Hints & Tips

Trade the surf for snow this winter

Aussies, trade waves for whiteouts this winter! Discover why Cardrona is the perfect snow-filled alternative to surfing.

Alex Parsons

Aussies, we know you love your surfing. But winter is the time to embrace the snow, the mountains and sliding downhill. Not to mention feeling snug in multiple layers, drinks by the fire and views for days. It’s time to swap out your surfboard for a snowboard – and where better than at New Zealand's Biggest Ski Resort? Here’s how:

Everyone looks better in ski gear

Abs not quite beach body ready? No stress – no one can tell in four layers of baggy ski gear. And remember – everyone looks sexier with their goggles down. No worries if you don’t have a snowboard, boots and gear – you can hire it all up here at Cardrona.

We'll even get you started with an epic giveaway from us and our partners... scroll down to enter.

Paddling? Waiting for a wave? It’s not for us

Us snowboarders are a relaxed bunch and we don’t use our arms for much (other than high fives and shakkas). We’d rather take a chairlift to the top of the mountain and then let gravity look after the downhill. It does mean you need to buy a chairlift pass though. Just jump online here and you’ll be sorted in no time.

The locals are friendly

We don’t do “locals only” and surf rage here. There’s enough space for everyone – especially with Cardrona’s new Soho Basin opening up, adding an extra 150 hectares of terrain to the trail map and officially making us New Zealand’s largest ski resort. Check out Soho Basin here.

Surfers make good snowboarders

It’s a well known fact that surfers make good snowboarders. We all have a love of the single plank life and even call our right footed friends “goofy” like you do. Your surfing balance will come in handy (especially riding pow) and turns are similar. But we won’t lie – metal edges will be new to you and you’ll need to learn how to ride the jumps and rails in the park! The good news? There are snowboard lessons for that. You can check out the options here.

We come with snacks

Bet you don’t have a chocolate bar stashed in your winter wetsuit. But at the snow, it’s almost the law to carry pocket snacks. And if you need a proper break, you don’t have to paddle to shore. Nope, we have a bunch of dining options, from wood fired pizza to Pad Thai, lamb skewers to local pies – with venues that you can snowboard right up to. You’ll also want to check out the brand new Noodle Bar this season if you’re a fan of Asian fusion cuisine (c’mon, we know you’ve all been to Japan or Bali).