It’s an argument that rivals the Hatfields and the McCoys, Montagues and Capulets, Cubs fans and White Sox fans, Coke vs. Pepsi… I could go on. But, what we’re talking about is a rivalry and seemingly binary choice between being a skier and a snowboarder. A
dherents to each side will give you strong arguments about why their position is by far the best and only option. You’ll find a few folks who waffle in between and just want us all to get along, but seriously, you have to pick a side. If you’re already a long-time supporter of snowboarding or skiing, we’re not going to try to change your mind. You already made the right (or wrong) decision for yourself.
But, we can try to help those newbies who have decided to jump on a chair lift and come sliding down the mountain on either one or two planks of wood to make a decision that works best for them.
So, without further ado, let’s look at some pros and cons for each of these awesome winter sports. I’ll try to be as impartial as possible, but I’m not sure how anyone could write this type of article and not have a position already staked out. See if you can figure out which camp I belong to. I flipped a coin and first up is… skiing.
Skiing
Skiing has been around since literally 3000 or 4000 BC (I’m not kidding!). There are primitive carvings from Scandinavia that depict what we could call skiing all the way back to those time periods. But, let’s move forward a bit. As a sport, skiing started gaining popularity as early as the 1700s. In the 1800s, the first known ski competitions were held. OK, so skiing clearly has an incredible history. Modern downhill skiing probably came of age in the early 1900s, eventually becoming an Olympic sport in 1936.
Pros
A natural activity – If people have been doing it since literally the beginning of human civilization, there’s a good reason. It is clearly a pretty logical and obvious means of traveling over the snow. That’s actually a pretty compelling reason for skiing being a great option.
Poles are helpful for steering – With all those years, skiing technique has obviously been perfected quite a bit. The inclusion of poles is genius. They help steer and are a HUGE benefit when you are on flat areas. Hence why cross-country skiing is a sport, as well.
A long history of product manufacturing – Again, all that time has helped the ski manufacturers develop some fantastic products. Today’s skis are worlds easier to use (turn, stop, control, etc.) than even 10 years ago.
Cons
It has a long learning curve – While most people can become competent skiers, it can take a long time. It is simply a hard skill and sport to master. You will need to spend many days on the mountain to become a good skier.
Yard Sales
When you crash while skiing, you can expect what skiers and snowboarders know as a ‘yard sale’. This means your equipment will be littered all over the mountain after you wipe out. Skis are made to come off when enough force is applied to the bindings. This is to save your knees and other joints from a major injury. Then, you can expect poles to go flying, sometimes with gloves attached and even your goggles may come off.
These are most common for skiers. Don’t think this sounds like a big deal? Try going back uphill to retrieve a pole or hike down to find your skis that have disappeared in a patch of powder.
The Boots
Oh boy, the boots. Let’s just say they aren’t comfortable. The way you need to stand to ski effectively puts your lower leg bent forward a bit, so it’s like you are in a perpetual knees forward partial squat when wearing ski boots. Yes, you can unlock them, giving you a bit more freedom, but they are still pretty restrictive. You won’t see people walking around the ski lodge wearing ski boots any longer than absolutely necessary.
Snowboarding
We can trace the invention of snowboarding to a lot more recent a time than skiing. It is believed to have originated in the U.S. and the first recognized precursor of the modern snowboard was invented in Muskegon, MI in 1965.
While snowboarding took a lot longer to arrive, it certainly caught on quickly. A study from 2017 suggested there were 14.94 million skiers in the U.S. and 7.56 million snowboarders. So, while skiing is still significantly more popular (or was in 2017), snowboarding has picked up a huge following in a comparatively short time.
Pros
A short learning curve – Unlike skiing, you can pick up snowboarding fairly quickly. Now, this is not to say it’s easy. It is just that once you wrap your brain around the basics (which can be very counterintuitive) then a lightbulb flicks on and you get batter fast. As in, you could be going down very steep, challenging terrain after 5 or so times on the snowboard if you are really pushing yourself and take at least one good lesson to start things off.
Less Equipment – Remember that yard sale I mentioned above? You don’t have as many of those on a snowboard. The board is actually attached to your feet more permanently. The bindings on most snowboards are not designed to break loose. This is OK, because since both feet are attached to it, knee injuries are less likely, even in a good wipeout. You also have no poles, so when you have a wipeout (and you will) there simply isn’t as much stuff to fly off.
The boots! – Oh boy, the snowboarding boots are like a dream when compared to ski boots. Look, you may still not want to wear them for fun, but it’s more like wearing a pair of winter boots. You can stand in them and walk fairly comfortably. This is a HUGE benefit after a long day on the board.
Cons
Navigating flat terrain – Those poles you don’t have? They would be super helpful when you are traversing a flat catwalk or trying to get around by the chair lifts. Skiers get a kick out of watching snowboards go through their awkward one-foot-out step-and-slid method of moving around on flat ground. It is super awkward, tiring, and no fun at all.
People will think you are cooler than the skiers – Wait, is that a negative? Huh. I mean that does put pressure on you to live up to being cool enough to ride a snowboard. So, that could be perceived as a negative. We’ll go with that.
Ummm, other disadvantages for snowboarding. I got nothing.
So, there you have it!
