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Anyone converted to a boarder from skiing?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Started off skiing for about 10 years and then tried a 1 day board lesson in Whistler where I lost both big toenails due to ill fitting boots !
Went to Italy with a boarder mate and decided to give it a go for a full week so bought a board and boots off E-Bay for £50 and gave it a bash. Enjoyed it but still not too confident. Last year I had a full week on a board. Had a private lesson and finally got to grips with boarding. A week with fantastic powder and have to say boarding through powr is the biggest rush. Going back in two weeks with a newly purchased board. I'm a total convert to the dark side now ! (BTW - 50 in a couple of months so not just for young 'uns).
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
and powder feels amazing.

As it does on skis! Very Happy Very Happy

As mentioned above, there's nothing like it! (Well, I can think of one thing, perhaps Toofy Grin )
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
harri20000, Couldn't have said it better, well apart from the 'taking up skiing in years to come' bit. I get fed up with the constant boarder bashing. Perhaps philwig, & eddiethebus, should stop hanging around those beginner snowboard lessons - pervs wink
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Not 'converted' exactly, but began as a skier and now very happily do both. It makes you very much more aware of the turn shapes and likely trajectories of other slope users. Lots of fun, and makes you a safer skier. Do it.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
philwig, what do you mean by lack of edge control? I'm not being argumentative, I honestly don't quite understand what you mean. Surely you need edge control to, well, to actually snowboard?
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Quote:

As it does on skis!


True, but you need to be a lot better standard on skis than you need to be on a board to enjoy the same terain I think. Plus having a quiver including some 'phat' skis is an advantage.

Another plus for snowboarding for me is having both legs fixed to one board, so much less chanbge of rotational knee injury (of which the thought gives me the hebejebies).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
kat.ryb wrote:
...what do you mean by lack of edge control? I'm not being argumentative, I honestly don't quite understand what you mean. Surely you need edge control to, well, to actually snowboard?

Yes, and my point was that skiers who convert have that ability already. You're half way there before you start.
--
On the other OT stuff...

I don't really get the skier/ snowboarder thing. Why should I care what other people strap on their feet, so long as they're safe and can keep up?

These days there's no excuse for either type of rider to claim they don't know how the other type behaves [on piste]. The rules are the same for both.

It used to be true that it was easier for novice snowboarders to ride powder, but that's not true since the advent of reverse cambered skis.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Bergmeister wrote:
Quote:
and powder feels amazing.

As it does on skis! Very Happy Very Happy

As mentioned above, there's nothing like it! (Well, I can think of one thing, perhaps Toofy Grin )


Not even close rolling eyes The first time you you cut first track in a steep powder field will stay in your head far more resiliently than your first failed fumblings with a Liberty Bodice . . .






. . . Oh crap, I may be showing my age Embarassed
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I'll tell you the main difference between your average snowboarder and average skier (in general);

Snowboarders are thinking about what they are doing when they are snowboarding. They have to remain focused for at least 80% of the time otherwise an edge catch and pain.
Skiers are thinking about any one of the following (or all) 80% of the time; tea and cake, beer/ vodka/ schnapps/ jaegermeister/ bambardinos, the scenery, a new fangled device to constrain the wife with.

I approached a skier in Solden on a flat run maintaining my speed to reach the lift. I gave the skier as wide a berth as possible (any more and I would have fallen off the edge) then this numpty, while thinking of one of the above, decides to turn into me clipping the back of my board sending me flying. Without a helmet I hit my head and I was dazed for a few minutes. I staggered up and the skier looked at me (making sure I was alive) then skied off. Not even an apology. If I were unlucky I could have spent the rest of my trip in hospital.

That's the difference.
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I'm doing it now ( today), well trying to.

I'm a skier, pretty competent, and my son as most kids do thinks that boarding is the way ahead, so we are trying it ( when we find the snow).

Its interesting reading the comments because i have in my opinion picked it up pretty quick but there is def a feeling of weirdness, i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.
And runs i would buzz down on my ski's i[m taking my time on the board, plenty of issue with skiers not paying attention, turning right in front etc.

Its enjoyable tho and i]m going to stick at it, but will still ski first board later, def could not do a full week boarding like i can skiing.

but id give it a go, just to experience it
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Esdel,

Quote:

i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.


try holding the sides of your sallies ( or bottom of jacket by hips) as you travel down the slope; keep legs loose & bent at the knee ; only turn you head forward to look where your going . Try not to bend over at the waist & flay your arms around for balance ( Zombie mode)

Mitch
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Had to add

That today I think i've cracked it, funny how things just click, super super day

I get what its all about now, will still mainly be a skier but i will def take the board every time now to just have a blast.

