Who Knew Snowboarding Could Make My Winter Better??

As an international student, there are many things in a culture you don’t know about until you live through and in it. Just like snow: magical, mysterious, and unbelievably true. Culture has layers, like an ogre — as Shrek would say, an onion. Though unlike it, you just can’t strike through and get to the core in a second. 

Seasonal depression = layer one

One of these layers is seasonal depression. I used to think it was just a fad to make someone feel “different.” How can anyone be sad on a winter day with thick snow? It sounds more like a setup to a fun day outdoors. That’s what I thought. Scientifically — thank goodness I’m not just an angsty young adult — it is proven that colder times like the late fall and winter make you sadder due to the decrease of serotonin you get because of the reduced exposure to the sun. I don’t know about you, but that sounds absolutely logical to me.

Solution = snow sports!

Thankfully, I’ve very recently found a remedy for that: snow sports! In the second week of January, on an impulse I went with some friends to go snowboarding at Boreal Mountain, a 45 minute drive from Reno. It was chaotic, the day started out so casual; it felt like I was once again going out to play tennis. We rented our gear at the resort booth, waited, since my “go time” started at 12 PM (I bought the tickets the day before), and my friends got a two-hour head start. 

One of my very good pals rode the lift with me. Yes, we did not take lessons, and he mistakenly took me to an intermediate run … I sat at the top of that run for a good 30 minutes. And of course, it started snowing. It was building up on my pants and helmet. Then it started to pour heavily. 

One of my friends finally picked me up and ever so patiently taught me how not to fall after a second of standing up. My hair was outside my jacket, collecting ice. My snow pants were sliding down. The gloves weren’t being gloves! The snow eventually turned into a blizzard! We were unexpectedly stuck at the resort, with the wrong chain size for the car! Absolute chaos. And I fell in love. 

The start of my snowboarding obsession

Like any sane human being, I may or may not have started a mini obsession with snowboarding. And (almost immediately) planned another trip! Nonetheless, this became an outlet for me to do something during the season — and not hate, but celebrate, powder days! 

All over Reno and Carson City, I’ve searched widely for affordable snow gear for a barely-getting-by college student like me. Secondhand gear might be a good start for someone who is only learning the sport, unless you’re not afraid to spend hundreds of dollars — baller. 

Where to get your gear in Reno

With winter being an important part of living in Northern Nevada, it becomes mandatory to deal with its side effects like the terrors of seasonal depression. Understanding that winter will come and go is something I still need to wrap my head around. Though maybe now I won’t ever want it to go. Check out a few shops to get your gear ready too!

Reno is home to many outdoor activities. With Lake Tahoe being a 45 minute drive from TMCC — the largest tourist destination close by — and Truckee at a similar drive time, the city gets busy in the colder months. Luckily, I’ve spent a month obsessing over these, and will sum up a good chunk of events for you. 

Where to snowboard in Reno & Tahoe

Alaine Obra from the Philippines is studying for an associate’s degree in computer science at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.