Snowboarding
Thrills and freedom on the summits
Snowboarding, since its emergence in the 1960s, has become an iconic mountain sliding sport. A symbol of freedom, style and adrenaline, it draws enthusiasts of all levels to the world’s pistes year after year. Gliding on snow, linking turns or taking flight in a snowpark delivers unique sensations. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced rider, snowboarding offers an incredible playground, particularly in the largest areas of the French Alps: Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski.
The history of snowboarding: from a surfboard to an Olympic sport
Snowboarding was born in the United States in the 1960s. The idea: to adapt the gliding of surfing and skateboarding to the snow. The first prototype, the “Snurfer”, was a simple board with no bindings. In the 1980s, the sport became more structured, bindings appeared, boards evolved, and snowboarding became a discipline in its own right. Initially shunned by ski resorts, it eventually established itself. In 1998, snowboarding made its debut at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games, cementing its international status.
The world’s two largest ski areas: Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski
For snowboarders, the choice of terrain is essential: varied pistes, suitable lifts, freestyle zones… In France, Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski offer ideal conditions. Set in Savoie in the Northern Alps, Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski are the world’s two finest ski areas.
Les Trois Vallées
With 600 km of linked pistes, this is the largest ski area in the world. Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens form an impressive whole for riders. The variety of slopes, the high altitude and the well-maintained snowparks make Les Trois Vallées a dream destination for snowboarding.
A stay in Courchevel and Méribel brings you not only an exceptional area but also resorts of unique charm. Courchevel, renowned for its refinement, blends luxury and tradition with its elegant wood-clad chalets, 5-star hotels and fine-dining restaurants. A few valleys away, Méribel charms with its quintessentially Savoyard architecture: stone-and-wood chalets, lauze-stone roofs and an urban planning perfectly integrated into the alpine landscape. These two resorts offer a chic and warm atmosphere, ideal for combining quality riding and the mountain art of living.
Paradiski
Made up of La Plagne and Les Arcs, Paradiski offers 425 km of pistes and varied terrain perfect for snowboarding. From larch forests to high-altitude glaciers, via snowparks and boardercross courses, the area guarantees thrills and a great freedom of movement.
The Paradiski domain offers far more than kilometres of varied pistes: in La Plagne and Les Arcs, the architecture also tells the story of the mountain. La Plagne stands out for its multiple villages, each with its own identity, ranging from modern high-altitude resorts to more traditional hamlets with stone-and-wood chalets.
In Les Arcs, the architecture is bold and visionary: designed in the 1960s by Charlotte Perriand, the resort blends modernism and landscape integration, with buildings of clean lines perfectly oriented towards the massifs. Skiing here is also a unique aesthetic experience, between grand nature and architectural heritage.
The different types of snowboarding pistes
In snowboarding, the pistes are the same as for skiing but are experienced differently due to the riding technique. They are classified by colour:
- Green: ideal for learning to handle the board, particularly the falling-leaf turns.
- Blue: perfect for starting your first linked turns.
- Red: steeper, requiring solid technical foundations.
- Black: reserved for experienced snowboarders, with steep slopes and sometimes moguls.
Add to this snowparks, freeride zones and boardercross courses for fans of tricks and speed.
The best pistes for beginner snowboarders in Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski
In Les Trois Vallées:
- Verdons piste in Courchevel: wide, gently sloped, ideal for getting to grips with sliding.
- Altiport in Méribel: a green run, very accessible, perfect for stress-free progress.
- The Masse 2 piste in Les Menuires: a fine, regular blue for linking turns.
In Paradiski:
- The Mont Blanc piste at Arcs 1600: wide, regular, excellent for beginner snowboarders.
- The Montalbert piste in La Plagne: green and reassuring, perfect for first descents.
The most challenging pistes for experienced riders
In Les Trois Vallées:
- Grand Couloir in Courchevel: one of the steepest marked pistes in Europe — a challenge even for the pros.
