Latest posts for the topic "Skiing VS snowboarding"

Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:04:02 GMT

Hi all

One of my new friends REALLY wants me too start snowboarding with him!

Should I?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?
also what activity's do they both help with?

oh, PS: I get hooked too activity's quite easily :!:!

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:54:02 GMT

What a great idea for a thread!

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 20:12:43 GMT

Thanks!!

What does everyone think? Try it or stick too skiing? And please answer my other questions

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 22:18:16 GMT

Try it, it's only kinky the first time!

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:10:05 GMT

I did it once. Never again.

I had been skiing fire about 8 years and went with my girlfriend, we started boarding together. I hated it. so much that despite I had paid for a weeks lessons on a learn to board, I hired a pair of skis after 3 days.

everyone is different, but personally I would not do it again.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:59:12 GMT

Try it , i know i'll try skiing one day .

No advantages ,disadvantages are putting your foot back in the binding after you get off the lift and all you skiing friends will get bored waiting for you after a short while .

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:07:21 GMT

I'll stick to skiing!!!

But once I can parallel ski, I'll rotate between backcountry, powder, groomed and I'd like to try cross country!!

Good news though, I'm almost at 100% because at the moment my college mate hasn't done either sports and its 89.9% he will do skiing!!

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 08:54:13 GMT

It is really up to you, give it a try and see what you think, take some lessons if you don't like go hire a pair of skis 8)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 09:13:34 GMT

My son started as a skier at about 12 years old, but tried snowboarding (with a taster lesson) at about 15. He just could not get the hang of it at all despite being a good skier/skateboarder/inline skater and this really frustrated him. He spent most of the time on his backside. He didn't give up however and when he was about 16/17 everything suddenly fell into place and he went down a black run, with the rest of us cheering him down!!
He is now 30, has never gone back to skis and I love watching him boarding as he has real style - he is also the only boarder I will willingly get on a chairlift with!! He wears a helmet, back protector, etc.
The pros, I think he would say, are that he seems to manage better in tricky conditions than us skiers. The cons are those awful flat/uphill spots on some pistes where we skiers can pole along.

Give it a go - but be prepared for frustration/bruises/sitting on your backside quite a lot!! (This could equally apply to skiing too)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:42:12 GMT

Hey,

I've been a skier since age 12 (ok at 12 it was down the farmers field at the bottom of our village in county durham, but it was kinda skiing!). After probably about 12 seperate weeks of skiing in the alps on various holidays, last year decided to take a glimpse of the darkside..being nearly middle aged now, female and not very athletic I thought it only appropriate! The main reason was probably that I tend to on trips with younger male gentlemen, who were always very enthusiastic about snowboarding and I'm clearly easily influenced despite my age.
I spent a lot of time on my a&^e for the first two days, and did some falls that I was quite proud of based on there drama! On the third day I was really starting to get it and I'm going to stick with it this year..Its hard to explain why I was pretty keen on it but its something to do with how connected you feel to the piste..you're much lower to the ground in a turn and its more of a rush. You have to keep you're whits about you more, plan your turns more, take account of the contours of the piste more. Maybe this changes with experience, but I got a kick out of how brain engaging it was.
Also one a more middle aged lady point, those boots be darn comfy in comparison to ski boots and the board is way easier to carry than skis! The flats are a bind but I was with a mate whos a good snowboarder and he hardly ever walked..so with experience you learn how to carry speed and avoid walks most of the time. Not to say I'll never go back to skiing..but I'm definately going to board for now

Just my twopennerth,

Shipjack

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:22:55 GMT

Try it, I alway say a good boarder looks fantastic, but theres far too many bad boarders on the slopes who go around scraping snow on their heel edge.
You can always go back.
Personally, I've got good at skiing so much so that I'd hate to revert to being a beginner again. Plus I know soooooo many people that have broken wrists, elbows, shoulders and coccyx when boarding their first week. But I'd like to be good at it ;-)

I dont think theres the rivalry between boarders and skiers their used to be, all good natured but decent banter back 5-10 years. Now its all about freestyling in either discipline and massive respect for each other.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:24:32 GMT

Always worth giving something a go once, but...
Boarders sit on their backsides in the middle of the piste just under the brow of a lip far too often,
Boarders sit on their backsides
Boarders can't get along flats
Boarders have to stop at the top of every lift and 're-bind'
Boarders sit on their backsides at the top of lifts in the way to 're-bind'
Boarders can't see behind them on their blindside and that becomes a dangerous turn
Boarders trash all the good powder
Going up a drag lift or T-bar on a board isn't that easy to master
Oh, and did I mention sitting on your backside on the snow a lot? :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

However, a board is easier than skis in heavy snow

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 18:55:27 GMT

You know, you're right. It really doesnt sound that much fun when you think about it

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 00:00:23 GMT

Good skiers and good boarders look good, bad ones look not so good. I have been wiped out by both.
We have a run in Niederau, under the gondela, that can get a bit tricky, especially near the trees. We found that boarders could get nearer the trees, and thus solidify the base, providing a benefit for skiers.

