Snowboarding questions

[severine]

Curious... I had originally considered snowboarding during the 1st season Brian got me on the hills several years ago. He insisted that skiing was easier to learn and I would just spend most of the time on my butt if I tried snowboarding, so I went with skiing. However, I have a weak left ankle that makes it difficult to edge properly, plus that's also the foot that I recently broke the 5th metatarsal on and the outside of it is still sore (and likely will be into the ski season, from what I was told). I'm trying to think about the logistics of what your feet are doing when snowboarding... Do you get on the outer edge of your feet often? For some reason, I keep picturing it in my head as you're not and it's a lot more front-back movement with your feet than inner and outer, but then again, I've never snowboarded so I don't know. Can someone help me understand this? I'm thinking that if it might go easier on my outer left foot and ankle, perhaps I should consider snowboarding this winter... but I need help first with what the foot movements actually are.

TIA!

 

[wintersyndrome]

snowboarding definitely has less lateral movement on an ankle than skiing would.
The general motion of a snowboard turn is 'toes to heel'.
I broke my left ankle in 2001, seven screws and a steel plate later, I have continued to snowboard on it since then only missing the season of the injury occurance.
The only discomfort I get is when I lean onto the tail end of the board with some gusto. My stance is right foot forward so my right foot is my downhill foot and normally has the weight bearing on it being your ankle injury is on the outside of the left leg, I would try a right foot forward stance.

I haven't skied since the ankle injury, however I have not skied since 1992 so take what i say for what it's worth.
and cross MRG off your list of places to go too.

 

[severine]

and cross MRG off your list of places to go too.

Brian keeps reminding me of that. I could always hold onto my skis and use them there on occasion.

I probably didn't word it well, but that's what I was thinking: toe to heel. The few times I attempted skateboarding as a youth (plus when I would waterski with one ski), I always had right foot forward. So it sounds like snowboarding may be friendlier to my injuries. Definitely worth looking into.

Thanks to both of you!

 

[tjf67]

This is not really about your topic but I thought I would throw it out there.

I think your boot should be tighter. You anckles should not be moving other than front and back and that is just the flex in the boot. Not very much.

I

 

[bvibert]

He insisted that skiing was easier to learn and I would just spend most of the time on my butt if I tried snowboarding..

Just to clarify that I believe I said that I had a hard time trying to learn it and spent a lot of time on my ass and face (ouch!) and that I wouldn't be able to help you any.

 

[Marc]

DMC who has both rode and skied says that skiing is easier to learn but harder to master.

I think DMC said that. I don't want to misquote him. I give him permission to punish me with a free lift ticket to Hunter if I'm wrong...

 

[wa-loaf]

I always thought it was the other way around? You can be up and running on a snowboard in no time.

My experience probably is too dated to be relevant, but in 1990 or so I rented a snowboard to try it out and was carving turns on the beginner slope after a couple runs. Trying to get up the t-bar without killing myself was the hardest part. I'll also note that I was wearing my skiboots and it was a carving board with plate bindings. So, um I guess you really should ignore what i have to say . . .

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I'd stick with skiing...

 

[Marc]

I always thought it was the other way around? You can be up and running on a snowboard in no time.

My experience probably is too dated to be relevant, but in 1990 or so I rented a snowboard to try it out and was carving turns on the beginner slope after a couple runs. Trying to get up the t-bar without killing myself was the hardest part. I'll also note that I was wearing my skiboots and it was a carving board with plate bindings. So, um I guess you really should ignore what i have to say . . .

Could be. I really only wanted to get DMC to give me a free Hunter ticket, my post really had nothing to do with the thread.

 

[wa-loaf]

Could be. I really only wanted to get DMC to give me a free Hunter ticket, my post really had nothing to do with the thread.

You could just PM him. I hear he's a nice guy, maybe he'll hook you up? :grin:

Just don't mention the goats . . ;-)

 

[bvibert]

Could be. I really only wanted to get DMC to give me a free Hunter ticket, my post really had nothing to do with the thread.

So DMC should buy you a lift ticket because you're an idiot??? :blink:

 

[Marc]

So DMC should buy you a lift ticket because you're an idiot??? :blink:

Well.....


Yeah.


Doesn't being an idiot deserve some pity?

