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From newbie to gnarly: Rider hits her snowboarding stride at Lake Louise
#NewSkiAB #SkiLouise
Are you new to Canada and ready to enjoy winter and learn how to ski or snowboard? Genie Wong got introduced to snowboarding by family, and now Lake Louise is her habitat. She even took it up a notch with an advanced snowboarding lesson! Tag #NewSkiAB to share your Alberta winter adventures.
Lake Louise, AB - Genie Wong gives big kudos to an aunt and uncle for introducing her to snowboarding and as a result learning to love Alberta winters. Growing up in Macau, Wong came to Calgary to go to high school and her aunt and uncle didn’t want their niece sitting around at home all winter.
“You should come along and have some fun in winter. This is a Canadian sport, and you should do it,” her aunt told Wong, who was living with them at the time.
Photo:
Karl Lee
Powder in the bowls at Lake Louise.
As an athletic person, having played basketball in Macau, Wong, 25, didn’t need much convincing and embraced the sport with gusto. She now refers to Lake Louise as her “habitat.”
After seven or so years of boarding, you’ll find Wong – a self-confessed winter lover – shredding the bowls at Lake Louise, in particular Larch Bowl, but these days she’s smitten with Boomerang Bowl, a place she got to check out recently with a private instructor. It's just an indication of how far she's come in her boarding skills in such a short time.
“This is my first time at the back bowl, and I was so amazed by how great it looked - definitely a million-dollar view and it has LOTS of powder because not many people go.”
BUILD UP TO BIG TERRAIN WITH A SKI LESSON AT LAKE LOUISE.
During the lesson, she also had the chance to challenge herself with a little snow hiking. “This was my first time and the view that comes afterward is worth the sweat and energy. You see a view of Lake Louise that not very many people get to see.”
Photo:
Karl Lee
Brown Cow, a popular hike at Lake Louise will take you into some Rocky Mountain awesome.
Aside from getting out and doing the real thing, Wong’s way of progressing her snowboarding game is by doing a lot of research on YouTube, checking out tips and techniques from more experienced riders.
Some of those YouTube videos have motivated her to play around in the terrain park, which helps her learn even more about snowboarding. “Say I try jumps, that gives me a lot of new ideas and just having fun with the different aspects of the board.”
Learn more about new skier and boarder programs at Lake Louise.
Snowboarding has also taught Wong some important life skills such as determination and resiliency. “It’s not just about snowboarding but everything that extends from it. Snowboarding leads me to places I’ve never been in life. It’s a great way to explore the world and stay in touch with nature.”
Photo:
Karl Lee
Wong's way of improving is to keep pushing herself by trying more challenging runs.
Wong refers to snowboarding as an ideology. “When you’re skiing or snowboarding you just keep trying and every time you fall, you get back up and ride.”
In fact, snowboarding is what led Wong to earning a degree in kinesiology, from the University of Lethbridge, where she will graduate in June. “It ties back to why I love snowboarding. Whenever you do a sport, there’s a risk of injury. I know how to recover faster from injuries and to prevent injuries.
Part of Wong's plan is to also become a snowboard instructor, pairing her kinesiology background with teaching people how to board. “I can teach and help people to avoid injuries.”
Meanwhile, her advice for anyone wanting to learn how to snowboard is this: “Do a lot of research on YouTube and … apply what you have watched and learned and get out there and try and do the stuff you were hoping to do. Keep trying!”
Want to take a ski lesson?
SnowSeekers’ #NewSkiAB can get you and your significant other or you and a buddy on the slopes for your first lessons at Lake Louise.
- Sign up today for Lake Louise's private ski or snowboard lessons to up those skills and your love of winter. There are lots of spaces available for lessons.
- Want to go for a beautiful snowshoe in the mountains from Lake Louise? Check out what they have on offer.
SnowSeekers is stoked to partner with HEAD Skis, Lake Louise Ski Resort and our friends at Immigrant Services Calgary. A legacy of our #Calgary2026 work, we’ve formed this #NewSkiAB partnership, helping to welcome more diversity to Western Canada’s slopes. Check out this story to learn more.
When You Go
- Get a Lake Louise Plus card to save on lift tickets.
- Lake Louise is a two-hour drive from Calgary. Take the return shuttle bus from Calgary and save yourself the drive. Reservations required.
- Make a weekend of it and stay at the affordable Lake Louise Inn in the village on Village Road.
New this year!
Lake Louise has added new terrain and a new chairlift this year:
- The Juniper Express Quad chairlift, on the frontside at the base of the resort, opens up access to new beginner and intermediate terrain. More room for learning and practicing those turns!
- More glading in the West Bowls will open up more tree skiing for advanced skiers.
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