Yesterday we brought the kids up to a local ski spot in Trento known as Bondone by the residents. The name is a shortening of the mountain it lives atop, Monte Bondone, which is the highest of the Garda Prealps at 2,180 meters (or 5500 feet). It’s kinda of where the Italian alps in Trentino begin. It’s a throwback ski resort from the 70s or 80s just over a 30 minute drive from Trento. We went because the local Skateboard and Snowboard shop Centone (translated 100 and One) was putting on a free all-day Snowboard clinic for the kids. The fact that they did this made be a loyal customer and fan #4life. And I am gonna need my own board soon 🙂 But seriously, a local store taking care of the local kids on a local mountain—what’s not to love?
Mugging a Minion on Bondone
It was good timing after our trip to Alto Adige, so we signed them up and they got another solid 6 or 7 hours of practice in. Tess is still skiing so she got lessons in the morning, but yesterday she made her first overtures towards learning snowboarding which is exciting—we’ll see how that develops.
Scuola Italiana Sci Monte Bondone Trento
Tommy and Miles are pushing hard on the snowboard, and their progress is really starting to show. Miles has been impressively disciplined in mastering the basics, whereas Tommaso wants to race down the mountain. But for both of them spending all day with a group of snowboarders from a wide-range of experience levels really helped them focus on what they need to work on.
Miles on Bondone from Jim Groom on Vimeo.
Tommy on Bondone from Jim Groom on Vimeo.
Both the instructors and their peers were giving them tips and encouraging their progress. They came away beat up once again, but beaming with pride and accomplishment.
Tess on the other hand has really mastered the basics of skiing. She has had several lessons, and while this is technically her second season (she went once last year) she really just started. Her instructor said he thought she had been skiing for at least four or five years, which but a smile on her face that lasted all day. The power of compliments. The following video Antonella captured of Tess navigating an intermediate slope demonstrated this quite well.
I was able to tag along with Antonella and Tess most of the day given the other two were in the clinic, and I’m getting more comfortable on the slopes. Bondone was rougher than Merano 2000 with much more ice patches and shorter trails. I finally took a good spill that rang my bell, and reminded me that snowboarding is a full contact sport.
The day was exhausting but rewarding, felt like we could do this far more regularly which was rewarding all around, especially with such good company.
