My biggest problem is that I live in Nebraska

 

AHHHHHHHHH! O_O lincoln? that's a hella long drive to crescent...

 

Well personally I would say access for me, living in Kentucky sucks for snowboarding.

Looking at the sport as whole I would say growth. I don't really know where this stands...but you can have too much growth and over commercialization, which it seems a lot of the comments I have read about Olympics seem to point in this direction. The flip side you can have to little growth and may even be lossing people, it seems to me this is not an issue. If it is I would say the up front learning curve and the falling might scare people away. This could be helping the sport from growing too fast though which is a good thing it could be a good weed out device.

With mountain biking for example we have a hard time getting new people into the sport. The equipment cost are too much for some even if they have the income to support it. Because of this it is hard to access to trails if you are dealing with an educated land manager. In theroy if snowboarding was in decline it may be a good excuse for resorts to kick snowboarders out.

 

With mountain biking for example we have a hard time getting new people into the sport. The equipment cost are too much for some even if they have the income to support it. Because of this it is hard to access to trails if you are dealing with an educated land manager. In theroy if snowboarding was in decline it may be a good excuse for resorts to kick snowboarders out.

I know this is the wrong forum, but mtn. biking is my main hobby and I thought I'd chime in. I think maintaining trail access and preventing closures is the biggest challenge we face, but flooding the existing trail networks with new participants might not be the answer. Changing attitudes of those who are in control politically is probably the way, and that has more to do with demonstrating responsible use with minimum impact. New bikes can be had for under $1000, and used bikes for half that so access to equipment isn't too bad. It's still more expensive than a basketball, but I think it's within reason.

 

Do you think its a bad thing for the sport to grow too fast? In my experience there are far more skiers than boarders in resort, but with more and more kids turning to boarding and the second generation being "guided" that way too, i can definitely see more of a balance in the not too near future.

The infrastructure can handle numbers of any kind, irrespective of whether a boarder or a skier, so i guess it doesn't matter to the mountain owner. The only thing that may have to change is the traditional drag lifts, that are not snowboard friendly!

I would hope that any kind of growth in our sport would be a great thing, but i don't know the industry well enough to comment with any accuracy.

 

Well I think you can have too much growth if that means big corporate comes in and pushes all of the small people out...I am talking about suppliers. The loss of choice can be a bad thing and can make the sport more expensive. Most of my snowboarding gear is from big names like ride/flow, but my next set up I will probably seek out the smaller manufactures.

I think it is healthy for the sport to grow, but I believe you can have too much growth. There is a fine line..I think this applies to just about anything when talking about growth.

 

Wow that's a broad question. I'll add stuff as I think of it, but here's what I see right now:

Social: some folks hold onto the antiquated notion that snowboarding is an outlaw or renegade activity. It goes back to the roots when snowboarding was considered a fringe "extreme" sport.

Physical: still there are too many wrist inuries

Environmental: tens of thousands of riders driving to and from a resort every week is making more of a carbon footprint than necessary

Experiential:
- traversing is still difficult to do effectively without removing the board
- chairlifts really aren't designed to accomodate snowboards. The foot rests don't really line up. We cross boards as they dangle. Our strapped-in foot/leg gets tired on the ride up. Having to sit on the snow and strap in at the top of each run can be a nuisance until one learns how to stay upright, but it's still a chore.

 

Snowboarding as a sport hasn't had any growth in nearly a decade it's numbers are actually dwindling with rising costs, freeskiing, and a generation of fat out of shape slobs that get out of breath opening the fridge. There's so many issues that snowboarding has going against it right now. The market place is about to crash there's companies that are borderline going out of business due to market over saturation, technology that doesn't do shit that is being marketed as a saving grace, technology that's amazing that's not being marketed properly, rising costs, gray marketing, over production, rising costs of labor in China, rising fuel costs which will effect everyone, resorts that are now real estate companies driving lift ticket prices over the 100 dollar mark, travel expenses, liability law suits driving up insurance rates, the sue crazy nature of the U.S., video games that make kids think they're the next Shaun White leading them to hurting themselves in the terrain park on features they have no reason to hit, snowboard schools/academies popping out stupid pipe jock after stupid pipe jock, a lack of controversy in snowboarding, the stagnation of the snowboard media, the rise of the independent snowboard media, X-Games, Dew Tour, FIS, World Snowboard Championships, Olympics, SIA, ISPO, GoPro edits, everyone getting their 15 minutes of fame, pushing out legends of the sport in favor of new kids that won't be here in 2 seasons, urban sprawl, urban features, the mall culture, the zumiez generation, global warming, global cooling, climate change, elk migration, salmon migration, birds falling from the ski, Bono, shitty dubstep in edits, horrible snowboard reps, the sports authority, online shopping, fuck I could go on and on about everything that's wrong it's too broad man.