Off piste i can imagine what a great day could be had.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Esdel,
Quote:

Off piste i can imagine what a great day could be had.


You wont believe how good............ Shocked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I changed to boarding after a bad skiing crash at speec, all my own fault as I was skiing above my ability. So went to snow dome and had a 4 hour group lesson.it's hard to learn, and is no way related to skiing, as different as soccer is to rugby ! Have now done 2 weeks and 3 x 4 day trips and have got it sorted now, just more practice. The big thing about swapping from skiing to boarding is 2 or 3 weeks of expensive holidays learning a new skill when you know you can be skiing every piste all day long. But In my opinion boarding can be great fun doing the same run all day long . Not better or worse than skiing but a whole world different .
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I skied from 12 to 23 and was pretty competent. I saw some boarders at Glenshee when I was about 19 (mid to late 90's)and knew that was for me. They were flying about a natural halfpipe and just seemed to be having so much fun. It was a few more years before I had my stuff sorted through lack of cash and having a child fairly young, and it was another 5 years again before I was in any way proficient. Mostly throwing yourself about at glencoe on the ice, without any instruction, 3 or 4 times a season.

First time in the alps, and a week of powder in ADH, and I realised why I had been doing this all along. I've said I'm going to hire a pair of skis every year for the last 5 or 6 but I've not managed it yet. If it was that good I'm sure I would have tried it again before now wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
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Mitchell wrote:
Edelweiss28,
Nearest analogy I can make is liking driving a car to a motorbike; same route in similar fashion but totally different feel! Snowboard, like the bike, much more involved/exciting ride Very Happy


depends on how you ski !!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Was a fairly ordinary skier, did a lot if boarding then did a lot of skiing. Last couple of years due to stuff like Achilles injuries been doing a bit of boarding again in the mix. Had really good fun though traverses and admin remain a ballache. Boarding is fairly crap on hard pack however unless you're going to do the full Eurocarve thing (have a race board I haven't ridden in 10 years ) so as a minimum you want soft groomers.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Mitchell wrote:
Esdel,

Quote:

i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.


try holding the sides of your sallies ( or bottom of jacket by hips) as you travel down the slope; keep legs loose & bent at the knee ; only turn you head forward to look where your going . Try not to bend over at the waist & flay your arms around for balance ( Zombie mode)

Mitch


Good advice there, shoulders in line with the board, bent legs...etc.
Also, if the back of the board is starting to come around you so that your toe edge begins to face down the hill, its because your body is probably twisting as you have described, sometimes this is because your trailing arm is stuck out as if you are carrying a handbag - hence the term "handbag arm"! You see this everywhere on the mountain, just look around at some snowboarders going by.

Sorry if this is really badly described and good luck!! Very Happy
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I keep saying I will go back to skis for a day, I probably say it just before every trip. I've been saying it for over 20 years.

Last week I very nearly did it when I saw how icy Morzine was, just after we arrived. And then it snowed.

Have a look at my photo in the Morzine weather thread (p21) for what it was like. I am quite happy riding on an icy piste but boards were made for powder. On a good day it can feel like surfing a 300ft wave. Nothing compares to that.

On a bad day, it is just fast noisy fun on the piste. Not much compares to that either!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.

Spend a day boatding with your arms folded.
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Robbof wrote:
Mitchell wrote:
Esdel,

Quote:

i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.


try holding the sides of your sallies ( or bottom of jacket by hips) as you travel down the slope; keep legs loose & bent at the knee ; only turn you head forward to look where your going . Try not to bend over at the waist & flay your arms around for balance ( Zombie mode)

Mitch


Good advice there, shoulders in line with the board, bent legs...etc.
Also, if the back of the board is starting to come around you so that your toe edge begins to face down the hill, its because your body is probably twisting as you have described, sometimes this is because your trailing arm is stuck out as if you are carrying a handbag - hence the term "handbag arm"! You see this everywhere on the mountain, just look around at some snowboarders going by.

Sorry if this is really badly described and good luck!! Very Happy


invisible girlfriends everywhere......
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Quote:

In any situation be it skier or boarder the person in front has right of way therefore the person behind must be prepared for what ever you do. Snowboarders in particulate have a blind spot mainly when heel edge turning as they are side on to the slope, therefore if another skier or boarder are going to pass then they need to be prepared encase the boarder in front does not see you when initiating their turn.


True it is the person coming from behind that is responsible, got to give lots of room and be prepared for anyone ski or board to make an unexpected move, having said that anyone stopping in the middle of a run should needs to a good talking to.

