Wanting to share the euphoric feeling of snowboarding, Alex & his partner, Daphne, created The Ride Side \u2013 a ski & snowboard experience company that focuses on growing the community in Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n Alex and Daphne, creators of The Ride Side.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n What sparked the idea of The Ride Side? That\u2019s true, because most of us think about new destinations for a getaway, not new activities. Can I snowboard or ski alone? The Ride Side has since grown with the addition of instructors.<\/em><\/p>\n Wait, they are? So with The Ride Side, we go in a big group? Is everything provided for? The Ride Side with guests in Rusutsu, Hokkaido, Japan.<\/em><\/p>\n Which part of the world do you guys go to? Is handling money a hassle everytime you embark on a new season? How bad were the credit card fees? The Ride Side aims to grow the community and elevate the skill level of riders.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n What\u2019s the biggest amount you have to spend every season? You should have used the YouTrip card instead! Glad it helped you! The Ride Side with fellow guests during one of the seasons.<\/em><\/p>\n How do you like it so far? Do you feel like you\u2019re missing out on credit card perks such as miles? How about cashbacks? Alex and his team at The Remarkables in Queenstown, New Zealand.<\/em><\/p>\n Any last spending tip? Do you have an inspiring story? Holler to\u00a0editorial@you.co<\/a><\/span><\/i>\u00a0and you could be our next Spotlight!<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read:\u00a0How I Lost S$9,000 in Tokyo, Japan<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Read:\u00a05 Unique Getaways for Chinese New Year Holiday 2019<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Read:\u00a0PayPal Currency Conversion Guide 2019<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Read:\u00a0Fluctuating Exchange Rates and How to Take Advantage<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Read: How to Avoid DCC in 2019<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/DSC02893-copy.jpg\")
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\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> When I came back to Singapore from my travels, I noticed that people were eager to learn & keen to step out of their comfort zones, but they do not know where to begin – how do you plan for a trip, what do you look out for, and where are the best places for different skill levels. Our group travel concept brings people from all walks of life and skill level together, with the aim of experiencing and getting better at the sport.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Daphne:<\/em> Yeah, nobody really thinks about going on a snowboarding holiday. Usually, you get inspired for your next trip by photos and videos that your friends share on social media \u2013 Paris, Tokyo, Iceland or even Bali for a short getaway, right? But we want to push boundaries – we want to create unforgettable experiences, not just travel itineraries on a checklist.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> Of course you can, but where\u2019s the fun in that? They are very social activities.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/IMG_8152-copy.jpg\")
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\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> For sure! You can ride 6 to 7 hours a day in the mountains and it gets boring alone. Plus, it\u2019s not safe either, especially when you head into the backcountry like our team does!<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Daphne:<\/em> Yup, we\u2019ll book a lodge for the season, which is 3 to 4 months long, and you\u2019ll probably be here for a week or two to learn and enjoy snowboarding or skiing with us, along with many others who are interested in the sport.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> On top of accomodation, we arrange lessons, meals, local transportation, mountain orientation sessions and pretty much everything else that\u2019s needed for a great time on the slopes! We\u2019ve spent seasons in ski resorts, pretty much 6 months every year since 2015. So just come with an open mind \u2013 leave the planning and heavy lifting to us.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Snowboarding](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/IMG_2105.jpg\")
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\n<\/i>Alex:<\/em> We spend 3 months in Japan for the year-end ski season, and then another 3 months in New Zealand during the mid-year ski season. We\u2019re also adding Switzerland & Canada to our destinations next year!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Daphne:<\/em> Yes, in those snowboarding and skiing towns, we need to have our credit cards and local cash on hand because there are very few ATMs. Once our cash runs out, we have to rely on our credit cards, but they always come with overseas fees. Plus, when it comes to big ticket items like lift passes, rentals and lessons, we always have to use credit cards.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> We racked up alot, especially on the business front, we could hit 50 to 100 bucks in fees for just one transaction. For example, when I had to do a group buy of lift passes, that\u2019s already over SGD $1,000 per transaction.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Snowboarding](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/DSC03206.jpg\")
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\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> One of the biggest bills would be the lodges, as we\u2019d have pay 5 to 6 figure sums every time. Could you imagine the percentage fees of that? I could buy a few flight tickets! <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Daphne:<\/em> Right before our last New Zealand season, we were introduced to the YouTrip card and it was very convenient! The transaction process was exactly like any other card, minus the fees. I also had the option to exchange the rates first whenever I thought they were good. It was a no-brainer for us to use it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> Our guests were also very intrigued by the card because we were using it a lot. It really helped us because we\u2019re travelling all the time, can you imagine all our spare change and foreign currencies laying at home? Back then I always wished all these currencies could have been better managed.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/IMG_2108.jpg\")
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\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> The YouTrip digital wallet has been working really well for us! At a glance, I can track how much I have for each currency in the app and convert them around in real time. Sometimes, I don\u2019t even need to carry my physical wallet around.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Daphne:<\/em> Back when we used to pay with credit cards, yes we were earning miles but we also had to pay the costly overseas transaction fees and all, so the miles weren\u2019t exactly free. What\u2019s more, even though we had miles, we still had to top up extra cash in order to redeem a flight ticket. We travel a lot, so we don\u2019t even stick to one airline enough to utilise certain miles, and we don\u2019t need pockets of miles sitting in different memberships. It\u2019s nice to have miles, but that\u2019s not our priority \u2013 saving on transaction fees works more for us. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> That\u2019s quite negligible when you compare it to the savings on transaction fees instead. If I were to rank the priority of all card perks, I\u2019d definitely say that saving on overseas transaction fees would be number one for us. YouTrip\u2019s zero fees has been very useful.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.you.co\/en-SG\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/FTS-poster-image-copy.jpg\")
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\n<\/i><\/b>Alex:<\/em> Accommodation and services in popular ski resorts are very popular, which means having to book and pay for them way in advance. Being able to lock in a favourable exchange rate for future payments helps to manage our savings. So we utilise YouTrip\u2019s in-app currency exchange function to lock in the good rates right away and store them in the mobile wallet to pay later on.<\/span><\/p>\n
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