From Snowboarding To Skiing

A snowHead

What does it matter when I learnt to board or ski?* You related your unusual but interesting experience and it's my opinion that you are an outlier. Read the other thread and others on sH. As an (occasional) instructor I can tell you this is also the common opinion of most of my less occasional colleagues. Frankly I think most boarders plateau about week 2, appear quite competent and happily cope off piste. Most skiers plateau after week 8, appear crap and fall about off piste. And that's learning from scratch. Like I've said before doesn't mean the boarders have "mastered" it.

edited to remove impulsive smiley

*Learnt to board I dunno 7-8 years ago? Wildly inexperienced boarder but had no trouble getting around on piste and easy off piste. Still learning to ski after 25 years.

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

slikedges, Not necessarily - the population of people who have learnt to board is by definition those that have got over the hump. Those that didn't get over the hump jacked wintersports completely or went back to being narrow minded skiers saying "tried boarding, it was crap" etc. The hump is a big one. It's more than possible on day 3 of picking your bruised carcass off the floor to ask why the hell am I spunking so much money on something so painful? At the same stage a skier will still be pottering around quite nicely, maybe not super fast but not hurting themselves.

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fatbob, what hump? Most of the boarders I've met have never skied and I don't notice lots of people giving up on boarding 'cos they fall. One of the very first things they're taught is how to fall and they just accept it's part of learning. I guess maybe older people might be put off but that's just being sensible. Most skiers find it much easier than snowsliding noobs.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

slikedges, Having spent a season with a few guys who had girlfriends come out to visit and give up after a couple of days, and the odd holiday where new boarders in the chalet have retired hurt after a few days I'm convinced it happens.

I don't disagree with your general characterisation about the plateaux that the average recreational person finds themselves on but I understand whether thefatcontroller is coming from. Until they've developed the finer muscle memory a beginner boarder can go from "this is going alright" to "SLAM" at almost every moment.

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fatbob, +1

There a lots of talk about 'mastering' skiing or boarding. Who really wants to master either? I bet the vast majority of people going skiing or boarding once a year and just was to have fun and not go home in plaster or on a wheelchair. I bet mastering either is the furthest thing from their mind. Is it easier to look 1/2 good on a board compared to a 1/2 decent skier, yes probably but who gives a poo-poo Toofy Grin

I would encourage anyone who has the time to learn to board.

Can I throw another bomb on the fire. Now that we can board and ski we have noticed one thing.

Skiers are way, way less tolerant of boarders than boarders are of skiers. The looks you get shuffling to a lift if you dare touch a pair of skis on front of you, the look you get trying to exit a lift when a group of skiers have stopped 4 foot from the exit to the lift blocking the whole way etc..I could go on but I think you get the picture. Skiers need to learn to board to broaden their outlook on life and to learn to chill a little.

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

fatbob, well of course they would end up giving up, with their boyfriends teaching them! Toofy Grin

When I learnt to board the private ESF instructor I had was (I thought) quite good at adapting his lessons to an experienced skier so got me boarding a blue run in the first session. He didn't however teach me how to fall. I had some more lessons not long after and asked for a run through of what they would have taught a novice and was taught amongst other things how to fall "comfortably", which for the most part you learn yourself after several "uncomfortable" falls, but which I think could have made my first lessons and practise sessions somewhat less physical. I've observed this being taught in all novice boarding lessons in recent times.

thefatcontroller, as someone who can just about do both, I am particularly intolerant of boarders. I'm particularly mean to those I regularly ski with. Laughing

After all it is free

This debate can go on forever - apologies for starting it ... Embarassed

I've decided to take on-board (forgive the pun) some of the advice offered and will book some ski lessons at the Chill Factore this summer.

As the thefatcontroller, as well as others have indicated I'd feel pretty chuffed if I'm able to both ski (to a level where I can confidently come down a blue or a red with our little ones) and board next winter.

Smile

franga, THere really is little difference between the essentials of boarding and skiing. As long as you understand the mechanics of edge control and weighting then there is absolutely no problem with doing either as the whim takes you. I even like a snowboard on hard morning cord . . . so much fun to be had trying to get your shoulder down . . . elbow is as far as I've yet got without the inevitable rolling eyes

(armour is essential)

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Snowsports suck. Oops, wrong forum!

DB, nice vid! If that was me, I would of slit my wrist with my board after the 3rd attempt Laughing

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