# Advice - Want to switch over from skiing (twin tipper)



## Smasher (Jan 4, 2012)

Ill start off by saying this, this my first post!

Ive been skiing all my life, so has my dad, sister, and grandpa. For my grandpa, skiings more than a hobby, its a way of life, so naturally my dad was brought into it, and eventually me. I have stopped skiig completely almost, i used to race as a kid, and was actually very fast. Eventually, skiing lost its magic and i started freeriding, and moved on to twintips which i have now outgrown. I LOVE trails, and jumps and boxes even more, but for some reason skiing doesnt fulfill me anymore, probably because im used to bigger thrills, also a motocross racer class B on a 125. I love parks, and without skiis ive ALWAYS been interested in trying boarding, many of my friends do it, and it seems like a good challenge. My grandpas heart would probably drop when he hears i wan a board, he is a racer in the Ontario nationals and used to race for team Slovenia back in his day. Racing bores me, freestyle has my heart. Any tips you guys have for helping me talk to my parents about it? Im sure my mom will be very supportive, not as much my father. I was planning on explaining to them the fact that skiing just isnt the same, and im interested to try something new. Renting a board to begin? Im expecting me to be on my ASS the first few trips down, but hopefully enough trips to learn my lesson and get better, my goal would be to be in the parks next winter, which probably wont be easy. Im 5'9, 15, 15lbs, me and my friend were chatting and he suggested a crappy stick with decent bindings should be good enough for begginer, and later get a better board. Probably because bindings keep you tight and in control of yourself? 

Thanks in advance, and any board/bindings/boots together that would come in around $300 be okay to go with, if i do get hooked on boarding?

Happy shredding!


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## Milo303 (Apr 6, 2009)

Why would you get into boarding if you can kill it on two sticks?

Makes no sense to me......

I know skiiers who KILL it


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

I used to ski too, it will give you an advantage and you will not be afraid of speed or how steep a run is. 
Have fun! Learning is one of the best and most satisfying parts. Don't spend too much on a setup, spend your money on getting to the snow and riding time. Gear is not important when you learn, and later you will appreciate a "good" board when you have enough experience to take advantage of it.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Smasher said:


> Ill start off by saying this, this my first post!
> 
> Ive been skiing all my life, so has my dad, sister, and grandpa. For my grandpa, skiings more than a hobby, its a way of life, so naturally my dad was brought into it, and eventually me. I have stopped skiig completely almost, i used to race as a kid, and was actually very fast. Eventually, skiing lost its magic and i started freeriding, and moved on to twintips which i have now outgrown. I LOVE trails, and jumps and boxes even more, but for some reason skiing doesnt fulfill me anymore, probably because im used to bigger thrills, also a motocross racer class B on a 125. I love parks, and without skiis ive ALWAYS been interested in trying boarding, many of my friends do it, and *it seems like a good challenge.* My grandpas heart would probably drop when he hears i wan a board, he is a racer in the Ontario nationals and used to race for team Slovenia back in his day. Racing bores me, freestyle has my heart. Any tips you guys have for helping me talk to my parents about it? Im sure my mom will be very supportive, not as much my father. I was planning on explaining to them the fact that skiing just isnt the same, and im interested to *try something new.* Renting a board to begin? Im expecting me to be on my ASS the first few trips down, but hopefully enough trips to learn my lesson and get better, my goal would be to be in the parks next winter, which probably wont be easy. Im 5'9, 15, 15lbs, me and my friend were chatting and he suggested a crappy stick with decent bindings should be good enough for begginer, and later get a better board. Probably because bindings keep you tight and in control of yourself?
> 
> ...


Hi, maybe focus more on the things (highlighted) you mentioned above? If your family has a lifestyle of skiing, my advice would be to NOT mention how you (now) feel about skiing in your conversation with them, but share your enthusiasm about trying another challenge. That way they might not take it personally. 

Welcome and good luck!

Also, you're missing a digit in your weight stat.


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## Smasher (Jan 4, 2012)

Milo303 said:


> Why would you get into boarding if you can kill it on two sticks?
> 
> Makes no sense to me......
> 
> I know skiiers who KILL it


Why wouldn't you? I've always been interested in trying out boarding, I wouldn't quit TT'ing all together. Getting a board and going out has always been a dream of mine, do not ask me why, One of my plans i was taking into consideration was to get a board, and use it to learn this season and because i already know skiing (second nature for me at this point) get a nice new good pair of sticks next season, along with some boots. Who wouldn't want to be able to rip on both? Board one day, TT the other, what more could I ask for...?


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## Milo303 (Apr 6, 2009)

Right on, to each their own

I just don't get it because I would never in a million years want to learn to ski

Just so happens I picked up boarding instead of skiing. If I skied first, I doubt I'd be into boarding but who knows.


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## bobthegood (Sep 14, 2011)

Like Kirkrider, I skied for many years b4 learning how to ride. I switched because the local ski areas no longer had much of a draw for me, and I wanted to take on the challenge of learning something new. Got hooked - and riding got me back to playing in the snow. You’re not giving up on snow sports; you’re expanding your skills. Maybe your Dad might want to take on a new challenge as well. I learned how to ride with a daughter. Good Luck......


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I switched from skiing to boarding when I was 11... Best thing I ever did. No offence to skiers but snowboarding is WAY more visceral for me. I would rather carve on a board, something about it is just more focused. It is certainly more challenging in rough terrain, glades, steep chutes etc.

