It’s not even fully summer yet and I’m already starting to feel shit.
Is reverse seasonal affective disorder a thing?
Bottom of the mountain’s gone. Snow’s either slush or patchy. Resorts are posting closing dates. People start saying they’re “keen for summer.”
They’re lying. Or they don’t ride enough for it to matter.
This is the bit where most riders quietly lose it. Stop moving, drink more, sit around and come back next season feeling like they’ve never strapped in before.
You can do that if you want. Most people do.
Or you can take action and not be useless by November.
So… I challenge you to choose one (or two) of these and stick to it all summer.
Ride a bike. I don’t care what kind.
You don’t need a speech here.
Just ride. Road, gravel, MTB, whatever you’ve got. It’s the easiest way to not lose your legs completely.
MTB if you still want speed and a bit of risk. Road if you just want to suffer properly.
Long rides are good. Short rides still count. Zero rides is how you end up cooked first week back.
Walk uphill
Hiking’s boring. Fine.
It still works.
Time on your feet, steady effort, builds something without smashing your body. Also gets you out of your own head a bit, which a lot of people clearly need once the lifts stop.
Just don’t do the lame, flat tourist version. Go uphill. Make it count.
It’s also a great excuse to be back in the mountains, staring longingly at the peaks. Sort of like weaning yourself off the season slowly, rather than going cold turkey.
Highly recommend.
Run
No one wants to hear it. Least of all me. But it works.
You can’t hide in running. If you’re unfit, it shows straight away. Which is exactly why most people avoid it.
You don’t need to be a runner. Just go a couple times a week and suffer a bit. Trails are better. Roads are fine.
It’ll do more for your engine than most of the stuff people pretend is training.
Swim
At some point it gets too hot to be out grinding.
Swimming’s the easy win. Full body, no impact, and you don’t feel wrecked after. If you’ve got nowhere nearby, just search online for stuff like swim pools near you. Doesn’t need to be olympic standard. Just get in and move.
If you’ve got lakes or the sea, even better. Just get in.
Surf
Closest thing to powder you’re getting.
Waiting around, reading lines, then mistiming the drop and bailing out. Same frustration, same payoff.
Also humbling as hell if you think you’re good at board sports in general. Plus it’ll kick your ass in the fitness department.
Wakeboard
Now we’re talking!
Plus, this one makes a lot of sense.
Edges, timing, standing sideways. It’s not snow, but it’s closer than most things. Cable parks especially.
You’ll feel like you’ve got it figured out for about ten minutes, then you won’t. That’s normal. Enjoy it.
Obviously it can be pretty expensive. But if you can afford it, freaking go for it.
Skateboard
Skateboarding is another great option. Though for a professional snowboard guide, I’m distinctly average on a skateboard. I do find it slightly less transferable than wakeboarding too, but it’s also far more accessible.
Go find some smooth ground or a park and mess around.
It keeps your balance and timing from completely disappearing. Also reminds you pretty quickly what happens when you half-commit.
You’ll hit the ground now and then. You’ll survive.
Do something with other people!
Snowboarders can get weirdly isolated in summer.
Turns out other people find the transition to warmer months slightly easier…
Go play something. Football, basketball, whatever’s going on. Doesn’t matter if it’s serious.
You’ll move more than you think and it stops everything turning into solo grind sessions that you end up skipping anyway.
Lift something heavy
You don’t need to become a gym guy.
But if your legs are weak, everything else is harder than it needs to be. Squats, lunges, step-ups, some core. That’s it.
Do it a couple times a week. Stop overthinking it.
Fix your body
Hips tight, ankles stiff, back a bit cooked. Standard.
You can ignore it like everyone else and then complain next season, or you can spend a bit of time sorting it out now. This is one of the (only) good things about the off-season.
Doesn’t need to be a whole thing. Just stop pretending it’ll fix itself.
Go somewhere else for a bit
Doesn’t have to be a big trip.
Just get out of your normal loop. Mountains without snow, coast, somewhere different. Breaks up that long stretch where every day feels the same.
Otherwise summer drags.
Plan your next snowboard trip
If all else fails, lock yourself in a dark room and plan out next years trips. You count down the days by carving tally marks into the wall… like the prisoner in every movie. Grow a beard. Hibernate. Then crawl out when you sense the first snowflake falling on the horizon.
I’m joking. Kinda.
Signing Off
That’s it from me.
Nothing here replaces snow. Obviously.
This is just how you don’t come back feeling like a beginner again. Keep your legs, keep a bit of sharpness, don’t completely switch off for four months.
Or don’t. And spend the first two weeks next season hating life.
Up to you.
