LEBANON

Troubled little Lebanon, which was for a while the Middle Eastern playground of the rich and famous, prides itself in being able to provide a morning on the slopes followed by an afternoon on a Mediterranean beach. The high Lebanon Mountains rise steeply from the narrow coastal plain and the nearest ski resort to Beirut is only an hour's drive away.

It was in the 1930s that skiing became fashionable in this corner of what Europeans refer to as the Middle East. By the 1950s the sport had greatly increased in popularity so ski lifts were introduced, firstly in the Cedars resort, then elsewhere. Currently there are 6 resorts, but away from the slopes cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are well developed alternatives, with trails heading away into fascinating countryside. The season generally stretches from December to April.

Faraya Mzaar is the most popular resort close to Beirut, and benefits from good support services. Skiers and snowboarders from all over the world use the slopes here. The top of Mzaar sits at 2465 metres above the Mediterranean, and offers spectacular views of the capital, the Bekaa Valley and Mount Hermon. The après-ski is pretty good too.

The Cedars is a resort a bit further from Beirut, about 2 hours by car, and sits at around 2000 metres. A good site for beginners, but advanced skiers will not be disappointed either. The Cedars also offers off-piste skiing and other down hill thrills, as well as snowmobile trips. The season here lasts a bit longer than at Faraya Mzaar, and new chairlifts have recently been installed.

A good link to check out is www.skileb.com.

LESOTHO

This little mountainous Kingdom attracts skiers from South Africa, the country which surrounds it on all sides. South Africa doesn't have much in the way of snow itself, so it's handy to have such an obliging neighbour, and the rich South Africans are a welcome source of income.

A resort called Afri-ski (!) first welcomed clients in 2005, running the season from June to August, but that could be extended to last well into November, weather and clients permitting. The resort was able to attract some 3000 clients that year and the numbers have grown year on year. It sits at 3222 metres above sea level in the northern part of the Maluti Mountains, and the entire country has an altitude of over 1000 metres. Novices and experts are welcomed and both are well catered for.

Among the selling points for Afri-ski is the fact that the resort is Austrian managed, and they seem to be fairly well equipped. There is a 1 Km slope, ski-lifts, grooming equipment and child care facilities. Again the après-ski seems to be up to standard.

If you have any energy, time and money left, there are many other activities to entertain. The breathtaking scenery can be enjoyed as you paraglide or hand glide across the countryside; pony trekking is available, as are mountain climbing, mountain biking and bird watching. This has to be a really refreshing change from the Alps of Europe.

IRAN

Iran? Why not? Okay, so George W Bush may not feel comfortable sharing a ski lift with Mr Ahmadinejad, but I hear he's not much of a skier anyway. However I also hear that the skiing is rather excellent.

There are two main resorts, although there are other slopes available as well that have not been exploited commercially and they no doubt have their attraction.

Fifty years ago Shemshak was established, and it offers skiing and snowboarding to the higher end of the expertise spectrum. Go here to see the best Iranian skiers do their stuff. Just an hour outside Tehran the resort is well equipped with lifts and J Bar stations.

Coming on stream in 1969 is the other popular resort, Dizin, which reaches an altitude of 3600 metres and attracts most of the foreign skiers, being blessed with better support facilities. Dizin is slightly further from the capital, but offers better social facilities and après-ski.

MOROCCO

Again, explode the popular myth and you'll feel at home with the idea of skiing in this seemingly unlikely destination. The sand and the camels may never be far away, but the mountains rise steeply from the sands of the Sahara and lie under a good depth of nicely packed, blindingly white snow.

Oukaïmeden is a ski resort in the south of the country, 50 miles from Marrakesh, which attracts a lot of rich Moroccans. The ski lift lies at 3286 metres above the Atlantic (donkey is a viable and quirky alternative) and the season lasts for the winter months around January. Equipment is available for hire though the quality may not be the highest, as are guides.

Closer to Fes and Meknes is the area of Mischliffen close to the town of Ifrane. Facilities here are definitely not of European standard, though the extremely low number of skiers may well compensate.

Cross country skiing throughout the mountainous region is possible, but again it's best to bring your own equipment including even tents since the huts on offer are often derelict.

INDIA

India, is awash with ski facilities comparatively speaking. Gulmard, Manali, Kufri, Narkanda and Auli are some of the more popular resorts, all lying in the North of the country heading up into the Himalayas. The quality and availability of facilities and support services varies, but a good time is guaranteed. Nepal is just next door but provides nothing more exciting than India, and the skiing can of course be combined with so many other activities. And it's cold. Of all the places I have travelled I remember India being the coldest of them all!

Other countries that offer excellent skiing opportunities that are often over-looked by Europeans include Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Argentina ….. let me know what you find when you get back, because we have no ski resorts in wind-battrered Ireland.

Some people say only experts should go snow playing, but I think anyone can do it if you use a little common sense. I have heard a rumor that miss moran will be offering special snow playing classes after school at pingelly primary, but I don't know if that's true.

The best place to go snow playing is on a hill that is covered with snow. First you will want to clear away any leaves and sticks. Stand at the top of the hill and shout, “Hey, everybody, going out below!” Then step onto a board, point yourself downhill, and off you go.

Snow playing is fun, healthy, and fun. And here is one more tip: everyone will be especially impressed if you can balance a pillow on your head or play drums as you sail by.

