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Snowboarding going out of fashion

8K views 44 replies 24 participants last post by  Toecutter 
#1 ·
#4 ·
I'd have to agree with the article that skiing is easier. For every snowboarder throwing 5's in the park there are 15 skiers. Grandma's and 4 year olds are jumping off side hits everywhere, which would be impossible on a snowboard.

People jumped all over snowboarding because it looks cooler. People are leaving it because they found out its difficult.
 
#10 ·
I think part of it is that skiing picked up a little more "cool factor" once freestyle skiing became more prevalent.

When I was younger, snowboarding seemed like the cool young sport with tricks and baggy pants while skiing was just older people doing boring turns with lame "tricks". The X Games came along and both snowboarding and skiing became even cooler. Now youngsters probably see both sports equally as cool.

I also think ski tech has made big leaps in the last several years that have evened out some of the advantages to snowboarding (i.e. riding switch and more powder float).
 
#11 ·
Consider also that the economy is what it is, and shops try to appeal more to adults with money, more likely skiers, then the younger crowd.
 
#12 ·
I've got to say, I see more turds on snowboards nowadays than I do skiing. You know the type, xl jacket, medium pants, glossy white boots, 1999 dragon goggles, backpack hanging below there ass, 19 inch stance, rear positive binding angle, jumping off the side of every jump, occasionally cartwheeling off the flat box.

I hate to be so judgmental but if image and branding are a pillar of our industry, those turds are killing snowboarding.
 
#19 ·
I think your version is out of fashion where I live. All I see are dark colours, browns, black green and camo and tighter pants. A lot of snowboarders don't want to be bright and flashy.

I agree with schmitty34 on why skiing is gaining more popularity. I actually think the progression of freestyle skiing is great :) It will make everyone step up.
 
#16 ·
I agree, I don't care if I'm the last snowboarder on the hill, as long as those lifts keep turning.

But I do feel for snowboard companies. I'd hate to see small board companies go under and end up with ski companies subsidizing their snowboard divisions with limited product.
 
#15 ·
The stock image photos are the best! I should make an article about them. Also snowboarding has had a decline since 02 which was our greatest participation levels ever. Face it snowboarding is a rich persons sport that's catching up to skiing in terms of cost and our "rebel" image is now replaced with fat out of shape guys.
 
#30 ·
What I see happening is no one markets to people like me that take up the sport in middle age. There are a lot of us, people whose kids have grown, or at least are old enough to enjoy the hill also. My kid was born when I was 19, gave up skating at 20-21. Life happens, hard to do anything else when you work 50-60 hours a week to support a family.

Skiing has always been marketed to the older crowd and now has the double whammy of being cool too. #1 skier dad can now put jr. on skies and jr. can be happy playing in the park. Win win for skiing, not good for snowboarding. It's time for snowboarding to grow up, do you really think I want a deck with cartoon boobies on it? Do you think I'm going to buy some ugly ass neon plaid pants that hang to my knees? Fuck no! If I wanted the skater punk look from the 80' I'd spray paint a big fuck you on my deck. (pretty sure I had that exact graphic on numerous skates)

The whole underground, rebel, punk, core shit has to go. Look at any snowboard mag, it looks like a thrasher mag from the 80's. Look at skier mags, aimed right at people my age. WHY? Because we have the money, we buy the gear for our kids, we have the time to do things we enjoy. Go ahead and market to the hipster/core/radbromandude tweenies with no money, no vacation time, and forget skier dad who's footing the bill. Go ahead and make fun of us older folks because we know we are never going to be a pro, and just cruise groomers because it's fun.

Oh well, I could go on but no one listens to me anyway...skate n destroy fools:bowdown:
 
#31 ·
in a way i agree with you, but you phrased it wrong. i don't think underground/rebel/punk has to go anywhere, people will always express themselves in whatever way they want.

the issue here is not for the "image" to go away, but for the image to expand and include older folks. A company like Never Summer who caters to more of an adult audience, is a good example.

