We love winter! (*ducks snowballs*) Yes, it’s true, our family truly does love winter. And living in Canada, we can have some pretty long, strange, cold, VERY wintry weather! But we have learned the secret of being content in the winter – and that is participating in winter sports.
The Man grew up skiing from about age 10, and I learned around the same age, and our mom faithfully organized multiple ski trips each year with our homeschool group. Being afraid to fall or have my feet go in 2 different directions, I eventually switched over to snowboarding (what?! yes, to me, snowboarding is safer than skiing :D) and have never looked back!
Our dream has always been to be involved in hitting the slopes as a family, and we’ve slowly (with a lot of hard work on the part of my hubby!) been seeing the fruit of these labours – both boys now ski quite well (I have a hard time keeping up with them sometimes!) and Keekers is getting over her cautiousness. 3 down, 1 to go!
We’ve always purchased used gear for our kids – it makes the most sense since they really typically use it for a season, maybe 2, and don’t do a whole lot of damage to it. Plus, it saves you quite a bit of money (especially if you’re outfitting a bunch of kids!). It can be hard to track down gear though, so when we had the opportunity to go to the Toronto #SnowShow14, we jumped!
The Toronto Snow Show happens every year and it’s a great place to get your gear! They have a huge room fully stocked with used ski and snowboard gear, and it’s a complete no-brainer to get your shopping done here. There are often new items mixed in, previous year models, so you’re getting a great deal on some top-notch ski gear.
On top of the fantastic ski swap, there are also plenty of online and local sports stores packing out their wares at the show for you to peruse – whatever you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it at the Snow Show!
We buy our ski passes at Blue Mountain Resort every year as it is a good driving distance for us from our home, and a great place for kids to learn to ski.
Blue Mountain has a booth at the show, as do many other ski resorts from Ontario, Quebec, BC and some in the US.
If you sign up or purchase tickets at any of the resorts exhibiting at the show, you’ll get your passes immediately (saves on shipping!) as well as an opportunity for other great deals at the resorts.
I had no idea there were so many ski resort options! You can always get a deal at the show on lift tickets, season passes, travel, and get in on a few giveaways and contests.
If skiing or snowboarding isn’t your thing, but you do enjoy spending a weekend (or week!) away in the winter, a lot of the resorts have fantastic facilities for relaxing, hitting the spa, or experiencing the culture (and cold :D) from the comfort of a resort atmosphere.
Also at the show was a mini snowboard park (sponsored by Burton Riglet Park at Blue Mountain) for kids 7 and under to try their hand at balancing and riding a few “rails”.
Our 3 youngest had a blast trying it out!
For bigger kids (or kids at heart :D), Evolve Snow and Skate Camp also has an area set up for lessons in skateboarding.
In all, The Toronto Snow Show has LOTS to offer – check it out over the rest of this weekend (the show is on until Sunday evening). Don’t miss the opportunity to get outfitted in some great gear, sign up for some fantastic deals at resorts…. oh, AND meet a couple Canadian Olympic athletes!
Both Brad Martin and Derek Livingston competed in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic games and they’ll be there at the show on Saturday signing autographs.
So head on over to the Toronto Snow Show this weekend and get ready, ‘cuz #WinterIsComing !
