Skiers vs snowboarders - Page 2

Snowboarding is skiing on one ski while facing sideways.  If you think that's weird, sometimes they ski with the other leg forward, and call that goofy.

 

Did you master snowboarding in 15 days or did you just plateau earlier?

 

I enjoy the videos of you skiing. Can you post some of you snowboarding at the same relative skill level? We don't get a chance to see much high level snowboarding here on Epicski. :)

 

Having done both, I find skiing to be much easier. I once taught a skier who advanced so quickly in his first two hours of skiing, I took him down a black diamond at the end of the lesson. Of course that skier was exceptional, but I think your progress in snowboarding was exceptional too and largely dependent on skills you'd acquired skiing. My ski student was a good ice skater.

Isn't too young an oxymoron?
 

 

Edited by davluri - 11/13/11 at 4:55pm

After 15 days you can do all there is to do on a snowboard (other than maybe catch air)?  You can ride switch equally well?  That's pretty incredible.  I've been working on riding switch for a few years and I still feel stronger with one foot forward.  You can, butter, boardwalk, ride rails, boxes and do other park stunts too?  Man, I'm jealous.

 

Or did you mean you've mastered linking turns after 15 days?

 

Well... sort of. 

 

There is only one movie with the line "Badges? we don't need no stinking badges." and that's Blazing Saddles.  The line is often incorrectly attributed to Treasure of the Sierra Madre, although it was, indeed, inspired by that movie.
 

 

Well, snowboarders inarguably have a blind side and skiers don't.

I guess I left a little too much open to interpretation in my last post.  I was only talking about turns on a snowboard. 

 

Quote: From toecutter

I can do good turns on a snowboard in every condition that I have been in.  I've snowboarded in crust and moguls.  However, I wasn't thinking about riding switch when I made that last post.  I overlooked that and I don't think I can do it well.  I also wasn't even considering the other stuff you mentioned.  I can't do rails or anything. 

 

I guess I should be more specific.... Back in 2009 one of my best friends was a 22 year old Swiss snowboarder who had snowboarded for 15 years (he had never skied).  One day I snowboarded with him.  It was probably my 12th day snowboarding or something.  I was able to do everything that he could do (neither of us did any switch riding or went in the terrain park).  We did double black diamonds, went fast on packed snow and and did trees with crusty deep snow.  In the trees with crusty snow, he fell once and I didn't fall.  On the packed snow I think he was consciously trying to go his fastest, and he was slightly faster than me.  Overall he was better than me I would say, but not much.  He was a fine snowboarder. 

 

Quote: From telerod15

 

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy the videos : )

 

I would say that the level would be almost the same, but again, only doing turns and not switch.  In the moguls, I guess it wouldn't be the same.  My guess is that after 30 days I would achieve the same level or very close to it (but only doing regular straightforward turns on the snowboard).  I don't currently have any video of me snowboarding.  My uncle who snowboards may be coming to Colorado this winter.  If he does, I'll probably go with him once.  Maybe we'll film. 

 

I guess that leads me to another way to more specifically describe what I can do on a snowboard.  If you watch this video on my youtube: 

 http://www.youtube.com/user/Blakera4848#p/u/1/VM-YEUm2en0  My uncle is in it at about 5:30 and there are then a handful of shots of him throughout the rest of the video.  I am definitely better than him on a snowboard : ) 

 

I can't say I've "mastered" snowboarding, but I think I didn't have a whole lot more to work on as far as straightforward turns go.  There was some more to think about, but not a lot. 

 

Quote: From telerod15

Without a doubt dependant on my skiing ability.  It's kinda the same idea : )  I also taught a figure skater once.  She had the best first day I've seen. 

Edited by Blake Saunders - 11/14/11 at 11:27am

I'm going to thailand for 5 weeks... I've enjoyed the forum in my time here so far.  I'll post from there if I get the chance and I'm not underwater lol : )  

Yes, I'm an Ox and a Moron

 

And don't even get me started about the music my older brother and dad got me into, or the things I surprised them with. Like my brother's Hendrix and Zappa or my dad's Classical, Blues, Bluegrass and Carpenters. But I surprised my dad with Klaatu's original of "Calling Occupants..." he thought the Carpenters did it first, and I surprised them both with Camel, Jethro Tull and Uriah Heep. Then again, I'm way too young for all of these... 

 

Now back to your regularly scheduled skiing thread.

 

Spacecase

I know something that we have in common....we all hate snowbladers.  Most of my friends are snowboarders, I like to bug them about taking to long doing their bindings up or when we hit a flat and I skate past them effortlessly lol

The most famous snowblader of all time is saucer boy - and I don't think anyone hated him.  I heard he could even stick uphill ice.
 

 

Mike Nick would punch you in throat for saying that.

 

So you're saying more people have heard of Mike Nick than Shane McConkey?
 

 

Snowlerbladers FTW!

 

^Meh^      Fixed heel snowlerbladers are so retro.

