The Ultimate Snow Battle
Snowboard or skis?
Snowboarding or skiing? This is a question that people have been arguing about for a long time. While skiing is a cool sport, snowboarding is on a whole different level. A snowboarder once said, “Some people attach snowboards to their feet; very few attach them to their souls.” I think snowboarding is much better because of the gear, the way it feels, and the awesome style.
First of all, snowboard boots are way more comfortable than ski boots. If you have ever tried to walk in ski boots, you know you look like a wobbly penguin. And it hurts your feet. But snowboard boots are soft and feel like wearing heavy sneakers. In the article, “5 reasons Snowboarding is better than skiing”, by blogger Nate, he says “Trying to look cool walking in ski boots is an art that I’m yet to see anyone master! – Especially when you’re trying to casually carry those double planks in one hand and they just keep separating – making you look clumsy and awkward.”
My second reason why snowboarding is better than skiing is because snowboarding has more style. Snowboarders get to wear cool, baggy clothes, and do crazy tricks. Even though snowboarding is a hard sport to learn in one day, it's totally worth it when you get the hang of it.
You may ask, how long does it take for people to start efficiently riding a snowboard? Anthony Butt, in his article “How Long Does It Take To Learn to Snowboard?” states, “that depends on your athletic ability, previous board sport experience and the time you have to commit to learning. At what point would you say someone has learned how to snowboard? Whether you’re a first time beginner or a seasoned veteran, your growth as a snowboarder will never stop.”
The first time I went snowboarding, it was terrible. On the first day, boots won’t go on, snowboards won’t move, and faces are planted on the snow. And when I thought nothing could go wrong, I found myself on a massive mountain. I debated going back down, but it was too embarrassing. So I ate my fear up and pushed myself down. When I finally finished the hill, I felt like I went through World War 2. Everywhere in my body hurts. But the next day, I started to fall less. And the day after that, I started flowing like a boat going down a river. This also proves that it doesn’t take just one day to learn how to snowboard.
One final reason why snowboarding is better than skiing is your safety. For “some” people, safety is NOT first. But many people care about their safety. Since snowboards lock your feet onto the board, your legs cannot twist and turn like they’re about to fall off. So skiers have much more chances to twist their knee joints and ankles. “I personally think skateboarding is harder because it has so many moving parts,” says Shaun White, a three time Olympic gold medalist. “With snowboarding, your feet are strapped to your board.”
Skiers may see this article and say, “Caleb, you’re so naive!” but I would reply “No! YOU are naive” Many skiers say that skiing is better than snowboarding because it takes no work to put on the skis, but snowboards take a million years to strap on. But HOLD IT, cause skiers always think it’s too easy and sometimes forget to tighten the bindings. A personal experience for me when I went skiing, I forgot to secure my bands. So when I dropped down from a mountain, the skis just popped out, leaving me sliding down a mountain with no skis. Eventually, someone found me and got my skis back for me. But that's a big reason I like snowboarding better than skiing.
Some skiers also might say that skiing is better than snowboarding because it is much easier for beginners to learn, and all snowboarders do is fall on their butts. However, while skiing is easier to start, snowboarding is easier to master. Once you learn to balance on your board, you progress into doing more tricks. Travis Rice, a multiple X Games medalist and considered one of the best snowboarders in the world, thinks that snowboarding allows liberation. “The attraction of snowboarding is the freedom it gives you. With a snowboard on your feet, the sky is the limit. You can do anything and go anywhere,” he says.
