couple of observations here...
first, there are only four resorts in the US that don't allow snowboarding, two
of which are in my state of utah (doh!) deer valley and alta, as well as taos
nm, and mad river glen in vermont.
second, stepins are a great option for learning how to snowboard. they save
you time, they allow you to get into the binding easier when you're not used to
placing your heel into something that is 90% of the time *not* directly under
you. burton makes IMO the best stepin setup, but k2, marker, rossignol, and
others make different step in mechanisms as well. i dont' want to waste a lot
of time debating the different systems, except to say that i started with the
rossi system, quickly moved to the burton system because of its better hold to
the binding, and then two years ago moved to straps, which are much better for
advanced riding, but thats another flame war in and of itself.
do *not* go with hard alpine boots to learn how to snowboard. the vernacular
sometimes isn't consistent, so some people refer to step in boots by burton, or
k2 or marker as "hard boots" which they are, as they have more internal
stiffening built in, but then other people say "hard boots" and mean the alpine
type that bomberonline tends to sell. one personal suggestion is that if you
go with harder step in type boots and bindings that you get a binding with a
high back. when i was learning it helped me greatly with edge to edge control,
although it did make getting into the binding a wee bit harder at first. just
an observation tho.
lastly, i think the general consensus on the newsgroup is correct with regards
to the learning curve for both sports. i *will* say tho that the learning
curve for me snowboarding has been more pronounced than skiing. in other
words, once i hit that intermediate level, my progression has been more obvious
and has come quicker than with skiing. but, with anything, the more you go,
the better you get. and i go a *lot*. now that i think of it, the more you
go in a smaller time frame, the better. if you only have 10 days to ski/ride
in the year, take as many of them as closely together as possible. that brain
to body reactive memory works better if its a day to day thing rather than a
week to week thing. all of that last part is my own stream of consciousness
thing tho, so take it as such.
oh, and snowboarding just feels sooooo gooooood! i never felt that skiing.
when i'm making turns on a deep pow day and i'm on something steep, it's the
best thing i've *ever* felt in my whole life. that having been said, i'm
seriously thinking of taking up telemarking so i can enjoy the backcountry
more. i don't mind bootpacking or snowshoeing, but when i see people skinning
up stuff quick as get out, i'm envious of the medium. i'm hesitant about split
boards, so that makes tele a real possibility.
anyhow, i'll shut up now. hopefully all of this and the other posts taken
together help you some.
ciao!
paul
Joe Ramirez wrote:
"Neil Gendzwill" wrote in message
om...
"Joe Ramirez" wrote in message
...
1. Am I correct about the learning curves of boarding vs. skiing? If
not,
what's the reality?
The first 2 days are tougher on a board than skis (you *will* be stiff
and sore). After that, snowboarding is a much faster path to
intermediate skill. Once you're an intermediate, I'd say the learning
curve to get to advanced/expert skill is about the same.
I don't know if I will be able to put in the time to become advanced in
either sport, but I certainly want to become an intermediate, so this is
comforting.
My skiing is rusty and my snowboarding pretty good, so with the
limited time I now have in the hills I tend to ride. If I could get
in more days I'd do both. If I could get in a lot of days I'd take up
telemarking. Sliding downhill on snow == big fun, no matter the
equipment.
Exactly what is telemarking? I've seen this term before but I don't know
what it means.
4. If I took up snowboarding and persevered long enough to become a
decent
rider, would I be able to hit the slopes with the brother and/or
brother-in-law (I mean the ones within my capabilities)? Or is there
something awkward about going snowboarding with skiers? Does one get
"left
in the dust," so to speak?
The best solution to riding with skiers is to use step-in bindings, to
avoid the main problem which is them having to wait around while you
fiddle with straps.
Aha. That sounds like good advice if I reach that stage.
In fact, at your age and with your goals, I'd
recommend hard boots with an Intec-compatible stepin and an
all-mountain board. See www.bomberonline.com for more info on the
hard-booting experience, and one of the friendliest and most helpful
online communities. In particular check out the welcome centre
(http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/welcome_center.cfm) and the
forums
(http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulleti...p?s=&forumid=2).
Why would hard boots be better than soft boots? I've been to the
bomberonline Web site already, but it seems to assume preexisting personal
experience of the difference between the two. Also, are hard boots for
snowboarding, as opposed to ski boots, difficult to find? Do most ski/board
shops carry them, or are they a specialty item?
Thanks,
Joe Ramirez