While we’ve had many references to South America and the Blackcomb Glacier for summer riding on Push in the past month, the great country of New Zealand has so far been overlooked. And this, my friends, is most unfortunate. New Zealand, while admittedly very far away and costly to visit, is one of the best places in the world for off-season snowboarding, not just for the high quality of riding but also for cultural experience of visiting such a bad-ass country.

The average person probably knows very little about New Zealand, aside from it being home to Peter Jackson (director of the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy), Flight of the Conchords, the All Blacks rugby team and some damn good Pinot Noir. While these things should all be celebrated, there’s much more to embrace about this small-yet-mighty country in the South Pacific, and I’ll share a few examples with you right now.

Lax Liability Laws
You know how North American society is riddled with rules, regulations, lawsuits and endless liability issues? New Zealand, through some means of savvy governance, has done away with most of this crap. You can do many dangerous things with impunity in New Zealand, including bungee jumping without signing 10 pages of waivers and disclaimers. There’s just something appealing about a country where people take responsibility for their own actions.

Good Commonwealth Vibes
You’ve heard of the Commonwealth, right? For lack of a long-winded description, let’s just say it’s a club Canada is in with other countries around the world that were founded/colonized by England. (All you need to do is check any country’s currency for a picture of the Queen to confirm this.) New Zealand is also in the Commonwealth, and it creates a sort of cool brotherhood-vibe between us. People in New Zealand like Canadians, and this allows for good experiences when you’re there.

Surfing and Skating
You’re never far from the coastline in New Zealand (we’re talking about a very narrow country here, people), which means you have easy access to surf breaks all over the country. I know people who will simply tour up and down the coast, hitting multiple breaks in a day. As for skating, there are tons of great, free outdoor skateparks all over the place, plus legit street spots in cities like Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. So don’t just bring your snowboard, bro.

Food and Beer
Pubs and pies rule in New Zealand. English-style pubs can be found around every corner, with a bevy of locally-brewed beer on tap, simply waiting to be poured down someone’s lucky throat. As for pies, these little baked miracles are even more common than pubs, and are sold everywhere: restaurants, gas stations, variety stores, road-side stands and pubs (obviously). Pies range from traditional mince, to butter chicken (amazing) and bacon-and-egg (a little weird) varieties. I spent two weeks in New Zealand with Andrew Hardingham once, and he ate at least three pies every single day. True story!

Epic Scenery
I realize I may sound like your parents by writing this, but *** it: it’s worth the risk. The scenery in New Zealand is all time. Seriously. It’s incredible. It’s like seeing one postcard-worthy view after another when you drive from place to place. Mountains, oceans, lush green fields, quaint bridges and roaming sheep: it’s all there. I know you’re reading this thinking, “yeah, whatever…” but trust me when I say that even the most jaded or indifferent person will be impressed by the mind-blowing views that literally lurk around every single corner of the country.

Snowboarding
What, you though I’d leave it out? Come on… I’m not writing a travel brochure here. There’s a reason pros and every-day shreds from around the world descend upon New Zealand every summer. The riding is insane, from the legit freeriding and heli-access in the Southern Alps, to the epic freestyle terrain at Snow Park (where you will no doubt be stunned by how fun, progressive and cool the entire set-up and atmosphere is). It really is the place to be during our summer months, and it’s not uncommon for riders to post up for months at a time to extend their season. And keep in mind that winters in New Zealand are not like ours. It’s generally quite mild and mellow, with snow only found high up at the resorts. The cities and towns remain spring-like, so you won’t experience any Arctic-style chills or depressing sleet.

Check out:

Snowpark

New Zealand Tourism

New Zealand Snowboarder Magazine

Flight of the Conchords

Make your own NZ-style bacon-and-egg pie