 

Thats a whole heap of stuff

I read with interest your comment about the new technologies that are being introduced but don't actually do anything but the technology that is a good thing isn't being marketed - id only be guessing at these things, but could you elaborate?

 

For me the main difficulty with snowboarding is that usually it can only be practiced in somewhat isolated locations - the mountains. The main issue is that in the mountains there is not a wide range of non-mountain related economic activity. It is difficult for me to be employed in finance or law or medicine and go shredding every day. As a result I am at a crossroads where I'm having to make a big compromise: go back to work in finance and shred 7 days a year (the thought makes me sick - like signing a life sentence of non-shredding) or give up all the career advantages I have built up over my life and move to a remote place to do something unrelated to my past life but shred every week. There are other sports that it is much easier to enjoy no matter where in the world you are - skateboarding, tennis, soccer, etc. but, I do not love them nearly as much as I love snowboarding.

 

Global warming is my biggest problem at least. Shortening my season, in an already bad area for snow (NW Jersey. Back in the 90's I was going maybe 30-40 days a season (which is good for me) and now I am lucky to get 20 days. We start around Dec. 10 or so, and end at the beginning of May if we're lucky. I feel like such a *** rolling in my Prius but i'd rather have a longer season then a cooler car.

Other then that I would say the cost of travel & tickets.

 

I think the single most debilitating problem in this entire thread is Bono (!).

 

I was wondering if anyone was going to catch that. All the suffering in the world goes back to Bono.

 

I think the economic downturn that has been happening for 6-7 years plays a big roll in how many people are getting into the sport. People in alot of industries are lucky to have a job much less disposable income to go and hit the slopes on a vacation that can easily cost $10k for a family of 4 to board/ski for 8-9 days..... I have a feeling that the sport will have a whiplash in the other direction with a huge increase of people on the mountain over the next 10 years. The economy will start to turn back to the better(unless 2012 is for real, lol) and the younger kids/teens that are getting into boarding now will be in the working class and wanting to get their fix of the mountain.

I think the other problem with it is something that was touched on earlier by someone. People are riding out of their ability level because they think they can do what they see on TV and do in video games.... They see a local kid that is 12-13 taking a huge jump and hitting some big tricks and think they can do it too. Bam, they are injured and mom/dad have some fat medical bills stacked up on them.... one or two of those instances will cripple a families finances. I have met at least 10 families that stopped going to the slopes because of this, that takes about 30-40 people off the mountain.

On you guys side note, I have been riding a diamond back mtn bike for 4 years now. I just went and picked up a trek 6061 series with all the goodies. Im not big on the trails around where I live because I hate all the damn rocks, they have sent me head over too many times. I will be riding about 16 miles a day from now on to and from work, parking my truck for a while and gonna try to drop some weight. I used to ride ALOT, around 35-40 miles a day, 5 days a week, mixed on/off road. I dropped 150 lbs in 9 months doing that. I want to drop the 80 that I gained since..... Talk about a big difference in smooth ride just from the components.... I got a hard tail, I hate full suspension for what I do road/dirt single track.... I will be taking this bike up to colorado with me in the fall and then up to the pacific NW following that for 6 month stents in each place..... I love mountain biking. This is my most expensive bike at around $1000. I look forward to snowboarding without the extra weight. Im a big dude but I am not to the out of breath getting off the couch point, I still play B-ball and snowboard without too much difficulty.....

 

Davidoak -- why in the HELL would you post this same question on TGR? That would be like going to a KKK rally and asking, "What do you think are the biggest challenges or problems we face as African Americans?"

