No Skills Required: Snow tubing is fun, simple and enjoyable for everyone
Think skiing and snowboarding are too hard? Snow tubing offers all the winter thrill without the steep learning curve. The Weather Network's Lauren O'Neil checks out this accessible activity that's becoming a favourite for families and first-timers at ski resorts.
Have you ever dreamed of sliding down the side of a snow-covered hill, only to realize that skiing and snowboarding are actually really hard?
Meet tubing – it's the wintertime thrill that doesn't require years of experience just to have fun.
As I learned while at Lakeridge Resort Ltd. – a proud member of the Ontario Snow Resorts Association, in Uxbridge, Ont. – unlike some snow sports, tubing doesn't require any training, balance, or expensive gear. There are no lessons, no lift tickets, and no technical skills required – you just sit back, relax, and let gravity do all the work.
“I think it's really accessible to a lot of people, because you don't really need to have much of a skill. It's just having fun,” said Maya Haynos-Owen, an instructor at the resort.
That low barrier to entry has been a big win for Ontario ski resorts when it comes to attracting new visitors. More than a dozen across the province now offer tubing, giving families, non-skiers, and first-timers a way to enjoy sloped sports without the steep learning curve.
“It's just a fun time, and that's what tubing is,” added John Tustian, director of operations at Lakeridge Resort Ltd. “There's gonna be a lot of people that maybe don't want to ski or snowboard, don't want to put the time in, and don't want to do it, but they can still come out and enjoy a bit of speed going down a hill in the wintertime.”
As for how fast you’ll speed down that hill, it’s up to Mother Nature on any given day.
“Depending on the snow conditions, you could go anywhere from, you know, 40 kilometres an hour up to 75,” explained Tustian. “You just think of ice and snow, which one's faster, right?”
Whatever the weather, safety comes first, which is why snow tubing is considered a lower-risk activity if performed at a licensed facility – the same can’t be said for your ungroomed backyard.
Snow tubing is as easy as floating in a pool. (Pictured: Maya Haynos-Owen (left) with The Weather Network reporter Lauren O'Neil)
“Instead of going to a park where you're just all over the place, this is a nice, controlled environment,” Tustian added.
So if you want the thrill of the slopes without the bruises, the gear, or the stress, you may want to give snow tubing a try here at Lakeridge Ski Resort Ltd.; it's as easy as floating in a pool.