Charles LM

Review of Nakiska Ski Resort, Canada

I want to first say that I have been snowboarding ...

I want to first say that I have been snowboarding for about a little over four years now I have purchased a Nakiska Season pass 3 times, so I have a fair amount of experience in what the mountain offers. I live in Calgary and Nakiska being the closest mountain to Calgary was very enticing, it makes it easier to be out there every weekend.

Experiencing the past 3 seasons, first I want to say that Nakiska favors more skiers than snowboarders, with that being said it favors even more on the racer's side of skiing. So if you're an intermediate snowboarder looking for a mountain to progress in, Nakiska might not be the mountain for you. Don't get me wrong I believe that Nakiska is great for beginner snowboarders that are just learning how to turn and carve but in terms of progressing after that probably not.

I say this because of a number of factors. Like I said before my first 2 years at Nakiska I was just learning how to carve, ride fast and controlled and Nakiska was great for that. But after the years now I am looking to progress into park and improving all aspects of my riding from jumps, jibs, and butters etc.

So one of the factors that slowed down my progression would be Nakiska not prioritizing the park. I have been here 3 seasons now and it is very apparent that they prioritize Green runs> Blue/Black runs > Racer Course > Park. Most of the time even closing off a full run for the racers training. So as a snowboarder trying to progress I always have to wait until mid-season or even longer for the park to open, and with COVID this year it is now Jan 14 and the park run has yet to see any kind of plans of being built.

The other factor would be is Nakiska does not like side hits, any side hits that's formed from riders they will break it down. So now you have no park and any efforts to create some form of jump will be taken down by your next visit or even the same day.

Another factor and this might be a make or break for some people is Nakiskas weather, it being closest to Calgary, Nakiska doesn't really get a lot of "powder". It could be dumping pow at Banff but Nakiska will only get 5 cm of snow. With the placement of the mountain, you will not get a lot of sunlight either, due to how Nakiska is placed the sun will rise from the mountains in front of Nakiska and set behind Nakiska not giving you a lot of sunlight during the day, which results in icy conditions.

So with that being said if you are just starting to learn how to carve and ride fast, Nakiska is a great stepping stone for you, well worth your investment for the price they offer for their season pass. But if your an intermediate rider that's looking to learn how to jump, jib, do butters etc, I would suggest looking into a different mountain that favors more towards that side of riding.