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Selling someone a great snowboard and then sending them to Falls Creek for the rest of their life feels like an incomplete transaction. The best snow on the planet is not in Victoria. It is in Hokkaido, in BC, in the Alps, in Patagonia. Getting there is a different kind of challenge — and it is one that Mint Tours has been solving for Australian riders for nearly two decades.
Mint Tours is our official international snow travel partner. Here is why we back them and what they can do for you.
Who Mint Tours Are
Mint Tours was started in Queenstown, New Zealand, and has grown into one of the most respected boutique snowboard tour operators in the world. They are not a general travel agency that happens to book ski trips. They are a snowboard operation run by riders who have spent their careers chasing the best snow on earth and building the local knowledge and guide networks to access it properly.
Their headquarters span three locations: Asahikawa in Hokkaido Japan, Bend Oregon, and Torquay here in Victoria. Former Olympians and X Games medalists are on their guide team. Chad Otterstrom, one of the most respected names in backcountry snowboarding, is a lead guide.
We have been connected with Mint for nearly twenty years — first as customers, then as partners, and for a period Mint were actually based out of our Richmond store. We know them personally and we know how they operate. When our customers ask about international snow trips, we recommend Mint without hesitation.
Where They Go
Japan — Mint's heartland. Hokkaido for over twenty years. Deeper local knowledge and better terrain access than any other Australian-connected operation we know of — getting riders beyond the Niseko crowds into zones most tour groups never see.
Canada — BC and the Okanagan. Whistler plus backcountry access in the surrounding ranges. Big mountain terrain, consistent snow, one of the strongest snowboard cultures in the world.
New Zealand — including heli operations accessing terrain in the Southern Alps beyond the lift network. Mt Hutt, Cardrona, Treble Cone plus backcountry zones.
Europe — Alps across France, Austria and Switzerland. Chamonix for serious freeride, major resorts for the full European experience.
South America — Chile and Argentina in the northern hemisphere summer, which means Australian riders can chase a second winter. The Chile Road Trip moves between resorts across the Andes.
Central Asia — Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and beyond for riders who want to go genuinely off the beaten track.
What Makes Mint Different
Small groups. Guides who know the terrain personally — not bus tours with fifty people and a resort representative who has been there once. Their approach is built around chasing conditions rather than following a fixed itinerary. If it snowed three feet overnight at a zone thirty minutes away from the scheduled resort, Mint goes there. That flexibility requires genuine local knowledge and relationships. Tours run across ability levels — from coached freeride programs through to serious backcountry and heli operations.
How to Book
Come into our Richmond store and we can make a direct introduction to the Mint team. We have been working with them long enough to know which trips suit which riders. Alternatively, visit Mint Tours directly at minttours.com and tell them you are a Twelve Board Store customer.
Full Mint Tours Partnership Page → · Shop Jones Snowboards → · Complete Overseas Trip Guide → · Contact Our Team →
Frequently Asked Questions
Mint Tours is a boutique snowboard tour operator run by riders who have spent their careers chasing the best snow on earth. They are not a general travel agency — they are a snowboarding operation with genuine local knowledge in Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and South America. Twelve Board Store has been connected with Mint for nearly twenty years. Former Olympians and X Games medalists are on their guide team. Chad Otterstrom, one of the most respected names in backcountry snowboarding, is a lead guide.
Japan (Hokkaido) — their heartland with over twenty years of local knowledge and access beyond the Niseko crowds. Canada — Whistler plus backcountry access in the surrounding BC ranges. New Zealand — including heli operations in the Southern Alps beyond the lift network. Europe — Alps across France, Austria and Switzerland including Chamonix. South America — Chile and Argentina for a second winter during the northern hemisphere summer. Central Asia — emerging destinations in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan for riders who want to go genuinely off the beaten track.
Small groups, guides who know the terrain personally, and flexibility to chase conditions rather than follow a fixed itinerary. If it snowed three feet overnight at a zone thirty minutes away, Mint goes there. That requires genuine local knowledge and the relationships to make it happen. Logistics, accommodation, transport, lift tickets and daily flexibility are all handled — you focus entirely on riding. Former Olympians and serious backcountry guides lead the tours, not resort representatives.
Come into our Richmond store at 435A Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC 3121 and we can make a direct introduction to the Mint team. We have been working with them long enough to know which trips suit which riders and can help you figure out where to go, when, and at what level based on your riding and what you are looking for from a snow trip. Alternatively, visit minttours.com and tell them you are a Twelve Board Store customer.
Mint runs tours across ability levels — from coached freeride programs for riders who want to develop their off-piste technique, through to serious backcountry and heli operations for experienced riders looking for the most challenging terrain available. Come in and we will tell you which Mint programs suit your current riding level and what you are looking to get from a trip.
Yes. Mint Tours runs the Chile Road Trip across resorts in Chile and Argentina during the northern hemisphere summer — which is winter in South America. This means Australian riders can chase a second winter without waiting a full year. The Chile trip moves between resorts and accesses terrain across the Andes. Visit minttours.com or come into Twelve Board Store and we can connect you with the Mint team directly.
