Do Snowboarders damage trail conditions more than skiers?

[Mullen]

my point was more about skill levels having more to do with the damage than the weapons of choice.

I agree, it's more people that are "out of their element"

ie the snowplow only or side slip the whole way down.

 

[MarkC]

That's the only way to settle this argument! One of my kids skis the other one is a snowboarder and we all like to watch MythBusters

I was thinking something more in the line of a Chinese down hill 80's ski movie style but mythbusters would bee cool too. What would they blow up after the myth was either confirmed or denied?

 

[57stevey]

Not a hater but I can't help thinking there is a difference on advanced terrain. It's my perception that when they both get to the bottom, it is the heel-sliding boarder who is more likely to say "woo-hoo that was great let's go again" vs. the wedge skier who is kissing the ground.

 

[mondeo]

i wanted to bust on the due but you changed it to do.......

If you want to bust on someone...

Carving, neither scrapes snow. When using skidding to control speed, I'd suspect skis are worse at removing loose snow while snowboards are worse at shaving down hardpack to ice. With the greater edge length from skis, more energy can be absorbed by accelerating snow mass because of the wider swath and doubled up edges. Because snowboards only have one edge and are shorter, they either have to take a deeper scrape of loose snow or start losing energy by breaking the top layer of hardpack/ice free.

Tele skiers can't carve packed powder/hardpack, so all they do is scrape snow.

Need more ammo?

 

[Greg]

someone in a wedge using every cm of their edges to prevent gravity from hurling them down a hill which they've discovered is far too steep for their abilities is scraping a lot of snow. more than a boarder? i dunno, prolly not. but they're effin' up the hill either way.

my point was more about skill levels having more to do with the damage than the weapons of choice.

I get what you mean and generally agree with it. Just playing devil's advocate.

 

[dmc]

it was a serious question in a thread about snowboaders. my 10YO covers her ears when the boarders around us start slamming. i never understood why they did it, is there a practical reason or is it just "fun"?

Snowboard tend to collect snow on the deck and it actually gets heavy... Slamming them clears the snow... I've seen skiers do the same.

 

[dmc]

Because snowboards only have one edge and are shorter, they either have to take a deeper scrape of loose snow or start losing energy by breaking the top layer of hardpack/ice free.

Or just lay it flat over hardpack like I do and turn where the snow is good...

 

[Smellytele]

It comes down to ability. I good snowboarder does not damage the trail anymore than a good skier. On steep stuff and less skill a snowboarder will scrape off more if they heel slide because the blade is thicker and can push more snow before it comes over the top of it or off the sides.

 

[Riverskier]

There is probably no hard and fast answer to this, but I would say yes, especially on advanced terrain. Typically when I have seen a snowboarder in over their head on a steep trail, they simply slide straight down taking all of the snow with them, or pushing it off to the sides. It only takes a couple inexperienced snowboarders to push all of the snow off a headwall. Skiers tend to traverse more causing less damage. Between the size of the board and the stance of a boarder, a snow board can effectively act as a plow.

Of course, both inexperienced skier and boarders can damage a trail, and skilled boarders don't cause anymore damage than skilled skiers.

 

[vonski]

A snowboarder can help sometimes when the valleys need to be filled in. Then they push the snow off the top of the moguls sometimes. The Tele skier definitely can scrape as well. The woods get more messed up by a snowboarder than skis in my opinion, but I usually traverse enough to get from where the boarders go anyways!!! I vote for Mythbusters. That would be great watching those dorks try to ski and board!!!

 

[Riverskier]

Snowboard tend to collect snow on the deck and it actually gets heavy... Slamming them clears the snow... I've seen skiers do the same.

True and understandable, but at least at Sunday River I often see people slam their boards obnoxiously hard, repeatedly, and sometimes when there is nothing to clean off. If certain boarders find joy in slamming their boards for no reason, more power to them, but the lift line when you are surrounded by people probably isn't the best place.

