I’ve been skiing since I was 4 years old and still do it as often as time and conditions allow. I’ve ski instructed at some of the top ski resorts in the west, and skied at innumerable ski resorts. I remember seeing the first snowboards come on the scene and I’ve watched as they’ve gradually taken over the worlds’ ski resorts. I’m an avid skier and I hate snowboards.
Before you fly off the handle and label me an elitist pig, let me explain. When I was a ski instructor I skied ever day…it was my job. Doing something every day can lead to boredom. So, to break up the monotony on the slow days I would strap on a snowboard and do some riding. It took me exactly 2 days to become an intermediate snowboarder. It was fun and I still occasionally ride.
Okay so why do I hate snowboards? There are 5 reasons:
Reason #1
Learning to snowboard is too easy. Like I said it took me two days to become an intermediate snowboarder. The first half of the first day there was a lot of falling, but after lunch I was able to board down the green runs without too much difficulty.
By the end of the second day I could take the board down any intermediate run and could even jump fairly well. My skiing background undoubtedly helped me learn snowboarding quickly, but a rank beginner can be a decent snowboarder after a week or so.
Conversely, skiing takes some dedication. It’s harder to learn and takes more time. These sound like good reasons to snowboard rather than ski. The problem, however is that snowboarders never learn the mountain etiquette. They don’t need to spend time on the beginner’s runs and figure out how things work. Simple rules like who has the right of way, the uphill traffic or the downhill traffic, never get figured out.
Snowboarders are able to access terrain that they’re not ready for. They’ll launch off blind drops and land amongst skiers. I’ve watched in horror as a snowboarder came flying off a jump and landed on my wife’s back. Because she’s athletic and fit, she wasn’t hurt but if that had been an elderly person…? The snowboarder didn’t even stop to see if she was okay…just took off trying to escape. They didn’t.
I have witnessed multiple crashes involving clueless snowboarders. Most of the crashes happen because the boarder wasn’t following the rules of the mountain. Rules they would know if they’d had a more gradual introduction to the mountain.
Reason #2
Snowboarders destroy mogul runs. My local mountain used to have some of the best mogul runs in the west. Since snowboarders arrived moguls have disappeared. This is because snowboarders aren’t able to turn as quickly as skiers, so the moguls never get mounded up from tight skier turns.
Also, I constantly observe snowboarders side slipping down the steep runs instead of riding down them. They turn they’re boards sideways and scrape all the snow flat. They act like groomers flattening out all the moguls. They do this because they get onto a ski run they’re not ready for and instead of going elsewhere sideslip all the way down.
Reason #3
Snowboarders use up fresh powder at twice the rate skiers do. After a fresh dump of snow everyone is anxious to hit the powder. As a skier I can use up small chunks of the hill at a time. I can lay down tracks that are no wider than a few feet, then come back to the same spot and lay down another tight set of tracks next to the first set. It can take all day to use up a fresh powder dump.
Snowboarders don’t do this; instead, they lay down huge arcing turns that take up half the slope. Or they can’t do the powder justice and do the sideslip thing using up huge swaths of snow.
Reason #4
This reason isn’t true for all snowboarders but it seems pretty universal. Since a lot of snowboarders are young people they tend to cuss like sailors. I’m constantly having to cover my children’s ears so they don’t hear the awful profanity coming from the riders. I’m sure young skiers cuss too, but I don’t hear them nearly as much as I do the snowboarders. I suppose it’s all in their attitudes of being the bad boys and girls of the mountain.
Reason #5
Snowboards are too loud.There’s nothing worse than skiing down a run and hearing that awful scraping freight train noise coming up behind you. When a boarder is trying to slow down they turn sideways and start digging in their edges. It makes a ton of racket and sounds like they’re bearing down on your back…which they usually are.
I’ll probably get a ton of negativity for stating this view, however if it gets through to even one snowboarder and they start acting more appropriately…it’ll be worth it.
