Take advantage of children's discount ski programs and save
By NANCY SHIELDS
Ever since that little bundle of joy came into your life, you’ve been dreaming of the day you can drift through the powder or shred through the trees together, teaching that little tike all your tricks skills skills. Ah yeah, what a dream. But aaaah, what a headache when the bills start to fly. Winter sports are not cheap. Here are some ways to keep the dream alive without spending their college fund.
Castle Mountain child pass early bird price is “cheep cheep!” but only until Nov 15.
Sign the kids up ASAP for the season at Castle Mountain. The child pass (those between 6-12) until NOVEMBER 15th, is only $49. Regular day tickets for kids is $39.95, so it’s paid off within two days of visiting the resort that loves families. Grab a WOW card here.
Grade Two Fun Pass
Watch for specials offered through SkiCanada.org and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) for the Grade Two Ski Pass. For $20 your 7-year-old or child in grade two can ski at any RCR resort. That’s Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Fernie and Nakiska out west or Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec. Learn more.
Grade Four and Five Snow Pass
Don’t wait for grade five to sign up. If you sign up in grade four, you get two seasons of access to over 150 ski areas across the country. Each participating resort offers three free days – and anyone in grade four can figure out that's 450 days of skiing or boarding. Some resorts do have blackout dates, but don’t let that stop you from signing up. It’s only $29.95.
Keep the gear costs down
First, don’t be too proud to use used equipment. Borrow, trade, hand-me-down or buy at a ski sale; there are ski swaps/shows happening all over right now. Those kids grow faster than the gear wears out. To make the gear their own, get stickers from the resorts to hide the scratches. Watch for the Sports Experts Junior Alpine Ski Exchange Program. The programs vary but you can expect to buy gear, use it for the year, return it in good shape and see a credit of 25% to 50% go towards the next set of gear your kid plans to grow out of. Learn more here.
Looking for the date on when your favourite resort opens this season? Click here
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