 

[chrisrunsi]

I ski and ride so I feel like I may have a pretty unbiased opinion here. Snowboarders, at least those that are decent will not scrape any more snow that a skier does. What I do notice though is that a boarder that slides his entire way down the slope will move more snow that skis can (based on width of a board and ability to displace it). A ski will essentially "fill-up" faster with snow and it will spill over which will at least leave some behind.

 

[frankm938]

ok, i ski and ride and they do different things on different terrain/snow conditions. snowboards dont turn as quickly and 95% of riders (me included) scrape down the backside of bumps and push snow into the face of the next mogul.
in powder however, a group of snowboarders do a lot less damage than a group of skiers. snowboards stay higher up on the snow and tend to go in a straighter line than skiers.

 

[dmc]

in powder however, a group of snowboarders do a lot less damage than a group of skiers. Snowboards stay higher up on the snow and tend to go in a straighter line than skiers.

+420

 

[KevinF]

Not a hater but I can't help thinking there is a difference on advanced terrain. It's my perception that when they both get to the bottom, it is the heel-sliding boarder who is more likely to say "woo-hoo that was great let's go again" vs. the wedge skier who is kissing the ground.

This has largely been my perception as well... I've seen plenty of skiers on terrain way over their head, but at least they're (usually) trying to still turn, and for that I give them credit. I've seen many boarders sideslip down without even trying to turn, get to the bottom, and announce someting along the lines of "not that hard !". That's what gets me -- at least make an effort to turn.

 

[chrisrunsi]

True and understandable, but at least at Sunday River I often see people slam their boards obnoxiously hard, repeatedly, and sometimes when there is nothing to clean off. If certain boarders find joy in slamming their boards for no reason, more power to them, but the lift line when you are surrounded by people probably isn't the best place.

We, or at least I also do this to put down my binding highback, which is a good idea because low loading heights on lifts tend to snap them to pieces. I give it one stomp and it it doesnt drop I just bend over and do it.

 

[billski]

No they don't. But bad skiers and boarders do.

 

[Riverskier]

We, or at least I also do this to put down my binding highback, which is a good idea because low loading heights on lifts tend to snap them to pieces. I give it one stomp and it it doesnt drop I just bend over and do it.

Another good reason. Not opposed to this, but some people, even if they are in the minority, do this or do this excessively to annoy people or because for some strange reason they enjoy the ear piercing slamming sound. The point is simply about respecting people around you. Of course, some people are going to be pissed off no matter how hard you try, as you can't please everyone. Another example of respecting people around you, I have no problem with smoking, but lift lines aren't the place to do it. Chair lifts- fine, patios- fine, but people are way too close together in a lift line. Of course some people are going to get pissed off if you smoke within eye shot of them, or slam your board when you have 50 pounds of snow on it, but those people can go to hell.

 

[rtibbs4]

I ski with a couple of boarders and they are in agreement with me. We have talked about this. When boarders make proper turns it is no big deal. When they simply place there board perpendicular to the hill and slide down through the woods or glades because it is too tight to turn it simply makes a bobsled run with a snowplowed pile of snow wherever they stop. I don't see any problems on main ski trails.

 

[riverc0il]

It all depends on skill level. Bad skiers wreck snow conditions just as much as bad snowboarders. Skiers slip slide stuff all the time. Just throw those skis sideways and hang on for dear life. Snow plows don't wreck snow conditions because snow plowers don't go down steep terrain (at least they don't go down more than once after they learn their lesson the hard way). Sliders with bad technique damage conditions regardless of planks.

I would rather discuss the possibility of whether it is easier for intermediate snowboarders or intermediate skiers to successfully manage difficult trails by slipping them. I don't know, I have never boarded... but it seems to me from an observational perspective, that it is easier to "survive" a difficult trail on a snowboard slip sliding than skis. Perhaps that is an erroneous perception, but it is what i have noticed and I am open to differing view points and discussion on that one.