Why Is Snowboarding So Expensive – All You Need To Know

Let me clear one thing, snowboarding is an expensive hobby. You know, money frees you from doing things you dislike and it also sponsors the things you like. However, if you dislike doing almost everything, get out of my way, we welcome only snow mountains, grassland melomys.

My melomys must be wondering why snowboarding becomes Gucci. Well, I am here to answer just that. So, the reason behind it is the amount of snowboard equipment you need to buy before hitting the snow. Also, a group cannot share the equipment when on a trip, as each individual has to buy everything separately.

Believe me, it is for your own safety. I mean, nobody wants to witness a sus skeleton, probably not an excited one either in the snowy terrains.

I’m sure you know that everything in this world comes with a price. Every dream has a process and a price tag. So, those who pay the price, live the dreamy dream while others take autographs.

In this article, I have tried to cover every necessary accessory that you got to buy as your snowboarding gear. So, let’s dive into this and find out what you should be spending your money on.

Why Are Snowboards so Expensive?

No doubt, snowboarding can prove expensive to get into, but that doesn’t mean compromising on your dream is a solution. To me, spending wisely keeps you from getting a dent in your wallet. Now, you must be wondering how you will do so!

Well, the answer is that you can learn to cut down the costs of every piece of your equipment. And who do you learn it from? Me, your guiding angel!

Let’s first explore the topics you need to cover. I have made three main sections to simplify it for you, which needs your consideration.

Let me state it loud and clear, basically, you need to cover the costs of your accommodation, clothing, gear, and meals at resorts. Add in, the cost of lift tickets and a season pass too.

Let’s talk about each of these topics individually, so you get a better understanding.

Clothing & Equipment

Yikes! The better part of your money will be spent on specialist equipment kits and snowboard clothing alone. Now, you must be wondering if can you mitigate the cost or not. Well, the answer is yes, you can!

One can easily rent equipment, however, if you plan to snowboard for a long period, it will prove costly. See? I’m a life savior. Allow me to further simplify it for you.

If you are serious about pursuing snowboarding, I suggest you buy new snowboarding gear yourself. Do not believe me? Determine how many times you want to hit slopes in a season and multiply it by the average rent per day of snowboarding equipment.

Let’s assume you want to hit snow just for 10 days and assume the rent to be $50. So, what does it make? A total of $500. And believe me, one can easily buy the same gear for about $650. I’ll be sharing a lot of similar examples in this article.

If you are after some high-quality gear, you can expect to pay a hefty amount. Stacking up dollars for a good bill will do, I mean, be ready to pay about $1700 just to get going. Pardon! I’m just spitting facts, my homie!

However, if you are just a beginner who only plans to explore the snow yet, and a man without final commitment, you always have the option of renting it out.

People also like to go for used equipment on resale websites for low prices. But just to let you know, there are drawbacks to your gear being damaged already. You have got to be cautious about getting scammed and ending up buying any flimsy snowboard that will break on your second ride.

Below I have made an approximate estimate of snowboard equipment for beginners who are about to get started. Some snowboard boots come along with snowboard bindings, if you cannot find any, buy them separately.

No, we are not done here, you also need to take into account the cost of proper clothing along with the equipment you aim to buy. The table below makes a rough estimate of the attire you need, which includes, snowboard jackets, snowboarding pants, snowboard gloves, and other accessories.

If we add the two figures of $510 and $330, we get $840. This sum can easily get you set up perfectly fine for 2-3 years. Being your guiding angel, I will advise you not to fall into the trap of false economy.

I mean, with poor-quality gear, equipment, and clothing, you can go far also, as far as out of this world. Ever heard of “shoot for the stars and never come back”? Take it literally and dread that moment.

By the way, has the idea of a discount also crossed your mind? If yes, let me tell you the perfect time for stock up. In March and April, discounts puff up from 35% to 50%. Can you imagine that a Bluetooth audio top-quality snowboarding helmet costing more than $300 will be reduced to $250 once in the summertime.

Black Friday is also another perfect time to get your hands on the best merchandise and save money.

Accommodation

Accommodation has always been expensive, and so is the case with accommodation for a multi-night trip for snowboarding. I’m sure it will be one of your biggest expenses.

But guess what? You have a wide range of options to choose from, as the price points vary from hostels to Airbnb’s to five-star hotels. Hence, giving you a wide spectrum to explore. The only thing that might bug you is paying 25% extra for the same standard elsewhere.

It concludes, you need to do extensive planning if you dread an empty wallet. Not to mention, staying for a week in a highly-rated hotel is probably a bad idea. I’m sure you don’t even know that beggar bowls also come in different sizes and designs.

So, what you need to do is to go through all the available accommodations and find the one that suits your budget.

Also, pre-book accommodation as in high season, most of the hotels are fully packed. One can also consider staying out of town and riding to the spot every morning.

Well, my friend, you also might need to attend snowboarding lessons and buy ski passes to be able to use a lift that goes up the mountain.

Unluckily, they come quite expensive, costing you hundreds of dollars. Moreover, the travel expenditures also add to the long bill of expenses.

My sincere suggestion to you would be to do pre-bookings and avoid booking accommodations at peak times.

If you are after effective deals, early December, January, and the end of the ski season (March/April) are the best.

Food & Drink at Resorts

Just like airports, food prices at ski resorts are also touching the sky, in fact, they are challenging each other. Why? Because if you have made it so far, you can also afford inflated prices.

