always shorter.

The end to a long week. Ugh. Thank you Jess for getting me to pull over for a photo op of the lookout over Georgian Bay. You will be happy to know after trying to charge me $40.00 a “Good Samaritan”, pulled us out. “What’s it worth to you to get out of there he says”. Seriously, I’ll just call CAA then. Thanks friend.

Teaser for Blog #4. Check back next week!