Should I ski or should I board?

As I’m a ski instructor and working on getting my snowboard instructor license I am exploring the differences and similarities between skiing and snowboarding. This is both for my own interest and to be able to offer proper advice.

The goal for this post and several to come is to look at snowboarding vs. skiing from multiple angles. Hopefully this will give you enough information to make a decission you’re comfortable with. (Or at least you learn something.)

Why Choose?

If you live near a ski area and/ or you spend more than a couple of weeks in the snow each year this may not be a big deal, you can just try out something else on the side. Choosing one sport is more important for people just starting out or for those who go to the snow only 1 or 2 weeks per year.

Here are some choice drivers:

- Learning curve: how quickly will I learn? (And how painful will it be?)

- Cost of equipment: switching means spending more money for new gear, lessons, etc.

- Comfort: how important is it to be comfortable on the slopes, off the slopes, in lifts and at aprés-ski?

- Snow conditions: what snow conditions can you expect and which sport is best suited for the circumstances.

- Peer pressure: be cool!

- Boredom: you’ve done it, been there, got the T-shirt and want to try something new.

- Physical/ medical situation: your body may be more suitable for either skiing or boarding. (For example: for which joints is boarding or skiing more strenuous and which kinds of injuries are more likely for either sport.)

- Feeling: you feel more drawn to either skiing or boarding.

- Feeling: doing it just feels better for either skiing or boarding. (Of course this requires trying both.)

- Fashion: look cool!

These points will be covered in detail in following posts.

I will try to sollicit input from my instructor colleagues and trainers and incorporate them in this series of posts. Next to that, if you’re reading this and want to add something - especially if you disagree - or if you have a question please leave a comment. It would be especially nice to hear from people from various countries because there are many differences in ski technique and teaching methods between countries. (I got my training in Austria.)

Comments

Author: Jasper Jackson
Date: 2004-11-24 12:18:07

Hi Hugo!,After receiving my snowboard instructors license I started skiing as well, i’m doing it once a week now. Would be great if I get my license for skiing too in about two years. That opens the way to the “Staatliche Prufung” as I planned to do my Landes next year.Regards,Jasper

Author: ted
Date: 2005-11-28 23:49:52

good subject. I too skiied for the first 10yrs of my snow career, and then switched to boarding as soon as I could. At the time I was an avid skater and occasional surfer, so the switch was a natural one. I’ve skiied a couple of times since I started boarding, and will honestly never go back.

Not to dis skiing, it’s just not for me.

This is my experience. For an absolute beginner, skiing is initially easier. You can most likely snowplow your way down a hill by the end of the day, without much trouble. Snowboarding is initially a bit harder, but if you have a couple of days and LESSONS (please don’t rely on a friend. a) they don’t know how to teach and b) they just wanna ride!) you should be able to make it down the hill. Basically, the initial ramp-up is longer on a board.

Once you reach a certain comfort level, though, I think it is easier to become a decent boarder than a decent skiier. You may learn how to carve well and jump somewhat quicker on a board. Skiier has more mechanics…get your legs together, use your poles correctly, etc… To get to the next level is harder on skiis.

The most important thing- have fun!

Author: Hugo
Date: 2006-01-27 12:19:29

It does require some patience and understanding from your friends. Each time you get off a lift you are strapping on your back foot. (Which one that is depends on wether your stance is goofy or regular.) In some slope situations skiers have a definite advantage. For example on flat surfaces skiers can just skate across while boarders usually have to take off their board and walk. (With another delay when they strap on the board again.) Under some conditions you may have an advantage with a board though. For example if the snow is slushy it may be ’lighter’ to get through on a board for a person with an intermediate skill level.See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowboard

Author: Jeffrey
Date: 2007-10-06 07:36:10

yea, its all true, snowboarding is really hard to grasp for some people in the beggining hte payoff is HUGE! freestyling is just….AWESOME. The jumps , boxes, rails… everything seems to be cooler on the board. once u do it its like…WOW!! THAT WAS AWESOME!!! not to appear as i don’t give skiing a chance. I’ve skied since i was 5 and switched to the board at 10. I can tell you, boarding is just the …. greatest! skiing is fun too but boarding makes it seem that you are SOMEBODY just tearin up the slope unlike skiers just flying by and spraying u. at the bottom though you can just spray them a lot more. if u lean back sort of, you don’t have to worry about the flat land ahead, u just seem to go forward. try to jump to (like bouncing?) l8er guys!

Author: bryan
Date: 2004-11-24 19:19:23

i board, although i started skiing when i was very little and switched about 9 years ago to snowboarding. it was the obiouvs choice for me at the time growing up in michigan there were very few places to go skiing or boarding. i realized that id have more fun doing some tricks going down the hill rather than just four or five carves and hitting up the chair lift again. i have been meaning to get back into skiing when i go out west, but usually never really try it because im either stuck on a new trick or some other reason, hopefully in january ill take action and try skiiing again.

Author: Hugo
Date: 2005-11-17 17:27:34

Concerning height: no problem! I know a lot of tall and very good snowboarders ;-)The physics are slightly different for taller people but you’ve been used to your height for a while…Concerning age: no problem either. It is more a matter of personal preference. Skiing has a couple of ‘comfort’ benefits: you don’t have to sit down and get up from the snow as much. You can ‘skate’ across flat surfaces on ski’s. Finally, when the conditions are bad and the snow is hard, ski’s offer better grip.The learning curve is definitely shorter with snowboarding, but it also flattens-out quickly.(Although you can get to parallel skiing in about a week from scratch as well.)

Author: Dimtiar Hadjianastassov
Date: 2006-04-04 21:36:48

My opinon is that skiing is much easyer to learn and there is aways something to improve on. I’ve seen that alot of people here seem to think that boarding is easyer but i do both. It took me 2 days to paralel comfortably and i was carving on day 7. I tries boarding and it took me 4-5 days to just get some turns together!

Author: Mark
Date: 2006-01-26 16:08:41

Hi i am going on a skiing trip with some frineds. I am the only one who has decided to try snowboarding since teh other will abe skiing. Are the two sports incompatible or will i manage to hang out with the other guys on the slopes? Should i ski too?

Author: zach
Date: 2006-03-02 00:02:01

i think skiing stinks and snowboarding rox !

Author: mike dunn
Date: 2004-11-27 05:36:35

i’ve done both - but full time board now and would be bored if skiing (yes that was intended)…

boarding has a different flow to it - i’ve got a background in surfing, so it feels more natural too…

i do think skiing is easier to learn for a pure beginner - though boarding may be more straight forward to teach athletically inclined teens and adults…

what i’ve noticed - we mostly go to stratton (vt) - is that the really young kids (>10yrs) can go back and forth between skiing and boarding - have fun at both, and learn quickly - then as teens, they chose to ski or board depending on who they’re w/ and what the conditions are like…

good luck on your teaching hugo :)

Author: derek watts
Date: 2005-11-16 18:21:05

I went skiing in Switzerland three years ago and was a real shocker! Being 1,98m and 57 doesn’t help but normally I pick up sports quickly. Play a lot of squash (racketball), windsurf and reasonable on water skis. Going to Austria (Saalbach) in December and a mate (who has done a lot of skiing) has recommended snowboarding. Is it an option at this age and height???????????