Wednesday, April 1, 2009

We Ski & Snowboard: Come Out of the Cold - and Win Your Own Copy!

The last time I went skiing, a friend and I stopped halfway down the mountain at a warming hut during our first run. We had only been on the slopes for thirty minutes but we were exhausted and cold, so we sat ourselves down in front of the fireplace, propped our feet up, sipped our steaming cups of coffee and complained. The next thing we knew our husbands came marching in wondering where we had gone to, and it was then we realized we had been sitting there for four hours.

I learned something important on that trip (besides which muffins at the cafe were the best) and that was while I loved skiing, it combined three of the things I hated most in life: Waking up early, being cold and waiting in line. I haven't skied since that day, and while I keep meaning to get back to the slopes the thought of waking up at dawn and standing for up to thirty minutes in freezing temperatures to get on a lift is not my idea of a fun day.

So I was excited when I was asked to try out We Ski & Snowboard, a new game for the Wii. Here was a chance to use my skiing skills, without having to leave my house. I put on a pot of coffee, put a log on the fire and got to work. And the temperature in my living room? Perfect.

We Ski & Snowboard lets you hit the powdery slopes in a virtual adventure through beautiful scenery - you can even do jumps, perform tricks, have races, take pictures and meet up with other Mii skiers. The only thing I didn't find was a warming hut halfway down the mountain so I could take a rest, but thank goodness I was able to pause the game, head into my kitchen and make myself a snack. A girl can really work up an appetite doing a wheelie off a half-pipe.

Just like on a real mountain, there are slopes of varying difficulty for beginners or experts. I had never snowboarded before, so I was excited to try it out. Sure it's not the 'real' experience, but even learning some of the moves is a step in the right direction. Also, the more you play and progress, you're given the opportunity to unlock prizes like costumes and equipment. I haven't gotten that far yet, but I think with a little bit of practice I'll be snowboarding like a pro. At least like a pro who's never actually snowboarded on snow.

We Ski & Snowboard can be used with Wii Fit balance board, or for those days when you're really feeling lazy, with just your remote and a nunchuck. This opens up the possibility of actually skiing while you're sitting on the sofa, but let's not go there quite yet. I used the game with my balance board, and found that it was really responsive and felt like I was using a lot of the same movements as I use when I ski, although crashing into that tree was not quite as painful. And the best part? The only waiting I had to do was hanging out while my 10-year-old showed me how to turn the Wii on and then set up the game for me. Yeah, I haven't mastered that part yet, but when you're a world-class snowboarder you get other people to do the dirty work for you.

Want to win your own copy of We Ski & Snowboard? Leave a comment below by 11pm pst on Sunday, April 5, and I'll be picking a winner on Monday, April 6. (U.S. entries only, please.)

I'll even throw in this cool snow hat, in case it gets a little chilly in your living room.
















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15 comments:

imaginary binky said...

I would love to try this! Getting a little tired of just bowling or swinging wildly in mid-air for tennis.

Unknown said...

we need something to help us keep in shape--this way we can ski all summer long...

danielle said...

Aaaah, 5AM trips to fresh snow. Love them. This would be pretty wicked awesome as well. (Max hates it when I say "wicked awesome" so I try to throw it into as many conversations as possible. It is so easy to annoy an almost 13 year old!) Great review by the way.

Anonymous said...

Ah, you know I never win anything but maybe this time's the charm.

Does it come with hot coffee?

-annie

Anonymous said...

Oh boy, wii would love to win!!

Kim Moldofsky said...

Oh, this would be an awesome new way to use our Wii Fit board and I'm guessing I don't have to get weighed in to play. Bonus!

Thanks for a fun giveaway.

ChefDruck said...

We would love this! We love our Wii and love to ski but we don't have this game.

Crossing my fingers....

valmg said...

I'd love to win this, we don't have any of these games yet!

Stimey said...

I feel exactly the same way as you about skiing. I grew up in Utah and we skied a fair amount. But it always seemed like so much work to get to the fun part.

My kids and I would love, love, love this!!

Nicole Pelton said...

We'd love this too. Don't have it yet and resisting new games till I get a job. And my kids love those kinds of hats. Total snowboarder wannabes.
Nicole

heather... said...

this looks SO fun! I would love to buy this game but, alas, no spare cash at the moment!

RosevilleAndRocklin said...

I have never skied in my life.

Are you drawing out of a hat and if so, does it help if I bend the corner of my comment box?

Signed,
Heather O

mikor2@aol.com said...

Wow! This game looks great and I'd love to have it so I can ski without getting frost bit!

- Mike

Carolyn G said...

Oh what a great game. This would great to have and to play!! THanks.

Delora said...

My 8yo son would love this game! We took him skiing for the first time this past winter and was so afraid of falling down, that after his lesson was over he quit for the day.
delorap@yahoo.com

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