For Snowboarders, by Singaporeans
A snowboarder from Singapore getting hooked on the sport
It all started when Alex made a trip to Grouse Mountain in Canada in 2010 and got his first taste of snowboarding. He was hooked but he faced a challenge – who else to try it with? Who else would be interested in snowboarding from a tiny island in tropical Singapore? So began the search for companions to share the love with. That sparked the idea of The Ride Side – what if we created a group where it does not matter who you know within it, whether you have the experience? What if we made snowboarding accessible for all in Singapore?
Read our Vulcan Post Feature here
Alex in Niseko, Japan
The start of our journey
Starting it was not easy. We made the plunge, we booked the lodges, we made the plans. But despite 60 people registering their interest, only 2 committed to the trip. We were stumped. We were looking for people to snowboard with, and it was near impossible to find someone within our social circles who have tried it, or willing to give it a go. It looked daunting, like something only extreme sport lovers would consider. By a stroke of luck and the immense support from our friends and family, we gathered 80 people to embark on the first ever hosted trip to Niseko by The Ride Side.
4 years later, with a community of skiers and snowboarders in Singapore
What started as a passion project in 2015 quickly snowballed (sorry) into an endeavour to not only bring people together through the shared love for the sport, but also to introduce it to more people in Singapore. Since then, we have grown the biggest ski & snowboard community in Singapore with over 2,000 guests to date and 5,000 strong in the community around our brand. We now organise trips to 4 destinations in Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland, catered for first-timers all the way through serious pow riders, and we’re not stopping there.
The Ride Side’s guests in Cardrona, New Zealand
What is Social Travel for us? Is it for you?
This social travel was initiated with the belief that life?s greatest experiences are made better by the people you share it with. You will be travelling with a group of spirited individuals who share a passion for adventure, nature and travel. A social travel concept might not work for everyone, we get it! Staying in a lodge with strangers in a foreign land, and trying a sport you have no idea about seems like a tall order. It takes a very open mind & a willingness to break away from your usual travel habits. Families, honeymooners and big groups of friends have so many preferences to cater to. So we launched personalised trips, where we customise a trip based on your travel preferences and requirements.
Now you can get snowboard gear in Singapore
In August 2019, we will be launching the first ever dedicated snowboard store & the only fitting studio in Singapore. With more people becoming interested in the sport, we want to do it justice and educate the community on how do you choose the right snowboard set up. Beyond fancy designs and new technology, what matters most is the fit. If it doesn’t fit, it won’t work well on the slopes.
The people matter the most
It’s been a whirlwind of 4 years, but we couldn’t have done this without the support from the community we are doing this for. We pour our time, energy, and passion into The Ride Side and we can’t be more humbled and encouraged by the love that we receive in return. It’s not a story that we’ve really shared so openly, and we couldn’t have said it better than the good people at Vulcan Post did. ?So read more if you’re curious about how a bunch of Singaporeans managed to make snowboarding a career from a sunny island in South East Asia.
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