Snowboarding is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors with your family while getting lots of exercise. The only problem is it can be an incredibly expensive hobby if you’re not sure how or where to find savings. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of ways to take away from the cost of this incredible sport. With these ten money saving tips you may be able to swing a trip or two to the slopes this season without having to splurge! So, stop putting away the pennies for your dream vacation on the slopes and make it a reality without stressing over the price tag. Once you get out on the fresh powder you’ll be quite impressed with your money saving know how! With October here many slopes are opening up to the public, so the sooner you plan out your trip the faster you’ll be able to enjoy your frugal planning.

1. Land and Go
A lot of businesses will make deals with airlines, so this may be the best place to start your money saving journey. Try to call around and ask if the business has a Land and Go deal. This will enable you to fly in on a certain date. Once you leave the airport you can feel free to enjoy the slopes throughout the day for absolutely nothing. If you can find a deal of this nature then it may take a lot of working to get the trip at a time that will make the deal worthwhile. Your best bet is to ensure you flight comes in very early in the morning. You may have to use your time on the plane to sleep, but it will be totally worth it when you get to the slope and don’t have to pay an admission fee. This is great for family’s with older children or couples as you’ll probably be in a big rush to maximize your free time. It’s also great for people who are just trying out the sport during a vacation, as if you’re not comfortable with it you won’t have to spend a lot of money going back!

2. Rentals
Equipment is one of the biggest costs when it comes to snowboarding. The board alone can cost you anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, which makes it hard for many people to get into the sport. Even if you do get your equipment second hand for a cheaper price you’ll still have to pay a lot of money to lug it from Point A to Point B if you don’t live close enough to the slopes. Instead of spending a small fortune on your gear try to use rental gear. This won’t cost you as much and will allow you the freedom to travel from one slope to another without having to pay extra to fly your items, or having to strap them onto the vehicle where they may not make the trip undamaged. The more you rent your gear, the more you’ll know what you like so if you do decide to invest you won’t waste money on items that aren’t a good fit for you. You’ll also be able to find the cheaper rental locations if you plan on becoming a frequent renter, which will save big time.

3. Package Deals
One thing you should always do when traveling is package your deals. This is especially important when it comes to snowboarding. A lot of travel companies can snag you a deal that includes airfare, hotel and your time spent on the slopes so you don’t have to worry about securing each individual item. This cuts down on deposits and will ensure that your dates will easily match up without having to enter several potential travel days only to be disappointed by conflicting bookings. When you do get your travel costs in a package deal you usually end up spending less on each of the items including. Think of package deals like bulk shopping. Once you’re all booked up all you have to worry about is getting to the light on time. Many slopes will also offer package deals if you’re looking to get a lot out of your experience. These usually include lessons, time spent on the slopes and other amazing things like massages or a booking at the spa.

4. Go Early/Late
The easiest way to cut down on costs at the slopes is to go early in the season or late in the season. Generally, October is when many of the slopes open, but you have to be careful will timing here because sometimes you can play a trip up and find out there’s no snow to be had. The season tends to end in March or April which is much easier to plan out as you’ll know what the season has looked like thus far. Early or late season visitation tends to be a bit cheaper because people are unsure of the weather and they tend to want to wait until the snow has been falling for a bit longer. So, this is a great time to move in on the cheaper tickets. It will also allow you to enjoy the slopes while there’s a lot less people so you won’t have to deal with long lines, which is another way to get more for your money.

5. Local Discounts
Living near the slopes can be a great advantage in cutting down on your snowboarding costs to begin with. Obviously, since you don’t have to travel as far you’ll be able to spend a little more on ticket and rental prices. However, you shouldn’t have to! A lot of locations will offer local discounts to anyone in the direct area. It depends on the different locations as to the requirement of these deals, but it won’t do any harm asking if you think you may qualify for a deal. A lot of locals get to enjoy a reduced price ticket, so going snowboarding daily is quite possible. You may have to show and I.D. when you purchase your tickets, but once you prove residency you’ll be ready to shred all season. You may also be able to get a reduced price season pass that will ensure you get to spend as much time on the slopes as you want.

6. Join a Club
One of the best ways to enjoy a hobby is to join a club. There’s a lot of snowboarding clubs that can be found at the local or national level which may help you meet new people while building skills and furthering your interests in snowboarding. Clubs can also become a great way to unlock your ability to travel and enjoy slopes more often. Many clubs will get together annually to snowboard together, which will cost a bit of money on your end. However, when you do decide to travel with a club you will be privy to deals they receive. For instance, many clubs can get wholesale tickets for the slopes. Some will even rent a cabin for the weekend, so you have a place to stay that won’t cost you an arm and leg. Other times the club will book rooms and have people bunk together, so you won’t have to worry about paying full price for your stay. You may also get discount on renting gear, or perhaps will find someone you borrow items from! There’s a lot of advantages to clubs though and the financial aspect is only scraping the surface.

7. Deals
Before you set out on a snowboarding trip you should always make sure to look for deals. You may be surprised as to how many you can find, especially when the season is in session. Instead of heading to the travel agency site first try looking on pages you may frequent more in your everyday life. For instance, social media sites like Groupon and LivingSocial may be able to offer you an amazing deal you can’t find anywhere else. These deals are especially great if you do plan on going somewhere as group because they usually tend to cater more towards snowboarding lessons or other packages you may want to receive while you’re in the mountains. You should also make sure to look around on business sites in the area, to see if they have anything you may want to add to your package. If you’re celebrating your honeymoon or other special occasion you may want to mention this when you book tickets because sometimes you can get a special discount.

8. Splurge on Safety Equipment
Safety should always be your first concern whenever you try a sport. Even if you’re a veteran at the art you should have all the gear required to ensure you can survive an accident. Many people go out thinking something bad couldn’t happen to them, but this can be a terrible way of thinking especially when you’re dealing with high speeds and unpredictable weather. Rather than buying cheap gear to keep you safe you should always go with what you trust your life with. These items could save you if you collide into something so take pride in the equipment you wear. You can wear many of these items year after year, but you should always inspect them before you put them into storage and again when you take them out. This will ensure you have only the best for your time on the snowboard. After all, what’s more expensive then a pile full of medical bills because you weren’t properly equipped?

9. Season Pass
A lot of people tend to frequent slopes on the weekends, or even everyday. If you plan on making a visit at least once or twice a month then you might want to look into getting a season pass. This will ensure you get as much time as you want on the slopes from opening day until closing day. Season passes are a superb value for anyone that may live in the area. They tend to be priced lower than paying full price for a few days worth of slope time, so you won’t do yourself a disservice if you only use it three to four times during the season. Sometimes, season passes can unlock other amazing services which will make the pass pay for itself several times over. If you’re still not sold on the pass then call up any location that sells the item and ask about discounts, you may qualify for something without even knowing it!

10. Clearance
If you find yourself snowboarding more and more then you may want to buy your own equipment. The best way to do this is to check out the clearance aisle of your favorite sports or snowboarding shop. If you don’t have one locally then try online. Usually snowboards and a lot of the gear will go into the clearance section after the season is over. Like fashion, snowboard designers come out with new designs every season, so you can still get the best boards on the clearance rack you just won’t have the most up and coming designs. Safety equipment as well as any other accessories you’ll need can also be found with confidence here, but make sure to check out all the safety gear to ensure it wasn’t clearanced due to damage.

Snowboarding can be a lot of fun if you put the cost in the back of your mind and just enjoy the experience. However, there are many ways to make sure you’re not paying for your trip for the rest of the year. These simple tricks are easy for anyone to follow and can ensure you’ll be shredding plenty of snow this season and many more!