The mountain falls quiet until a snowboarder carves down one way and a skier cuts down the other; they are two different worlds on the same slope.
The contrast becomes clearer when looking at the sports themselves. Some differences between snowboarding and skiing are the stance, movement, technique and style. Snowboarders stand with both feet attached to a single board while facing sideways. Skiers have each foot on two separate boards while holding poles and facing forward. Movement wise, snowboarders turn by shifting body weight, while rotating their torso. Skiers will use their legs to individually turn towards a direction while using the poles as a guide. Snowboarding tends to have a more laid-back and freestyle oriented style of action, while skiing requires a more technical and traditional style. This however will always be dependent on the rider.
There are many reasons why someone may choose to do snowboarding or skiing. Micheal Harris, a private snowboard and ski instructor, explains that it depends on the angle a person is taking while thinking about the two sports, and any past experiences that may influence the decision.
“People have many different preferences. Some prefer speed, while others may want more control. To decide whether snowboarding or skiing fits better for a person will depend on their own abilities and preferences,” Harris said.
Junior Abby Reeve has been snowboarding since she was 8 years old. She loves to compete in a friendly but competitive manner with her family. She decided to choose snowboarding because of her past experiences with board sports, and time spent with her family.
“We go down to our lake and wakeboard, so I always liked a board better than two skis,” Reeve said. “It’s a different kind of fun, especially being able to go with my family, bonding with them, race and be a competitive family. We track ourselves with an app on our phones to see who’s the fastest.”
On the other hand, junior Addison Duckworth started skiing at around the age of 5. She loves being outdoors and spending time with family. Skiing allows her to spend time outside while creating memories with her father.
“I get to spend a lot of time with my dad. He’s mostly the one I go skiing with and we just talk about really anything, and it’s just really fun,” Duckworth said.
Even though people have different experiences on why they may choose to do snowboarding or skiing, there is something that most people who do these two sports have in common: a love of being outdoors in the snow and the rush while soaring downhills or carving between paths.
Reeve loves the feeling when going down a slope, how it clears her head and puts her in a happy state of mind. It helped her create an unbreakable bond with her father while doing something they both love.
“I fell in love with the bond it gave me with my dad, and we both love doing stuff with high adrenaline,” Reeve said. “I feel like my mind is clear and at a happy state, especially the faster I go, the clearer my mind is.”
