# Should I Continue Boarding Or Go Back To Skiing?



## Guest (Feb 19, 2010)

So, I've gone skiing and snowboarding, and I can't really decide which one I like more as they are both fun. The falling wasn't so bad for me in snowboarding (I thought that was part of the fun actually), but the things that turned me off about snowboarding are:

1. Getting off the chairlift: I don't know why its so difficult for me, but I was 0/5 when I went and it was embarrassing for me.

2. Strapping in: I am really slow with the bindings and it was a pain to have to strap in and then strap off whenever I was getting on/off the lift. Plus, traversing flat terrain is not easy and skating with one leg was not fun and I couldn't get the hang of it.

3. Heelside turns: I was able to front side easily, and I got how to heelside towards the end of my session, but I was doing it all wrong. I was putting more weight on my back foot, and apparently, you should be leaning forward when snowboarding, so I don't know what to do, and I think my instructor told me the wrong thing? When I leaned forward though, I lost balance and couldn't heelside/link anymore which is frustrating. 

Despite this, I still enjoyed snowboarding, so do you think I should continue and that these are all normal problems, or should I go back to skiing?


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## jegnorge (Feb 15, 2010)

how many times have u went boarding? after a few seasons your "problems" should disappear.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2010)

jegnorge said:


> how many times have u went boarding? after a few seasons your "problems" should disappear.


once lol (10 char)


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## sangsters (Jan 13, 2010)

1. Okay -- this sucked for me for longer than I care to admit. A few things that made things easier for me were
-- When stepping off the lift use your back arm and hold onto the lift so when you start down the off ramp you are basically starting from a standing (zero mph) situation. Remember to let go of the lift. I expect a few negative comments on this one.
-- With your foot on the stomp pad (or just up against the back binding if you have no stomp pad) drag your toe. Helps keep you moving slower, also easier to turn out and come to a stop.
-- If you are lucky enough to ride with someone who rides opposite you. (e.g. my goofy buddy would ride up on the left side of the lift and when we exited the chair we'd go back to back off of the lift).

2. I hate skating. Hate it. A well waxed base will allow you to ride for longer on terrain that you might have had to unstrap to deal with previously. Often there is a place off the lift that is "uphill" from the lift area. If you strap in there you can usually "beat the traverse" by strapping in uphill.

3. Ummm, you'll get it.

And, at the end of things, these things all disappear. And you won't even notice it. Suddenly you'll be riding.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

freerider88 said:


> So, I've gone skiing and snowboarding, and I can't really decide which one I like more as they are both fun. The falling wasn't so bad for me in snowboarding (I thought that was part of the fun actually), but the things that turned me off about snowboarding are:
> 
> 1. Getting off the chairlift: I don't know why its so difficult for me, but I was 0/5 when I went and it was embarrassing for me.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a normal beginner issue. The lift is one of the trickiest things for a beginner, don't be down on yourself for that. If it helps, drag your heel or toe off the edge of the board when getting off. When skating the board becomes easier, so will riding off the lift.

Being slow with the bindings is just because you're not used to them. 

From your post, you have toeside turns already? That's quite good for someone on their first day. As far as the heelside goes, without a video it's a bit trick to see, but instead of "leaning" try it with just adding weight to the front foot. You shouldn't have to lean very much at all and it sounds like you're leaning too far over your front foot.


Don't give up, learning is a bit tough, but once you get used to it, everything (lift, skating, bindings, turns) will be something you don't even think about.

Edit: Sangsters beat me to it.


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## Veccster (Dec 31, 2007)

Don't give up on boarding because you can't get off the lift. That's just stupid. It's not that hard and you'll figure it out. Stand by the lift long enough and you'll see a lot of people fall as they get off. Don't get embarrassed - just get up and do it again. 

I agree with holding onto the chair for a bit longer. Allow everyone else to go in front of you. Just cruise straight down and don't try to turn. If everyone is already out of your way, it's easier to go straight. 


As for strapping in...I had a friend that was TERRIBLE last year at strapping in. It literally took him about 5-8 minutes each time. It was frustrating to wait for him and I know it bothered the hell out of him. During the summer, he bought a used pair of Union bindings and his problems went away. He had no idea how much easier it was with better bindings. His old ones were just basic crap. He has been fine this season. 

That is something you can practice in your basement. Put your boots and gloves on and go at it. Strap in and out and just keep doing it. Sit, stand...try it all. 



