Chit Chat

Winter Sports

So we have a week on the mountain for our honeymoon and are taking either ski or snowboarding lessons. We are both athletic and enjoy sports but haven't done snow sports.

Do you think we should take ski lessons or snowboarding lessons and why?
I heard that skiing is easier to learn, but snowboarding looks like so much fun!  FI and I are flipping back and forth on the issue. I'd love some more opinions!

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Re: Winter Sports

  • I've done both. I like skiing better. It was much easier to pick up for me. And I find that with snowboarding, you spend too much time on your butt. Also, dealing with the bindings can be a pain.
  • I found skiing easier, but I was a kid when I learned.  Picked up boarding in my late teens.  It was tricky at first cos I couldn't move my feet independently like you can on skis.  It was trickier to keep my balance in the beginning.  I think though that it's easier to get going initially on skis.  Snow plowing down the hill is a bit easier than trying to edge down on a board.  

  • I've never done snowboarding. I used to ice skate a lot and found it easy to pick up skiing because the leg movements were very similar.

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  • Husband bought me snowboard and gear for Christmas a few years ago and it was a fucking disaster. I had never done it and we got me lessons and I spent the whole day blubbering on the kiddy hill with 5 year olds. Tried two more times and never got the hang of it, haven't touched it in 3 years. And I'm athletic- I stood up my first time on a wakeboard which is not easy. Go with skis!

                                                                     

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  • Went on a ski trip - I chose skiing myself. Several people broke their arms and had HUGE bruises on their hips who tried snowboarding. Eek.

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  • Went on a ski trip - I chose skiing myself. Several people broke their arms and had HUGE bruises on their hips who tried snowboarding. Eek.
    Did you have lessons or did they just try it?

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  • I learned to ski just a few years ago and now we ski almost every weekend and I'm proficient, but I will never, ever snowboard (once was plenty). Because your boots don't pop out of the bindings when you fall, I would be terrified to break a leg. It's also a lot easier to fall backwards and hit your head. I just don't feel safe snowboarding.

    Skiing is a ton of fun and I've never felt like I miss out not snowboarding. It's also a lot easier to do ski-outs and flattish sections of a mountain on skis - I've had to watch a lot of snowboarders get stuck and have to take off their boards and walk, lol.

    I know lots of people/kids do like to snowboard, but I think the fact that you rarely see anyone past their mid-twenties doing it says something too, haha.

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  • Went on a ski trip - I chose skiing myself. Several people broke their arms and had HUGE bruises on their hips who tried snowboarding. Eek.

    Did you have lessons or did they just try it?

    We had lessons the first day, the other days on our own.

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  • Went on a ski trip - I chose skiing myself. Several people broke their arms and had HUGE bruises on their hips who tried snowboarding. Eek.
    Did you have lessons or did they just try it?
    We had lessons the first day, the other days on our own.
    If you're going to do lessons see if you can book private lessons. I took a group lesson (5 adults) and it moved way too slow for me. Half way through the day and we hadn't even gone up the hill yet because some of the people were not picking up skiing at all.

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  • Went on a ski trip - I chose skiing myself. Several people broke their arms and had HUGE bruises on their hips who tried snowboarding. Eek.
    Did you have lessons or did they just try it?
    We had lessons the first day, the other days on our own.
    If you're going to do lessons see if you can book private lessons. I took a group lesson (5 adults) and it moved way too slow for me. Half way through the day and we hadn't even gone up the hill yet because some of the people were not picking up skiing at all.


    We are investing in two days of private lessons. Just trying to figure out which sport to do. 

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  • Can you do a day of each? Honestly, two days of either one are not going to make you great at either sport. So you can try for a day and see which sport you'd like to try the next time. It took me at least 3 full days of each before I was not rage-y about it. And I'm pretty athletic. Granted, I'm a perfectionist. I learned to ski when I was 10 and didn't learn to snowboard until I was 22 so that might be a part of my following experience but I agree with PPs that skiing was easier, though, I'm not sure what impact my age had on it. I knew how to skateboard and surf well before I snowboarded and it was still really hard. Whatever you choose, have fun! and make plans for the afternoon that are relaxing!
  • I worked on a ski hill for 4 years. I recommend going with skiing. I ski as does H, he actually taught me. The time I spent attempting to snowboard I was falling on my ass most of the day. I wakeboard so I thought I would figure it out right away. Nope. Haven't touched my snowboard in years but the skis get a lot of use.

    Whatever you choose, have fun and wear a helmet! I've seen some bad things happen and I highly recommend a helmet.
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  • Start with skiing! Cross country is much more athletic although most people find it more boring, but I love it! I don't personally think it would be a good idea to learn snowboarding first. Skiing is really fun!
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  • I tried snowboarding once.  I fell and literally hit myself in the head with the board, while still attached to it.  I'm talented, I know.

    Granted, I'm clearly not the most graceful or athletic person, but I've heard skiing is easier to pick up.

  • I'm going to go with the opposite opinion here and say snowboarding. However, I've never went skiing in my life so I don't know anything about it. I knew how to surf and skateboard growing up, so maybe that's why I was more inclined to doing it over skiing?

