For the first two days, skiing is easier than snowboarding. Skiing is more intuitive for beginners than snowboarding, for two main reasons:
Snowboarding is all about getting over the edge – both heel and toe edges. That’s the hardest part. But once you’ve mastered that, you’ve got the fundamental technique of the sport. That’ll take you to an impressive level quickly, especially if you’re daring.
When it comes to skiing, the beginner’s technique is broken down into a modular approach, but to perfect it, you must become extremely technical.
Find out how to ski better.
For the first two days, skiing is easier than snowboarding. Skiing just makes more sense for newbies than snowboarding, and for two main reasons:
Separation: When you’re skiing, your legs stay apart and, if you start to lose your balance, you can throw one leg out to help you rebalance. Snowboarding, on the other hand, requires your feet to be attached to the board, which can feel strange and restrictive at first – it can take a while to get used to. If you start to fall, you’re going to fall and get hit.
Body position: Skiing is done with a straight and direct stance; the beginner skier has full peripheral vision and can see exactly where they are going and everything in front of them, including other people and objects. On the other hand, snowboarding positions are turned sideways and so the beginner has less peripheral vision, seeing only about 50% of what’s in front of them as they travel down the slopes. This can also take some getting used to.
Snowboard Techniques
Once you have got past these two hurdles, which are mostly psychological, you should be able to get to grips with snowboarding quite quickly. At first, fixing the feet on the snowboard can feel awkward, but it becomes easier. Skiers find that crossing the skis can become a problem, and keeping them apart is a skill in itself.
Beginner snowboarders with a monoski don’t need to worry about this. Once you have learned how to turn by turning your shoulders (which makes your hips, ankles and feet turn too), you can start to ride down the slopes. The next step is to work on improving balance and increasing speed. And going faster makes turning easier because there’s less contact between the board and the snow, which makes it easier to turn.
Most people who are new to snowboarding can learn how to go downhill and make simple turns in a week or two. Then, you’ll learn to pick up speed, make delicate turns and take your riding to the next level on the slopes, in the park (and in the backcountry).
Ski Techniques
But for skiers, it will take more than a couple of days to get to that point. It will likely take longer than it would for snowboarders to get to that basic level of skill. Having two separate skis on two separate legs, which at first seems like a good idea, can become a problem. Moving both legs at the same time, in a balanced way, takes some time to learn.
Beginner skiers start with a snowplow (also known as a pizza) – which joins the tips of the skis, the tails of the skis – and straight skis (also known as French fries) on a nursery slope. This helps beginners get used to travelling straight down the slopes at speed. The next step is the snowplow turn, which uses the same technique as before to get skiers to move a ski outwards so that a turn can be completed in the opposite direction.
Beginner skiers usually get better quickly, often managing snowplow turns by the end of the first week. This is unlike snowboarders, who tend to make faster progress. But, even though it gets harder and more technical, when skiers start racing blue and red, they’ll find a sport that keeps on testing their skills and technique. And although mastery is difficult, it is very rewarding because of how hard it is to achieve.
Want to learn to ski? Start by warming up…
If you want to be a good skier or snowboarder, you need to be in good shape. Skiing is a bit more demanding on the legs and thighs, while snowboarding tends to need more core strength because you use your upper body more when turning and balancing. Here are some recommended exercises for you to try if you’re doing one or the other. But remember, doing both will help you develop your general fitness.
CYCLING:
Cycling is a great option, especially for skiers, as it strengthens the legs but has less impact than running on knees and joints. Exercises to strengthen your legs will also help.
STRENGTHENING:
Core strengthening exercises, especially for the ab and lower back, will improve your overall fitness, balance and injury prevention. They’re especially useful for snowboarders. There are some great examples of core-strengthening exercises, from simple push-ups to Pilates, but paddleboarding is another popular sport (on a board) that offers a great basic workout when the season’s not busy.
Something else to bear in mind is that beginners tend to fall over more and more when they’re snowboarding. So, if you’re a bit younger or in good physical shape, learning to snowboard can be kinder to your body.
An addiction to the good
For a lot of people, snow sports are pretty addictive. A skier or snowboarder looks forward to a snow vacation in the mountains just as much as a beach bum looks forward to a summer vacation by the sea. And whatever you choose to do, if you get past the beginner stage and take a keen interest, it’s quite likely that the sport will become a central part of your life. You’ll want to carry on and become an expert.
This addiction is different to the others because it’s not too bad. You’re exercising in the mountains and having a great time. Skiing and snowboarding are both great socially, with the apres scene being a big part of both sports, so you’ll make lots of friends along the way.