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Ski & Snowboard Guide

Eighteen years ago, dressed in a fetching neon pink all in- one, I stepped onto skis for the first time. Six years later I started sliding sideways on a snowboard. And so began a lifelong love affair with the white stuff.

Hooked on the winter, I started writing for snowsports and travel magazines and spending all my hard-earned chasing the snow. Like many of the snowsports junkies I know, I haven't had a summer beach holiday in years.

Whether you're in it for the adrenaline buzz, the social scene or the tremendous feeling of freedom it brings, this book is for you. Mimicking snowsports themselves, 52 Brilliant Ideas embraces freedom, fluidity and inspiration.

Why would you cruise straight down a piste from top to bottom when you could be mixing it up in powder stashes, hitting natural jumps and bobbing through the trees at the side? In the same way, why read a book from start to finish when you could leap from idea to idea as new thoughts hit you and inspiration carries you?

That's the concept of this guide - a veritable off-piste playground of ideas, tips and advice that you can dip into and apply straight away.

This is also one of the first books that speaks to both skiers and snowboarders. Why? We believe that one plank/two plank divide is well and truly a thing of the past.

With the exception of the stubborn few resorts which still insist on banning snowboarders from their slopes, skiers and snowboarders have found a new synergy between their sports.

These days snow junkies carve on skis one day then jump on their board the next. Skiing has been given a new breath of life by tapping into snowboard style. The two sports have never shared so much - competitions, terrain, tricks, clothes, style - each sport borrows from and shares with the other.

Dumped down with powder overnight? Grab your snowboard and make the most of its large surface area and float your way down the mountain. Too icy for one edge? Slip your skis on and make the most of that extra plank for some high speed carving.

With this in mind, we've set out to arm you with an avalanche of inspirational ideas, practical advice and insider tips on how to make the most out of your all-important time on the snow. Whether you're on one plank or two, it doesn't matter. It's about making your bucks stretch further, making your body ski harder and making the fun last longer.

Unless you're one of the lucky few who call the mountains their office, your time at altitude is limited and this book will help you squeeze the most out of every moment up there. Before you go, you'll learn how to buy the best kit, how to pick the best destination for you and how to hone and tone your body for the slopes. Once you're there you can dip into technique tips, sports psychology to psych yourself up for the steeps and all-important survival advice for venturing further afield. And, you'll even get inspiration for what happens after your day on the slopes, with hangover health tips, ideas for helping your hardware last longer and trendsetting tips for what to look out for next time you head for the mountains.

But, as with all the best things in life, there's a price to be paid. In return for the feeling of freedom, the buzz of descent and being surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, you've got to deal with risk. As with any adrenaline sport, the risks can be high, but for many the inherent risk is a large part of the attraction.

If you don't fancy dicing with death just to get your adrenaline fix, don't worry, we've got it covered. We've got ideas, tips and no-messing advice on how to flatten fear, how to ride safely out of bounds and what to do in an emergency. Once you're done with this book, you'll be one of the safest people to ride with - everyone will want to be your ski buddy.

Once you've had your first taste of sliding on the white stuff, once you've experienced your first bluebird, powder day, once you've felt the freedom of flying, I guarantee you'll be hooked for good. For some, skiing and snowboarding are just a pleasurable way to work out, for others they're close to spiritual, but for most they are the purest form of fun. Grin fodder.

We want you to finish every day on the slopes as the best days should end. with a beer in your hand, a tired body and a huge smile on your face as the last whisper of sunlight dances on the mountain peaks.

There's no doubt about it, a love affair with snowsports takes work. but it could just be one of the most satisfying relationships you'll ever have.

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