On his saucer FWIW.

 

Those resorts *really* need to open.  People are getting way too serious around here.  Debating snowbladers?  My comment was obviously tongue in cheek.

Love that line. It's time for Alta and deer valley to wise up too.

I'd like to see a comparison of skier visits between alta and snowbird since snowboarding came in. I'm betting Alta would be falling behind in growth over the last 20 years.

That might be fine with them.
 

 

At Medicare age most folks prefer two planks but I still split my time 50/50 between both pursuits.  Can't see giving up either.  When racing I like both equally but when just cruising a mountain I'll take the board every time.

 

The older I get the more I fear an ACL tear on skis.

 

That's a valid concern.  I've torn both ACLs - the first time in 1969 at a skydiving competition.  All other injuries (other ACL, two broken ribs, and broken foot) came from ski racing.  My snowboarding racing has been injury free.

 

 

If I wreck my knees I won't be able to ski, board, bike, or run very well.  The thought of not being able to do any of my four favorite activities scares me.

You'd think that would have to be the case a la mad river glen.

Is it a documented fact that alta is skiing first profit 2nd, or do they feel they're occupying a niche where they're actually attracting more customers than they're turning away by locking out snowboarders?

In this day and age I don't know what the big deal is. Among my friends, half board, half ski so we'll never go to Alta. When we're at the hill, no one even pays any attention to the fact that half are sideways and half are forward. We really just treat it as the same sport.

For some strange reason, I've read through this entire post.  There's 10 minutes I'll never get back.  For some stranger reason, I felt compelled to chime in.

 

I grew up skiing when that was really the only option (Taos).  During my college years, most of my buddies snowboarded, and I was often times the only skier in the group.

 

I am not really biased one way or the other.  I did find it interesting though, when I recently asked my 14 year old if he thought he might want to take boarding lessons this year and he replied "No, snowboarders are obnoxious"

 

Having now been to Taos with snowboarders present, and hitting Alta shortly thereafter with none, I can say there is a noticeable difference in the terrain with and without snowboarders.  The lines are very different and the snow gets tracked differently.  I actually find that snowboarders make the moguls much easier to ski, as they tend to "open them up" if that makes any sense.

 

The other thing I've noticed is that beginner snowboarders seem to be much more out of control and dangerous as they tumble down the hill with their single plank still attached to their feet.  I watched people tumble end-over-end (board attached) numerous times last season at Wolf Creek.  As someone with young kids, I would be lying if I said that didn't scare me a bit.

 

Other than that, I think culturally, the two sports have converged somewhat.  In my age group (late 30's) about 60% of my friends ski and 40% board.  Their kids seem to be split about 50/50, so it seems to be no longer about rebellion and going against the parents.  As I mentioned, my 14 year old skis.  He did NOT have an option at first, because I've told both of my kids they would have to learn to ski first (so I could help them) and then make their own choice.  My 5 year old skis, but the verdict is still out on what he'll choose.  Based on his love of flames, skulls, and everything evil, I always assumed snowboarding would be in his future, but given the recent batch of skis coming out, I think he'll be covered there as well :-)

 

Now, I'm at about 15 minutes I'll never get back, so I must get back to work...

From what I have observed, most of the remaining 'bad blood' between skiers/boarders is amongst 40+ year old skiers who do not live within 150 miles of a mountain.   I live in Atlanta.  2 seasons ago I happened to be in a local ski shop (yes, we have a couple) called 'Atlanta Ski & Snowboard'.  I overheard a salesperson giving the spiel about the dangers of snowboarders to a group of  customers who were about to take their first ski trip in over 10 years.    The salesperson was late 40's - to mid 50's in terms of age.

 

Alta and Deer Valley notwithstanding, I have yet to run into the same attitude from any industry employees/professionals on my trips out west.   Locals/bums have never really cared what I'm wearing on my feet... though I have been asked by skiers sharing a lift chair to stagger/or delay my dismount (in that case, reassuring them that I was not going to fall off the lift chair seemed to suffice).

 

 

Anyways, once the elitist-tourons either die off or become to weak/infirm to ski then the subculture will be a nicer place to inhabit.

 

I have much less of a problem with Alta and Deer Valley holding fast to their bans in light of the fact that I can snowboard basically everywhere else.   Don't get me wrong, I still think that the people who run those resorts are jerks... but it leaves me (and others) enough freedom to vote with my dollar.  I do wish that snowbird would stop sharing profits with them, though.  If Alta wants to be high-and-mighty about the situation then they should stick to their morals, IMO.

 

 

Feel free to open a "boarders only" resort any time at all.......

 

sooner the better 

 

 

There would be a back-up at the top of every lift and they'd have to keep shutting it down.  Picture an entire trail 70 feet wide completely blocked by multiple rows of boarders sitting on their asses.

 

I rarely engage in any anti-snowboarding talk because a have good friends who ride, but the sitting right in the way thing really starts to bug me.