Other than that, I think this is a non-issue. I don't think that Snowboarding is "losing its edge" i think that skii has just gotten a slightly bigger edge than it had before and participation is basically leveling itself out. Instead of having mostly snowboarders out there, we now have an equal mix of participation. This is what happens when a sport starts to settle in. I don't think snowboarding is going anywhere. It is true that it can be quite expensive, but lift tickers are also expensive...the whole idea of a winter sport is expensive, especially for people like myself who don't live next to any major resorts.

What I hear from most people who want to learn snowboarding is that they don't want to buy any gear since they'll only use it 4 to 5 times a year. In a way it makes sense, but that's what's hurting the business. The casual observer who would like to learn, but doesn't want to invest in all of the gear beforehand and a big part of having fun while snowboarding is staying dry and warm (which costs a lot of money in gear).
 
#37 ·
I love this message board!!

I think the article is headed in the correct direction when it speaks of the age range in which the sport got hot...Snowboarding is SOO young compared to the sport of skiing and I believe what keeps a sport (or what I usually am arguing about, a team loyalty) is time....
you figure with skiing there have been several generations now that have told themselves, " I am going to get my kids skiing with me on our future vacations." that 1 skier has now produced a flock of 3 kids that ski...as I now have my first child and have vowed to myself to get good enough on my snowboard to show her how to snowboard...(Although if she takes to skiing I'm cool with that as well :dunno: ) So its up to us 30 + year olds that are raising children to get them "STOKED" on the sport for it to continue to grow...its all in TIMES hands I believe (IF this was already spoken about I'm sorry if I missed the reply but I can't read every single reply)
...Mr. Avenger...I always love your replies...you are a hell of a writer and I love to see your rants and logic behind each one:thumbsup:
 
#39 ·
I'm finding you are missing another core group in your discussion.

The seasonaires.

They work minimum wage for the resort, spend their money in bars-own by the resort and buy their latest snowboard gear that they are crazy stoked on in the stores owned by the resort.

Tell me the resorts are not making money from this group...their paychecks are recycled and overdrawn.
Im not even talking about people who have been around for a season, many of those people come, stay and make it their lives, have kids and will survive on their measly wage to go snowboarding.


I know this, because I am one. I definitely keep the industry alive, when visitor hear how happy and stoked I am, they get stoked too. They go to the restaurants I recommend and drink at the bars I mention. They listen when I tell them who the best bootfitters are and where to get their new jackets from....

I think everyone keeps the industry alive. If the kids weren't about making things 'cool' then new people wouldn't get into the sport.
Once a skiier/snowboarder, hooked for life.
 
#40 ·
If only someone can make snowboarding easier to learn we are good:laugh: but seriously though, i think that is where losing some of new riders in this great snow sport. Skiing is easier to learn 'nuff said. My two grandsons(age 4 and 2) skis because its that simple. I also rent them gears at the resort because i cannot find a used ones yet on craiglist:dunno:money well spent there. My niece (9 years old) skis, not sure if she wants to snowboard yet, she has friends that skis,no riders. Fat skis that are almost snowboard size are now more common on the market. One thing that skiing cannot take away from snowboarding in my opinion as a former skier is the 'FUN FACTOR'. It's just euphoric:thumbsup:
 
#41 ·
I've thought about picking up skiing just for the fact that it seems to be fitted better for the terrain I like to ride, well I at least want to try it. it's just too expensive. i like the fact that you're able to navigate on the mountain a lot better. I would never drop snowboarding but skiing looks awesome.
 
#44 ·
i could care less whether the kiddies like skiing vs snowboarding.
As long as there are enough people to keep the mountains open so I can continue to snowboard.

i just turned 38 and have been snowboarding since 17. Even if every snowboard company went out of business, i have collected enough gear over the decades that I can snowboard until i die.

I have a 6month old son, and i don't care if he wants to be a skier in the future. I assume he will want to be like dad, unless snowboarding becomes completely gay in the future (sort of like what happened to in-line skating).
 
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