DeKALB | Experience the thrill of winter sports without going broke in the process.

While the concept of conquering halfpipes and breaking fresh powder at a Colorado ski resort like Arapahoe Basin may cause snow enthusiasts to drool, distance and weather can affect the feasibility of such a trip.

Ice skating, snow-tubing, snowshoeing and going to various ski resorts are all options available to DeKalb residents, many of them within a one-and-a-half hour car ride.

“We’ve been here since 1968,” said Hans Hauschild, snow sports director of The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, Wis. “This used to be the old Playboy club, originally set up by Hugh Hefner.”

Hauschild said the resort has 18 downhill ski slopes ranging from beginner level to the most advanced double-black diamond, three chair lifts, two conveyor belts and a popular terrain park. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, as well as additional equipment rentals, are also available.

“We have some of the best snow-making in the area,” Hauschild said. “We usually make enough snow to get us through mid-March when we host the SnoCross snowmobile race.”

Another ski resort option is Wilmot Mountain, Inc. in Wilmot, Wis.

General manager Dennis Sheen said the resort spans 356 acres, has eight chair lifts, three rope tows, 25 open runs, night skiing and a terrain park complete with rails and jumps.

“This is our 69th year of keeping [Wilmot] in the family,” Sheen said.

Ice skating is another option.

“Skating is one sport many people don’t have time to get into, but once they do they find they really like it,” said Kristin Kratzner, front desk manager at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Ill.

Kratzner said the arena has an international-size rink and a National Hockey League-size rink. Skate rentals are $3 and admission is $7 for adults 12 years and older. Public skating is available once a day from 11:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.

If one is looking for the rush that comes with snow-tubing, a trip to Blackwell’s Mount Hoy in Wheaton, Ill., could fit the bill. Tubes can be rented on weekends and school holidays between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the base of Mount Hoy for $3 per tube, per day. Park regulations state there must be at least three inches of snow covering the hill to allow tubing.