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

I could never get comfortable with the blindspot you have on a snowboard. Basically everything behind you over your leading shoulder when you're on your heelside. But I guess getting plowed into a couple times in that situation probably didnt help my anxiety level. And Ive found the average fall on a snowboard to be more painful than 95% of the falls Ive taken on skis.

 

[RIDEr]

And Ive found the average fall on a snowboard to be more painful than 95% of the falls Ive taken on skis.

It is common to fall more when learning. The benefit is that once you get the toe the heel side turns then your ability to conquer the remainder of the mountain is a piece of cake...

 

[wa-loaf]

I enjoy hearing the stories of people who were linking turns or carving after only a few runs when trying it for the very first time. Sorry but I am just not buying it. I have never seen it happen.

Why's that so hard to believe? And are you calling me a liar? :angry: ;-)

Like I said it was a long time ago and I don't know how I would fare on current equipment. Maybe the stiff boots and bindings helped (maybe it would be easier now?). Being an experienced skier helped, I could recognize when my edges where hooking up and I know what a carved turn feels like. When I made the right moves it worked, when it didn't I got slammed. Pretty soon I was doing the right thing. Not so hard to figure out. :roll:

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

You mean you look uphill with every turn you make while skiing? I figured I could look uphill on half my turns .. I always figured skiers never really look back uphill when turning.

Sorry, I probably didnt give enough background. As a snowboarder I never really progressed past the point of turning across the whole width of the trail. Basically I wasnt confident enough that Id be able execute a turn instead of tumbling into the trees. When you're on your heelside traversing the fall line you pretty much can't see anything coming at you over your left shoulder (regular stance rider). Thus, how I managed to get pummeled a few times. If you consider the same line on skis, oncoming traffic is almost always in sight so you can brace or dodge. But Im far more capable as a skier so Im the oncoming traffic, not the person hoping they dont get hit. Blindside anxiety combined with realizing areas of my skiing that I considered worth improving were enough to end my brief experiment with snowboarding. <shrug> just my experience.

 

[severine]

Wow, I didn't realize this would create such a stir!

I think what it comes down to is that I probably should just rent the equipment and take a lesson before I decide on anything. I've never really been able to edge with my left foot while skiing and that's really hampered me from progressing, but maybe it wouldn't hold me back so much with snowboarding. I guess that remains to be seen.

 

[gladerider]

severine-

i will throw my two cents. i've skiied for 20 years and i just switched to snowboarding last year. based on your ankle condition snowboarding would work out really well. if i knew my ankle was not 100%, i would not hit the mogul fields. skiing requires you to hold on to your edges quite often by exerting lateral pressure on your ankles whereas snowboarding does on your toes and heels.
that does not mean you don't at all, when you are connecting turns you are always using your ankles, but much less laterally than you would skiing.

as far as how easy it would be depends on many factors. being athletic definitely helps. if you have skateboarded or surfed, you would pick it up much faster than people who didn't.

i am a pretty good all around skier and my core skiing fundamentals helped me tremendously. i am also somewhat fearless, which helped i think. i started on green/blue trails in okemo my first day and was able to connect the turns my second day. by the end of the season, i was coming down moguls on diamonds at whiteface. i don't think i was able to pick up ski that fast and i was 20 years younger.

although my a-hole looked black and blue for a few days, it wasn't too bad.
oh, i strongly recommend you wear your helmet. when you catch an edge on your blind side you will be hitting the ground with back of your head with quite a bit of speed and it WILL hurt like hell without your helmet.

hope this helps...

 

[Hawkshot99]

Some areas sponsor the Burton's learn to ride program .. Burton designed a rental board just for this program that is suppose to make turn initiation very easy to learn. I would check that program out.

I believe Jiminey Peak is a Burton place. That is not too far from her.

 

[wa-loaf]

Maybe as the years go the day's events are subtlety being revised in one's memory. :roll:

Nope, it was beautiful sunny day on the glacier at the Zugspitze.

There are always exception to the rule. You sound like you was on a carving board. The technique used to ride a carve board to me is very similar to skiing so maybe that is why you picked it up so fast. It must have been to easy for you seeing that you never did it again ..;-) Now I would have liked to see how well you would have done on an all-mountain board.

Now that's probably very true. I'd be happy to try it out again to see if I can pick it up on an all-mountain board. But I won't ever be switching to snowboarding. I like having my feet on two boards and skiing still challenges me. :grin: