I woke up at 8a.m. on a Sunday morning after only two hours of sleep. It was hard, I can say as much. But I knew the day was going to be worth the trouble. So I got dressed, packed a couple of snacks and started my journey.

I made a quick stop at a friend’s house and dragged him out of bed with me, and after 15 minutes of constant nagging, I got him into the car and we hit the road towards Laklouk.

It wasn’t exactly planned. I’d stumbled upon a picture of a snowboarding competition in a Snowpark on the slopes of Laklouk and – since I’d never been – I thought it was as good a time as any to check out a less known Ski resort.

It wasn’t that bad of a drive, it took us an hour’s time, and we had a really cool playlist playing in the background.

The snowy mountains seemed too far away and we thought we wouldn’t get there before the start of the competition, but when we turned a corner it was within clear view: the big white mountain, the ski slopes, the Redbull tent.

We didn’t have any equipment, so instead of riding a Skidoo, we easily climbed up the slopes towards the Big Snow Park. Thankfully I was wearing Timberlands, but my friend was wearing Nikes… At least my socks didn’t get stuffed with snow!

And we got there just in time.

 

A couple dozen skiers and snowboarders were preparing to perform tricks to a panel of judges, while a crowd of people hung out on lounge chairs, each with a Redbull in hand and their skis and snowboards resting by their sides on the snow.

A DJ was blaring music on the slopes, giving an exciting ambience, and the big Redbull tent was there to protect those who didn’t want to get a sunburn.

I grabbed my camera and walked over to the bottom of the Snowpark and almost missed a couple of shots as I stared at the talented sportsmen. They were all flying overhead with such confidence, you’d think they had no fear!

They each did an amazing job, inspiring courage in two amateur snowboarders like ourselves, adrenaline rushed thru our bodies from head to toe! All I could think about was the day I would be able to do such a good job.

Mistakes happen, but that didn’t stop any of them from getting back up, brushing off the snow from their costumes and trying again! How cool is that?

The competition ended and the some of the competitors grabbed a redbull waiting for the results while others kept on playing in the park and took advantage of the beautiful weather.

By around 2 p.m., one of the event organisers – and sponsors –  grabbed the mic and announced the winners, as well as their prizes. They won prizes awarded by Board Inc., Ollie Daze & Maison Du Ski, as well as the Laklouk Resort. But they were all good sports about it since it was mostly just a friendly competition between friends.

We left almost forcefully but we decided it was best not to overstay our welcome. So we said our goodbyes to our new friends and headed back down to Beirut.

The Laklouk slopes weren’t what I expected and the ambiance was more than welcoming. If you’re feeling adventurous, then head up there for a day full of fun!

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