Find ski buddies and friends to ski with

SkiBuds is an app for finding people to ski with, built for skiers whose friends can't make it this weekend or who have just moved to a mountain town. It is being rebuilt for iOS and Android and is coming soon, so it isn't in the stores yet. Below is how the app will help you find riding partners, and how to find ski buddies this season without it.

Stephen Phillips built the first version while riding at Whistler in the 2018/19 season, much of it from ideas people gave him on chairlifts, and by March 2021 he had met more than 100 riders through it. The SkiBuds story has the rest.

Match on terrain and pace as well as ability

Two intermediate skiers can want very different days. One wants relaxed groomer laps and a long lunch; the other wants to ride every lift on the mountain before it closes. An ability label starts the conversation, and the runs you want settle it.

The rebuilt app will cover ability and terrain. Every resort will have green, blue and black channels, so nobody gets talked into a run they did not want. Discover will let you filter riders by skill level, availability and interests such as groomers, park, powder, moguls, trees and backcountry, then open a profile and send a friend request. Availability comes from what riders set in their profiles, so it shows when someone prefers to ride, not whether they are on the hill today. Pace is for your first message.

A first message someone can say yes to

"Anyone want to ski this weekend?" makes everyone else do the planning. A message that names the mountain, the day, the terrain, the pace and a public meeting spot gets real answers. For example:

“Saturday at Stevens Pass, mostly blue groomers at a relaxed pace. Want to meet by the base trail map at 9 and do a few laps?”

In the app, mountain and city channels will help you meet people around the places you ride, and private messages and group chats will carry the details. Each resort will also have its own carpool channel if you need a ride. Once you have a crew, agree on a regroup spot and what happens if someone wants to stop early. Friends who choose to share their location will appear on the mountain map, which helps you find each other when both phones have a connection.

Skiers and snowboarders can ride together

Your next riding partner might be on a board. Mixed groups work when everyone agrees on terrain, pace and where to wait, since a long flat traverse that skiers can pole across may mean a snowboarder unstraps and walks. Read more about finding snowboard buddies.

How to find ski buddies before the app launches

You don't need to wait for SkiBuds. Local ski clubs, lesson groups, resort social events and friends of friends all work, and so does a clear post in a group for the mountain you ride most. Be specific about the mountain, date and runs, and suggest a public meeting point.

The guide to finding ski buddies walks through where to look and what to post, and joining a ski club explains how to find a club that rides the way you do. Once you have someone with the same schedule, plan a ski carpool and share the drive.

How do I find ski friends near me?

Look at both ends of the trip: a ski club or community near home, and groups around the resort you actually ride. Someone nearby is only a good match if you also share dates, lift access, terrain and pace. Name the mountain and day in your first message instead of waiting for someone else to pick them.

The mountain region guides cover meetup planning, forecasts and road checks for Colorado, Utah, Oregon, California, Vermont and British Columbia. The resources page links the National Ski Council Federation's directory of regional councils and their clubs, and the meetup checklist helps you confirm a first day.

Can beginners find people to ski with?

Yes. Look for beginner-friendly club outings, a lesson group, or riders who say they want easy terrain and a relaxed pace. Tell people what you're comfortable riding now and how long you want to stay out. A new ski friend isn't an instructor, so book a lesson if instruction is what you need.

Skiing with friends of different abilities shows how to plan shared runs, breaks and separate laps without anyone feeling rushed.

Follow the SkiBuds launch

SkiBuds is coming soon to iOS and Android. The launch status will change when it reaches the stores, and the FAQ covers discovery, messaging and location sharing in more detail. Your next ski day with someone new doesn't have to wait: the free meetup planner turns a date, a mountain and a pace into a message you can send tonight.