On a lighter note, one of my ski songs is written about a really good young lady boarder. I have since skied with her, and she is also a great skier, that did not surprise me ~ I had worked with her dad in the ski school, and he was good in every department, from off piste to racing.
Also mentioned in the song is a really fast New Zealand boarder that I hooked up with in the Three Valleys, and err, one certain ....Trencher.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 08:48:09 GMT

There just as many rubbish boarders as skiers …. I still remember the snob factor in skiing and then along came Snowboarders that got them running to their five star hotels, and also refreashed the whole industry -)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 11:28:26 GMT

Snowboarding is one of the best things that ever happened to skiing. Ski technology has taken a quantum leap forward thanks to the influence of snowboarding.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 11:37:03 GMT

andyhull wrote:Snowboarding is one of the best things that ever happened to skiing. Ski technology has taken a quantum leap forward thanks to the influence of snowboarding.

Do you include clothing styles in that statement Andy??????

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 12:01:30 GMT

It's given ski gear a shot in the arm too, but not to the same extent.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 20:40:39 GMT

It certainly revolutionized the design of skis, making them far easier to use and far easier to progress on. Helped to bring in a whole new generation and new type of person to snowsports.
best bit though is the effect on skis meaning that skiers can pull better and bigger tricks than boarders now!! And there are snowparks in most resorts these days.

As others have said, really good boarders look good, but they still trash the powder!

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 21:28:45 GMT

andyhull wrote:Snowboarding is one of the best things that ever happened to skiing. Ski technology has taken a quantum leap forward thanks to the influence of snowboarding.

That is an interesting observation, Andy. What quantum leap technology changes do you thing have taken place due to snowboarding? What years?

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:32:48 GMT

I agree with Andy hull by the way. And boarding has taken the stiffness and formality out of skiing I reckon

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 17:32:36 GMT

boarding is not for the young kids these days. skiing is the future. .....

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 18:48:36 GMT

Isn't boarding a reason to wear stupid outfits and then sit in the middle of a slope all day?

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:02:58 GMT

Dorset Boy wrote:Always worth giving something a go once, but...
Boarders sit on their backsides in the middle of the piste just under the brow of a lip far too often,
Boarders sit on their backsides
Boarders can't get along flats
Boarders have to stop at the top of every lift and 're-bind'
Boarders sit on their backsides at the top of lifts in the way to 're-bind'
Boarders can't see behind them on their blindside and that becomes a dangerous turn
Boarders trash all the good powder
Going up a drag lift or T-bar on a board isn't that easy to master
Oh, and did I mention sitting on your backside on the snow a lot? :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

However, a board is easier than skis in heavy snow

This old nugget again...

Ok I skied for years and converted to a snowboard (2003) when a friend who had a motorcycle accident couldn't keep his ski legs together ( hip damage). Now maybe I have brought some of my skiing 'ethics' over to the dark side, but

Boarders sit in the middle of pistes - often where they fall
Boarders sit on the bums - yup, difficult to stand on just one edge on the slope
Boarders with rear loading bindings are often on the go quicker than skiers (sorting their poles out) when they come off the lifts
Boarders have a blind spot - yup but the uphill skier / boarder is responsible for the lower boarder or skier... I have been hit whilst on a lesson by a skier who couldn't see me in HIS blind spot ie in front of him..... to even things out, my other half has been hit by boarders too... As I have too (both types)
Boarding on flats - sucks
Boarding on t bars/ drags - practice practice practice but still sucks Lol
Boarders sit on their bums - taking in the scenery (chill man) lol
Powder was made for boarders ..... :wink:

Skiers - point out their proposed route with their arms AND the ski pole ... With little regard for anyone else in the 6 feet around them...
Skiers getting off chair lifts assume it's ok to turn across anyone else on the chair whereas boarders 'glide' off straight for a wee bit :wink:
Skiers sit back on their skis when getting off chairs and fall over too (without boarders in sight)
skiers also stop in the middle of pistes and just over the crests too...

Boarders (well I do)
- carry their other halves skis to the lifts becos their footing is better
- push / pull the other half along flats (whilst I'm already walking) because she can't 'pole' very well) - in fact I'll help skiers or boarders
- have I mentioned have comfy boots
- stop to the side of pistes
- have skied as well as boarded so can comment 'fairly' on both

Boarding is fun and after two days you can usually progress from the nursery slopes, but
- not everyone gets it or
- wants to go back to basics after skiing for so long
- some boarders (as with some skiers) just cant stand anyone 'sharing' their mountain.

A boarder and skier with style looks great, those without are best down hill of you :P

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:41:57 GMT

Also with snowboarding you can walk around properly not having to worry about falling over, or sliding all over the place. Learn to do both ski and board. powder days get the board out, non powder days get the ski's out

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:55:47 GMT

Should you wish to progress to gain your ski instructor higher level Anworter, you need to demonstrate capability at boarding as well as skiing.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 13:16:08 GMT

Skiers - point out their proposed route with their arms AND the ski pole ... With little regard for anyone else in the 6 feet around them...

