The One Ski Bummin'

Five years of university, a resume two pages long, immaculate references, and I’m happily living in a basement, without work, spending my days wearing the same pair of waterproof pants Monday through Sunday. Welcome to the life of a ski bum.

Ten months ago I would not have dreamt of spending my summer in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. But alas, the temptation of endless days spent riding some of the best snow in the southern hemisphere was too strong to resist. The ski fields surrounding Queenstown are a far cry from the world-renowned resorts of Tahoe, but these kiwi folks don’t let it stop them from being some of the most hard-out riders in the world.

Catching the ski bug before the season even began, I geared myself up with a snowboard and skis. Without any work for nearly a month, I’ve found myself in the midst of a well-deserved ski vacation.

When the powder is deep and the sun is shining I ride my board and attempt to keep up with my mates who’ve spent their adult lives following winter year-round. Throwing 360’s and floating nose grabs come as easily to these guys as the rest of us know how to tie our shoelaces. When the weather isn’t as cooperative, I strap my skis to my retro 90’s boots ($10 at the Salvation Army!) and inch my way down the mountain. Luckily for me, a ton of my friends are ski instructors and so in 3 days I’ve gone from pizza and French fries to looking like I actually know how to ski! My mate Faye reckons I’ll be flying down the slopes like Bode Miller before the end of season. I laughed knowing Bode is well-known for his unorthodox skiing methods and out of control style!

Two major differences between skiing in California vs. NZ? Trees and atmosphere. It took me a few runs to realize it, but there are NO TREES to be found on the slopes here! Rocks yes, some tussock grass here and there, but no tees whatsoever, making nearly every inch of terrain rideable. As for the atmosphere here, thus far I’ve noticed a freakish harmony amongst skiers and snowboarders. Riders actually make an effort to be safe and courteous and when crashes do occur, apologies are often exchanged (as opposed to the ghetto jerkwad riders in California who think that because they can hit rails it makes them king of the mountain). I was also taken aback when I realized everyone leaves their stuff lying around. American and European tourists pay the appalling locker fees but everyone else chucks their bags wherever there is space. Ski and snowboard theft? Virtually non-existent. According to my kiwi roommate, the “bros” keep theft at a minimum. If a kiwi bro catches you stealing, you would be begging to be arrested by official police by the time they’d be through roughing you up.

Back to more pleasant ski bummin’ observations…

Queenstown is the perfect location for a resort town. The snowline falls just above town so you can be riding “freshies” after a short 25-minute drive but don’t have to deal with the havoc of snow filled roads and paths in town. Its still cold, and housing insulation is horrendously bad, but nearly every restaurant and pub has a blazing fire burning long into the night. The town is full of tourists but the locals are a protective bunch of insanely adventurous people who have a wonderfully pleasant demeanor. It wasn’t planned, but I’m stoked to be spending a ski season bummin’ the slopes of NZ.

-Ashley

Fun Fact: Despite having the highest accident rate per capita in the world, drivers in NZ are typically safe in snowy conditions. The exception being the dudes in their Subaru’s who think “4WD” means “impossible to crash”. Case in point: an idiot thought passing everyone while driving up a snow-covered windy road was a good idea. About two turns after the showoff passed us, we stumbled upon his Subaru on its side cozied up in a deep snow-filled ditch; the driver embarrassingly trying to figure out how he slid off the side of the road while all his buddies stood shaking their heads. The best part? The dozen or so pissed-off drivers that he had dangerously passed waved and smiled as we drove slowly onward making it safely to the ski fields.