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Week of October 19-26, 1995
Finding good snowboard instructors in the Rockies
Q: Which Rockies ski resorts have the best combination of powder and snowboarding instruction? I am an older East Coast snowboarder and am tired of boarding on hardpack. I want to find a resort this winter with experienced instructors that can help me learn to ride big powder safely and confidently.
Nat Rochford
A: We recommend heading out to Breckenridge or Copper Mountain, two snowboard-friendly, powder-heavy Rockies resorts. One of the first ski areas in the country to allow snowboarding, Breckenridge is home to a 20- to 30-acre snowboard terrain garden–one
of Colorado’s largest–as well as a meticulously groomed half-pipe, with plenty of logs and jumps to keep you on your toes. Best of all, their snowboard school has some 20 PSIA-certified instructors on hand to introduce you to the joys of carving turns on fresh powder. Schedule your vacation around one of two Catch the Wave Snowboarding Clinics (January 27-28, March 2-3),
where $140 will get you first-rate instruction, videotape analysis, and lift tickets. For more information, contact Breckenridge at 303-453-5000. Just down the road in Summit County, Copper Mountain has some of the best powder in the Rockies, not to mention plenty of challenging, through-the-trees lines. Proof of Copper’s board-friendly attitude is their snowboard ambassador
program, designed to boost boarder-skiier relations and cut back on reckless mountain users. Sign on for a full-day private lesson or be there February 3 for an intensive day of snowboarding classes ($68 with lift ticket). Once you’ve proved yourself on the fresh powder, you’ll be ready for some friendly competition: Amateur races take place at Copper every other weekend. For
more information, call 303-968-2882, or check out in our winter Travel Guide, on newsstands now.
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