 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have to confess, despite finally having had a go at it, I am not a snowboarder.
I did the Snowboard in a Day course at Tamworth yesterday. I really wanted to find out that I like boarding. I have interesting multicoloured knees and elbows today. The instructors were very good, and I made better progress than many people on the course, managing a heady series of wobbly linked toe to heel turns at the end of the day, whilst many were still getting to grips with just staying upright on one edge or the other. I also found out I am a lefty, or goofy, apparently. But I'm afraid it scares the wits out of me making a heel edge turn when you just can't see what is there, plus if you're goofy then there are all the regular boarders on their heel edge turning into you without being able to see you too. Also I simply can't be doing with all the sitting around fiddling with bindings and the awkward shuffly jumping to get going thing.
So, there we are. Maybe I'll do it again one day. But I'm a skier at heart and I think I always will be. At least I had a go. Many skiers don't. And I DO have a new appreciation for the terrors inherent to a boarder when a skier (or boarder, come to that) comes past close while they are wobbling uncertainly onto the heel edge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
docsquid, at least you tried it and won't keep wondering. My wife also tried it and had a day before deciding skiing was for her.
I've boarded for a few years but have now gone back to skis - think I remained a skier at heart
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
docsquid, good for you for having a go. I had a go some years ago and didn't even get as far as going up the lift. (I was goofy as well)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
docsquid, well done for having a go. I'd definitely recommend that you keep at it (even if only occasionally). It was a great feeling for me, on around my 3rd day, when I suddenly realised that it felt "natural" to be standing sideways.
I'm not a total convert, but it's nice to be able to do both!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
It never stops hurting! ALthough now thankfully its more financial rather than physical pain! Well done for trying.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I don't think spending one day boarding in a snowdome really constitutes 'having a go at it' myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If everyone gave up on snowboarding after a day there would be almost no snowboarders on the mountain. I reckon a fairer measure is 3 days to it chance to click. Yes heelside turns are very scary to start with but with a bit of time the fear factor subsides. No criticism but its unrealistic to expect to be confident after 1 day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Imagine doing your first day on skis in a snowdome - snowplough, snowplough, oops skis crossed - i appear to be in an awkward heap, in a fridge.
I can't imagine it's ever going to be a fun experience 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Can't understand why you gave up only one day before attaining "expert" status. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's 1 day more than I'm willing to give it a go for. It looks far too painful a learning process for my liking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
docsquid, as you said ' at least you tried' . I skied before i boarded so that has given me a good understanding of what skiers are likely to do, where as some of the guys i know that have never skied have no awareness of skiers at all !
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
toiletduckuk, my first several days on skis were at the Snowdome. I was scared, but enjoyed it from the off, and seemed to have an aptitude for it that I don't appear to have for boarding. I wasn't expecting it to be fun, but was expecting to enjoy it more than I did. I don't rule out having another go, but would much prefer to do that in the mountains!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Docsquid -- You should be ashamed for giving up so easily. Show some tenacity. Work harder. Go for a week. You will soon find boarding is much easier to master than skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
I've tried it, for more than 3 days. Yes, it takes no more than a day or two for a SKIER to learn to board. I could make it down an intermediate trail with linked turns (of HUGE radius). It's actually quite a bit of fun in and of itself.
But I still don't "get" it. It's just like skiing, albeit differently. So, rather than wasting time to become half good at each, I opted to spend the rest of my snow time on skis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I did an SCGB learn to board in a day course at Tamworth. As a skier, I found it terrifying, having both feet strapped into one board with no apparent way of controlling it. I was absolutely crap at it, I found it much harder than skiing, but I loved the feeling of carving turns, so I perservered and haven't skied for 7 years now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I learnt on the Cardiff dryslope and still have the scars to prove it. Still, after leaning the basics there, real snow was bliss! docsquid, if you're in a position where you can dedicate a day or two on the real stuff, give it a proper go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Well done - so which are you doing tomorrow?? Look forward to you showing off the bruises!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
NewSkier, skiing tomorrow. I think abc has it - I would rather get much better at skiing than be half OK at both, however I haven't ruled out having a day or two on a board when in the mountains, preferably with a good British instructor. The feeling of carving is excellent on skis, and I would like to be able to eventually experience it on a board too. Right now I'm too bruised to want another go in a hurry!