This stuff about boards being better on powder days is nonsense though, fat skis I suspect are just as much fun and recent ski developments have kind of made this argument redundant.

Having said that when my son is old enough to ski I will probably get a cheap board and give it a go, so I can at least enjoy ridding blues again.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I saw the light 5 years ago...made the move to boarding. Initial learning curve was steep, involving a broken wrist. Now I am 50 just got back from two weeks off piste in Chamonix Valley....stoked. Off to Les Arcs in 3 weeks.
Definately find that knees take less of a battering...and lets face it I dont have to clomp round in stupid boots with two poleaxes tucked under my arms....
Once you get over the initial learning phase is is without doubt the coolest way to ride the mountain.

Very Happy
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roscoeh wrote:
This stuff about boards being better on powder days is nonsense though, fat skis I suspect are just as much fun and recent ski developments have kind of made this argument redundant.


You suspect?

It's true that newer ski designs make powder easier for learners, especially the last few years' worth. On the other hand, I ride a lot of deep powder and I've never seen or heard anyone on a board swap to riding skis, other than guides who are generally forced to guide public groups on skis. What I do find a lot is skiers crossing over the other way, once they see how well snowboards work in powder.

Personally these days you'd have to pay me to waste powder on skis, but it's no skin off my nose what other people ride. So long as they can keep up!
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Lizzard wrote:
Quote:

i'm finding it hard to stand completely straight on the board, i can feel my body twisting.

Spend a day boatding with your arms folded.


or hands on knees, which will also stop you being too stood up like a ramrod!

Gets you really thinking about activating the edge control to turn, rather than reverse pivoting which is very common IMO. (top half turns against the actual turn to slide the board direction, rather than edge it).

Once again probably not a good explanation.
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Made the switch but it was a very slow process of getting fed up then going back to skis as I didn't enjoy the falling over, walking out of the flats, and faffing around with the bindings after every lift. Finally clicked after I committed myself to spending the entire week on a board, so can now do both quite happily. I'm much much better on skis as it's 20 weeks instead of 3 but boarding is more fun. I'll still look at some parts of the mountain knowing I can do it on skis, but the safe boring bits are more interesting on the board, which was part of the reason I switched - getting a challenge on the skis was tending to be a bit too dangerous for my liking, and I'd usually be stupid and do it on my own, or follow someone with way too much confidence.

Got a choice to make this year though. Haven't done either for a few years, and last trip out my snowboard boots fell apart. As the ski boots are still holding out I'm tempted to give sking another go to make sure I still can after 6 years or so but a little afraid I'll find it boring again. It's tempting though, going fast on the flat bits still terrifies me on a board, and the time and energy wasted clipping back in on the lifts I can do without. And it'll be nice to not have everyone waiting for me again!
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
jd678,
Quote:

and the time and energy wasted clipping back in on the lifts I can do without. And it'll be nice to not have everyone waiting for me again!


Sorry to go off topic a little but get some step in bindings; so much easier/quicker........I know you'll get all the die hards having a go at them but worth a try.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
philwig wrote:
roscoeh wrote:
This stuff about boards being better on powder days is nonsense though, fat skis I suspect are just as much fun and recent ski developments have kind of made this argument redundant.


You suspect?

It's true that newer ski designs make powder easier for learners, especially the last few years' worth. On the other hand, I ride a lot of deep powder and I've never seen or heard anyone on a board swap to riding skis, other than guides who are generally forced to guide public groups on skis. What I do find a lot is skiers crossing over the other way, once they see how well snowboards work in powder.

Personally these days you'd have to pay me to waste powder on skis, but it's no skin off my nose what other people ride. So long as they can keep up!



You've never heard? Doesn't mean it doesn't happen though. I haven't heard of any going the other way in recent years. I think once snowboarding was the thing to do and once people achieved competence on skis, they would have asked the question where do I go from here? People have been freesking for years but it took a very high level of competence due to ski design.

Do you think the sensation of powder is massively different on a board and on fat skis? A powder turn is a powder turn. If anything freeskiing is pulling people the the other way or at least retaining people who otherwise would be inclined to take up boarding.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mitchell wrote:
jd678,
Quote:

and the time and energy wasted clipping back in on the lifts I can do without. And it'll be nice to not have everyone waiting for me again!


Sorry to go off topic a little but get some step in bindings; so much easier/quicker........I know you'll get all the die hards having a go at them but worth a try.


Had some K2 Clickers when I first learnt to board. I imagine things have moved on a bit since then, but I didn't really like them all that much.