- Combe de Caron in Val Thorens: long, technical, with committing sections to negotiate with care.
- Face Ouest of La Masse (off-piste): a sought-after spot for freeride.
In Paradiski:
- Aiguille Rouge in Les Arcs: a descent of more than 7 km from 3,226 m, with red and black sections.
- The Black Friolin piste in La Plagne: wild and technical, in a magnificent setting.
- Off-piste on the Bellecôte North Face: reserved for seasoned snowboarders accompanied by a guide.
The best times to go snowboarding
Snowboarding is enjoyed during the same season as skiing, but some moments are particularly favoured by riders:
- January: abundant powder, quiet pistes, ideal for freeride.
- March: good sunshine, milder temperatures, still-quality snow, a relaxed atmosphere.
- April: perfect for slush (spring snow), excellent for tricks in the snowpark.
The periods outside the school holidays also offer more space to ride freely.
A snowboarding anecdote
Did you know that in the early 1980s many ski resorts refused entry to snowboarders? They were considered too rebellious, even dangerous! Some areas even had “no snowboarding” signs. Today, the situation is completely reversed: snowboarders are welcome everywhere, and many resorts have adapted their lifts (especially detachable chairlifts) to make access easier. Snowboarding is now a pillar of winter sports.
Snowboarding glossary: the terms to know
- Regular: riding stance with the left foot leading. The most common stance.
- Goofy: the opposite stance, with the right foot leading. The choice between goofy or regular depends on your natural balance.
- Switch: riding in the opposite stance to your natural one. A regular rider switches with the right foot leading, and vice versa.
- Flat: a flat zone between two descents, often dreaded by snowboarders as it is hard to cross without poles.
- Edge: the metal edge of the board. We speak of frontside (front) or backside (rear) edges, depending on the direction of the turn.
- Butter: a freestyle trick on the flats or on the pistes, pressing on the front or back of the board for fluid and creative movements.
- Jib: sliding on features such as rails, boxes or walls. Very popular in snowparks.
- Pow (or Powder): fresh, light snow, ideal for freeride.
- Freestyle: a discipline focused on tricks, jumps, features and creativity in the snowpark.
- Freeride: snowboarding off the marked pistes, in powder, often more technical.
- Boardercross: a timed course with banked turns, bumps and jumps. Thrills guaranteed!
- Backflip / Frontflip: aerial tricks with a backwards or forwards rotation.
Why rent a chalet for a snowboarding holiday?
After an intense day on the snow, what could be better than a warm chalet for recharging? Renting a chalet offers many advantages for snowboarders:
- Comfort after the effort: a hot bath or sauna after the freeride sessions is true bliss.
- Space for your gear: boards, boots, helmets… everything fits in easily.
- Authentic atmosphere: fireplaces, wood, conviviality with friends or family.
- Close to the slopes: many chalets sit at the snow front, at the foot of the pistes and sometimes “snowboard-in/snowboard-out”.
- Bespoke services: equipment delivery, meals, massages… everything is possible in our luxury chalets thanks to our premium bespoke services.
It is the ideal option to make the most of your stay, blending riding, relaxation and nature.
In conclusion
Snowboarding is much more than a sport: it is an art of living, a unique way of experiencing the mountain. In exceptional areas such as Les Trois Vallées or Paradiski, riders of every level will find unforgettable experiences. Whether on groomed pistes, in the snowpark or off-piste, snowboarding offers total freedom. And to extend the pleasure, there is nothing like a comfortable chalet at the heart of the mountain. So, ready to ride?
We offer stays with no instruction or with half-day instruction, in group classes or private lessons.
Discover this special way of gliding gently with our instructors, or fine-tune your turns with the pros. The most experienced can even try jumps in the snowpark and the boardercross — we want videos! For your next winter sports holiday, enjoy our exceptional areas in Paradiski at La Plagne and Les Arcs, or in Les Trois Vallées with Méribel and Courchevel.
Get in touch for your winter chalet holiday in the Alps.
