Skiing over Snowboarding - Snowboarding Forum

Bostonshayne76 · 01-01-2013, 05:34 PM

I have gone to Sunrise and Snowbowl in AZ for snowboarding in the past. The suggestion was brought up to me last minute the other day about hitting the slopes December 31st. So without hesitation I said "heck yeah" We went to Mt. Lemmon (I know an odd choice, but the distance was much closer) and I tried skiing for the first time in my life. I have done the snowboarding thing a handful of times and while I enjoyed it I can say in all honesty I spent most the time on my ass. I am also a bigger guy so the getting up and down was more challenging.
I normally dont get off the bunny hill with snowboarding. To my surprise with skiing I found myself towards the end of the stay going down a few hills without falling, stopping, wiping out etc.... Did I find this easier because I used to play ice hockey (because I notice moving is similar) or is skiing just easier to pick up in general?? I wanted to try both out before deciding which to purchase gear in. My wife is all for snowboarding (shes also 120lbs). I however found skiing to be a lot more fun. Is skiing a thing of the past since snowboarding is so popular or is skiing still an "IN" thing?

Toecutter · 01-01-2013, 05:52 PM

It's easier to get started out skiing but it's harder to get really good at it. In other words, snowboarding is harder for the first several times out but once you get to a certain point you can progress much more quickly on a snowboard.

Both can be really fun, and they do feel different than one another. Both are "in" enough to pick either and not be antiquated. Take your pick (I picked both).

Treegreen · 01-01-2013, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bostonshayne76

I however found skiing to be a lot more fun. Is skiing a thing of the past since snowboarding is so popular or is skiing still an "IN" thing?

Nothing wrong with wanting to ski, and generally speaking it is easier to wedge around the mountain and see more terrain than it is as a first time snowboarder. Learning to become a "good" skier took longer than learning to snowboard for me, but if you're a former hockey player then maybe you have a head start in that regard.

I won't deny that the snowboard learning curve can really punish you early on, but I've found the pay-off to be completely worth it. Having said that if you don't go often and you feel more comfortable skiing then go for it. It's really about what you will have the most fun doing.

Toecutter · 01-01-2013, 06:02 PM

I swiped this graph off another site:

Easto · 01-01-2013, 06:12 PM

I started off on ski's. I also played hockey my whole life and I caught on to skiing really quick. I was going down black diamonds within a couple hours of my beginner lesson. Controlling skis is a lot like skates. Both feet move independent of each other and you have an inner and outer edge. For me, I enjoy skiing, but I will never be really good where people on the lift look down and are amazed. However, I get down all the hills I want to (excluding moguls) no problem.

I decided I am going to be as good as I need on ski's so I started to snowboard.

Snowboarding for me has been WAY tougher to learn, but from what I hear there is a steep learning curve, but once you catch on you can get pretty good.

Skiing is easier to learn, but harder to get real good at.

Snowboarding is hard to learn, but you get better quicker is what I am told.

I can vouch for the learning part and will let you know about the latter.

Bostonshayne76 · 01-01-2013, 06:13 PM

Wow that is an awesome graph!! Thanks man.

Bostonshayne76 · 01-01-2013, 06:17 PM

I appreciate that man. Sounds like we are in the same boat. I was beaten up and spit out the first few times I tried snowboarding. With skiing I literally started without a lesson on the beginner slope. Tumbled a few times the first go around (which I think was more of making myself fall because I wasnt sure how well I could control the speed). After that I may have fallen once, but the last handful of times I was going down (while still a little nervous) I managed to stay on my feet from the catwalk to the slope to the bottom. I was totally pumped.

wrathfuldeity · 01-01-2013, 06:26 PM

Both are in...especially big fattae rockered freeski is perhaps hotter because it can handle deeper pow and can be in the shit like a snowboard...more so than the traditional narrower cambered skis...thus snow amt, conditions and terrain certainly factor in. I think the learning curve is correct...however at the top end of boarding and skiing are perhaps more equally difficult to master and its becomes a matter of focusing and putting in the time.

NoOtherOptions · 01-01-2013, 06:47 PM

Enjoy the awful skiing we have here in Az (Im in PHX myself). I'll plus one on the graph, I can ski fairly well and I've had less time on skis but I'm definitely not "good" per se. Boarding I'm better at.

poutanen · 01-01-2013, 07:02 PM

Actually I think that graph is a horrible representation of what most people are trying to say.

If skill is measured out of 10 (with 10 being the best resort riders you've ever seen, and a 3 being able to at least once a day make it down a blue run without falling)...

Then in general I'd say skiers can be at a level 3 much quicker than boarders, but boarders after the 3-5 days off ass and knee pain would get up higher than that quicker.

A friend of mine just left today, she was visiting from Toronto and she's both a skier (intermediate) and boarder (noob). She left her board in Toronto because she didn't want to slow anybody down or limit herself in the runs she could do at Fernie. Turns out she was bored after a few runs on her skis and was talking about renting a board for the second day. I took her out myself on day 2 and showed her more of the mountain and I think she had a lot more fun, but her gut reaction was still that she found skiing boring and snowboarding more of a challenge.