Anyway, popped over to a shop today under the premise of just having a look, and talked myself into getting some new boots. So I suppose I have switched! Keep trying to persuade myself I'm still a skier and just dabbling in this boarding thing but I do far prefer it Smile
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I started skiing at 6, now 23 and a season of being a ski host for Mark Warner in L2A under my belt means that I'm pretty bored of skiing.

Started doing a couple of days boarding a year when I was rebelling against skiing in my teens, if you can ski then you can board. Same feeling under the feet and similar way of moving weight and pressure around your body; just give it a bit of time at the start!

My friends and family ski which means it's easy to resort back to but I only do so when it's icy out!

Snowboards are the perfect creation for powder, almost effortless surfing in a field of thick snow there is nothing better.

And as for the 'other way' conversions... I have just sold a snowboarder a pair of my old dynastar trouble makers, think that was just so he could keep up with his girlfriend though.
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Boarding took me two hours to learn the basics, to the point where I could travel around the mountain ok. It took quite a while however getting decent form and reducing the number of falls etc. Skiing took me more like 6 hours to learn the basics but it has been much easier progressing into a reasonably competent skiier. The beauty of learning to snowboard is that within a very short period of time you can travel the whole mountain because steep bits hold no fear for you, which is not the case for skiing.
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Skied for 30yrs (I'm in my 50s). Started boarding indoors in 2012, still trying indoors, but took my board to the mountains for a month, but did not take it out once. Skiing and skiing company was too good to sacrifice. Going to make a proper effort in March. Going back to falling is a pain and strapping in when you are the subject of age and a thickening waist is the worst part. However, it at least makes you a great deal more understanding of other slope users. Going back to learning something new is also rewarding.
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I ride with a lot of great skiers (instructors, guides, multi-seasonnaires...). A few dabble with snowboarding too, to a greater or lesser extent.

All of those who do both reasonably well, even out-and-out, die-hard skiers, concede that there is nothing that matches the feeling of a snowboard in powder.

I can't ski well enough to offer a fair comparison myself.
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Not a whole lot of difference in a big pow ski turn and a snowboard turn. Snowboard is more intuitive and pivotable in its length but skis kick ass once it's chuckaround chop. Dodgy crust and you can still relax on a board while having to be vigilant on skis.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
The off-piste differences are less marked with fatter modern skis, which are also more novice friendly than our old Miller Softs were. Yet I too ride deep powder from time to time and see/ hear the same thing stevomcd describes.

Whatever, it's all good. I'm still working on the no board, not particularly because it's better than skis, but because I like learning things and you don't know how good it is until you've done it.

I think you need to separate piste and powder a bit too - most snowboards, and many snowboarders, are pretty useless on piste, but that's a different thing entirely.
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If you're unsure about giving it a go, try 2 half days on your next ski trip. Forget being able to board properly on that trip, all you're doing is getting some basics in ready for the next time. That way you'll have a nice headstart for the following trip.

I learnt that way as I didn't want to waste all of my week away on my back bottom, but I did have a mate to show me the ropes and get me doing sideslips, I would never have got it on my own.

I did one afternoon on a board, then the following morning too. I think a night's sleep in between helped me lock it in a bit better, plus I could go back to skis for the rest of the day and enjoy myself.

Not been back to skiing since. I still think skis are the best, most efficient way to get down a mountain, but a snowboard is the most fun way to get down it. If I had infinite time in the mountains and loads of cash I'd just do both depending on conditions and riding crew, but I don't, so I prefer to board for now.
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Hey guys my first post on snowheads, I took up skiing in 1985 and then went onto a board about 11 years ago. I love my board and I still like to keep my hand in on the skis now and again. I dont discriminate between us like a few Ive met in the past but the best retort to a skier giving a boarder some grief was this " if it wasnt for snowboards matey you wouldnt be riding skis with twin tips or side cuts and you would be firmly stuck in 1990" that did make me chuckle
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The difference between boarding and skiing powder is best compared to the difference between waterskiing and surfing. They are both great fun but surfing is better.
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I'm a skiier but have done 2 weeks boarding, and not exactly a convert. If I'd tried boarding when i was 12 or 13 rather than 17, I think I would have been more tempted to switch over, but I didn't want to switch over when all my friends were the same level at skiing as me. I really enjoyed it though, and didn't find it that difficult, but I used to skateboard and I surf too which I think helped me slightly.

I'm planning on doing some more boarding in NZ this summer for sure though. It's fun! But consider whether you want to take a setp back from skiing and start from step 1. That's up to you! Very Happy
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