Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Feb 12, 2020
We had talked about it often, but we hadn’t yet tried it. This is why I recently headed out to Mont SUTTON, with my colleague Sarah, to test their yooner, a funny looking contraption, almost easier to manoeuvre than to explain how!
By Jessie Jolin
So… Where to start? The body? A seat, 20 cm from the ground, mounted on a mini-ski with a stick—handle attached to the frame to help control it. The brakes? Your feet, flat on the snow, as you slide down the hill, with more or less pressure, depending on how fast you want to go. The steering system? Your upper body as you bend to the left or to the right. The stabilizer? Your hands, which lightly brush over the snow-covered ground. The suspension? A coil spring under the seat which helps make the ride more comfortable. The inflatable cushion in case of skidding? The snow on the ground. The sound system? The exclamations and laughter of your sliding companions!
If you’re having some difficulty visualizing the integral design of a yooner, here’s a little video to give you an idea of what to expect.
“We’re the first in all of Canada to offer this experience” Nadya Baron, Marketing Manager for the Mont SUTTON ski centre, proudly stated! She accompanied us throughout our discovery morning. She continued to explain, “With the yooner, we hope to diversify our mountain’s fun gliding activities. It’s a great activity to add to a day of skiing.”
Leaving Mont SUTTON’s rental centre, holding our yooners in our hands (the device is surprisingly light), we headed to the chairlift and waited for our turn to get on, and rode up to the top of the mountain along with the other skiers. The lift’s detachable system picked us up smoothly and safely by giving us enough time to settle on our seats. Getting off was just as smooth.
Following the advice of our guide, Louis-Martin, we headed down on the Alouette, an easy trail, perfect for familiarizing ourselves with this new glide sport. Having been a skier since a very young age, I felt a bit shaky as I took my first turns, but very quickly I found my bearings. The same was true for my colleague Sarah who isn’t as familiar with glide sports. After a first descent, we were already mastering the technique fairly well. It just goes to show how quickly you can learn to control a yooner!
Throughout our many runs, we attracted the curiosity of the skiers with whom we shared the slope. More and more at ease on our yooners, we headed down faster and even had a little fun on some of the small jumps along the trails. By the end of the morning, we were won over!
Nature, sports and outdoor activities
7 Things to Discover in the Townships this Winter
Family fun
Twenty Great Ideas for Memorable Winter Fun!
Nature, sports and outdoor activities
Five Golf Courses to Try in the Sherbrooke Region