 

Its definitely been interesting reading the replies... it certainly wasn't what i was trying to achieve... i thought i was posting in a boarders forum.

do skiers really dislike us so much? One of my best mates skis, and we get on great, no issues whatsoever -

Im just trying to get as much response as possible to my question - i figured if people think its a lame question, they dont have to comment - i was wrong!

 

I saw that he posted on TGR. Throwing a piece of meat onto a pack of hungry wolves...

 

Also posted to snowboarding.com
(play sounds of wind blowing through trees, while a wolf howls in the background)
Hello? Anybody home? Anyone?

 

Foggy goggles.

FUCK.

 

I play(ed) a few sports that have followed a similar path to snowboarding, although snowboarding is much farther along.

There always seems to be a point at which the sport grows too big to be counter-culture and yet remains too small to continue its momentum in the mainstream.

Some sports stagnate at this point, others find a new way to gain popularity, but I'm not sure what I see from boarding.

In general we tag along on the coattails of skiing. Almost every place we ride is a ski resort that allows snowboarding, not the other way around. Yeah, we're big enough that they'll put in parks and pipes to attract us, but not so big that they'll modify chairs, eliminate tow ropes and redesign trails to really accomodate us.

Personally, I look to Olympic participation as the next kick in the ass. This will drive the creation of snowboard specific schools and programmes, much like kiddie ski race programmes has done.

 

but not so big that they'll modify chairs, eliminate tow ropes and redesign trails to really accomodate us.

Interesting concepts. Do you have a chair design in mind that would accomodate boards? How would trails be board-specific (or more board-friendly)?

 

Get rid of the damn safety bar and chairlifts aren't a problem.

 

I think one of the biggest issues is age.

For example, I have seen a ton of skiers over 50 and even 60 on the mountain... but, how many snowboarders do you see?
These are the biggest spenders at most resorts, these guys bring money into the sport.

Now, for us snowboarders... I feel like a prime example of an older boarder who's body aches every time I have to get up after strapping. As others mentioned, we are not comfortable on the lifts, and many other obstacles such as long catwalks on most resorts.
I see skiers zip through them while we have to skate them.

On the other end of the spectrum, but on the same age issue, is kids.
I also suffer in this area since my 4 year old has been offered all types of invitations to ski, but she is still too young to snowboard.

Hey, this is my humble opinion...
Age is one of the biggest challenges.

 

For example, I have seen a ton of skiers over 50 and even 60 on the mountain... but, how many snowboarders do you see?

One.

10char

 

Snowboarders are facing a variety of challenges. For one, ski schools will allow kids as young as three years old to particpate in a ski lesson. However, most resorts do not offer boarding lessons to kids until they have reached 7-8 years of age. As a result, many families will opt to place the children in ski lessons. By the time they are old enough to snowboard, the learning curve starts over and most are not willing to invest the time to learn to board sinec they are already comfortable on skis. This either forces parents who board to wait until their children are old enough to participate in boarding lessons, forcing them to give up the sport until a later time. The other option is for parents to teach their child to board themselves, which can be a battle.

Another problem with snowboarding as a sport is the marketing of products. Often, I will read a description of a snowboard and it is filled with adjectives such as buttery smooth, jibtastic, punchy, pop and rock, ollie-nollie pop, etc. Honestly, the products are marketed to 16-21 year old kids and likely, recreational drug users. The usage of slang makes it difficult to decipher what the product actually offers in terms of technology, ride, and assiting riders with progressing. The product is geared towards park riders, yet most of the riding done on the mountain is not park riding. Skiers have the advantage of cruising the mountain, riding down blue runs, and enjoying the snow while exploring the mountain. I believe that most "regular" people would enjoy riding down the blue runs, linking turns, and exploring the mountain, not jumping out of the pipe, buttering rails, or being "jibtastic" in the park. Yet, since companies market the extreme side of the sport, people are likely turned off since shredding the park isn't for everyone. There needs to be more marketing to the middle, which would attract more people to the sport if they didn't think they have to be flying off jumps and sliding down rails to be successful at boarding.

 

Another problem with snowboarding as a sport is the marketing of products. Often, I will read a description of a snowboard and it is filled with adjectives such as buttery smooth, jibtastic, punchy, pop and rock, ollie-nollie pop, etc. ... The usage of slang makes it difficult to decipher what the product actually offers in terms of technology, ride, and assiting riders with progressing. The product is geared towards park riders, yet most of the riding done on the mountain is not park riding. Skiers have the advantage of cruising the mountain, riding down blue runs, and enjoying the snow while exploring the mountain. I believe that most "regular" people would enjoy riding down the blue runs, linking turns, and exploring the mountain, not jumping out of the pipe, buttering rails, or being "jibtastic" in the park.

