to ski or snowboard, which is the easier?

[andymc]

1st time away (chamonix) this week so i am a complete novice, which of the 2 should i go for?

[The Black Flash]

I've learned both; IME snowboarding has a steeper learning curve to start with (painful, as well ), but then it's easier to progress and deal with off piste / lumpy stuff / jumps. You will have to definately want to do it though, to get through the first few days, because they are a bh.

Ski-ing is easier to get started, you'll go further and faster quicker with less frustration, but it's harder to learn off piste/jumps/general messing around.

Both are mucho fun

Boarding is cooler though

Edited by The Black Flash on Tuesday 17th February 10:18

[billybuds]

IMO I think skiing. I've been maybe 8 times. By the end of the first trip I was good enough to do the majority of novice/intermediate runs.

Last time I tried snowboarding, only just managed to make my way off the nursery slopes by the end of the week. Although, saying that, I'm off next week as well, and am having one more go at the boarding.

Have fun mate, you'll love it

[furtive]

Snowboarding is easier than skiing to get going. And you look cooler. And you don't have to walk like a robot once you take your board off

[0836whimper]

Eeek. Every opinion will be different.

For me, I found skiing easier to begin with, but snowboarding easier to get good at.
Snowboarding is easier in powder, but that won't concern you if it's your first time.
Also depends on age, gender, confidence, athleticism etc.
Making a load of assumptions, I suggest skiing.

[caterhamboy]

I've been boarding for the last 5 yrs, but 1 of the lads in our group ski's so he gave me a morning of lesson this yr and i picked it up within 2 hrs and swapped my board for his ski's all day.
I would say skiing is easier to learn.

[Salgar]

I just went skiing for my first time with 3 new boarders and I was definitely having more fun than the boarders imho. Which ever you do its definitely worth having lessons the first time you go. You'll be going much faster at the end of the week while the boarders have only just managed to not fall over every 4 minutes.

But yeah i've also heard that once you're adequate at both then progressing further on a board is easier. Either way by that time you're having fun so it doesn't matter.

[Adrian W]

andymc said:

1st time away (chamonix) this week so i am a complete novice, which of the 2 should i go for?

The only real thing they have in common is that you do them on snow, learning to ski is less painfull on your backside, Chamonix is a bit steep for bigginers, not sure if you actually go up in your first week, the bigginers slopes are at the bottom of the lifts.

[FPC]

Having tried both I would say boarding is much easier to get the hang of. It seems like a more natural motion than skiing. Powder snow skiing in particular can take years of skiing to get right. Whereas any old chav boarder can carve the powder after a coupe of days.

[maxrider]

Have done both.
Skiing is easier to master.

ETA: if you've done skateboarding with some success maybe boarding will be more your thing

Edited by maxrider on Tuesday 17th February 10:28

[Steamer]

Depends - are you an active person that likes speed, or do you like sitting on you backside watching the world fly by looking like a mobile chicane?

....also do you need the use of your wrists when you have retuned from this trip?



On a serious note, I've done both - Skied a couple of seasons, the snowboarded a couple of seasons. After a couple of years away from the slopes, I returned this year and had to make the same decision.... I decided to ski again - and loved it!

Far less pain than boarding for a start! Granted ski boots are a pain when you are not standing on your skis - but don't get conned into this 'boarders look cooler tosh'... Big leptons on skis is just as cool and the poles help you across the flat bits too

[mechsympathy]

The Black Flash said:

I've learned both; IME snowboarding has a steeper learning curve to start with (painful, as well ), but then it's easier to progress and deal with off piste / lumpy stuff / jumps. You will have to definately want to do it though, to get through the first few days, because they are a bh.

Ski-ing is easier to get started, you'll go further and faster quicker with less frustration, but it's harder to learn off piste/jumps/general messing around.

Both are mucho fun

Boarding is cooler though

Wot he sed^^

[Pork]

People told me that Snowbaording was easier. They also said that you're less likely to injure yourself boarding.

I disagree. I fell in the first ten minutes and broke my blinkin' arm! Unbelievable.

However, if you've got good balance, I think I'd do boarding. You'll have a sore bum but I reckon its great fun. Good luck.

[Dakkon]

which ever you start with first you will perceive as easier, they both have their difficult elements to master, although as an absolute beginner some ski lifts can be a real bugger if your on a board.

[disco1]

furtive said:

Snowboarding is easier than skiing to get going.

You sir have never been skiing!

Snowboarders when starting spend their whole time sat on their backsides clogging up the pistes (pet hate!!!). Skiing is much quicker to learn and develop skills. Within a week you can be flying down the blues.

[furtive]

I've just got uncoordinated legs maybe, and need them strapped to the same plank

["Torquemada"]

I'm a skier and a boarder and both have their pluses and minuses.

For those who are very image conscious, snowboarding gets you to a level where you look as if you know what you're doing a whole lot quicker. The probability of knocking yourself unconscious along the way is commensurately higher though. Snowboarding is, however, easier on the knees if you're a late starter. There's also nothing to beat the feeling of carving at high speed down a big powder field on a board.

Skiing is a massively more practical and effective way to get around the whole mountain. You'll look like a bit of a dork for a couple of years as you wobble about with a wide stance but stick with it and it's well worth the perseverance. As for the cooler thing, I kinda think it's cooler to lay first tracks down a big off-piste face on skis rather than wallowing about up to your waist while carrying a board on the approach to it and then getting sloppy seconds.

[Mr E]

My other half tried boarding from scratch a couple of years ago for a week and didn't have a great time.
She skied this year, and had much more fun. She will ski from now on I think.

Boards of glory for me though.

[parakitaMol.]

Most people I know who have done both say boarding is harder to learn.

I wouldn't know. Only ever boarded. It took me ages to get the hang of and hurt like f*ck.

Did snowdome lessons at MK before holiday so not to waste time on hol - which I am glad I did.

9 trips later I still fall over and hurt myself. Less frequently but better and faster (the falling I mean)

[RedLeicester]

FPC said:

Having tried both I would say boarding is much easier to get the hang of. It seems like a more natural motion than skiing. Powder snow skiing in particular can take years of skiing to get right. Whereas any old chav boarder can carve the powder after a coupe of days.

Therein lies the crux of the matter - snowboarding is tricky to get the hang of but easy to get "good", skiing is a little simpler to get the hang of, with less time spent on our arse, but is more tricky to to get "good"... Hence many of the instructors / guides who had embraced boarding returning now to skiing - once you've got good, unless you want to spend endless hours in snowparks, or doing mad stuff, there's little left to learn, whereas with skiing there's oodles still to try.