If these are your issues with boarding, you have a lot less problems than other beginners. 
Good luck and keep at it. Don't go back to skiing. Everyone I know that ski's now wants to snowboard (or tore an MCL because their ski's crossed in an accident - won't happen on a board).


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## sangsters (Jan 13, 2010)

Veccster said:


> If these are your issues with boarding, you have a lot less problems than other beginners.
> Good luck and keep at it. Don't go back to skiing. Everyone I know that ski's now wants to snowboard (or tore an MCL because their ski's crossed in an accident - won't happen on a board).


I completely agree. Not saying you can't get righteously f-ed up snowboarding but the majority of snowboarding injuries are acute injuries (wrist fractures of course) but the chronic kind of twisting injury (ankles, knees, hips) generally don't happen.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2010)

just because something is difficult doesn't mean you should automatically quit.


snowboarding takes a ton of time and commitment, but once you get the hang of it it becomes a thrill ride.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

Strapping in is just something to get used to. You probably don't even remember it but how long did it take you to be able to zip a jacket without thinking?

1 and 3 are related. You can't turn because you aren't using your front foot like you should. Same for getting off the lift. Learning to use your front foot as the main source of control will solve both issues. Go to the bunny hill and practice riding with your back foot unstrapped. 

PS Watch Snowolf's videos in the tips section and Rick's at SnowProfessor.com -- How to snowboard


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## thugit (Sep 29, 2009)

I'm just gonna quote all of Snowolf's video's for you, or about as much as I can remember as well as what I've found that makes things easier.

When you're getting off the lift, keep one cheek on the lift, and have one hanging off with your board and shoulders pointing straight. Then, when you're actually unload, give the chair a slight push and lean forward, pretend like there is an invisible rope at the tip of your board you're trying to reach.
Jam your back foot into the inside of your binding, and just ride it out.


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## Technine Icon (Jan 15, 2009)

Don't give up. Trust me everybody goes through these problems. It'll all click soon and you'll be laughing at how you contemplated quiting


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## briangig (Nov 6, 2009)

don't be embarrassed about falling getting off the lift..i still do it if the conditions arent right, and i have friends with more experience who do it sometimes. my feeling is if someone is standing around long enough to watch and laugh at me, they shouldnt be on the hill, they should be in the lodge sipping hot cocoa.


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## Jameus (Jan 20, 2010)

Like everyone else has said... These are the steep learning curves of our awesome sport! I took my 9yo son out for the 1st time last weekend and ALL of these things came up for him too hehe. One thing I did notice he was doing getting off the lift was staying level with the horizon and not parallel with the down slope of the unloading ramp. It was almost a sure thing he'd wash out and have to get back up and move out of the way whenever he didn't lean forward. 

Another thing I noticed when he was trying to turn was too much lean! It just takes time on the slopes to get the hang of how much lean for what speed you're going. The other thing was again staying parallel to the HILL and not the horizon. Snowolf does an AMAZING job of explaining all this stuff in his videos  I watched them with my son the day before we went out last week and I think he got something from it for sure. At the very least he was able recognize the terms and SEE it in action. Props to Snowolf for those vids


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Stick with it. All of your issues are normal for first day, actually first season.

Some simple resolutions to some of your more simple problems:

Getting off the lift: Getting a stomp pad for your snowboard will help immensely. My major issue when I was learning was that I couldn't keep my loose foot on the board while getting off. And when I did manage to keep it from sliding off, I couldn't control the board. A stomp pad will resolve both of these issues. Cost? You can get one for well under $10.

Strapping in: This was never an issue for me. From the sounds of it, you are a prime candidate for Step-in bindings (not clickers) like Flows or K2 Cinches.

Stick to it man. You'll be glad you did. I swore off snowboarding my first time out only to become super obsessed with it after learning how to link turns properly.


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

freerider88 said:


> So, I've gone skiing and snowboarding, and I can't really decide which one I like more as they are both fun. The falling wasn't so bad for me in snowboarding (I thought that was part of the fun actually), but the things that turned me off about snowboarding are:
> 
> 1. Getting off the chairlift: I don't know why its so difficult for me, but I was 0/5 when I went and it was embarrassing for me.
> 
> ...


