Lessons

I am booking my first boarding holiday lessons. About 80% of the brochures only offer learn to board for 3 days (6 for skiing.

Why is this? Is it easier to board than ski? Will I be standing around like an idiot after just 3 days not able to do anything?

Should I go to a resort where they offer 5 or 6 days instead?

I think the best way to go is check out the local schools on the web. They'll be cheaper and you can usually get feed back on the quality of the school on sites like this.

Three days should give you a basic grounding but it won't mean you'll be ready to drop down a 60 degree vert.

Just remember that even seasoned skiers and boarders still go for lessons once in a while as a refresher and/or to learn new skills.

Iceman,

You ask a sensible question and I will almost certainly get shot down in flames for my answer but ... :wink:

At beginner level, boarding is much faster to learn than skiing. Perhaps this is because there is a reduced need for independent leg action compared to skiing.

I personally think that boarding is so popular with younger people because it takes less effort to learn.

Speaking from my own experience, I have only been boarding for about 2 years but (and please don’t try this at home) I just went to the rental shop, hired a novice board, took a lift to the top of one of the beginners slopes and set off. About an hour later I was confidently carving on the toe and heel edge. I jumped into the gondola and went to ski the hill. By the end of the day I had successfully negotiated reds and blacks without too much bother. Funnily enough the thing I found hardest was a straight run back to the village on a very slightly off camber run. I bailed about 3 times … It’s probably worth noting that I’ve been skiing for over 30 yrs and suspect that this helped me understand lots of the dynamic issues I faced when standing on the board for the first time (oh and in the 70’s I was a demon on the skateboard!).

It would be almost impossible to test, but I would be fascinated to see how quickly a really experienced snowboarder who had never skied could pick up enough ski ability to ski like a good intermediate!

I should say I have no agenda when it comes to ski v board and make the above observations simply because it’s interesting to do so.

I hope you have a great holiday and that you’ll come back and let us know how you found your experience.

Happy boarding,

Jan (or should that be Maverick - doh :oops: shows age again!)

In January I'm on holiday as part of a group of 11 - three of us will be skiing the rest will be boarding.

One of them will be boarding for the first time although in the past she has worked as a ski rep and can ski quite well.

I'll see how she get's on with the lessons before I tell her of a man I know called Jan who tought himself to board in just one day ). I could see that one going either way!

ellistine,

Don't do it chap, she won't be happy whatever you say (SNAFU) :-o Just say she did great, must have a natural talent and maybe now's a good time for a small glass of the local tincture ) and for goodness sake keep me out of it !!

Jan

We're actually planning on a bit of a sweepstake. Although she claims to be 100% committed to learning to snowboard with her Fiancee she is also bringing her ski boots - Perhaps she just likes lots of luggage?

I reckon day 3 she'll be back on the twin planks.

I did the same thing as Jan when I learned to ski. Bought some skis on ebay, went up the beginner lift and set off. learned to hockey stop for first third of the run, parallel turned for the next third and carved railway tracks in the snow for the last third.
It helped that I inline skate, but the concepts were the same as snowboarding. For me, it seemed skiing was a lot easier than snowboarding.

If you understand skiing, you'll be way ahead of the game. Edging will take on more importance because the punishment for catching an edge is more sudden. Shifting weight forward and aft is much easier. Having said that, if you don't bend your knees on skis, you Probably won't on a snowboard.

Anyway good luck.

Trencher

Jan I Stenmark wrote:
It would be almost impossible to test, but I would be fascinated to see how quickly a really experienced snowboarder who had never skied could pick up enough ski ability to ski like a good intermediate!

To expand on my post above, I should also say that I alpine snowboard, so my understanding of the concepts required to carve are better than the average snowboarder. Carving on skis is very similar to heel side turns on an alpine board (see avatar). It has taken a long time to do anything else but carve on skis. So though I can carve better than 99% of skiers, I look pathetic on skis in powder or moguls :oops:, . Powder is for boards anyway ).

Trencher