As snow starts to fall over the Rocky Mountains, ski season begins, followed by the debate of skiing vs. snowboarding and which is better. Besides being expensive, each sport has pros and cons.

      Snowboarding

Snowboarding is considered easy to learn and immensely fun once you get the hang of it. However, although it is loved and praised throughout Fairview, it still has its cons. One of the biggest being the difficulty for snowboarders to get on and off of chairlifts, as well as sitting on them. The footrests on lifts were originally only meant for skis, making them very uncomfortable for snowboarders when the bar is down. 

Another con of snowboarding is when you get left behind while riding with a group of skiers while clipping into your bindings. Adding to that point, nothing is worse than getting stuck in a flat area. This leads you to have to clip out of your binding again, or find a skier who is willing to either give you a push or let you use their pole to start moving again. 

“Flats are the worst part of snowboarding. Anytime you have to get pushed by your skier buddy or pulled by their pole is by far the worst,” said math teacher Glenn Johnson.

 Despite the fact that clipping in and out of snowboard bindings might take longer than it does for skiers, snowboarders have an easier time walking in the boots or climbing a set of stairs. Walking down a flight of stairs in ski boots is miserable and uncomfortable because of its weight and your lack of ability to move your ankle.

      Injuries

 Sadly, injuries are common in both sports. Although all snowsports are a known cause of a large amount of injuries, snowboarders are 50-70% more likely to get injured. However, skiers are 33% more likely for that injury to result in death or to require medical attention. While snowboarders have a high risk of wrist and spinal injuries, skiers have a higher probability of accidents resulting in knee and hip injuries.

Snowboarders have a much higher tendency of minor injuries such as sprained or broken wrists. Reports say this is due to the commonality of falling backward and putting your arms out to catch yourself. 

“I think snowboarding [has more major injuries] because you can’t clip out of your board, so you kinda just fall over easier,” said Tate Doriese (9).

      Skiing

Skiing, considered the original snowsport, has changed a lot over the years. Luckily, one thing that hasn’t changed is the thrill people get from trying it. From skiing tress, to ski racing, to the feeling of fresh turns in powder, there is something special about skiing. One thing that most skiers agreed on was how tricks and spins are more obvious and look cooler than on a snowboard. 

Alongside that, skiing has a more manageable jump to try backcountry skiing becauseit is easier to avoid getting all new gear, like skis and boots. This is proven with the many new technologies to easily turn any binding into an alpine touring one, and the being able to cheaply borrow skins. Although this might not be the lightest or most comfortable setup it can help more people try it out for the first time.

“My favorite part of skiing is being able to go into the backcountry and ski somewhere new that you’ve never seen before,” said Colin Ryan (10).

Another benefit of skiing is not having to worry about getting stuck on a cat track due to ski poles giving you a way to keep and build speed without clipping out of your bindings. Ski poles generally have the same components and similar designs, but fashion doesn’t matter due to the benefits of having them. The only bad part is when you have to pull a snowboarder across a cat track.

      Fashion

Clothing style doesn’t differ much from sport to sport, with many skiers and snowboarders saying baggy snow pants are the top fashion for both. 

When it comes down to which snowsport has more style, a majority of people say that snowboarders come in first. This is due to the claim that the designs on snowboards tend to stand out with more colors and drawings on both the top and bottom. That being said, new skis seem to be catching up with many of them now sporting ski bottoms that are not just solid black.

“When snowboarding, it is so much easier to look cool and I just think the boards are cooler than skis, like you never see the bottom or tops of the skis having special designs,” Kylie Duart (11).

      Conclusion

With winter upon us and the snow falling, nothing is more rewarding after an early morning and a long drive up to the mountains than first tracks and an empty mountain. 

“The best part is just being up there, outside all the time, it’s just fun,” said Luke Shelby (10).