1. Getting off the lift: Do not do as previously mentioned and grab the chair. It will tend to spin you and is a dangerous tactic to use. Try these two ideas instead. Go into a learning bowl area (most mountain's have these.) you probably started of in one learning how to skate on a board. Try a few straight glides on the slight incline making sure to back your back foot up against your back binding. Each time you do this try to move the back foot onto the board faster each time. 2.) Then unstrap both feet. Try to ride the board with not being strapped in with your feet flat (you can try this with both feet between the binding and the with one foot between the binding and the other on the tail). This will not be easy intitially but will teach you how to balance on a sliding object like a board more quickly. If you feel like you are going to loose your balance bend both your knees together to lower your butt straight down toward the board and then stand back up with your legs after regaining balance. Now take it to the lift. when it is time to get off remember to look up and out to where you will be gliding and you will be fine.

2.) Strapping in will get easier the more you do the sport. When you are skating think about sinking down during your kick movement and then extending back during the end of the kick movement. Also experiment skating on both sides of the snowboard and with different kick foot positions until you find the one that is comfortable for you.

3.) It sounds like he ment to get more toward the nose of the snowboard so that you are equally on both feet. Make sure when riding that your knees are bent equally. Without seeing you i'm not exactly sure if this was the issue but it a common issue with a lot of beginners.

Things to do: watch SnoWolf's videos, very educational; take another lesson; give snowboarding at least three days this year. A lot of people typically have a break through within three days of riding. Oh and remember to breathe and relax when riding so that you are not fighting your own muscles


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

sangsters said:


> 1. Okay -- this sucked for me for longer than I care to admit. A few things that made things easier for me were
> -- When stepping off the lift use your back arm and hold onto the lift so when you start down the off ramp you are basically starting from a standing (zero mph) situation. Remember to let go of the lift. I expect a few negative comments on this one.


Because the chair is moving you are NOT starting from zero mph. You should never grab on to the chair because it is turning away from you. This can cause your to be spun around and because most off ramps slope down will cause your arm to go up and behind you putting your shoulder in a compromised position.

Better to have a flat hands to the chair and push off then to hold on.


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## fletcherhead (Dec 4, 2008)

your asking this on a snoswboarding forum. What do you expect people to say...hmmm


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

Hmm alright, I'll work on the chairlift stuff, but what about the turning? I feel like I'm doing it all wrong. First off, I feel like I put most of my weight on the back foot, which I guess is wrong (according to this site, even though my teacher told me to chill on my back foot more than the front). Also, I feel like I might be "cheating" on turns since I go front foot first, and then use the back foot for heel/toe side stuff instead of just doing both simultaneously. 

Also, what are step-in bindings? Are they a lot more expensive than clickers? Strapping in really pissed me off for some reason lol.


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## Shadowrat (Feb 8, 2010)

last year, i rode an old ass board with old ass bindings. They were the biggest PITA to strap in with. they barely fit my boots and you had to get the ladder above one piece while going under another before the ratchet would take hold. 

At the end of last year, i rented some nice boards with nice bindings. Man, what a difference modern bindings made. Flow's an K2 cinches will probably give you the most convenience, but i've found any modern binding to be extremely easy to strap in with. I can get strapped in to my 390's while standing in most circumstances.

Are you using newer bindings? i find it hard to believe that it's that hard to strap in if you are using anything made in the last 5 years. maybe your bindings are too small or adjusted wrong. what is it exactly that you find hard about strapping in? do you have to really tug the ladder to get it in the ratchet? is it just hard for you to aim the straps into the ratchet? maybe there's something wrong with your setup that's making it so hard for you to strap in.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

Shadowrat said:


> last year, i rode an old ass board with old ass bindings. They were the biggest PITA to strap in with. they barely fit my boots and you had to get the ladder above one piece while going under another before the ratchet would take hold.
> 
> At the end of last year, i rented some nice boards with nice bindings. Man, what a difference modern bindings made. Flow's an K2 cinches will probably give you the most convenience, but i've found any modern binding to be extremely easy to strap in with. I can get strapped in to my 390's while standing in most circumstances.
> 
> Are you using newer bindings? i find it hard to believe that it's that hard to strap in if you are using anything made in the last 5 years. maybe your bindings are too small or adjusted wrong. what is it exactly that you find hard about strapping in? do you have to really tug the ladder to get it in the ratchet? is it just hard for you to aim the straps into the ratchet? maybe there's something wrong with your setup that's making it so hard for you to strap in.


