Winter is probably the most controversial season. Everyone seems to agree that summers are fun, falls are romantic and springs refreshing yet with winter, it’s a love-hate relationship.

Maybe because of that, winter has such a strong clan of followers, the skiers. They are to winter what surfers are to summer.

You have the outdoor goers that hike and enjoy the soft white landscape. Then there are the hockey players, the rink-kind and street-kind alike that love a good game. And then there are the downhill skiers and snowboarders. Unlike the others, for those dedicated to the sport, even as a hobby, it is a true lifestyle. It’s the winter yoga of the mind and body. You seek it and crave it and can’t wait to get yourself out there again.

For those, living close to readily available slopes it is complete bliss. But if you live in a flat area of the earth it’s a different story. It’s quite a bit more complicated if you need to get to an airplane or spend many hours in the car to get to a slope. Granted, making a trip out of town has its perks.

The main difference between the two is the question of everyday lifestyle. If you think you’re ready to head out to enjoy the slopes every weekend or just about, or even better, some evenings after work and yet, you live in a flat city and take two ski trips a year at most, then you need to move.

Those who actually do, they are the ones that belong to the clan.

The earth-wide lovers of the cold healthy air after fresh snow, of the high altitude quietness of evergreen forests, of the vast span of land seen only from above, of the rush of speed as you carve snow. A bond with nature like no other.