Tahoe Donner Downhill (5)

Lake Tahoe, California

Snowbird, Utah

Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

sailing through the backcountry

Alpine MeadowsWhere: Lake TahoeDodge trees and master your turns in the scenic backcountry of Tahoe City – and then turn in for the night in a Lake Tahoe rental. If you’ve got good control of your board, Alpine Meadows will delight but if you’re still learning, better move on to a more well-rounded resort. 

SnowbirdWhere: UtahNot many rides are smoother and gnarlier than the ones offered up by Utah’s highest and mightiest resort. The Zuagg, also known as the “Pipe Monster,” is enough to make any skilled boarder giddy.

For snowboard and ski enthusiasts around the world, this is known as "Champagne Powder."

The Overall Resort win means that Loon has the complete kit: everything from excellent food to speedy lifts, dependable snow quality, and a welcoming vibe from the locals and staff.

um…waaay nicer Park?!!! Um….NO

Everything about the state of New Jersey sucks! Therefore nothing good can come from there! I just spent the last year there and I would have rathered been dead! I’m from Arizona and our snow is better!!! Mountains…. not hills Jersey Scum!

USAThe United States has some of the best snowboarding in the world. With Colorado, Wyoming, California and Utah in the west and Vermont in the east home to great resorts that cater to snowboarders. Resorts famous for their snowboarding include Crested Butte in Colorado, Vail in Colorado and Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley and Heavenly Valley in California. California abounds with a vast selection of snowboarding options. Sugar Bowl and Kirkwood are also favorites among California snowboarders.

CanadaSome of the very best snowboarding in the entire world is in Canada, with a great amount of resorts from the east to the west. Whistler/Blackcomb is the premier destination for snowboarders in Canada, but you can't overlook the smaller resorts including Silver Star, Apex, BigWhite, Whitewater and Sunpeaks. You also can't forget Banff, with some of the most beautiful and majestic scenery anywhere and their resorts like Lake Louise.

JapanJapan? Great for snowboarding? Yes. As well as skiing. People forget that Japan has many mountains and cold areas since the country is very long and reaches quite far north. In fact, Japan has over 600 ski and snowboarding resorts! A little ways from Tokyo, you'll find some nice resorts, but they tend to be more crowded and expensive due to their popularity with Tokyo residents. To experience Japanese snowboarding at its best, you'll want to travel away from Tokyo. Around Japan's 600+ resorts, you'll find everything from ultra modern and high tech resorts to traditional resorts to small time, family run resorts. You can't forget Nagano, also not too far from Tokyo and home to the 1998 Winter Olympics.