It’s Never Too Late To Start Shredding

Da Vinci was 49 when he painted ‘The Last Supper’. Brahms didn’t write his first symphony until he was in his 40’s. Leonard Cohen released his first album at 33 years old… It’s never too late to pick up something new.

So if you’re someone who has found themselves saying, “I’ve always wanted to try skiing or snowboarding,” at least once, it’s time to finally take the leap and grab yourself some ski lessons!

Not only does skiing and snowboarding offer a great opportunity to get some exercise in without the need for treadmills or exorbitant gym fees, it’s also a fun and exciting hobby that can lead to meeting great new people and exploring the world. 

Why you should learn to ski or snowboard

Fitness

Trust us, you’ll be feeling it in your body after a day out on the slopes – why else do you think we all love onsen so much? Snowsports offer a great outlet for cardiovascular exercise, as well as being a fantastic chance for to build strength, endurance, and muscle, giving riders a fantastic way to have fun, keep fit, and earn themselves an excuse to enjoy après after a day on the slopes.

Fun

While winter sports are a phenomenal form of fitness, none of us are skiing or snowboarding out of the same necessity that we are visiting the gym for – we do it because we love it. Skiing and snowboarding are fun and enjoyable recreational activities that’ll see you progressing skills, achieving goals, and encouraging creativity in how you approach the mountain.

The Japow Experience

Social

Whether it’s through a friend’s annual ‘snow trip,’ a group ski lesson, or an overly-friendly chairlift chat, the snow is an awesome way to meet new people! Especially if you are staying in a budget-friendly or lodge style accommodation with shared living quarters.

Goal-Based Learning

As adults, it’s all too common that we reach an age where we know what we like; what we’re good at, what we’re not good at, and what we don’t like – and for a lot of us, we are pretty content with that. 

For others, it couldn’t be more the opposite – all we want to do is push ourselves, learn something new and strive for new goals – making skiing and snowboarding a terrific option for those wanting to inject a new skill into their life.

Family-Friendly Fun

Looking for a family holiday with the freedom to spread out and explore individually, while still enjoying it all together? The snow! With a family snowcation, you have the freedom to tackle it however you want! Whether you want to spend the week skiing and exploring Niseko’s powder pockets all together, or you’d prefer to duck out for a few après while the kids are in ski-school, it’s up to you!

Outside of the slopes, Niseko also offers families a tonne of off-snow activities such as snow kayaking, horse-back riding and outdoor high-ropes courses, as well as a huge collection of Michelin-star rated restaurants and eateries.

It’s Never Too Late!

No – being 25, 30, or 40 does not mean that you’re ‘too old’ to learn how to ski or snowboard. Why not master a new skill later in life? It’s never too late to take some ski lessons and pick up something new!

Why You Should Learn With The Help Of A Professional Instructor 

Professional Guidance

By taking ski lessons with a professional guide, you’ll create a foundation of proper skiing and snowboarding techniques, making it significantly easier for you to improve down the line.

Access to Gear

As a beginner, one of the biggest factors that’ll either positively or negatively impact your learning experience will be the gear you are riding on. Take it from us, learning on a set of skis that’s far too advanced for you will make the world of difference and most likely ruin your day riding. By taking ski lessons through a ski school such as Rhythm Rides, you’ll also have access to Rhythm’s entire rental fleet, giving you the option to swap and change over your gear if you’re finding your initial setup too difficult. 

Why Niseko is the best place to learn

As explained by Rhythm Rides instructor Damo a few weeks back when chatting about the Rhythm Trip’s Progression Trip, “the nice thing about Japan is, we’ve got very, very forgiving snow.” 

He couldn’t be more right. As the powder capital of the world, Japan’s powder snow is a pretty fantastic place to fall over as a beginner. It’s soft, absorbent, and, most importantly, not icy, making it the perfect destination for first-time riders to build up confidence!

Niseko also offers a range of beginner-friendly slopes, mellow, un-steep runs, and very wide, open terrain perfect for beginners!

What Beginners Should Know

You Will Fall

As with any new sport, you can expect to fail quite a few times before you master it – it’s all part of the fun!

Speed Is Your Friend

As a beginner, going fast is one of the scariest and most unnatural things you can do, although it does make it easier to balance and edge your skis or snowboard – much like on a bike! BUT, with that being said, before you start building up confidence in going fast, learn how to stop!

Helmets

In our 20+ years in Niseko, we have never heard anyone comment how cool someone looked because they weren’t wearing a helmet. It doesn’t happen. No one thinks it’s cool. Safety on the other hand? The coolest kid in Niseko.

Point Where You Want to Go

Now, this one is more for the snowboarders, but it is a common misconception amongst beginner snowboards that all control comes from your legs. In actuality, a large portion of your control while steering your snowboard comes from your torso and shoulders. So until you get the hang of cruising around the mountain and changing directions on your board, we recommend pointing where you want to turn, you’ll be surprised at how much of an impact it makes!

It Will Take Time

Jimi Hendrix didn’t just pick up a guitar and magically whip up ‘Hey Joe’ without having the knowledge and foundation of how to play the guitar first. It takes time! So while you’ll have a whole heap of fun learning skiing and snowboarding, it will be a journey, there will be some stacks, and it’ll take a while until you feel like you have completely mastered the sport. But, with the help of professional lessons, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build up a foundational knowledge.

Learn To Ride Taster

Even for experienced riders, deciding what gear to hire, ski school to go with, and accommodation to choose when you’re visiting a new country can be a difficult process. For a beginner, it’s ten times more challenging, with the whole process becoming increasingly overwhelming and expensive as you try to navigate your way through the unknown. 

We wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to come and learn how to ride in Niseko, which is why we offer the Learn to Ride Taster Trip package. Lessons, lift passes, rentals, accommodation, and airport transfers all in one comprehensive package, the Learn to Ride Taster provides beginner riders absolutely everything they could ever need to enjoy their first time shredding in Niseko.

Trust us, if you’ve got a beginner in your group, they’ll be in love with the mountains by the time you leave!

Want to learn to ride this winter? Head here for more information and booking enquiries.

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