Where to ski and snowboard when there's no snow? Welcome to Surrey Hills
The forests of Surrey Hills are littered with varying terrain and endless paths to explore. It's one of the places where you can get your ski and snowboard fix when there's no snow. The region is only 30 miles outside London, and it's easy to get to by train.
As there's nothing better than visiting a place guided by locals, so we interviewed Andrew McGuiness and Nick Druce, who shared their favourite spots and off-road riding tips.
How do you get to know Surrey Hills?
"So I grew up in Surry, and I lived here for 12 years and I, since then I moved away, and I come back here to do the skating. It's just a really nice experience to reconnect with much childhood here and go through the same woodlands I used to run around and play in. But this time on an electric skateboard." - Andrew
"So the Surry Hills means a huge amount to me because, from the age of eight, my main passion was cross-country running. So I got to know the hills really well. And now, having this in my backyard, being able to use it on an electric board. It's just another level because I know the hills well, but I never thought I'd ever be riding an electric skateboard for 90-plus minutes and getting that snowboard fixed in my backyard" - Nick
Why should you ride an electric skateboard at Surrey Hills?
"So it's dynamic — you've just got lots of different tracks. You've got big, expansive tracks so that you can sort of, they can carve down, and you've got tight-knit, little trails that you, it's a little bit more technical, but requires a little bit more skill." - Andrew
"It's just real diversity. My go-to spot's Black Heat. So you've got the tree sections, which are really flowy, beautiful lowly compacted soil, and really grippy and nice. And then you've got the open section. We call the Speedway. You've just got a mix of gravel, and some light sand, which is great if you want to slide. And then you've got the three sections, but I think it's more exploring." - Nick
"It's really nice to be able to sort of balance that sort of free-flowing open track experience with those closer tight-knit tracks to really sort of hone in your skills and practice technique a little bit more." - Andrew
Any off-road electric skateboarding tips?
"I definitely advise just getting out and just going to the nearest forest really, and just trying to find a trail and seeing what you can do on it. But off-road is more about experiencing the scenery and really just getting away from that busy city life." - Andrew