    I can tell you I've never felt as sore in my life as the second day after  my first lesson though. I could barely roll out of bed. In the long run, I loved it!


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  • I'm going to say skiing just because I've never snowboarded and know that skiing was pretty easy to pick up.

    I do want to try snowboarding because I love to wakeboard and that only took me one try.

  • I know I'm not answering your question but I honestly think you should try both.  Maybe one of you will love skiing and the other will love snowboarding. 

    My sister and I took a snowboarding lesson when we were teenagers, both of us had been skiing for years.  I hated it because I was really bad and stuck on the bunny slopes - she loved it.

    I think it's tough to predict what you're going to like best and what you're going to be naturally good at.  You could try half a day of one lesson, half a day the other and spend the second day with the one you like the most.


  • OMG snowboarding is so hard for me.  I surf, so not beign able to move my feet when I feel off balanced because they are attached to the board makes me face plant SO hard.

    That said, curling is my favorite winter sport ever.
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  • I have heard skiing is easier to learn than snowboarding. Many people dislike that their feet are "stuck" together while boarding.

    I am a skier and learned young. You may find that "easier vs. harder" is relative--some people really struggle to learn how to ski as adults; others pick it up fine. My best advice is to not take yourself too seriously while learning, and not to be hard on yourself if it turns out you just aren't enjoying it. Give yourself permission to go snow tubing or cross-country skiing if that's the case. 

    Have so much fun! I love being in the mountains in winter.
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  • The main thing with snowboarding is to not point yourself down the hill like you're a professional trying to beat a world record. You need to start off zig-zagging down the hill. You'll get less momentum and then when you inevitably fall, you will not wreck your shit as badly.

    Same thing with skiing.

    Source: 4 years of working at a small ski place and teaching people how to do both during my lunch breaks on the graveyard shift.
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  • @beethery teach me!!! My instructor was a stoned dude who just kept saying "yea you're great at this" and I'm like clearly I'm not if I have yet to make myself stop! I either get to the bottom of the bunny hill still going full speed or a wipe on on my ass. I need a girl teacher!

                                                                     

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  • jenna8984 said:
    @beethery teach me!!! My instructor was a stoned dude who just kept saying "yea you're great at this" and I'm like clearly I'm not if I have yet to make myself stop! I either get to the bottom of the bunny hill still going full speed or a wipe on on my ass. I need a girl teacher!
    oooh child lol

    I'm not good at snowboarding, I must admit. I can only heelside it back and forth down the hills and it's been a while, but I can at least get people going with that. I taught my cousin that way and she eventually was able to start toesiding and can rip it down the hill like you wouldn't believe.

    Come up to Crotched Mountain (yes that's the real name) sometime and I'll teach y'all how to do the winter shit. Winter TK GTG.
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  • I prefer skiing.  I tried snowboarding once and after one last huge fall on my butt where I bounced half way down the mountain (led to tears since it hurt like hell) I decided that skiing was good for me. Skiing is also a lot easier to pick up then snowboarding.

    My H skied for years and then one day he decided to give snowboarding a try.  I think it took him a good 5 days out of his 7 day vacation to figure it out, but now he loves it.  I really wish I could like snowboarding but falling on my ass and knees/hands over and over again just doesn't make it worth it.

  • This whole discussion reminded me that FI and I are taking one of my best friends skiing for the first time ever this weekend and I am so excited.

    He is a great teacher - when he decided to teach me everyone from my parents to the guy at the rental shop told us it was a bad idea and would probably result in a breakup, but he was so patient and awesome and pushed me just hard enough - so I'm sure she'll be okay, but it is definitely going to be interesting because she is the world's biggest indoor girl. WAY more into the mall than the mountains.

    We're only taking her to a local hill, not out to the mountains, so I hope it's not too intimidating for her. FI took me out for the first time out there and actually made me skip the bunny hill completely though. He just put me on the chairlift and made me learn at the top of a regular green run, but if he does that to her she might freak out. I hope not, because I love skiing and I want her to be able to come on ski weekends with us, but I know it's not for everyone, especially up here in the northern Rockies where we ski some pretty brutal (weatherwise) conditions (but incredible actually ski-wise.) 

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  • amelisha said:
    This whole discussion reminded me that FI and I are taking one of my best friends skiing for the first time ever this weekend and I am so excited.

    He is a great teacher - when he decided to teach me everyone from my parents to the guy at the rental shop told us it was a bad idea and would probably result in a breakup, but he was so patient and awesome and pushed me just hard enough - so I'm sure she'll be okay, but it is definitely going to be interesting because she is the world's biggest indoor girl. WAY more into the mall than the mountains.

    We're only taking her to a local hill, not out to the mountains, so I hope it's not too intimidating for her. FI took me out for the first time out there and actually made me skip the bunny hill completely though. He just put me on the chairlift and made me learn at the top of a regular green run, but if he does that to her she might freak out. I hope not, because I love skiing and I want her to be able to come on ski weekends with us, but I know it's not for everyone, especially up here in the northern Rockies where we ski some pretty brutal (weatherwise) conditions (but incredible actually ski-wise.) 
    Hahaha, re: the bolded: it was when my father tried to teach my mother to ski that they realized their marriage would last only if they paid professionals to teach physical skills. :) Glad you had a different experience! (Funnily, my dad is a GREAT coach and teacher...just not when it comes to his wife!).
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  • amelisha said:
    This whole discussion reminded me that FI and I are taking one of my best friends skiing for the first time ever this weekend and I am so excited.

