 Poster: A snowHead
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I am lucky enough to ski or board for around 14 weeks each winter. I do snowboard but generally prefer skiing as it is more challenging and arguably more versatile and certainly takes much longer to become very proficient. I am sometimes intrigued by my perception that most people seem to think that snowboarding is more difficult than skiing when clearly the opposite is true, apart from perhaps the first two or three days. I am wondering whether others here might have an answer to that question?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 6-02-23 21:44; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You've answered your own question. The first 2-3 days are significantly more difficult and lots of people don't make it past the bruises and whiplash. Thereafter it just feels more natural whereas for some skiing never will do.
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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?
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Seek... and the Snowheads universe will answer. Sometimes politely.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Because most people don't know any better...or worse for that matter!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Not sure if I have met anyone who thinks snowboarding is harder than skiing. Snowboarding is harder to learn if you have no transferable skills or being used to being on a board like a skate or surf, but skiiing is harder to master.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It’s harder to look cool….
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@Mid4656, ....I did three days...it was gong well...but there was one thing which really bugged me about snowboarding...that front edge is just out to kill you.....
...Hi meester ski guy....I know you riding me...but you put one foot wrong when you go down hill and i KEEL YOU....
I just hate that
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You joined just to ruminate, or is there more behind?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Mid4656, Welcome to Snowheads....
Now what was the question?
When we first saw these snow board things back in the late 70s or 80s it was the new thing, it had to be cool and difficult like those mono ski things.
Nobody knew how to ride it so it had to be difficult.
I took a lesson one evening in Warth back in the day.
The lifts were closed and this young dude gave me a lesson ...
(thinking about it ... I was a yound dude then  )
Everybody in the car park surrounded us while he showed me hot to do a J Turn.
It is hard ... like skiing when you can't do it.
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First post and he’s gone for it….bravo
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Mid4656, took me long enough to ski reasonably well. Now I can relax and enjoy. I am sure snowboarding is great, and I admire many boarders skills. But as I am well in my 8th decade, and these days get but one week a year skiing, I'll give a new way of breaking something a miss 
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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.
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Because it looks akin to riding an ironing board down a mountain. I have the greatest of respect for snowboarders and their ability to ride one, but no desire to get on one myself.
To me, having both feet bound to one object seems like having less control.
I like my legs being independent of each other. Though I'm sure the knee that popped when I slipped on ice and had one leg stay still whilst the rest of me fell in a different direction, would disagree with me.
Also, poma lifts...
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| valais2 wrote: |
@Mid4656, ....I did three days...it was gong well...but there was one thing which really bugged me about snowboarding...that front edge is just out to kill you.....
...Hi meester ski guy....I know you riding me...but you put one foot wrong when you go down hill and i KEEL YOU....
I just hate that |
That’s what happened to me. After a lovely day riding low angle pow, caught the front edge on the home run. Busted shoulder. Never ridden the board again…
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, you should have tried learning in the days of no helmets and using your ski boots.
Like has been said first three days were horrible, mates with concussion from whiplash and maybe the worst, badly bruised coccyx.
But we got to grips with it and for nigh on 20 years had fun, last seven or so in La Grave until touring proved that two planks are better.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Mid4656 wrote: |
| ... I am sometimes intrigued by my perception that most people seem to think that snowboarding is more difficult than skiing when clearly the opposite is true? ... |
You're contradicting yourself. If most people "think snowboarding is more difficult", then I can't see how you're justifying your "clearly the opposite is true" assertion. You're being irrational, your argument is fallacious. You have not demonstrated what you claim, in fact you've demonstrated the opposite.
I think that anyone who's mastered snowboarding will also have mastered skiing though: I've never met a professional who couldn't do both at a decent level.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skiers have uglier girlfriends.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| phil_w wrote: |
| .......I think that anyone who's mastered snowboarding will also have mastered skiing though: I've never met a professional who couldn't do both at a decent level.... |
@BobinCH, 
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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?
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Well said @phil_w, it's asking to judge with a question framed containing so much tension within it that it can't really have an answer.
Marked "must try harder" for the OP, in red ink 
For reference, I dont really see much difference in aquiring skills from one to the other, thats to reach higher level. Each is as nuanced as the other.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| hang11 wrote: |
| Skiers have uglier girlfriends. |
What do you call a snowboarder without a girlfriend?
Homeless
The oldies are the goodies 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I found snowboarding significantly easier to learn than I thought; that said, I had skiied for a long time and surfed. But within an hour I was riding lifts and skidding down blue slopes. My son picked up snowboarding in a week at age 14 to the point where he could handle blacks.
