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downhill




-Noah

Skiing is far better.

Plus, snowboarders are the assholes of the slopes. They have no respect for anyone around them. Screw 'em.

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:Skiing is far better.

Plus, snowboarders are the assholes of the slopes. They have no respect for anyone around them. Screw 'em.

First off...snowboarding is officially Not Crap:
http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3618

As an avid snowboarder, I have to say I agree with you, and it disappoints me terribly to see idiot snowboarders on the slopes.

It's a wide-berth generalisation to say that we're all assholes, since myself and my wife pride ourselves on being neighbourly boarders, and all of our boarding friends are too. That said, we're all in our late 20's or early 30's, and I've noticed that the majority of asshole boarders are also asshole teenagers.

I don't know if it's because of the "we've been on the mountain for decades more than you" mentality, but we've been subject to some nasty skier asshole behaviour too. This happened a lot during our first season -- we would regularly have skiers notice our shakiness and fly out right in front of us and make us brake hard (which, as a beginner boarder, generally makes you fall) and then ski off laughing. This happened at least 4 times in one day in Vermont.

However, I can't vote for anything other than boarding because after the pain of becoming proficient at boarding, I don't want to become a beginner again. As such, I've never put skis on my feet, and probably never will.

Boarding it is!

CRAP. I dont liike anything where my feet are moving faster than the rest of me.

endofanera wrote:CRAP. I dont liike anything where my feet are moving faster than the rest of me.

I don't understand. They're not.

Snowboarding by far.

I never tried skiing, but when I lived in Utah, snowboarding was something that kept me sane in the winter.

To me, it just seems so much more natural athletically if that makes any sense. It's more fluid. Plus you don't have to deal with poles or skis falling off when you fall. It's easier on your knees, but harder on your ass and wrists I guess. It's way easier to learn and there are tons of easy and fun tricks you can do. It's harder to get off the lift, but at the same I've witnessed some very funny crashes and mishaps because of this. True that there are many, many punk-ass kids and idiots on snowboards, but that just goes back to the fact that it's really easy to learn and anyone can do it in a couple days. There are skier assholes as well...they just tend to be older and have money.

I don't believe you can beat the feeling of cruising down a very steep hill with a couple feet of fresh, untouched snow. It's like flying. Do you get that same sensation on skis? I don't know?

Both cost too fucking much...from the equipment to the passes. Big reason why I gave it up.

stewie wrote:It's a wide-berth generalisation to say that we're all assholes, since myself and my wife pride ourselves on being neighbourly boarders, and all of our boarding friends are too. That said, we're all in our late 20's or early 30's, and I've noticed that the majority of asshole boarders are also asshole teenagers.

Valid points.

Glad to hear that there are some conscientious boarders. On balance, though, I find boarders to be a real menace.

I mean, there are mountains where boarders aren't even allowed. That says something.

stewie wrote:I don't know if it's because of the "we've been on the mountain for decades more than you" mentality, but we've been subject to some nasty skier asshole behaviour too. This happened a lot during our first season -- we would regularly have skiers notice our shakiness and fly out right in front of us and make us brake hard (which, as a beginner boarder, generally makes you fall) and then ski off laughing. This happened at least 4 times in one day in Vermont.

Again, valid points. A dickhead is a dickhead is a dickhead whether on skis or a snowboard.

Perhaps the problem is that you're skiing in the icy East. Anyone (even a skier) would turn into a jerk after having to contend with that nonsense. Come out West, Stewie, my boy! Come to the champagne powder!

By the way, every skier and snowboarder is second-rate when compared to the telemarkers. Those guys are good.

The Tyke wrote:You don't have to deal with poles or skis falling off when you fall.

Simple solution: don't fall.

The Tyke wrote:I don't believe you can beat the feeling of cruising down a very steep hill with a couple feet of fresh, untouched snow. It's like flying. Do you get that same sensation on skis? I don't know?

Yes? You do? I like your question?

The Tyke wrote:Both cost too fucking much...from the equipment to the passes. Big reason why I gave it up.

Daily lift tickets can be expensive (e.g., $68 at Sun Valley), but you can always find great specials -- and the season passes can be ridiculously cheap. Also, the equipment isn't that expensive provided that you are a smart shopper and aren't buying your tenth guitar or thirtieth effects pedal.

It's like anything -- the more involved you get, the more of an investment you end up wanting to make.

It's great, exciting, healthy and economical fun.

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:By the way, every skier and snowboarder is second-rate when compared to the telemarkers. Those guys are good.

I was about to say this. My dad is good telemark skier. Watching a telemarker negotiate a mogul field is beautiful sight to behold.

Bradley R. Weissenberger wrote:By the way, every skier and snowboarder is second-rate when compared to the telemarkers. Those guys are good.

Now that doesn't look fun to me at all. More like work than anything resembling fun...

Snowboarding is far better.

Skiing:
There's just too much damn gear that you need to attach to yourself to go skiing - two hard boots, two skiis, two poles - just lots of stuff, on your feet and in your hands.

Snowboarding:
Two soft boots (that you can actually walk around in comfortably) and one snowboard. Your hands are free, and you are basically unencumbered by objects that can poke into yourself and others around you.

Note: When I was a kid on the local resort's ski team, we were out of town for a meet. During one of my pre-race runs, a flailing, out-of-control skier came flying in my direction, and I quickly turned to avoid collision into a large, steep, icy bump that threw me into the air. Don't ask me exactly how what I am about to describe happened because I don't know. The mound of snow launched me airborne in a very violent, sort off-axis manner, and the pole in my right hand got out ahead of me and, upon impact, the sharp, bottom end of the pole rammed straight into my scrotum and taint. I moaned in agony on the icy slope.

A ski patrol watched the incident and quickly dragged me to the restroom. When he pulled my pants down to investigate the damage, I couldn't even bear to look at my jewels. I just saw blood dripping from betwixt my legs onto the floor.

I went to the hospital. The diagnosis was a severely bruised testicle and prostate gland. You could say that I had a sort of elephantitus of the nuts.

My nickname for the rest of the year was "Blue Balls".

My vote goes to snowboarding.