Can Snowboarding Be Saved?
Flogs on Logs?????
Wads on Rods?????
This has actually been a big issue in Whistler this year. I’ve literally taught 4 snowboard lessons and the rest were ski lessons.
I have 2 things to say about this…
1. I kinda feel like ever time someone says “Snowboarding is in decline” it becomes a little more real. It’s not really in decline, there are just more people taking up skiing because skiers are now doing Snowboardish things. Like halfpipe, Slopestyle and Skier-X.
There are still loads of snowboarders on the mountain, but not many new boarders coming in. So we actually are slowly being over run. How do we fix this?............................................
2. Take a lesson once in a while my friends! We are losing numbers because we are being out skilled and out cultured by skiing, seriously.
Skiing has powder, park, pipe, slalom, gs, super gs, steeps, moguls, skier-x, aerials the list goes on.
ALL of these things are available to us… but no one does most of them. We snowboarders have grouped ourselves into either Park Rat or Free Rider. Neither of which we think we need to learn about.
The things drawing young groms to skiing are the SNOWBOARD EVENTS. We can simply show them that we are better at them than skiers, and those same groms will choose snowboarding instead. I BEG YOU, get a lesson, learn something awesome, improve your skills and be part of the change snowboarding needs.
ONLY YOU can keep snowboarding alive. We just need to adjust our culture so that there is more to learning snowboarding than just linking turns. That’s Day 1 stuff man! You can literally learn or improve ANYTHING YOU WANT.
Take a lesson at the start of your trip, and then practice and enjoy your new skills for the rest of the trip. It will make your holiday more fun and you will be helping snowboarding simply by being more awesome at what you do.
REPRESENT SNOWBOARDING!!! LEARN HOW TO SHRED BETTER AND OTHERS WILL SEE YOU AND WANT TO RIDE TOO!!
Yay Andy!
I was wondering when you were going to weigh in!
REPRESENT SNOWBOARDING!!! LEARN HOW TO SHRED BETTER AND OTHERS WILL SEE YOU AND WANT TO RIDE TOO!!
done and done!!
snowboarding is something I really enjoy and want to progress at! (I’ve had a lesson every year) I did and advanced lesson last year, with 3 others from our group and a random, who we made friends with after the lesson, we even had lunch with the instructor after and brought him a beer! (our lesson was his last for the day) and he was an awesome guy! He came boarding with us after and was still giving us tips, he successfully taught me how to 180, and 270, how to Ollie higher, and how to butter (the reason I took the lesson was learning to butter) so I can’t agree with this more.. I’ll watch tutorials, give it a go.. If I get it, great! I’ll find the next thing to learn, if I don’t.. I get a lesson and learn it!!
good advice Andy!
(also on a side note, never having been overseas its actually really interesting, and a little sad to hear that it actually is a much lower percentage for boarders there, hopefully this can change, I personally feel boarding is easier on my body, (my knee injury, is from skiing, which is why I now board) and I was even talking to an old guy on a chair lift (in his 60’s?), who skis of a morning, has lunch, then swaps to a board after lunch as its easier on his knees too! maybe people will realize this and snowboarding will increase again, aswell?
also on a side note, never having been overseas its actually really interesting, and a little sad to hear that it actually is a much lower percentage for boarders there, hopefully this can change,
I think it is a cultural thing here. Surfing to Snowboarding…
Remember more people live nowhere near the ocean in Europe and North America.
Other than that I have no idea why (percentage wise) it is bigger over here than there.
whats the ratio in NZ like anyone???(its been a few years for me) Snow Park doesn’t count for surveys!! LOL)
When I talk to people who have never been to the snow (I regularly do job interviews and my CV brings it up numerous times) they all talk about trying snowboarding than skiing…
And when Andy and I took my work people away (45 in total) the majority were skiers (and the majority were expats..)
(also on a side note, never having been overseas its actually really interesting, and a little sad to hear that it actually is a much lower percentage for boarders there, hopefully this can change, I personally feel boarding is easier on my body, (my knee injury, is from skiing, which is why I now board) and I was even talking to an old guy on a chair lift (in his 60’s?), who skis of a morning, has lunch, then swaps to a board after lunch as its easier on his knees too! maybe people will realize this and snowboarding will increase again, aswell?
