Is there a dating app for skiers? An honest answer from a ski buddy app

A surprising number of people find SkiBuds by searching for a "ski dating app" or "snowboard dating." I get it. If you love being on the mountain, you want someone who loves it too, and the person who will happily set an alarm for first chair is a pretty good filter.

So here is the honest answer: SkiBuds is not a dating app. It never has been. It is built for finding people to ski and snowboard with, and to share the drive to the mountain. But I think it is worth explaining why, and what actually works if meeting someone on the mountain is what you are after.

What SkiBuds is for

SkiBuds started in Whistler in the 2018/19 season, out of conversations on chairlifts and in a four-bed dorm room. The first idea was finding people to share accommodation with. It quickly became something simpler: finding people to ride with, so nobody has to ride alone, and people to carpool with. By 2021 I had met more than 100 people through the app, and many of them I still ride with.

The rebuilt app keeps that purpose. You describe how you ride, find people who ride the same terrain at the same pace, and plan a day at the mountain, with the forecast and the map in the same place. It is for adults 18 and over, with content filtering, reporting, blocking and moderation. The safety page explains how that works.

Why a riding partner is a better first step

Here is the thing nobody says about ski dating: the hardest part is not meeting someone who likes skiing. It is meeting someone you actually enjoy riding with.

• Pace matters more than you think. Someone who wants to lap the park all day and someone who wants to tour the backcountry can both "love skiing" and still have a miserable day together.
• A ski day shows you a lot. You see how someone handles cold, a long lift line, a bad fall or a change of plan. That is more honest than any profile.
• It takes the pressure off. "Want to ride Saturday?" is an easy question to ask and an easy one to answer. Nobody is guessing whether it is a date.

Plenty of friendships start on the mountain, and some turn into more. That just is not what the app is designed around.

How skiers and snowboarders actually meet people

Ski and snowboard clubs

Clubs run regular trips and social events, so you see the same people again and again, which is how real connections form. Many clubs are full of adults looking to meet other riders. How to join a ski club covers how to find one and what to ask.

Lessons and clinics

An adult group lesson or clinic puts you with people at your level for a few hours, with a shared goal and plenty to talk about at lunch.

The singles line and the chairlift

Every chair is a few minutes next to someone who chose the same mountain on the same day. Chairlift etiquette and how to talk on the lift has openers that work, and skiing alone explains why riding solo is often the easiest way to meet people.

Après and the mountain town

The base area bar after the lifts close is where people you rode near all day become people you know. If you live in or move to a mountain town, how to make friends in a ski town goes through what worked for me in Colorado.

Mainstream dating apps

If dating is the goal, the big general dating apps have far more people on them than any niche app. Put skiing or snowboarding front and center in your profile, with a real photo from the mountain, and mention your home mountain.

If you meet someone new to ride with

Whether it is a riding partner or something more, the first day should be easy and safe:

• Meet at a busy base area or the bottom of a lift, not somewhere remote.
• Drive yourself the first time, or share a ride only once you have met.
• Tell a friend where you are going and who you are meeting.
• Ride open, marked terrain you both know, and keep the first lap short.
• Agree on the plan ahead of time so either of you can call it after a few runs.

The meetup planner turns the mountain, time, terrain and meeting point into a message you can send.

The short version

There are dating apps, and there are ski buddy apps. SkiBuds is a ski buddy app. If you want someone to ride with this season, that is exactly what it is for, and the rebuilt app is coming soon for iOS and Android. Until then, start with finding ski buddies or finding snowboard buddies.

And if you met your partner on the mountain, I want to hear how. Was it a chairlift, a club trip or a lesson? Tell us on Instagram.