I took three lessons though my school including a rented board to start. I've helped a lot of people get into the sport since then (I'm 30 now) and I suggest the same thing to all people. Rent to start, try to get a mid-range rental board and if you can ride the same one for a few days, do it. The first few days are all about being on your knees and ass. The sooner you get the fact that you HAVE to keep your edge up, the better, and learning on one board is better than constantly changing.

When you go to buy a first board, spend the money on boots that fit and are comfortable. They need to be fairly snug. Most people ride with boots that are far too big and their heel moves around. They actually should feel about 75% as supportive as ski boots.

Then I would suggest getting a decent 2-3 year old used board. There will be a lot of different schools of though on camber vs. rocker vs. all the different base profiles now. I just taught my girlfriend and she's on a standard camber board. Call me old fashioned but I think skill keeps you off your ass, not changing the profile of the board to make it "easier".  I'm going to get flamed for that.

Also when you start, the bunny hills are basically useless. Unlike skis you can't just stand there and go down the hill, you'll rotate, catch an edge, and fall. A very tame, wide open blue would be what I suggest. You start by having the board perpendicular to the hill, you sitting on your butt facing straight down. Step one is to stand up and lower your toes enough that you slide forward down the hill. This is a heel slide and is the building block of all of snowboarding. Then you move on to a toe slide, falling leaf, linked toe and heel slides (basic turns), then beginner slider turns, advanced slider turns, and finally carving.

I strongly suggest giving it a try. Most hills in Ontario (I take it that's where you're from?) have a learn to board package for $30 with beginner lift ticket, lesson, and rental. Blue Mountain has a decent learning area with enough pitch to actually allow you to heel slide unlike some of the smaller hills in Ontario. I honestly think you'll get hooked! I was a crazy skier, jumping all over the place, bombing, just generally being as much of a hooligan as I could be when I was 10/11 but I got bored. I have NEVER been bored on a snowboard. You'll find me riding through the trees now on a cold day, carving hard on fresh groomed mornings, dropping off little rock cliffs into powder. I've got to the car at the end of the day and could barely walk once I took my board off, but on the hill I felt like gold. That's just my take on snowboarding...


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

poutanen said:


> I switched from skiing to boarding when I was 11... Best thing I ever did. No offence to skiers but snowboarding is WAY more visceral for me. I would rather carve on a board, something about it is just more focused. It is certainly more challenging in rough terrain, glades, steep chutes etc.
> 
> I took three lessons though my school including a rented board to start. I've helped a lot of people get into the sport since then (I'm 30 now) and I suggest the same thing to all people. Rent to start, try to get a mid-range rental board and if you can ride the same one for a few days, do it. The first few days are all about being on your knees and ass. The sooner you get the fact that you HAVE to keep your edge up, the better, and learning on one board is better than constantly changing.
> 
> ...



I agree with most of this. I skiied (or is it skied?) from 3 years old until about 16 years old, started boarding when I was like 12 (so I did both for about 4 years) and after 16, I haven't skiied again since. I was pretty damn good on skis if I do say so myself.. not in a freestyle type of way though, more of a hard charging, there are no runs I won't do type of way. With that said... once I learned how to carve on a board... that feeling was infinitely better than any feeling I got with skis. Especially powder... for me, its like riding a damn surfboard or something when you ride good, soft powder. 

As far as how to learn... I've taught like 20+ people as when I was 12 or whatever when I started, I didn't know a single person who had ever even snowboarded. I taught myself and the way I taught everyone else (most of my buddies, my dad, cousins, etc.) was pretty simple. First, learn how to do the falling leaf technique using your heelside (so you're facing down the mountain). Go left to right across the hill (and obviously vice versa) but always stay on your heel edge. Make sure to always keep your downhill-facing edge out of the snow. If you start to see snow shaving up in front of you and landing on your board... get ready, you're about to slam your teeth into the snow. After a few runs of that and getting comfortable on your heel, start doing the same thing but on your toeside the entire run. After getting comfortable with that... start mixing them together. Start on your heelside and go from left to right and then stop. From there, transfer to your toeside and go back across the run from right to left, and then stop. Do this a few times and each time make the "stop" in between transfer quicker and quicker until you are just making smooth turns. 

At least thats how I taught everybody, and most of them are pretty good riders now.


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## ChristinaAK36 (Oct 26, 2011)

KIRKRIDER said:


> I used to ski too, it will give you an advantage and you will not be afraid of speed or how steep a run is.
> Have fun! Learning is one of the best and most satisfying parts. Don't spend too much on a setup, spend your money on getting to the snow and riding time. Gear is not important when you learn, and later you will appreciate a "good" board when you have enough experience to take advantage of it.


+1. once you know you're in (which you will) ... then look at getting a setup for the following season.


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## marcdeo (Aug 8, 2011)

Smasher said:


> *Any tips you guys have for helping me talk to my parents about it? Im sure my mom will be very supportive, not as much my father*. QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Soooooo, lemme get this straight. You're asking advice on how to tell your family you wanna try snowboarding? THAT'S you're big dilemma? Shit bro, life gets alot harder than that. If that is what you consider a problem, just QUIT while you're ahead. (On life I mean, not snowboarding)
> ...


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## ChristinaAK36 (Oct 26, 2011)

Milo303 said:


> Right on, to each their own
> 
> I just don't get it because I would never in a million years want to learn to ski
> 
> Just so happens I picked up boarding instead of skiing. If I skied first, I doubt I'd be into boarding but who knows.


I was conned into skiing ONE time.. in Utah.. I had never been boarding or skiing and everyone said "Oh well Skiing will be better to learn" ... turns out I ended up with a shoulder injury that I'm still dealing with 3 years later.. and I picked up boarding and fell in love. Go figure... you damn skiers trying to con us into things!


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