Hello Everyone –
For those of you (that includes one Mike Doble) who might remember an Alka-Seltzer commercial from the 70’s, you should remember the tag line “Try It, You’ll Like It.” Well after spending four hours today (Sunday, January 20) on Winterplace Ski Resort’s Tubing hill, I can honestly say “Try It, You’ll Like It.” No, this wasn’t the first time I have been snowtubing, in fact I tubed the first day it was offered in West Virginia in the mid-90’s at Snowshoe Mountain, and it is not the last time I will snowtube. But those of you who haven’t given it a try, you are missing out on a fun time.
…Photo of Winterplace Resort's Snow Tubing Park from this weekend. Photo by Travis Roberts.
After hitting Snowshoe Mountain’s tubing hill last year and Winterplace’s before that, I have a young son who enjoys the outdoor activity with his mom and dad and we enjoy watching him have some honest fun. That is my point here, snowtubing is just some old fashion, grab your sled (or tube in this case) and go hit the snow. I remember growing up in Baltimore and just praying for a little bit of snow so we could wax the rails and hit the city park or side streets (didn’t say we followed OSHA rules) sliding. Just some good outdoor fun with a bunch of friends.
But you say you don’t want to take away from your time on the slope skiing or snowboarding, right? Oh hog wash I say. Just Try It, You’ll Like It I say. This is also something you can do with the whole family, mom, dad, son, daughter, Uncle Joe, Aunt Daisy, grandma or grandpa, everyone is welcome. I mean what the heck are you waiting for, it’s time to have a party on the tubing hill. Again everyone is welcome, no lessons needed. Just grab a tube, and let gravity be your friend.
Joe Stevens takes a moment to pose in front of the tubing hill.
Right now I need to give a shout out to the staff at Winterplace’s Snowtubing operation. They run a tight ship there folks. As the crowd picked up they opened up more of the maze and the line moved quickly, despite it being MLK Sunday. I always say that is one of the things that makes skiing, snowboarding or snowtubing in the southeast unique, the guest service, especially on the hill. The folks out there among everyone understand what it takes to make one’s visit a pleasant one. Today the staffer at the magic carpet had people rolling (laughing) as they were headed up the hill. It made them totally forget the time they just spent in the lift maze.
I ask the question, what gets and keeps a young person in the sport after they give it a try. This is any sport – skiing, soccer, baseball or football. I am talking about confidence. So what creates that confidence, a darn good time. So what creates a darn good time, a staff that works with young people in a way they don’t feel young but part of the grown up sport. If you have a young person who might not be ready for skiing or snowboarding, then snowtubing might just be the answer you are searching for.
…Joe (middle) poses with wife Angie and son Christian.
So the next time you are visiting your favorite winter resort in the southeast, why not give Snowtubing a try. You know what they say don’t you, “Try It, You’ll Like It.”
That’s it for this week, more to come as the season continues, just remember whether it be cold or whether it be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather will be. Think about it! See you on the slopes!
That’s it for this week, more to come as the season continues, just remember whether it be cold or whether it be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather will be. Think about it! See you on the slopes!
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Joe Stevens, a member of the southeast ski industry since 1990 is a regular columnist for skisoutheast.com and serves as the Communications Director for the West Virginia Ski Areas Association.