The difference between skiers and snowboarders

[Dan]

My wife is a strong skier with a few seasons of ski-bumming under her belt, and she works with a guy who's a once-a-year (or less) snowboarder. She picked up ski carving after seeing some alpine snowboarding, and now, on the right pitch, can carve low enough to get a hand on the snow.

Her co-worker likes to think he knows it all, and today he decided to share his insight on the difference between skiers and snowboarders. Too good not to share with the collective.

[quoting my wife's e-mail]

"He told me that what skiers really want to be able to do is "ski down the hill with minimal turns" and that snowboarders need to make big, wide turns. This difference makes skiers mad and they then "buzz the snowboarder" as they race down the mountain. He then told me that it's impossible for snowboarders to turn on a dime and skiers are more dangerous because they go so much faster and don't make any turns. Oh, I see. I've been skiing wrong all these years. What I really should be doing is straight lining it down the mountain. Why was I wasting all that time learning to carve? Thanks! Now I know how to ski."

I told her that she should offer to take him up with us so we could show him he was getting it wrong, but she's and wants nothing to do with him.

[davekempmeister]

I might have met that guy at Loveland in April! Twice in the space of an hour a straightliner buzzed me while he was passing at some ridiculous speed. He waited near the lift to instruct me that my head was capable of turning, and so, I should have seen him coming and made more space. Unbelievable. I was so annoyed that I wanted to retaliate but resisted the urge because later I'd regret spending any of my time or energy like that when I could be doing more laps at Loveland.

[b0ardski]

... you mean there's a difference??

I guess 2 plankers nearly take me out a little more often than non-turning 1 plankers:smashfrea

Oh ya, I don't usually have to weave around crowds of skiers sitting across the run at the top of the lift.

[patmoore]

I'm so conflicted I don't know how to respond!

What about those of us who do both?

[shawndoggy]

skiers are the ones who can go uphill without removing equipment and without postholing a a traverse.

snowboarders are the ones who can effortlessly float pow while the skiers work at it.

[pokkis]

Skiers are one with poles :)

[b0ardski]

Skiers are one with poles :)

not always

[b0ardski]

skiers are the ones who can go uphill without removing equipment and without postholing a a traverse.

snowboarders are the ones who can effortlessly float pow while the skiers work at it.

Guess you haven't seen all 120+ waisted pow skis in the buyers guide yet, there's even a pair of Skilogic at 191x 167/143/160:eek:

A powder skwal for each foot, with the float of Robinson's cutom 28 wide Donek:biggthump

[kieran]

with the float of Robinson's cutom 28 wide Donek:biggthump

float seems an inadequate term, but i want to know who made the boots.

[LeeW]

Seriously, that straight liner is an accident waiting to happen. Good thing I'm deaf and I do -both-, skiing and hardbooting. Tho, I predominantly do skiing these days. I'm burnt out from hardbooting, and I'd love to let that straight liner give me a lecture for a very long time. And then at the end, I'd point to my ear and shake my head to tell him universally I'm deaf that I didn't hear his s--t talking and go on joining the other hardbooters. muwa hahahaahahhaha