i just had my first snowboard lesson this past weekend. by the end of the day, most of my runs were fall-free but when i did fall, man did it hurt like a mofo, moreso than when i was learning how to ski. landing on your tailbone, frontside, palms, wrists - not fun. i've got a huge bruise right above my ass-crack and my neck is soar from the whiplash i received while falling on my back.

i'm a longtime skiier and still prefer the overall control on skiis, however i'll continue to snowboard once in a while.

anyone else prefer one over the other?

Only tried snowbaording on Yail's goofy-footed board once whilst drunk, and it didn't go well. I wound up sitting on it and riding the rest of the way down the mtn.

I just got back from Breckenridge last week.

I skied two days total before then - once in 1997 at Purgatory in Colorado for one day, and once in 2005 at Liberty Mountain near Gettysburg PA. By the end of the second day, I was going down greens very easily on skis, although when I tried a harder blue I nearly died from panic as a tumbled down as slowly as I could go.

I skied the first day in Breck and was getting down blues by the end of the day, but the second day I signed up for an all-day snowboard lesson to see what it was like. By the end of that day I had the basics down and was one of the best two or three in my class at most of the exercises. The next day I went out on my own and fell down a lot initially, but toward the end of that day and the third day I was stumbling down the hardest green runs without falling (except at the top getting going and at the bottom stopping).

I may never go back to skis again. I love surfing so much - I don't know why it never occured to me to try boarding. It's so awesome

Both.

just ski, but i haven't since college.

Wife doesn't ski, mountains are over 1000 miles away, so travelling to ski (alone) is out of the question. Haven't skied since '94, which was during a bombtastic week at Heavenly/Lake Tahoe.

I've done both.

The learning curve for skiing is much steeper than for snowboarding. The average person needs about 3 days to become competent on a snowboard, while for skiing it might be closer to 3 seasons. And intermediate snowboarders at least look cooler than intermediate skiers.

But I've only met one expert skier who made the complete transition to snowboarding. By far, most skiers who are good enough to qualify as "expert" prefer skis over board - for control, thrill, and challenge. And check out the diff these days between boarders and skiers in the terrain parks - the dudes on skis are SHREDDING the boarders.

I've gone through boarder terrain parks while over 40 years old just to show those young chickenshits what AIR is.

i prefer ski's 90% of the time. IMO, so much more fun and challenging.

the one instance where a snowboard is 100% more fun than ski's is in DEEP POWDER. i'm talking the waist deep stuff. that's a lot of work on ski's (still fun, especially on fat powder ski's), but nothing like being on a board. i think that's what boards are made for.

and there's nothing i hate more than snowboarders going down the mogul runs on their heel edge shaving off all the snow.

ski

never done either.
not even once.
sledding is the closest i've come to that.

I 'board but I haven't been in a while, and yeah it hurts like shit when you fall. I broke my wrist the second time I went; the third time I went (just out of the cast) was to Blackcomb/Whistler where I took a couple of head falls that made me loopy.

I wear a helmet and wristguards now. I'm not that great but its more fun to get up and keep riding when you fall.

yeah I got wristguards for all the days I went..because I knew I would be stupid enough to put my hands out when I fell.

I'm also goofy btw

ditto if you mean literally and figuratively....

definitely both!

neither... cross country skiing for me. I tried snowboarding and was told I'd have to do it another 3-4 times to get the hang of it. It was so miserable that I vowed never to try it again. At least it's easier to get up off your ass on a snowboard. I imagine if I can't sustain vertical stature for more than a few feet on a snowboard, I'd be in dire straits on downhill skis.

only skiing. I am going up to Mt. Hood Meadows this weekend as a matter of fact.

Mostly ditto, though I have gotten re-acquainted with downhill skis again since I moved up here, and they're a shitload of fun. But veeeery different from x-country.

I ski. I never have boarded, and have little interest in trying. Too many broken-wrist stories and bruises during the learning. I did ski yesterday with another skier who had transitioned to snowboarding, while he had mastered it enough to stay upright the whole time, he was so much slower and seemingly in less control than I, and I'm by no means a fast skier, that I just did not see the attraction.

One thing though the no-poles and comfortable boots, (my present boots are the pits), is definitely a selling point.

I have just started learning to snowboard. Luckily my school (Appalachian State) offers snowboarding classes so I get a really good deal on lift tickets and rentals

do the wristguards really help? after yesterday, i'm definitely going for them and a helmet. they should make ass-pads for novice boarders.

yeah. I shattered my wrist pretty bad and have gone down since with no serious problems (did have a little swellign once but that can happen just from lifting too much--this shit wasnt good) since wearing them.

Mine are DaKine

I have the biggest problem going fast on a snowboard or skis...not because I can't handle it, but because I get scared/out of control because I'm scared. The fact that I'm slightly acrophobic doesn't help. I need to get over that fear the next time that I go...

Just keep in mind this motto: "to turn is to admit defeat."

Yeah, if you ever think "damn, im going too fast, i could really get hurt pretty bad if i fall" you'll probably fall soon after.

I grew up skiing in the east but have been snowboarding for over 10 years. since i live in utah most of the snow is as stated above and there is no doubt that snowboarding in deep powder is unfuckingbelievable. nevertheless, since i grew up skiing in the east, i have no true idea of what skiing (competently) in powder is like.