Learning to ski v. learning to snowboard

[midnight armadillo]

What's better to teach a kid first? I am SO looking forward to when my son is old enough to ski (or snowboard). Two more years, and I am already pondering this. I used to ski a lot but haven't in a while. I want to try snowboarding when I get back to the slopes since it looks pretty fun.

So, for a little tike, skis or a snowboard?

[KitchenWitch]

1. I would say skis first then snowboard

and be aware that your young one will faceplant a lot when learning to snowboard.

[ZombieNixon]

2. I managed to assplant a lot.

It still hurt, but not as much as continuous faceplantage.

[ghostsofgiants]

4. The only time I ever faceplanted while just riding...

Was after hitting a patch of ice.

Now going off hits is another story...

[KitchenWitch]

6. assplanting is far preferred to faceplanting!

[ghostsofgiants]

3. Snowboarding is a little harder to learn...

I learned to ski when I was 8. Snowboard when I was 12. Snowboarding was harder, but I love it way more.

[LostinVA]

10. I found it much easier -- interesting!

[ghostsofgiants]

12. It's not that I found snowboarding hard, actually...

Both came fairly naturally to me. Skiing I think I found easier beacuse it was easier to stop and turn. At least that's how I remember it. That was the first and only time I ever went skiing, and that was 12 years ago, haha.

[LostinVA]

18. It took me five years to ski without feeling like I was gonna die

I felt that confident after one day of snowboarding. To ME, it was much easier and intuitive. I read the broken wrists happen mainly because of young gays doing stuff they shouldn't.

[ghostsofgiants]

21. Yeah...I've taken some nasty spills but I've never had a broken bone...

I hurt my wrist once, I shifted my weight too far forward when I went for an indy grab off of a hit. Put my hands out to prevent a complete faceplant. Was nowhere near wrist-breaking though.

[huskerlaw]

5. My uncle works at a ski resort

He's head of the ski patrol...and he practically insists that kids learn on skis. Apparently they're far more likely to get injured on snowboards. Broken wrists in particular.

[midnight armadillo]

7. Well, that settles it then

Skis it is!

[lukasahero]

8. My nephews' friend just shattered his wrist

snowboarding this weekend. Shattered. Not broken.

The dedicated skiers/snowboarders I know all say start on skis - they require a different skill/muscle set and if you can ski, you can learn to snowboard but not necessarily the other way around.

Disclosure: I am a lousy skier and even worse snowboarder. This advice brought to you by friends who are fanatics.

[CabalPowered]

14. I've also heard that snowboarders suffer more ACL injuries

[flvegan]

9. Though if he skates or surfs, snowboarding might be more "natural"

to him, since he'd be used to that sort of stance.

I learned skiing first, and really sucked at it. Snowboarding came much more naturally to me. I don't know if that would have been the case had I NOT learned to ski first.

Otherwise, I agree...ski first.

[Strong Atheist]

11. Downhill skiing is

REALLY dangerous:scared: I have known and heard of many people who have been badly injured or killed (didn't something happen to a Kennedy like this?) skiing.

Cross country is ok, though, and good for you too.

[Hugin]

13. That was Sonny Bono...

;)

[Strong Atheist]

16. No. Bono may have done this too, but here is a link

to a Kennedy.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9712/31/kennedy.update.2/

[LostinVA]

19. Yeah, Michael Kennedy

[ghostsofgiants]

22. Wasn't he playing football on skis when that happened?

Or am I just making shit up here?

[Strong Atheist]

26. Yes, that is the story I heard too. Here is a link.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9712/31/kennedy.update.2/

[ghostsofgiants]

27. Yeah, see, when skiing, you might want to focus on the skiing...

Makes it quie a bit less deadly.

[Strong Atheist]

28. Still, I personally knew one person

skiing who broke a knee, had multiple operations, and was out of work for months. Another ran into a tree and was hit hard on the thigh, almost "somewhere else". Both were paying attention, not playing football. Downhill skiing is just dangerous.

[ghostsofgiants]

29. I'm not saying it's not dangerous...

I'm just saying that if you take proper precautions, it's significantly less dangerous. Any time you're going downhill on a relatively frictionless surface, there's obviously an element of danger involved.

[Strong Atheist]

30. "if you take proper precautions, it's significantly

less dangerous."

I do.

I don't ski.:evilgrin:

Eliminates the danger.

[ghostsofgiants]

31. That's one way to do it.

[Squatch]

15. Try Telemark...

it's waaaaaaaaay cooler-looking than either DH or SB. Plus, it's easier on the knees.

[LostinVA]

20. That is soooo much fun!

[Squatch]

23. After my ACL surgery, I found that Telemark is

MUCH better on the joints. Sure, your muscles will be a little sore, but the actual joints will not experience the short of shear-stresses you get when your lower leg is fixed to a relatively large object.

BTW...tore my ACL while downhill skiing.

[LostinVA]

24. I have to drive four hours to Telemark

But I try to do it at least a few times a year. It's great!

[Squatch]

25. You're in Norfolk, right?

It sucks being 1/2 a continent away from decent skiing, doesn't it?

[AlCzervik]

17. i ski but last year i tried snowboarding, big mistake for me

i cannot get used having only on board, i spent most of the day falling and when i wasn't doing that i was going way to fast down the hill and i was afraid i was going to kill someone. My daughter "Shreds" and now she doesn't even want to try skiing. Snowboarding is a lot easier to learn as a kid, a small kid with a low center of gravity.