I was using rental bindings/boards/etc. The shoes were very uncomfortable and I remember that it was a pain to ratchet the thing up till it was tight, and I hated having to sit down and get a wet ass to do it lol. I can't really help with the type of bindings etc that they were the ratchet/clicker kind.

EDIT: Also, where can I find the instruction videos you guys are alluding to?


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## Altephor (Feb 4, 2010)

freerider88 said:


> I was using rental bindings/boards/etc. The shoes were very uncomfortable and I remember that it was a pain to ratchet the thing up till it was tight, and I hated having to sit down and get a wet ass to do it lol. I can't really help with the type of bindings etc that they were the ratchet/clicker kind.
> 
> EDIT: Also, where can I find the instruction videos you guys are alluding to?




Rental equipment sucks. I still use it, but it's such a pain because I have to essentially re-learn a new board every time. 

As far as the bindings go, eventually you will not always have to sit down to strap in. The only time I really have to sit now is if it's particularly icy and I can't get a hold while standing.

I have trouble linking turns as well. Well, actually, I can link them, but then I freak myself out from going too fast and try to slow myself and catch an edge.


By the way: Get a helmet. I learned that one the hard way last night.

Otherwise, stick with it. You've been ONCE. That's like saying, 'Shit, I couldn't play Beethoven's 5th, should I keep playing the piano?'


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## sangsters (Jan 13, 2010)

gjsnowboarder said:


> Because the chair is moving you are NOT starting from zero mph. You should never grab on to the chair because it is turning away from you. This can cause your to be spun around and because most off ramps slope down will cause your arm to go up and behind you putting your shoulder in a compromised position.
> 
> Better to have a flat hands to the chair and push off then to hold on.


I didn't think I explained that very well.

What I mean is getting the board on the off-ramp and as the lift keeps moving forward (not yet turning) using my back arm/hand as a shock absorber so I am, however briefly, not moving. And then as my arm reaches the end of its "compression" I start down the off-ramp.


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## Shadowrat (Feb 8, 2010)

freerider88 said:


> I hated having to sit down and get a wet ass to do it lol.


Lol. Get some snowpants. They keep you dry as long as you aren't sitting in a puddle.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

I just want to ask why it has to be one or the other? Once out, I doubt, is enough to know if you should throw in the towel or not. If you enjoyed them both keep doing both... sometimes you ski, sometimes you board. Your boarding will get better with experience but that doesn't mean you have to give up sking if you enjoy it.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

not sure if you know or someone has already said it but; when taking off the straps don't undue the toe strap all the way. let it out most of the way and push it forward off the toe and undue the back one and pull your boot out. Then putting them on just the opposite. you don't have to try and get your toe strap back together. Saved me time atleast.and don't have to sit down anymore. and I have only went twice snowboarding. I observe others and learn from them. Except the falling part; i do that on my own...


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

We all have off days, I'm on about 30 total days riding, and I still crash off the lift once in awhile. Did it first time off the chair yesterday lol. If you had fun, stick with it, it'll get easier with time. 

As for doing both, I dunno, I've never snow skied. I did however grow up water skiing, and switched to wakeboarding about 5 years ago. At first it was shitty and awkward, felt really weird to ride sideways. I struggled through that first season, and wasn't sure if I wanted to keep boarding. My second season, I started getting some board control and really having fun with it. I upgraded my board and bindings and that made a ton of difference. Fast forward to this season, after 5 years of not strapping on ski's I gave it a try, lmao, almost couldn't do it, felt way out of whack. Needless to say I'll probably never water ski again. IMO you should pick one and stick with it, progress and get good at it.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2010)

Well, I've decided to stick with boarding in the end. I felt a bit more of a rush when I did start linking (even though it was only 3 turns in a row lmao) than I ever did with skiing. I still got love for skiers, but I think I want to go with boarding, and I let the fact that I made a complete ass of myself my first time out cloud my judgement a bit.

Can someone please redirect me though to the instructional vids so I can start boarding properly? Even with lessons, I feel like I'm doing a lot of stuff wrong.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2010)

If you like speed and live by a big mountain, I'd pick skiing. If you live by smaller mountains, Id stick too snowboarding for freestyle. :dunno:


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2010)

YouTube - Beginner Snowboard Lesson Part One snow wolf is on youtube


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