I know after 21 years of boarding I can go anywhere a skier can, and I don't find boarding boring at all! There's always something more to improve on, and I feel like you hit this wall with skiing where unless you're starting to huck yourself off lips or do freestyle tricks, it's a little too easy to just carve around the hill...

01-01-2013, 05:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bostonshayne76 Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Maricopa , AZ Posts: 68	Skiing over Snowboarding I have gone to Sunrise and Snowbowl in AZ for snowboarding in the past. The suggestion was brought up to me last minute the other day about hitting the slopes December 31st. So without hesitation I said "heck yeah" We went to Mt. Lemmon (I know an odd choice, but the distance was much closer) and I tried skiing for the first time in my life. I have done the snowboarding thing a handful of times and while I enjoyed it I can say in all honesty I spent most the time on my ass. I am also a bigger guy so the getting up and down was more challenging. I normally dont get off the bunny hill with snowboarding. To my surprise with skiing I found myself towards the end of the stay going down a few hills without falling, stopping, wiping out etc.... Did I find this easier because I used to play ice hockey (because I notice moving is similar) or is skiing just easier to pick up in general?? I wanted to try both out before deciding which to purchase gear in. My wife is all for snowboarding (shes also 120lbs). I however found skiing to be a lot more fun. Is skiing a thing of the past since snowboarding is so popular or is skiing still an "IN" thing?

01-01-2013, 06:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
wrathfuldeity Resident poet Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bham Posts: 2,701	Both are in...especially big fattae rockered freeski is perhaps hotter because it can handle deeper pow and can be in the shit like a snowboard...more so than the traditional narrower cambered skis...thus snow amt, conditions and terrain certainly factor in. I think the learning curve is correct...however at the top end of boarding and skiing are perhaps more equally difficult to master and its becomes a matter of focusing and putting in the time. __________________

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01-01-2013, 05:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Toecutter Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mt. Bachelor Posts: 1,512	It's easier to get started out skiing but it's harder to get really good at it. In other words, snowboarding is harder for the first several times out but once you get to a certain point you can progress much more quickly on a snowboard. Both can be really fun, and they do feel different than one another. Both are "in" enough to pick either and not be antiquated. Take your pick (I picked both).

01-01-2013, 06:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Easto Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 115	I started off on ski's. I also played hockey my whole life and I caught on to skiing really quick. I was going down black diamonds within a couple hours of my beginner lesson. Controlling skis is a lot like skates. Both feet move independent of each other and you have an inner and outer edge. For me, I enjoy skiing, but I will never be really good where people on the lift look down and are amazed. However, I get down all the hills I want to (excluding moguls) no problem. I decided I am going to be as good as I need on ski's so I started to snowboard. Snowboarding for me has been WAY tougher to learn, but from what I hear there is a steep learning curve, but once you catch on you can get pretty good. Skiing is easier to learn, but harder to get real good at. Snowboarding is hard to learn, but you get better quicker is what I am told. I can vouch for the learning part and will let you know about the latter.

01-01-2013, 06:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
Bostonshayne76 Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Maricopa , AZ Posts: 68	Wow that is an awesome graph!! Thanks man.

01-01-2013, 06:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bostonshayne76 Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Maricopa , AZ Posts: 68	I appreciate that man. Sounds like we are in the same boat. I was beaten up and spit out the first few times I tried snowboarding. With skiing I literally started without a lesson on the beginner slope. Tumbled a few times the first go around (which I think was more of making myself fall because I wasnt sure how well I could control the speed). After that I may have fallen once, but the last handful of times I was going down (while still a little nervous) I managed to stay on my feet from the catwalk to the slope to the bottom. I was totally pumped.

01-01-2013, 06:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
NoOtherOptions Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 319	Enjoy the awful skiing we have here in Az (Im in PHX myself). I'll plus one on the graph, I can ski fairly well and I've had less time on skis but I'm definitely not "good" per se. Boarding I'm better at.

01-01-2013, 07:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
poutanen Resident Creep-o-saurus Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 3,476	Actually I think that graph is a horrible representation of what most people are trying to say. If skill is measured out of 10 (with 10 being the best resort riders you've ever seen, and a 3 being able to at least once a day make it down a blue run without falling)... Then in general I'd say skiers can be at a level 3 much quicker than boarders, but boarders after the 3-5 days off ass and knee pain would get up higher than that quicker. A friend of mine just left today, she was visiting from Toronto and she's both a skier (intermediate) and boarder (noob). She left her board in Toronto because she didn't want to slow anybody down or limit herself in the runs she could do at Fernie. Turns out she was bored after a few runs on her skis and was talking about renting a board for the second day. I took her out myself on day 2 and showed her more of the mountain and I think she had a lot more fun, but her gut reaction was still that she found skiing boring and snowboarding more of a challenge. I know after 21 years of boarding I can go anywhere a skier can, and I don't find boarding boring at all! There's always something more to improve on, and I feel like you hit this wall with skiing where unless you're starting to huck yourself off lips or do freestyle tricks, it's a little too easy to just carve around the hill...