What is a skateboard? Is it just a glorified plank with roller skate wheels on it? Or is it a highly engineered device through which kids have reclaimed the urban landscape, bringing creativity and style back to the sterile asphalt spaces of sprawl? The basic elements of the skateboard seem pretty straightforward. A board has three parts: the board or deck, the wheels, and the trucks, which connect the wheels to the board, and allow the board to turn. The concave design strengthens the board and gives the rider more control of the board. You stand on the board, and their are no straps or stirrups to hold your feet to the board.

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a snow-covered hill on a board attached to your feet by boots that have been set into a mounted binding. It is similar to skiing. The sport was developed in the United States in the 1960s and is now a Winter Olympic Sport. The first snowboard was actually a skateboard with no wheels. There are many different types of snowboards now, with the freeride, freestyle, and freecarve/race being the most popular.

With both sports, you should take precautions to prevent injuries. Always observe your surroundings. Look for that pothole in the concrete or the drop off on the slopes. Always wear proper safety equipment, such as padding or helmets. It is always important to have a friend with you to call for help, just in case. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

So which is better, skateboarding or snowboarding? Both can be as cheap or expensive as you want to go. Both can be very dangerous. Both can be fun, exciting, and thrill seeking sports. It is all a matter of preference which one you try.

As you go off of the jump, have your arms out in front of you and look at your left arm, flex your stomach, and when you have done a 180 be looking at the takeoff, this will get you spinning a little forward so that you will land flat on the landing, look back behind you and pull your knees in a little. The rest will come naturally if you have done this.

How to 720

Well first, you need to be brave. Next, as you are going off of the jump, start spinning as if you were to do a 360 and when you hit the 180, and not a second before, tuck your arms in as hard as you can for a full 360 so you will be at a 540. Then just go one more 180 as you spot your landing. GREAT. Thanks for reading.

A chemical gas engineer, Poppen built the first snurfer in Muskegon, Michigan out of two skis bolted together and a rope at the nose so the rider could control it. He built it for his daughter's birthday party in 1964. The invention soon became a hit in his neighborhood. After finding out that all of his daughter's friends wanted a snurfer he got the idea to sell it. In 1965, the snurfer was first sold to the masses. Sherman Poppen teamed up with Brunswick Corporation, a bowling ball company (Snowboarding History) and sold half a million units in the ten years that it was in production. The snurfer was to be sold for 10 to 30 dollars. After that the snurfer disappeared due to poor advertising, but many innovators saw potential in the snurfer and set out to develop it into a sport.

After sliding around on cafeteria trays, Dimitrije Milovich, another East coast surfer started to develop snowboards in his garage, and started what is considered the first snowboard company “Winterstick” in 1972. Throughout 1975 his Snowboards were mentioned in magazines like “Newsweek” and “Powder.” (The Beginning of Snowboarding). Dimitrije made many innovations to the snowboard like steel edges, and swallow tailboards. Due to lack of interest from the public and ski resorts not allowing snowboards, Winterstick went bankrupt in 1980. Even so, he helped change the snowboard from a small uncontrollable kids toy, to a controllable sport.

When Jake Burton Carpenter rode the snurfer for his first time he was 14 and it was down a golf course hill. He broke his thumb but was obsessed with the snurfer ever since. In 1977, after dropping out of college and getting stuck in a job he hated, Carpenter decided to start a snowboard company named Burton. Carpenter like Milovich made many innovations to the sport of snowboarding like foot straps for control and fins for stability. Burton sold his boards for thirty-eight dollars a piece, which was expensive at the time. Ski resorts, however, still did not allow snowboards on their slopes, so selling them was even more challenging. Carpenter discuses this in his interview with HP computers, “I remember going out to sell 27 snowboards and coming back with 29 because the shop had said nobody wants these take "em back.” (Burton for Your Business) Since then Burton has developed from a small company making snowboards in a garage to into the largest Snowboard Company in a world.

At the same time a championship skateboarder was developing snowboards on the West Coast. Just like Burton and Milovich. Sims and his friends changed many things about the snowboard. Sims and his friends borrowed skateboard technology. They developed what they called the “Yellow Banana” (The History of Snowboarding) which was a board made out of polyurethane with a carpet added to the top of a snurfer so it would stick better to the riders feet like a skateboard. It also had sheet metal attached to the bottom. After that he focused on skateboards, but with the help of his friend Chuck Barefoot, he returned to snowboards in 1977. Tom Sims named his boards the skiboards. Like Burton, Sims started in his garage and is now a large snowboard company.

The first snowboard competition was held in 1981 in Leadville Colorado. One year later, the first national snowboard competition was held in Woodstock, Vermont. Racers were clocked at 60 miles per hour. This started the creation of the first snowboard magazines like “Absolutely Radical” and the “International Snowboard Magazine,” and launched European competitions. In 1990, the “International Snowboard Federation” or ISF was formed. Finally, snowboarding was catching on and in 1998 after 33 years of development the snowboard was finally an Olympic sport. In 1998, there were four new events with men and women"s halfpipe with Gian Simmen of Sweden taking the gold medal in the men's and Nicola Thost of Germany winning in the women's halfpipe. Also there was men's and women's slalom. In 2002, slalom was replaced with a larger giant slalom and longer bigger superpipe (All… About… Snowboarding). Later in 2006, at the Torino Olympics a third event was added called boarder cross.

Since the first snurfer that Sherman Poppen built out of two skis for his daughter, snowboarding has come a long way. It's in the Olympics, there is a snowboarding tour, and there are 6 million snowboarders (The History of Snowboarding) and many snowboarding companies to satisfy the needs of consumers needs. Snowboarding has gone from an uncontrollable toy to a stable controllable sport.