 Poster: A snowHead
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Dont bother, stick to boarding.
I thought I should give up skiing and start snowboarding because I wanted a new challenge. It was rubbish. Unless you are skiing like Ducroz or riding like de la Rue then there is still plenty of challenges around.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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paulio, granted. I've tried myself a couple of times, but I don't have enough time each season to devote to it. I've recently stepped up a new level skiing so focusing on that. Also, the more time I spend with boarding friends the less attracted to it I am; the faff factor is off the scale, and even though I'll admit in powder they look excellent fun there aren't enough power days to justify the switch.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The really good snowboarders I ride with are no more faff than a skier. Folks who do their bindings up whilst sat on the chair, and just hoon away from the departure point as if it were nothing. They're also fast enough that they routinely beat us skiers along the flat bits, so if there's any binding faffing to be done once they run out of steam, they do it while we're still catching them up!
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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, however, am a terrible faff when boarding, I must admit. And I moan all the time about ice and flat bits and stuff. A proper amateur.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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paulio, of course, but few and far between. I'm all for a mix when on the hill, but sometime it's nice to get a wiggle on and drop the single plankers.
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| Dr John wrote: |
| the faff factor is off the scale |
If spending 20 seconds to ratchet up a binding is off the scale, Good job you've never had to clear the bottom of a ski-boot of ice, or reclip a boot, or been with someone who's dropped a ski-pole while getting off a lift, then had to take off their skis to retrieve it. Or been with someone who's lost a ski in powder.
Either that or your scale is out of calibration, my friend.
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Richard_Sideways, all of those things are accidents. Taking a boot out is routine and required for every single lift.
But let's not get into a p!ssing contest. I have more respect for boarder than most skiers, and many skiers are arrogant pains in the @ss, just having a bit of fun. Vive le difference and all that.
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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 got to disagree on the plateau thing as well. With both it's way more about the person and how much they are willing to push themselves and invest in the time required. Weaker snowboarders are perhaps less visibly obvious than weaker skiers but if you know what you're looking at it's pretty easy to see. They also both feed into one another really well. I skied since I was little before snowboarding for around seven years then going back to two planks. There are a whole bunch of skills and experience that are directly transferable between the two just being used to the environment alone is a big leg up.
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Red Leon, you don't use your edges to turn? You must be really rubbish... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for all the replies. I'll be sure to post an update when I'm back saying how I got on.
Oh, ad if i find out what the pole thingers are for, i'll also let you know
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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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| stevomcd wrote: |
joebh123, you've never worn snowboard boots, have you?  |
Nope! Never intend to either.
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So, I did it.
Learning to ski after boarding is not easy. I spent the entire first lesson falling over and getting my skis crossed over or all over the place. Finally managed to break the boarding instinct and manage a snowplough. Progressed quite well after that, and was manageing to safely get down some runs on day 3, with quite a bit of improvement on day 4 being able to turn much better and stop quickly. Actually started to enjoy it 
But, 4 days was enough, so I got a board and spent the next 3 days on it having some fun.
Things I learnt about Skiing:
-Chairlifts are EASY. Rock up to the chair, sit down, then get up
-Draglifts are easy (but I still don't like them)
-Skis can fall off and get buried in deep snow, or run away from you, which is annoying
-Ski boots are not as uncomfortable as I was expecting, but are REALLY annoying to walk about in
-Flat bits still aren't fun
-Carrying skis and poles is a lot more hassle than carrying a board
and the most important bit is...
I found out what the poles are for. They are for pointing out where you want to go, or pointing at people, or generally flailing around, and getting in the way when on lifts or walking around
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You know it makes sense.
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| Dr John wrote: |
| Richard_Sideways, all of those things are accidents. Taking a boot out is routine and required for every single lift. |
Ummmm nope, I ride all drags with both feet in, when there are no lift queues I will catch chairs with both feet in, if the lifts are full then I'll go on the outside and get my back foot in whilst on the lift.
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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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Missed this first time round.....
As admin mentioned, I did find myself accidentally learning to ski earlier in the month. Like chippie, I did find that the first morning involved a lot of falling over and getting skis crossed. However, I think a lot of the problem was this whole silly "snowplough" thing. Once I'd realised that the inside ski was working against me, and decided to try putting it a bit more parallel to the other one, things came along a lot quicker.
After a very, very long lunch (a bombardino or two might have been involved - I really can't remember), there was just one blue run back to the hotel, and somehow it all made more sense. I think there may have been a fall or two (OK, there probably was a bombardino or two involved) but these were probably more the result of overconfidence than anything else.
Day two, and getting a bit further from the hotel wasn't a worry. I did find a tendency to revert to a more sideways stance (this doesn't seem to work on skis for some reason) which was the most difficult thing to resolve, but did begin to find it enjoyable. Steeper sections of red runs were moderately controlled (by skiers' standards anyway) by the end of the day.
I'm guessing I'd have mastered blacks by the end of day three, and be hucking cliffs on day four, but my board arrived and it snowed, so perhaps we'll never know...... 
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