    He is a great teacher - when he decided to teach me everyone from my parents to the guy at the rental shop told us it was a bad idea and would probably result in a breakup
    Hahaha, re: the bolded: it was when my father tried to teach my mother to ski that they realized their marriage would last only if they paid professionals to teach physical skills. :) Glad you had a different experience! (Funnily, my dad is a GREAT coach and teacher...just not when it comes to his wife!).
    Apparently teaching skiing is well-known to ruin relationships. Actually, one of the mountain resorts we frequent ran an ad campaign last year with a "save your relationship, buy your SO ski lessons"  message, even. Pretty funny.

    I recommend lessons to everyone over their SO teaching them, even, because I know my experience was not typical. FI just has a gift at keeping his cool when his idiot fiancee is parked at the top of her first black diamond run, screaming "I can't do it! I'm taking my skis off! I'm snowplowing! I'm going down on my butt! It's totally straight down, are you insane?!!! I can't see! It's a blizzard! There's too much powder!" 

    I only got mad at him once, when he turned around to see how I was doing and slowed down was faster than I expected and out-of-control me went flying an inch past him and promptly caught my pole underneath one ski and bent the pole, wrenched my knee, and lost both skis halfway down the mountain. But after I got all the snow out from inside my ski pants I realized it wasn't his fault. it was mine for skiing like a maniac.

    My parents nearly broke up over dance lessons during their engagement, too, on a similar note.

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  • amelisha said:
    This whole discussion reminded me that FI and I are taking one of my best friends skiing for the first time ever this weekend and I am so excited.

    He is a great teacher - when he decided to teach me everyone from my parents to the guy at the rental shop told us it was a bad idea and would probably result in a breakup, but he was so patient and awesome and pushed me just hard enough - so I'm sure she'll be okay, but it is definitely going to be interesting because she is the world's biggest indoor girl. WAY more into the mall than the mountains.

    We're only taking her to a local hill, not out to the mountains, so I hope it's not too intimidating for her. FI took me out for the first time out there and actually made me skip the bunny hill completely though. He just put me on the chairlift and made me learn at the top of a regular green run, but if he does that to her she might freak out. I hope not, because I love skiing and I want her to be able to come on ski weekends with us, but I know it's not for everyone, especially up here in the northern Rockies where we ski some pretty brutal (weatherwise) conditions (but incredible actually ski-wise.) 
    Hahaha, re: the bolded: it was when my father tried to teach my mother to ski that they realized their marriage would last only if they paid professionals to teach physical skills. :) Glad you had a different experience! (Funnily, my dad is a GREAT coach and teacher...just not when it comes to his wife!).
    Nothing burned my ass more than when this one group came into rental one night at about 11. It was all guys in their late teens, and one girl. The girl rented a snowboard and boots, and they all went about their business. It was the Midnight Madness weekend setup, and we were open until 3am.

    Well, about an hour and a half later the girl comes back into rental by herself. She's been crying, and she wants to turn her board in.

    I asked her what was going on, and she bursts into tears. Her boyfriend and all his friends brought her up to the top of the mountain, gave her shit for taking so long to fasten her snowboard bindings, and then told her the best way to learn was to go up to the top of the mountain and figure it out. Mind you, this girl had never skied or snowboarded, EVER. She busted her ass, they laughed at her, and then ALL OF THEM TOOK OFF AND LEFT HER THERE BY HERSELF.

    She sat up there for a while, tried to snowboard down, and finally just took the board off and walked down the hill.

    I set her up with skis, boots, and poles, radio'd the lift guys to get the bunny hill conveyor belt lift (the best kind, don't fuck with that J bar shit if you're not familiar with boarding or skiing) running, and then we went out there and I taught her to ski over my lunch break. She picked it up very quickly, and went on from there.

    She ended up coming back right at close with her boyfriend so she could drop her stuff off. She tore her boyfriend a new one in rental, which was wrapped up with applause from me and the two other guys who were working there with me. I hope she dumped his ass when they got home.
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  • @beethery, that is freaking terrible. But it doesn't surprise me that much, sadly. I've seen a lot of kids act like the most incredible jerks on the mountain to their friends.

    One of my exes (3.5 years) refused to let me come with him skiing ever because he didn't want to have to help me. I offered to get lessons but he still refused because he thought even having me there sucking with someone else teaching me would somehow ruin his time. It probably should have  been a sign that guy was not nice...

    I do think, though, that sometimes going up to the top IS the best way. If FI had let me on the bunny hill with the magic carpet I would have learned way more slowly and been scared of normal runs much longer. But I need to be pushed pretty had out of my comfort zone before I'll actually learn anything, and FI knew I'd be content to hang out with the three year olds forever if he let me, so he just skipped it and taught me on an ordinary green run from the top of a chairlift.


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