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Snowboarding for Geeks

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Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#11

Post by yodsanklai »

ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

I used to be a snowboarding instructor (I don't ski though). I'd say you can quickly be able to go on all kind of slopes. Beginner/intermediate skiers tend to have a harder time in powder or steep slopes. However, snowboarding beginners tend to fall much more often, the first days can be very tiring. I'd recommend avoiding learning on hard snow. If you can, make sure you you go in the mountain when the snow is fresh. And much much better to have an instructor.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#13

Post by arethuza »

ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

You might want to consider where you'll be learning - if the area has a lot of drag lifts then they can be miserable for snowboarders.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#14

Post by hnal943 »

ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

I skied for 15 years before I learned to snowboard. I have never fallen so hard as when I was first learning to snowboard!

The other downside is not being able to traverse flat terrain, which is more or less important depending on the resort you are at.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#15

Post by PascLeRasc »

jasode wrote: post #9
ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

>but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. I think the "easier" depends on the target skill level. Skiiing is easier to achieve a beginner skill level. Absolute beginners can point their toes inward and ski "pizza wedges" down easy hills rated as "green" within a few hours. Indeed, many skiiers including adults never leave this stage. But upgrading the skills to intermediate level r…

Would you say knowing how to skateboard makes snowboarding easier? I'm planning on trying one of these this winter for the first time and I'm hoping some biking/skateboarding balance transfers over.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#16

Post by lui8906 »

ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

A general rule of thumb I've heard many times is:

'Skiing is easy to learn but hard to master, Snowboarding is hard to learn but easier to master'.

You're likely to fall over more learning to snowboard but will become competent and able to carve down the mountain faster.

Other elements to consider, Skiers are usually able to go faster than snowboarders down the hill. Snowboarders will have to unstrap and strap into their back binding when entering and exiting the chairlifts. Snowboarders have many more easy trick options available. I know hardly any skiers that can do any tricks, most of my competent snowboarding friends are able to at least do small jumps of sidehits (mounds of snow on the sides of the slope).

I'm a passionate snowboarder and cannot recommend the sport highly enough, there is just no feeling like riding down fresh powder snow on a cool winters morning!

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#18

Post by ovi256 »

jasode wrote: post #9
ultrasounder wrote: post #3

+1. Always wanted to learn to Ski not having been exposed to snow early on but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. Perhaps this time i can actually get some proper lessons. Timing couldn't be perfect!. Thanks.

>but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. I think the "easier" depends on the target skill level. Skiiing is easier to achieve a beginner skill level. Absolute beginners can point their toes inward and ski "pizza wedges" down easy hills rated as "green" within a few hours. Indeed, many skiiers including adults never leave this stage. But upgrading the skills to intermediate level r…

>changing the technique to shift the body weight to the edges of the skis. This shift can take weeks.

There are some ski schools that skip the "pizza wedge" technique and teach beginners directly the weight on edge parallel skis turns. They're very, very progressive independent schools usually. In the French Alps, you can ask about the ESF, which have schools everywhere, and in some (very rare) places teach like this.

That being said, in a normal 6 day ESF beginners class you would start learning parallel ski turns by day 3 if everything goes OK, after doing the usual pizza wedge the first days.

Re: Snowboarding for Geeks

#19

Post by leetrout »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #15
jasode wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but was told that Snowboarding is easier than Skiing for absolute beginners. I think the "easier" depends on the target skill level. Skiiing is easier to achieve a beginner skill level. Absolute beginners can point their toes inward and ski "pizza wedges" down easy hills rated as "green" within a few hours. Indeed, many skiiers including adults never leave this stage. But upgrading the skills to intermediate level r…

Would you say knowing how to skateboard makes snowboarding easier? I'm planning on trying one of these this winter for the first time and I'm hoping some biking/skateboarding balance transfers over.

The way you lean to carve and drive with your feet and let your body follow is very much like long boarding IMO.

I never skated on a regular board but I'd say yes you will have it easier.

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