You shouldn't really be within 6 feet of someone else on a piste to be honest.

Skiers getting off chair lifts assume it's ok to turn across anyone else on the chair whereas boarders 'glide' off straight for a wee bit :wink:

Couldn't agree less as it happens, normally there is politeness at getting off a lift boarders and skiers alike, the odd skier (usually French) will just take off in whatever direction they like but experience tells me that getting off a lift with a boarder is more likely to cause a problem than with a skier what with all that paddling etc.

Skiers sit back on their skis when getting off chairs and fall over too (without boarders in sight)

Never seen that happen before

skiers also stop in the middle of pistes and just over the crests too...

I agree some skiers stop in stupid places on the slopes, I usually give them a gob full or just cover them in snow if they're really in a stupid place, but boarders ALWAYS stop right across the piste in a big line and usually just over a crest.

If you're going to create an us versus them argument, at least make it accurate ;-)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:12:39 GMT

All my examples were real life experiences and some from my group of skiers and boarders... ;-0

Tony, I think we both agree that there are good and bad boarders and skiers on the slopes, the educated of both know and do the right things, others need educating.

This thread however I think was about which one of the disciplines the writer / family could consider and I would say that

Skiing is a steady line of improving from day one, whereas boarding I think is a struggle for at least two days then a step up before the steady improvement.
Snowboard boots are more comfy.
Skiers can stand on the angled slopes
Boarders need impact shorts and wrist protectors and helmets...
They both have a passion for the mountains.
Just because one has two planks or one tray, doesn't make them a bad person or bad company on a blue sky day in the mountains :-)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:17:34 GMT

There we go. Alls good again ;-)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:33:53 GMT

I might take up Snowboarding :thumbup:

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:00:08 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:I might take up Snowboarding :thumbup:

"gay on an old(er) tray" ;)

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 15:16:19 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:I might take up Snowboarding :thumbup:

Hah!
That's just your way of avoiding LittleWickers being a faster skier than you.
:thumbup:

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 18:49:49 GMT

If I was younger, I'd give boarding a go. My youngest learnt to ski first, then switched, but has two bits of advice: 1. Expect to write-off 7-10 days of solid hard work and little reward before you master boarding, and 2. Then get some 1:1 instruction for at least 3 days (preferably a week) to improve your skill. He feels that a lot of boarders are actually very out-of-control.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:03:17 GMT

To be fair, so are many skiers (out of control that is!), especially the typical Brit who won't pay for any type of lesson after their second or third week thinking they have mastered the mountain. They'd rather tag around with their ski host.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:49:56 GMT

Skiing is good for going along the the flat, after all that's what it was invented for. Boarding was just invented for recreation with no other purpose in mind other than having fun.
Although there are many disadvantages to boarding, especially the lift systems which are all designed for skiing (as you'd expect as there are many more skiers than boarders) the simplicity of movement with boarding comes out tops for me.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 13:08:45 GMT

Recreational snow sports is all about having fun. Lots to be had whether you choose skis or a snowboard. We often go out as a mixed group of skiers and boarders, often they are the best days.
I don't see it as ski v snowboard or ski or snowboard, but as ski and snowboard, part of the same thing.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 13:22:12 GMT

I'm perhaps one of the few people that properly sit on the fence - I ski about 50% of the time and snowboard about 50%. I can never really make my mind up you could say! I've done many seasons so have had my fair time on them both. In short skiing is perhaps easier to learn, but harder to master. Time is a big factor in your consideration. if you are just doing a week, then perhaps you'll get further skiing. If you are an experienced skier, who just goes one week a year, you may feel hard a spending 3 days of your holiday falling on your bum trying to learn snowboarding.

Both though can do everything - on piste, off piste, jumps, playing around, there is no area that's purely one's domain. For me though I find if you are with a group who like going fast, then it's skis all the way. Skis are great fun to go fast and carve with. If the group are going slowly and hitting lots of lumps and bumps to play off then snowboarding I enjoy more.

People love to get in groups and criticize the other group, but there's nothing inherently more in-control or out-of-control between skis or snowboards. It's the person on top that's deciding to be safe or not as the case may be, it's nothing to do with what they are standing on!

Finally though both are great and very enjoyable sports, so don't worry too much, I'm sure you'll love either.

Phil from http://www.TheChaletExperience.com

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 13:37:50 GMT

Absolutely phill from thechaletexperience, if your an idiot, your still an idiot weather you have a board under your feet or skis.

Re:Skiing VS snowboarding

Sun, 24 Nov 2013 08:49:58 GMT

Snowboarding is a good option for anyone with dodgy knees, we have an ex-professional footballer who's a regular on our trips, skiing was never really on option for him.