In general, it might have the reputation for being harder to learn because many adults who learned to ski as a child tried it when they were older, with all the difficulties that entails. And when you're just starting, those frontside slammers hurt...wrist braces and butt pads required for sure.
I never really switched to boarding for a couple of reasons: The need to unbuckle EVERY time for a chairlift, and the inability to navigate the flats or cat track runs. And tbh, from my limited experience, it's much more fun to board in powder/fresh snow rather than on hardpack groomed pistes. which make up about 90% of European ski days. And let's not even talk about moguls...I find skis to be much more versatile, although I loved the comfort and walkability of snowboard boots and the lack of poles...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think a big part of it is that a lot of people have ice skated or roller bladed at some stage in their life, so skis feel a tad more natural. That was certainly my experience as a decent blader back in my youth and took up skiing to have something to do in the Winter.
I certainly feel skiing is easier to get started but harder to master in comparison to boarding…
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There are similarities in the snowboarding/skiing debate to wind/kitesurfing.
Kitesurfing is initially hard to learn and can be very dangerous, but after three days it's possible to be skimming across the water, whereas in windsurfing planing across the water is not something you can achieve for quite a while.
Anyway, the above water-sports are now becoming redundant almost as Winging takes off.
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YAAY! It must be Argument Tuesday!
and open-ended thread titles should be declared a war crime.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Pasigal wrote: |
I never really switched to boarding for a couple of reasons: The need to unbuckle EVERY time for a chairlift, and the inability to navigate the flats or cat track runs. And tbh, from my limited experience, it's much more fun to board in powder/fresh snow rather than on hardpack groomed pistes. which make up about 90% of European ski days. And let's not even talk about moguls...I find skis to be much more versatile, although I loved the comfort and walkability of snowboard boots and the lack of poles... |
EXACTLY this...i had been skiing for about 10 years, learned to snowboard fairly quickly and really enjoyed it (apart from the front edge flips as many have mentioned), so I persevered.....for about 3 days, and then realised OMG what a major FAFF it was to unclip every 5 mins 
I know one or two people who do both very well, and they say whilst it's almost certainly easier to pick up the basics of snowboarding, it takes a lot more to master it - thinking the one or two absolute expert boarders I see per holiday who are simply awesome versus it has to be said many many more expert skiiers.
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The old adage:
Skiing is easy to learn and difficult to master.
Snowboarding is difficult to learn and easy to master.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
I persevered.....for about 3 days
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Thankyou and goodnight.
Time for a pea-roast... circa September 2011, from the Sideways Archival Collection.
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Richard_Sideways wrote:
You'll hire your board and boots after a day or two of skiing, go up the hill, put the board on for the first time, fall over, get up, work out how to skate over to the lift line, get there after about 15 minutes of inching along, fall over, get up again, get in line, fall over, get up again after watching 6 year olds scoot past you. Get to the front, miss the first 3 drag lifts getting into position, catch one, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get dragged 10 metres until they stop the lift, you roll out of the way, get up again and walk back to the line, and decide to boot pack it up a quarter of the bunny slope, just so you can get going.
So you're sitting on the slope strapping in, looking at the kids whizzing past you, slowly stand up on your heels, immediately sit back down, repeat until you're holding yourself on edge in a crouch, shaking like a malaria victim and just as sweaty. Inching up now, there’s suddenly an alarming squeaking noise which sounds like someone eating polystyrene and you sense movement, which you instinctively react to by falling backwards. Repeat as necessary until you've found away to squeak yourself on your heel edge all the way back down to the flat bit, thighs screaming at you every inch of the way.
If you're the persevering type, you'll now repeat the process of walking back up the hill to try the whole process again but on your toe edge. It'll be a similar experience only the falling will be interspersed with occasionally falling backwards surprisingly quickly and banging the back of your skull on the ground like a big bone basketball till it rings like a bell and you wish the piste basher would just come and run you over.
During this time, you'll probably have initiated a turn by accident, caused by the fatigue in your legs applying pressure unevenly across the edge, you'll suddenly find yourself slewing around and sliding towards something or someone. Panic will ensue, this is normal. Instinctively you'll move backwards even though you know you shouldn't, this is normal. This will cause the whole experience to get faster and you'll have less control, this is normal. The grim inevitability of the coming crash dawns on you and decide to bail it before it gets any worse, this is normal. The world for you will go (depending on prevailing weather conditions) white, blue, white, blue, white, blue oh hey, look there’s my feet and board!, white. You are now in a tangled mess, much like you were when you were a beginner skier but you've strapped to a board which has now got one end dug into the piste so you have to roll yourself around, but you can't because the board is stuck, and you're twisted so far around you can see your ankles.
