Ice, Ice Baby
Charleston + winter sports seem to go together about as well as Tonya Harding + good sportsmanship, but the warm climate didn’t stop the guys in Cool Runnings from achieving Olympic status on the ice— and it shouldn’t stop you either.
Read on for ways you can get moving PyeongChang-style, without actually traveling to PyeongChang.
In the Tri-County:
❄️ Get your figure-skating fix at Carolina Ice Palace in North Charleston. The rink offers everything from public ice skating, to birthday parties, to youth + adult hockey teams.
❄️ Take a surfing lesson at Folly Beach. It’s like snowboarding, right?– except the water isn’t frozen.
❄️ Catch a Stingrays game at the North Charleston Coliseum. Find their schedule here.
❄️ Join Charleston’s Ski Club. Yes, we have a ski club. No, we aren’t kidding.
❄️ ...or, if you want to do something less mainstream, check out Charleston’s Curling Club. First-timers should sign up for a ‘Learn to Curl’ session. Just make sure you lay off the performance-enhancing drugs.
When it comes to hitting the slopes, we admit the Lowcountry falls flat. As in, there aren’t any slopes here. Or really even any small hills. But, we’re close enough that a ski trip is easily doable in one weekend.
Nearby resorts we think you’ll apres-ski-ate:
⛷ Beech Mountain Resort // Beech Mountain, N.C.
- Lift tickets: $20-79 + special March Madness rates for both lift/rental prices
- Rentals: $12-45
- About 5.5 hours from Charleston
- 13 slopes + five lifts
- Bonus: Home to Beech Mountain Brewing Company-- one of the only US breweries owned and operated by a ski area.
⛷ Sugar Mountain Resort // Banner Elk, N.C.
- Lift tickets: $18-74 + special March Madness rates for both lift/rental prices
- Rentals: $10-33
- About 5 hours from Charleston
- 21 slopes + eight lifts
- Bonus: Great destination for skiers + non-skiers alike, as there are plenty of restaurants, activities + lodging options nearby
⛷ Cataloochee Ski Area // Maggie Valley, N.C.
- Lift tickets: $30-78
- Rentals: $25-30
- About 4.5 hours from Charleston
- 18 slopes + five lifts
- Bonus: Tube World is located just four miles away from the ski area
⛷ Appalachian Ski Mountain // Blowing Rock, N.C.
- Lift tickets: $30-62
- Rentals: $12-28
- About 5 hours from Charleston
- 12 slopes + six lifts
- Bonus: Night skiing seven days a week
⛷ Wolf Ridge Ski Resort // Mars Hill, N.C.
- Lift tickets: $20-71
- Rentals: $10-34
- About 4.5 hours from Charleston
- 15 slopes + four lifts
- Bonus: The Tube Run, featuring a “magic carpet” lift
Prefer to pizza + french fry in front of the tv than out on the slopes? Tune in to NBC this weekend to cheer on Team U.S.A. during the final stretch of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. 🇺🇸 And don’t forget to catch the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
If you can’t swing a trip to the mountains this season, it’s best to keep your fingers crossed for another #Snowmagedden like we saw in January – that way, the slopes will come to you.
—Jen, Multimedia Producer
