5 Ways to Keep The Stoke Alive in a Low Tide Season

There was a time (maybe not so long ago) when all we dreamed about was chasing storms. Plane tickets booked on a whim. Maps of the Tetons, of Hokkaido, dog-eared and tacked above bunkbeds. Gas station burritos. 3 a.m. starts. Long-haul missions for 20 seconds of untouched glory. We were wild-eyed and snow-starved, fueled by powder dreams and ramen, always hungry for one more run.

Snowboarding was more than a sport. It was a rite of passage. A test of patience, planning, and pure obsession. It meant sleeping in parking lots, burning through PTO, and watching snow reports like stock traders watching the ticker.

And when we scored? It was church. Chest deep in Niseko, a low angle glade in the Elk Mountains, or a wind-loaded rollover somewhere off the pass. We’d howl like kids. High-fives frozen midair. No one needed a reason. The turns were the reason.

Now vs. Then — And the Stoke In-Between

Fast forward to 2026. We’re staring down one of the lowest tide winters in recent memory across the Western U.S. The big lines are thin. The base is barely hanging on. And the couch starts to look a little too comfortable.

But here’s the thing: This season is reminding us why we started doing this in the first place.

It’s not about tallying the biggest lines or collecting the deepest storm days. It’s about the search. The hunt. The freedom to go. The stubborn joy of believing there’s still something worth chasing out there, even when the forecast doesn’t agree.

Because snowboarding isn’t just about snow. It’s about how far you’ll go to find what sets your soul on fire.

5 Ways to Stoke the Fire in a Low Tide Season

You don’t need chest-deep blower to make this season worthwhile. Here’s how we’re flipping the script and making the most of it:

1. Build a Log Jib Garden

No pow? No problem. Channel your inner kid and build a backyard log jib line. Scout your zone, drag some deadfall, and shape up a setup. Style is always in season. This is your chance to bring creativity back into the forefront. Bonus points for filming your crew and stacking clips.

2. Hit the Rails (and Reconnect with the Basics)

Park laps are back. Rail skills transfer everywhere — and there's no better time to rebuild your board control, balance, and confidence on edge than in a season where every inch of snow counts. You’ll come out sharper, smoother, and more dialed when the pow finally arrives.

3. Scout Your Lines (While You Still Can)

With the snowpack thin, your favorite backcountry lines are revealing their secrets. Go observe. Take mental notes (or real ones) of rock bands, terrain traps, and hidden hazards that usually get buried. When the storms roll in, you’ll have the knowledge to ride more confidently and safely.

4. Build Your Engine

Skinning, bootpacking, trail running — whatever it looks like for you, now’s the time to train like a goat. Build cardio now, and you’ll be flying past your friends on the uptrack when the real missions begin. Stoke isn’t always in the descent — sometimes it’s in the burn.

5. Explore the Edges of Your Map

That stash you always drive past? The small zone you've never bothered to check? Go there. Chase novelty. A thin year is the perfect time to break routines, take a detour, and rediscover your backyard with fresh eyes.

This Is the Season for the Diehards

This winter might not hand it to us. But maybe that’s the point.

This is the season where you earn it. Where you chase the ghost of old trips and breathe life into new ones. Where you find stoke not in the depth, but in the doing. A sunset bootpack. A slushy lap with your crew. A sidehit that reminds you you’re still a kid, and always will be.

It’s about grabbing your Logger or Alpenglows and turning a low tide lap into a line worth remembering. It’s about telling stories around a fire, wax dust on your hands, maps open on the table.

This year, stoke isn’t given. It’s found.

We Were Built for This

At Weston, we’re not just selling boards. We’re building tools for people who still believe the journey matters. Those who pack up the car even when the snowpack’s thin and the odds are long.

We ride free because we believe in the freedom to go. To search. To get skunked, to get lucky, and to do it all again next weekend.

Here’s to chasing it anyway.
Here’s to finding it in the low tide.
Here’s to the dream.

This season is what you make of it. So make it count. Get out there. Build. Ride. Wander. Stoke lives in the search.