No? They are not idiots, and they are familiar with the fact that they have a captive audience.

No doubt, you are mostly expected to pay twenty dollars for a burger and fries, while doubling drink prices. If you don’t like fast food, some resorts are offering other amazing dishes, but you can prepare yourself to get rid of a hefty amount.

If this idea haunts you, you can prefer to book accommodation with a kitchen. Cook yourself, eat it, and enjoy!

If you are going snowboarding for just a day, packing some food and extra snacks would do good, as it will save you a hell of a lot of money.

How To Save Money on Snowboarding

Now let’s talk about some of the potential ways which saves you money.

Snowboard Locally First

Easy, tiger! Before you drool over any gorgeous snowboard and book an extravagant holiday, let me advise you to first find out if there are any indoor ski centers or dry slopes nearby.

Give it a try and utilize this opportunity to know your passion for this sport. Enjoy it and then decide to invest your hard-earned money in it.

Plus, it will also keep you from falling flat on your face on your very first day on the fresh powder saturated with skilled riders.

Buying Can Be Cheaper than Renting

As I mentioned earlier, the very first thing you need to do is ask yourself if you want to go for a ride more than 8 times a year or just a few times. This will help you in preparing your bill. But how?

The thing is, snowboarding more than eight times on rented gear will cost you a fortune, on the contrary, it might actually be cheaper to purchase your own equipment.

Now let’s take another example, suppose I will be renting gear from the famous Vail ski resort, and they are costing me $68 per day for a premium package.

Let’s assume I want to go for a snow trooper snowboard, which currently costs about $549.99.

For eight days straight, I hit the snowy terrains. The total bill would be approx. $544. My exhilarating experience won’t stay the same anymore, I mean, being a jackass doesn’t taste good.

Did you notice that it takes 8 days of renting to reach the cost of purchasing?

Know When to Buy

A problem well put is half solved. Knowing your snowboarding season, your schedules, and the discount offer seasons will solve your problem quickly.

The most important thing to know in the ‘save money project’ is to know when to buy. If you are looking for some fine deals, I’m here to lead you to your desired deals.

Normally, from March through the summer months is when you can find suitable deals on snowboarding equipment. You will be offered twenty-five to fifty percent off on snowboard gear.

Just like clothing, this is done by snowboard companies to get rid of old inventory and make space for new pieces. Now run and bring a pair of binoculars, set it out, and keep your eyes on your local gear shop.

If You’re Renting, Don’t Rent from the Resort.

Imagine yourself driving to the resort of your dreams, checking in, and asking to rent snowboarding gear. There will be a surprise waiting for you -convenience tax.

You had it coming, hadn’t you? I mean, who even asked you to walk on earth like any of Elon Musk’s children? Cut the curd already!

You can save a considerable amount of money just by renting snowboard gear from any local shop instead of a resort. Resorts tend to hike up the prices with a convenience tax.

Let me explain it further through an example. I will be comparing the gear rent being cost by a resort and local shops.

Assume for a moment that you are going snowboarding at NorthStar California Resort, which will charge you about $50 per day for snowboarding gear.

On the flip side, the off-resort rental would be $20 to $35 per day, which might be $40. Let’s peek into the cost breakdown.

You can see that if you snowboard seven times in a season, you can save about $100 if you rent from a local shop and pay $35 as rent instead of $50. Same as it, you can save $70 by paying $40 rent per day.

Pack a Lunch

The fastest way to get broke on a snowboarding trip is to order food while sitting in a ski resort. No, I’m not kidding!

Well, if you want to feel like a king at some point in your life, get on a snowboarding trip, eat in a resort, get served the same ordinary food you eat on normal days from outside, and feel like a king while paying the bill. So always pack food with you, and avoid the tourist tax.

Buy Used Snowboard

What’s the best way to save money? By using a used snowboard. One can save hundreds of dollars by just picking up used gear.

However, there are some pieces that you don’t want to borrow if it is used because you love your life.

Like snowboarding helmets, as they are designed to bear a major impact only once, it becomes damaged. Used snowboard pants, good snowboard boots, and a snowboard jacket is also not an option.

Are Expensive Snowboards worth It?

In my opinion, there is very little technological difference between affordable options and top-of-the-line options. I think, cheaper doesn’t mean non-functional or worse, and expensive doesn’t mean the most functional or better.

You know, it all comes down to how you feel on that particular deck. That’s the reason why we recommend you rent a snowboard before you buy a new one. Ride the board and explore the feel you want. This way, you might even end up liking affordable options.

How Much Does a Decent Snowboard Cost?

A decent piece will cost you between $300 to $500, but if you wait for the groundbreaking deal season, it might cost you even less.

Secondly, looking into older models will save you a lot of money. Now you must be wondering why on earth I am recommending buying old decks. This is because there is hardly any difference between the new models and the older ones.

If you still have any doubts, you can check the tech details of new and old models and then decide for yourself. So, save your money and spend wisely.

Conclusion

Is it a snow game for rich people only? Nope. Most of you will still be wondering why is snowboarding so expensive, but I think one can get shredding even on a tight budget and without spending a fortune. There are numerous ways to save your dollars, yet enjoy your rides to the fullest.

Even though the cost seems to put a damper on your mood to ride, there is so much to explore and enjoy once you get started. To me, it is one of the best winter activities.

So, if you want to keep yourself from getting broke, try to follow the suggestions proposed in this article and execute accordingly.