17th June 2008

Think of fast forwarded footage of a mountain from spring to mid summer. The reality of climate change and its impacts is clear, but have we screwed the planetary climate balance so much that it will impede our ability to bomb fresh pow in the future? Perhaps its time to turn snowboarding green before we all have to ride indoors.

Its now common knowledge that CO2 emissions are resulting in a rise in temperature worldwide, however the information is easily lost on the impacts this is having directly on our mountains here in clean, green New Zealand and in turn, snowboarding.


According to NIWA snow and ice scientist Dr Jordy Hendrikx, climate change is a reality and is having an impact on snowfall levels.

Although NIWA do not have good long term data records on snow that are needed to give a full analysis, he says that about a one degree change in temperature has occurred since the 1900s. From this information on changes in temperature and precipitation and relating this to CO2, they can project that with a mid range scenario in emission that there will be a 2 degree rise in temperature over next 100 years. Therefore, it is likely that snowfall patterns have and will change.

"Interannual variability means that one season you might have good, solid snowfall, and the next season get considerably less. But if you look ahead at a 20 year period, the gradual affect of climate change will start to have a bigger impact," he said.

However, Hendrikx notes a conflicting aspect saying that based on these temperature and precipitation projections NIWA anticipates westerly winds will increase bringing more precipitation and rain to the alpine areas.

"So while there is a rise in temperature, there is more precipitation. This may results in less snow at low elevations and more snow at high levels," explained Hendrikx.

It seems we may have to follow the snow and creep further up the mountain to reach the white stuff.


It is clear if we take a look at New Zealands glaciers where human activity is the key theory for speeding up the melting process. They have on average receded by about 1.3 kilometres since the end of the last century and Glaciologists are expecting that the Tasman glacier will retreat between 477m and 822m each year from here on in.

Snowboarding also contributes to the cycle of global warming through our travel- flying and driving.

The good news is that resorts in New Zealand are getting on board the eco-friendly, sustainable train. Mt Hutt sales and marketing manager James Urqhart sees the importance of keeping it green.
"We are starting to get into environmentally friendly and more efficient ways of running the business. Everyone keeps talking about global warming so were going to be smart too," he said.


Treble Cone marketing manager Anna Thomas explained that they are working closely with an active group in Wanaka to bring in new recycling initiatives, saving power by turning off systems in summer and encouraging carpooling.

"This means formalizing the hitch hiking point a bit so that people dont have to bring their car up every day," she said.

And carpooling is one simple and effective way that riders can help keep snowboarding green.

"Hopefully people are smart enough that they start carpooling. The amount of people that still come up with one person in the car is a bit ridiculous. It would be good if we could change that," said Urqhart.

5 years ago Mt Hutt was even handing out petrol vouchers to those with four people in their car. Surely a promotion that would go down well this season with fuel being at $2 a litre.

It is even worthwhile to start thinking about the emissions that the big brands who make your boards give off. There is the option to buy eco friendly boards, made with sustainable harvested wood cores, recycled fabric and hemp topsheets, and low impact resins and glues such as the range from Venture Snowboards.

Surfing, snowboardings sister board sport, is undoubtedly a longtime stander on the importance of eco-friendliness with a reputation for being pro actively clean and green.

And there is no reason snowboarding cannot be the same. For the same motives that surfers want to keep the ocean they surf in clean, snowboarders should be concerned about protecting the snow they ride on.

Whether it is being mindful of dropping litter on the mountain, buying eco-friendly gear from eco-friendly manufacturers, taking note of your resorts green initiatives or encouraging carpooling by picking up a hitchhiker, it is time to act before the snow thins.

With only one planet and one chance, it is time snowboarders started turning on the green revolution.


Footnote: NIWA has just successfully obtained new research funding (as part of a wider climate change programme) to examine the effects of climate change on seasonal snow in New Zealand. The first results will be available in the next few years.