Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[freespiritbutterfly]

I really want to try and learn how to snowboard however just wondering if anyone had tried it or know peole that have to see if i would be able to i. e is it hard to do?

[Cinnamon]

My Husband goes every year or so.

He says its harder than Skiing,but the big plus is that you look a lot cooler doing it

[Couperwife]

ive done it on the wii

 

dont think thats the same though is it??

 

I really fancy it

 

mum and dad used to live in Tamworth, so I was going to get an intensive course during the summer at the Snowdome - but they ended up moving (to about 2 miles away from us ) so if I go, ill have to go to Xcape in Leeds - i think thats the closest

 

good luck - but wear padding

 

cathy

x

[Patricia W]

All my sons and a nephew have switched from ski-ing to snowboarding. Go for it

 

Tricia

[Cinnamon]

Yes, get a butt pad.

Its like a bit of foam you stuff down your trousers, & if you do go,it will be in quite hideous condition when you come home.

In fact I have told the husband never,ever to pack it in the suitcase again,but to chuck it away before he leaves

[patsylabrador]

My son loves it and is hoping to coach it when he leaves his present job. He's competed for his regiment, loves boarder cross and got knocked unconscious doing ( I don't know the correct term) the half pipe! I would suggest a trial day on an artificial slope, you can hire all the equipment. If you enjoy it I think it's quite quick to learn. Did you watch it on the Olympics? I have never been able to do any sport where my feet aren't firmly planted on the ground, I don't like slipping around or down a hill.

[docsquid]

I can both ski and board (the latter less well than skiing). I did the learn to snowboard in a day course as I was thinking of progressing up the ski instructor ladder and you have to have a second discipline to do this.

 

I would say that it is harder to learn initially than skiing, but then probably easier to get reasonably competent once you can do linked turns (heel edge to toe edge and back again) and ride switch (do the same with your less favoured leg leading). You can get about after a couple of hours good ski tuition, but probably not so well after the same amount of boarding instruction. You need to give it more than one day - I'd say you need 2 to 3 days to figure out if you are going to like it. You will also take longer to be able to get down harder slopes under control.

 

As a means of getting about a ski resort you will struggle more with moguls (bumps on the slope caused by lots of people following the same course - they always form on red and black runs and sometimes on blue runs too) with a board than with skis. You will have to do a lot more fiddling about taking off your board, adjusting the bindings, and putting it back on again than with skis. If you get stuck on a relatively flat piece of terrain you either have to take off the board and walk, or unclip one foot and shuffle, whereas on skis you can skate and pole. On the plus side, board boots are much easier to walk in than ski boots.

 

I think boards probably have a cooler image among non-snowsports people than among those who do snowsports. Both skis and boards lend themselves to tricks, but I think boards probably have the edge for freestyle.

 

On balance, if you are going to learn one discipline, I'd say learn to ski, as it has the greater potential. But if you just want to get about, and look cool, then boarding is good fun.

 

DO get bum and knee padding and DO wear wrist guards - broken wrists are very common with boarding.

[loopy]

I've done both, and think overall that snowboarding is slightly easier to learn than skiiing - at least to the stage where you can get about reasonably easily. I found skiing quite technical, whereas once you have learned linked turns on a board you can get down most stuff.

 

Although i think boarding is more fun, its a harder way to get about a mountain - whereas skiiers can normally ski from lift to lift, boarders have to stop and unclip before they get on a lift, and then clip up again at the top. And if you get stuck on flat section, you've got to get off and walk

 

Best thing to do is go and have a go at either - there both fun and not too difficult

[freespiritbutterfly]

Wow okie doke quite a lot of you have tried it then woo. I'm thinking of doing the fast track lesson things at the snowdome in Tamworth purley because my cousin who has tried it said its a very long day if you did the day one. So yeah me thinks i will defo do it just a question of when lol.

 

Thanks for all your advice.

[..lay a little egg for me]

DS (age 11) is going for a snowboard lesson at Tamworth next Saturday as his birthday treat. Will let you know how he gets on. He did skiing last year and took to it fairly easily but, sadly, has not been back to practice. Maybe snowboarding will be more successful!

[rosie]

My DD is currently in the French Alpes, working a ski season. When she went, she wanted to board rather than ski, as yes, she thought boarding was much cooler However, she quickly changed to skiing as she found it easier to improve and get around on the slopes. She nows skis up to 7 hours every day, and as she's been over there for about 4 months is getting pretty good. Now she tells me that she will move back to boarding, as she feels she has the necessary skills. She says that boarding needs loads of padding on the rear region and that she has some impressive bruises there

Docsquid gave me some excellent advice before DD went regarding her equipment etc which we both found very useful. You will probably borrow most when you start off, although DD bought her own boots and hat as I wanted her to be safe. Some of the borrowed stuff can be pretty grotty. DD gets everything as part of her wages in France, and tells me that her friend in the apartment downstairs has loaned boots so smelly that the others won't allow her to bring them inside Gross !