At some point around now you'll decide to bug this for a game of soldiers, and take the whole damn lot back to the ski shop and get your skis back. You'll return from holiday log onto snowheads and take your place in the ranks of those who can't see the point of snowboarding because you've tried it and it's stupid and not as good as skiing. |
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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.
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Snowboarding is extremely easy to learn the basics and be able to navigate down hills. You can spend all day on your heel or toe side pretty safely. You can learn this in 5 minutes. Skiing at a beginner level is much more difficult and much less intuitive so takes much longer to do.
From there however skiing is easier to become intermediate (parallel turns on reds) than boarding (linking turns on reds). To be an intermediate boarder you have to accept your bruises (moreso than in skiing).
I think the bridge from intermediate to expert level is probably the same for both but I wouldn't know personally.
I like them both a lot and never understood the people who hate one or the other.
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@Richard_Sideways,
A skier first, went committed to Cervinia with a nephew, took ski boots just in case, weeks hire and lessons booked with ESI, tried board straight from hire collecting and day before lesson, absolutely, tragically bad no control or method at all.
With some brilliant instructors, general mooching around with one foot in, then drag lift first day, still felt almost impossible, but could see feint sign of progress.
By day three, half the class now missing, more personal tuition and it was coming together. Ended week travelling around right across Cervinia ultimately on red graded slopes. Massive sense of achievement. To emphasize though, those instructors knew so much in teaching us, a credit to their knowledge and dedication.
Mix the two since then, more accomplished skier than boarder, both really enjoyable.
Observation, each gives a different sense of you're own ability to ultimately balance in contrasting ways, both equally valid, increasing overall skill level as you interpret.
Advice from a lifelong boarder "hang like a monkey and point where you want to go" I find that coming back to me in times of missing fine interpret and read of predicament I'm in, works every time to loosen up and just push the fundamentals.
I find it fascinating how much balance I could find that I didn't know I had, all from learning to board.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Advice from a lifelong boarder "hang like a monkey and point where you want to go" I find that coming back to me in times of missing fine interpret and read of predicament I'm in, works every time to loosen up and just push the fundamentals.
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GAAH! No, we are NOT at home to Mr.Gorilla! (apologies to @Gorilla) If you're breaking at the waist, you get nothing on heel-side turns.
Keep your knees soft and over your toes, hips and back reasonably straight and in line with the board, and try to keep the upper body nice and relaxed and still. Pointing introduces shoulder roll and you'll come a cropper. It's all in the feet baby.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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It takes WAY longer on a board to get to the "comfortable cruising blues and reds" stage than it does with skiing. Flats are also a nightmare for the beginner and early intermediate boarders. The learning stage involves many many more hard smash downs when you catch an edge.
If you only gave 1 week a year, thats a significant additional time you spend having a hard time.
Its also slower for the same ability level and loads of punters just like going fast.
Its also a lot harder on drags and other lifts versus skiing.
Also snowboarding on a piste in hard pack just isn't THAT fun versus skiing, and that is the reality for conditions most of the '1 week a year holiday skiers" encounter.
In my early twenties I went away with about 10 friends who mainly were all non-skiers and they all had snowboard lessons. Only 1 of them still boards, the others ALL switched to skiing after two weeks of being poo-poo on boards.
Three of the experienced boarder have now also stopped for all but the deepest of pow days and mainly ski.
Snowboarding is defo easier in the pow pow and in slushy and crusty conditions. It is not easier on piste IMO.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Weathercam wrote: |
@BobinCH, you should have tried learning in the days of no helmets and using your ski boots.
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I did - a handful of days in 1997. That story was from 20 years later when I tried it again when the kids were learning…
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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?
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| Quote: |
Snowboarding is defo easier in the pow pow and in slushy and crusty conditions. It is not easier on piste IMO
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So, its more fun in great conditions, but required more skill to ride every day...
Ergo, Skiing is less fun and easier... like driving an Austin Allegro, in artificial-limb beige.
I'm enjoying Argument Tuesday!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Richard_Sideways, yeah I'd go with your summary 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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#Ultimate-Ski-Wagon
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
[after about 3 days of a skier mucking about on a snowboard, you]
take your place in the ranks of those who can't see the point of snowboarding because you've tried it and it's stupid and not as good as skiing. |
<laughs> Yeah, if those people had started skiing with the same attitude they'd never have learned that either.
It's like someone who plays the trumpet trying to learn piano in 3 days and concluding that the piano... is too easy so they'll not bother.
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As far as which is harder... ask Ledecka, but I suspect she'd tell you that you have sufficient information to work it out already.