However...I DID have a go. So did Mr Docsquid. That sets me apart from many skiers straight away. I does help you appreciate the difficulties that boarders experience, and I hope in that it makes me a much more considerate skier towards boarders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
docsquid, I've now got "a few days" under my belt. I've had a series of dry slope lessons (about 5 I think). I've also had about 4 or 5 days on the snow in total.
I also found it wasn't for me. However I think that it was frustration (not just pain - although that was a factor) that made me stop and get out the two planks. There are too few days in the hills for me to spend those I get back on the green and blue runs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just a further thought - for those that love skiing but fear degenerative conditions e.g. knee injuries may at some time curtail their ability to pursue it it may be far better to learn to snowboard now in order to have a "reserve" than when your skiing career is cut short. Snowboarding really does not place as much torque on lower body but upper body injuries are more common.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| fatbob wrote: |
| Just a further thought - for those that love skiing but fear degenerative conditions e.g. knee injuries may at some time curtail their ability to pursue it it may be far better to learn to snowboard now in order to have a "reserve" than when your skiing career is cut short. Snowboarding really does not place as much torque on lower body but upper body injuries are more common. |
Or start learning telemark!?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
for those that love skiing but fear degenerative conditions e.g. knee injuries may at some time curtail their ability to pursue it it may be far better to learn to snowboard now in order to have a "reserve" than when your skiing career is cut short.
|
As an elderly skier and beginner boarder I'm not too convinced by this. If your knees are not good enough to ski hard all day, just ski more gently. For a competent skier, gentle skiing on piste really does not put much strain on the body - we see (French) skiers who are apparently in their eighties in our resort, quite often. They are normally very competent skiers, content to have a gentle day out. That's my ambition. I'd be surprised if I'm still snowboarding in my 80s. Snowboarding might put less strain on the knees, but by the time your knees are degenerating, other bits probably are too. Most of us find boarding physically more energetic and demanding than skiing (or maybe I'm just not good enough at it?). The very heavy falls you can have snowboarding even slowly would not be much fun for old and fragile skiers. Older people can be very scared of falling, I have noticed - indeed it's one of the key things that hold them back in learning to ski. It's not because they don't want to look like idiots, but because they're scared of injury. I'm not scared of falling (or I wouldn't have started snowboarding) and it is true that whilst some of the snowboarding falls are quite painful, in the short term, my only injuries so far have been knee ligaments, skiing. My son is in his late 20s, an extremely good skier and pretty good boarder (last two seasons in Val d'Isere, the first sharing a flat and days off with a BASI 1 instructor). He says a day out on his board is considerably more knackering than a day on his skis. He does "go for it", though. Personally, I have to be feeling good, and energetic, to take the board out rather than skis. I can ski all day, quite fast, with a few stops, but half a day boarding is enough. Maybe I just need more practice? I think the view that boarding is less physically demanding than skiing, and could be continued later in life, is rather a minority view, certainly not borne out by looking round at people on the slopes. I rarely see female snowboarders even half my age, though you do see the odd man (very odd) in his 50s. Maybe boarding has yet to catch on as the ideal retirement sport; I'm doing my bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pam w,
Fair comment - I'm not saying mine is the majority view but I find snowboarding less demanding on the body (falls aside) and I've been able to do it when leg injuries have prevented me skiing. I've seen a few retirees learning to snowboard and think good for them. How hard would you find skiing if you'd only got a similar no of miles as boarding under your belt? You are right of course that crusing around pistes takes little effort in either sport once you reach a certain level of competence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
I find snowboarding less demanding on the body (falls aside)
|
That's a rather big "if", even if you fall a lot less than I do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
(hangs head in shame)sorry please forgive me
they were v. good. 