Totally agree. I find it easier on the body too, and more fun. (except that bit about riding the T-Bar. That still totally does me in). I doubt I’ll be bothered skiing again.
Is there anything wrong with pensioners snowboarding??? If I was doing that as a pensioner, I’d be damn proud!
Not even.. If I’m still snowboarding at 40, ill be stoked!! Just depends on my knee/wrist atm.. Lol
but resting it until snow season, hoping it repairs quite a bit by then!!
Good form hOz!!
Last time I saw you ride you were loving the butters! So you’re the perfect example of what I’m saying.
And you’re right too, I’ve always found snowboarding much safer for the body, despite the perception of it being a “dangerous pursuit”. Two legs attached to one plank just HAS to be safer for your knees. And I feel like it will allow me to snowboard all my days on this earth, rather than just blowing my knees out at 30 and retiring.
As for the boarder/skier ratio overseas, last time I was in Whistler I taught almost only snowboard lessons. This time I’ve taught almost none. It’s really sad, not just for me, but for snowboarding. There are still a ‘fair’ amount of boarders, but the majority statistically are all over 25 and don’t take lessons… for what ever reason. There’s no new snowboarders! We need to change this!!
It’s the simple difference between a kid seeing a snowboarder struggling down a hill that’s too difficult for them. Or that kid seeing a boarder ripping down that same run and saying “WOW! Dad, can I try snowboarding tomorrow?”
I spoke to a family about 2 weeks ago while I was working the magic carpet. They were all on snowboards for the first time but skiers since forever. They were struggling to get down the beginner slope but they were still having heaps of fun at it.
They were telling me how after skiing for so long they felt there was no more challenge for them in it so wanted to start something new and challenging. I spoke to them for the next couple of days while working and after they had taken a few lessons and they said it was a much better experience for them in terms of coping with knee and back injuries, a much more enjoyable experience, and a great learning opportunity.
Another friend who is working with me this season is very keen to learn to snowboard but has also skied for many years. She has said the only thing stopping her getting more into it and doing it more often is that she is only here for a short time and feels like the best way to see everything the mountains have to offer is on skis just because it is something she can already do. I think this goes for a lot of travellers who are keen to learn how to board when they can ski but are on the mountain for max a week.
yeah agreed…most people ski because its easier…and once you already know how to ski and can go all over the mountain, they can’t be bothered going back to spending multiple days on their bruised butt.
In sweden there is a widespread perception that it is much easier to get 3-4 year old kid to learn to ski than to snowboard. It is crazy but that is how it is here.
I’ve had a couple of lessons in the past but it isn’t something I feel honour bound to do to grow the sport of snowboarding. I don’t really mind if people ski rather than snowboard…just the same as I don’t care much if more people stand up on the surfboards than ride bodyboards.
A lot of people who come here don’t actually get lessons and / or have their friends teach them. The big problem with this is that the friend is barely past being a beginner themselves and actually make it harder for the new person.
When I work the platter, I try to help out as much as I can (that and the platter is boring as shit lol). And once you get them going straight ahead on the platter (and telling people how to do it properly) they are pretty good. It still eludes me that instructors don’t tell people to put their weight on the front leg. I groan all the time.
It still eludes me that instructors don’t tell people to put their weight on the front leg. I groan all the time.
Why in the hell would they do that?!
It’s true that a lot of people learn to ski with the idea that they will be more mobile sooner and able to see more of the mountains in their 1 week vacation.
SNOWBOARD MYTH #267
One of the 4 snowboard lessons I have taught this year was an 8 year old boy.
It was a 1 day lesson.
By lunch time we we’re off the carpet, doing green runs and met his family for lunch at the top of Blackcomb (They we’re shocked).
After lunch I helped him move onto blue runs so he could ride with his family, and then randomly and beyond my expectations he did his first black run cause “if mum and dad can do it on skis, so can I”.
Obviously everyone learns at different speeds. But hey, 8 year old, day 1, linking turns down a black run. That’s pretty damn mobile! There are so many myths we need to break. Actually I think I’ll start a thread 
Andy you’re an instructor, should instructors be telling boarders to put their weight on their front leg?