Friends first time to ski or snowboard?

A snowHead

We are going with a friend who has never skied or snowboarded before. Me and hubby both ski and when we first went snowboarding wasn't an option.

However just wondering what people think would be better to do as an adult (40ish) who is fit (runs, cycles etc) and who has done sports like ju jitsu and fencing in the past, as the best introduction?

Many thanks

A snowHead

@NickyJ, by reputation, snowboarding is easier to pick up to a basic level but more painful.

If you aren't planning on spending time with him on snow (why would you?) it doesn't really matter.

These days I am not so sure that skiing has that much of a different early learning curve and typically isn't as bruising.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I'd say ski, unless friend has burning wish to board.

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Ski means that if they do spend some time with you on the main slopes, you're in a better position to help them learn (even visually) with you.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have found learning to ski at 35 much less painful than learning to board at 20 ish. That might relate to the learning curves or just a (slight) decrease in youthful stupidity and inability to take instruction.

Sample size of one though and I should say that I'm not very good at either.

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@Dogfever, I was vice versa; learning to board in late 20s easier than learning to ski in teens.

I thought it was quality of instruction, but maybe age was also a factor!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Whatever they fancy. If they aspire to keeping up with you and going off piste etc boarding will get them there faster but as well as being fit they'll need a tolerance for bruising and hard falls to get through the first 3 days.

After all it is free

Old people over 40 have fading balance, coordination and strength.

Best to choose the easiest sport. Which is snowboarding.

It is possible to become an advanced boarder in under 10 weeks.

Skiing takes 20+ weeks. And most people never get there.

I learnt to ski aged 45 and snowboard at 49, I'd agree with those who say getting the basics of snowboarding is harder than getting the basics of skiing but once you have them it is easier to improve on the board. Having skied helps as well as at least you understand edge control and that you can trust the edge to keep you on line.

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@Dave of the Marmottes and @Whitegold +1

First couple of days on a board will suck and likely be painful, whereas in the same time frame on skis he should certainly be able to snowplough around on blue runs well enough.

However after those first few days progression is much faster on a board, and he could be riding powder and hitting jumps in the same time it would take to get to solid parallel on reds on skis.

Both have an intermediate plateaux, but a boarder stuck on it IME will be better able to ride the whole mountain than equivalent skier.

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I think you need to be quite highly motivated to learn to snowboard. Skiing requires less overall commitment (because there is no equivalent of a snowplough on a board; you have to commit from edge to edge). So if your friend has to ask you what he ought to be doing, I still think the answer should be skiing! You see plenty of middle aged people learning to ski, fewer learning to board (and I can say that with some confidence, having learnt to board when I was much older than 40......).

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Thanks all. Good insights!

If lots of powder around, feeling physically very fit and mentally robust, I'd try snowboarding.
If not much fresh snow, mostly hard packed piste on offer, sunny weather, maybe not feeling as fit as you might like, then I'd start by skiing.
I definitely found learning to snowboard at a similar age way more physically demanding and painful. Not so difficult technically though. Relatively fast learning curve to confident blue cruising and tackling reds BUT exhausting. BTW I was fast half marathon, regular football and gym fit at that time.

Assuming your friend continues snowsport, I'd recommend trying both within first 4 weeks in mountains. Snowboarding much more enjoyable and less painful in powdery snow conditions!
Just my personal experience, hope it makes sense.

You know it makes sense.

@intermediate, +1. Let them try both

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Get him to have a lesson of each on a dry slope or in a fridge and see which he likes the feel of more? (ignoring the bruises from falling over on the board, which he obviously won't like unless he's a masochist!)

A snowHead

Snowboarding is so 20th Century!
And, more important: Figure yourself snowboarding at 75?
Whilst skiing at 75 is very common, and stylish!

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I'd say whichever they fancy. Snowboarders can become sufficiently competent to tackle any slope in a matter of hours/days. When you have cracked the very basics, you are almost as comfortable on steep reds as you are on gentle blues. To become good at snowboarding takes longer. You also need to accept that as a snowboarder, you will fall frequently. The frequency drops off the better you get but it still happens.

Skiing is (I think) a less natural/intuitive thing to pick up, hence skiiers tend to wobble and snowplough a lot before it clicks. This might take a few hours but is more likely to take a few days. Once it clicks, skiiers tend to be less able to explore the resort for a while still, as they will want to avoid reds until they get more confident. I think the learning curve levels out though so once you get parallel, it doesn't take much more to get confidence on steep runs and start carving etc. My own experience of learning skiing after years of snowboarding was that I hardly fell at all learning to ski, which was a nice change.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@NickyJ, this could be your opportunity to learn snowboarding alongside your friend, which would be fun... possibly wink

Being able to do both has to be the ideal. My son snowboards on powder days, skis when the pistes are hard and slick - he does both very well, but having spent several seasons in the Alps, so he should.

Just beware of French snowboard instruction - some of it really isn't very good. Ski instructors who jumped on a board. We saw a lot of them training to get their snowboard quals in Tignes in the autumn - not reassuring, though they are all great athletes and fearless.

Don't know what the situation is in Austria, possibly similar. Too much arm and shoulder steering goes on. Not approved by BASI!

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Thanks all. Skiing first as that is what he first mentioned. Just thought later that maybe that wasn't the best route.

However given he is going to France, will be going mid-April and other feedback. Best to stick to plan A.

He fully intends to do a learn yo ski course locally on the dry ski slope before going.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Excellent points that it can be very important what the surface is like when he gets there.

If they don't know, it doesn't matter.
--

It's hard to tell from personal experience which is harder to learn because necessarily you have to do one before the other. To say that it takes "x-weeks" to learn one and "y-weeks" to learn the other is clearly wrong.

I think it's also wrong to suggest one is harder to learn than the other. How much people learn and how quickly is up to them. Anyone can learn either or both.

snowboarding is so 20th Century!
And, more important: Figure yourself snowboarding at 75?
Whilst skiing at 75 is very common, and stylish!
If snowboarding is "20th century", then it's for old people. But you also say that skiing is for old people. I'd try not to think about age quite so much. Take a trip to your local hospital, which in the UK are full of fat young people; age is not the key factor in what most people can achieve physically.

I boarded with an old mate Don Wildman (google him) two seasons back when he was 85 or 86. We rode a few days which most people with less experience than him would not be able to manage. His new girlfriend was about half my age, and she was a fairly competent boarder although not good enough to ride with Don.

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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@JoyZipper, I personally have knee safe bindings. I do think it is a real shame you don't get an option of different bindings when hiring.

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@kat.ryb, They are bindings which allow a lateral release from the heel, as well as from the toe.

http://kneebinding.com/KB-HomePage.aspx

The theory is not being able to twist out from the heel causes the majority of the ACL injuries. Certainly an insurance company in the states believes in them enough that they have insisted that the instructors they insure use them.

You know it makes sense.

Oh cool, didn't know such things existed. Thanks @NickyJ,

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@NickyJ, there is precious little scientific evidence that your bindings are any more effective.

I agree they make intuitive sense.

Having choice of binding would be unworkable for a shop.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@NickyJ, has he skate boarded, wake boarded, surfed etc as that can make a huge difference as regards to picking up the basics of snow boarding, just ask him if he's goofy or regular.

If he looks blank, then skiing best option.

Help!!

Friends first time to ski or snowboard?

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