--
I once drove a brown Austin Allegro, estate version, brand new. I was working for a car dealership cleaning the bogs, and they lent me their stores vehicle to buy more bog roll or something. For what it's worth, it was actually not bad compared with the other cars of the time.
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GAAH! No, we are NOT at home to Mr.Gorilla! (apologies to @Gorilla)
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No apology necessary. Indeed, even I am no longer at home to Mr Gorilla - poor stance being the origin of the handle. I guess I should change the name.
Regarding snowboarding, it's a fun thing to do. Skiing, though, is a better means of getting about in the mountains in winter. Anyone who has ever put a split board back together in minus 10 can attest to that one.
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I tried boarding for a day in the middle of a ski trip, no lessons. Fell over all the time, hated it.
A couple of years later, went with friends. They tried boarding for a day in the middle of a ski trip, no lessons. Fell over all the time, hated it.
Then I went skiing, stayed in a chalet with a bunch of guys boarding. We asked if it was difficult as it seemed to be. They said the mistake was to do the above. Take an entire week, take proper lessons, don't mix it with skiing. I did that next time, loved it - excellent group teaching in Canada may have helped. By day 3 was blasting down slopes (absolutely not like skiing, still snow ploughing at end of Week 1, and possibly even Week 2 - bloody school trips and carp French "instructors" in the 80s). Went boarding for the next years (always with lessons). Was amazed at how some skiers suddenly disliked me. WTF is wrong with people?
Stopped to accompany my daughters as they learned skiing - which I am STILL crap at despite paying huge amounts for lessons. I might restart boarding at some point but my body is nowhere near as flexible and as resilient as it was, and sadly the ability to stand up and rest is now more attractive.
For me, boarding was easier to learn than skiing up to a point, maybe as I have (had?!) good balance, maybe as I was given good fundamentals. There are less variables with legs locked together so for me skiing will always be more technical. I never ice skated or roller bladed before. Lifts weren't much of a challenge. Moguls were more fun as the board was much shorter. Fully agree that hardpack (common more in Europe) and flat areas (you learn quickly, hello skiing out of Sunshine, I think I'll download next time) are certainly for the skiers, fully agree that catching an edge is painful, especially falling backwards! But slush/sludge, in a warm European resort, can favour the boarder, so there is still an environment to do it, not only fresh pow; an ex-girlfriend ripped a knee apart skiing when one leg hit porridge and another carried on.
What I found is that I couldn't easily transition from one to the other, it took at least a day to adapt. I hear others can do that.
I notice the OP hasn't returned.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've both skied and boarded. Learned to ski when I was four, I can't really remember how hard it was, but was reasonably proficient by the time I was 25. I learned to snowboard around 35 or so. Picked it up pretty quickly because I surf and have skated and know how to read the hill. Linked turns on blues by the end of the second morning. Just continued from there.
I tend to book last minute for good conditions, or go somewhere where it's more likely to be snowing, so I usually score. Snowboard and good snow is great. I have had to abort on the odd trip and pick up the planks for a day or two.....
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| Quote: |
Advice from a lifelong boarder "hang like a monkey and point where you want to go" I find that coming back to me in times of missing fine interpret and read of predicament I'm in, works every time to loosen up and just push the fundamentals.
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GAAH! No, we are NOT at home to Mr.Gorilla! (apologies to @Gorilla) If you're breaking at the waist, you get nothing on heel-side turns.
Keep your knees soft and over your toes, hips and back reasonably straight and in line with the board, and try to keep the upper body nice and relaxed and still. Pointing introduces shoulder roll and you'll come a cropper. It's all in the feet baby. |
It was from a Chamonix resident, hippy type and probably walked that way anyway too
Think it's mostly of use to me in getting to relax both legs and stand much more in balance if I'm struggling, more than the jokey element of it. Nephew went on to be a snowboard instructor from there too, so have reasonable input when needed.
The feet, although conclusively right handed, my feet have no problem with any task assigned to them . Motorcycle rider, right hand throttle and front brake, left hand clutch, left foot gears (can be different sequence) and right foot brake which is blended with front to shift braking attitude. A lot of foot pressure used through pegs to get bike mass to do what I want it too as well. British bikes have the feet controls reversed too, well the older one's do.
Also cars, brake with left foot or right (karts are generally left) but use of brake with throttle requires left use too. Automatic I use either, more left in stop start traffic, but right longer run as don't need to keep left positioned over brake. "Heal and toe" use will use right foot heal on brake with right toe on throttle etc.
They seem to adapt whatever I do with them. Feeling on a board is so very subtle I find, with just tiny squeezing to influence.
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FAQ
