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Finland is not typically known for its lengthy pistes or vertical drops, however, it has produced a serious amount of snowboarding talent over the years and a few notable Olympic skiers, including gold medal winner Janne Lahtela, so don’t just stick to the Alps if you’re after a ski holiday in Europe.
Southern Finland starts to get cold in November and slopes can open as early as the mid-November. Whilst Finland typically receives many metres of snow during winter, their exceptional snowmaking capabilities ensure that there is snow from December till April. Being close to the arctic, the hours of sunlight can be limited and virtually all slopes are floodlit, giving the option of riding from 10am till 9pm in most resorts during winter.
There are numerous resorts in southern Finland, typically consisting of around three to six pistes, which are powered by the not so popular drag lift system. For this reason, skiers and boarders alike have thrived and incidentally the freestyle scene has become massive. For skiers and snowboarders used to the long pistes of the Alps, the shorter slopes of southern Finland can take some getting used to but offer immense beauty and closeness with the natural surroundings. Whilst the Finns are a very polite people, queuing in lift lines can require a touch of backbone (reminiscent of some French resorts), particularly with the younger crowds, as it can get crowded.
In terms of snowparks, even small resorts like Talma (www.talmaski.fi) are world-class. They are maintained consistently and compared with the rest of Europe, tend to have larger kickers. The level of riding in snowparks is very high, so don’t be surprised to see Finnish kids hitting jumps 10 times their size!
One of the largest winter sports centres in Southern Finland is Messila, which rises to 222m above sea level and has 10 pistes with six drag lifts. Nearby Lahti is infamous for its three massive ski jumps, and hosts numerous sporting events throughout the year, including the World Cup winter games.
In terms of après-ski, Finnish people are mostly shy by nature, but during an evening out the consumption of alcohol can be copious! Wednesdays and weekends are the big nights in Finland, with pop, rock and Finnish music being the popular choice in clubs. Don’t be surprised if a whole club erupts into song when a popular Finnish song is played – even if it sounds like you’ve gone back in time to the 80’s! Prices can be a little on the expensive side but this applies to all European resorts and shouldn’t be a reason not to go.
Other activities off-piste include the usual skidooing, paragliding and ice-skating, as well as visiting the unique Northern Lights, staying at the infamous ‘Ice Hotel’, taking a reindeer safari and even the chance to meet Santa! What more could you want from a holiday…
Jan-Erik Paul
www.snowboardlessons.co.uk
19.11.2007