I agree with this 100%. At times the jargon is so overzealous that the companies themselves don't understand what they are trying to sell, or what the actual attributes of their products are. I once had a discussion with the Ride forum mods about the confusing use of "freestyle" on the website, which seemingly was slapped onto virtually every board, binding, and boot, regardless of its design or best use. They admitted that there was some pressure to apply the label everywhere to catch buyers' attention.
Over-the-top "freestyle" gear descriptions? - Ride Snowboards - Ride Nation Forum

 

Cost. Without a Doubt

 

Closest real mountain is a 10h drive away... :-(

 

As an instructor I can assure you that there is a legitimate reason for this and it is based on human physiology. With a few rare exceptions, children this age have not developed the core muscle strength or refined motor skills necessary for balance and board control. Kids can ski on their own at a much younger age than they can snowboard usually.

That makes sense. I have skiied before. I jumped on a pair of skis and slow plowed down the hill. After I got comfortable, I could straighten my skis and turn, albeit not exactly on an edge, more like a plow turn. The only time I fell was when I got tangled with another skier before getting on a lift. Learning to get down the mountain on skis is very easy, however it takes a while to progress. With boarding, you are going to end up spending a lot of time falling before you pick up the basic skill to get you down the mountain.

Still, would 5 be a better time to get kids started? 3 to 7 is a huge gap and it is difficult to switch a kid over to board once they have 4 years of skiing under their belts.

 

Still, would 5 be a better time to get kids started? 3 to 7 is a huge gap and it is difficult to switch a kid over to board once they have 4 years of skiing under their belts.

Our local resort's school starts kids snowboarding at age 6. I bet it has as much to do with emotional maturity as it does with physical maturity.

I don't think it's difficult to switch a kid over. At what other time in life are brains and bodies as supple? Kids are capable of learning whatever you teach them, and they absorb it more readily than most adults. I think the key is to teach them as much as you can, exposing them to as many sports, activities, and tasks as possible to get varied physical and mental skills, and to not underestimate their capacity for learning.

For an anecdotal example, my 9 year-old daughter started skiing at age 5 and picked up snowboarding this year. She was linking turns by the end of the 2nd day and could ride green runs fluidly by the end of the 3rd session. No big deal. My 6 year-old started skiing at age 3 and can ski the entire mountain. She is now expressing an interest in boarding so we'll start her on that ASAP. She's done gymnastics since age 3 and also soccer, is pretty strong for her age and also coordinated, so I'm betting she'll catch on quickly.

 

Lol if I read that thread on TGR I can only conclude that you either have to ski or be a goddamn god-on-a-board. Learning to link turns is not an option, you HAVE to master it the second you step on a snowboard, otherwise you're a douch that can't carve.

 

Either that or you have to have a head injury and post regularly on TGR. Typical TGR thread: "Hey JONG. You're a JONG. Lick my balls, JONG. Your mom's a JONG (but do you have any naked pics of her?). Classy place.

 

I just read through that whole thread...(there`s a half hour of my life I wont get back...:laugh What a bunch of tools. Some of them are clearly trying to engage in playful banter, but a whole lot are just haters and they lump snowboarders into one huge group. I love all the comments about getting off chairlifts....I pop off the chair right along other skiers and boarders 4 abreast all the time and no one has an issue. I see newbie skiers fall getting off the chair just as much as I do boarders.

Oh and I love the whole heel side side slipping stereotyping going on there. I guess these dumbasses forget that newbie skiers wedge and sideslip down the runs too.... They also don`t get the fact that advanced snowboarders who also ride the steeps, don`t like noob boarders side slipping it any more that the skier does.

That site is just a shit show....do we have any hackers on here who can upload a virus to that site....

Noooooooooooo! You weren't supposed to read it! Sorry! If I could refund your time and brain cells I would!

 

Fear; it is the reason why I suck. If I wasn't afraid of all of those husky ass rails, I would be okay, but I can't commit.