Snowboarding is a sport that developed in the late 1990s and really picked up in the first years of the new millenium. While skiers stand in the direction of movement on their skis, snowboarders stand on a board that is between ten and twelve inch wide in a ninty degree angle to the direction of movement. It can be seen as the equivalent of a surfboard or skateboard for the winter. The feet are strapped to the board at about shoulder width apart without a quick release like on skis. The board has metal edges to allow for grip in hard or icy conditions.
Snowboarding can be seen as a rather young sport that is dominantly performed by younger people. Since snowboarders and skiers use the same terrain but perform different turns the two sides do not always get along too well. In general, though, both groups of people enjoy to be outside in the winter and make some nice turns in groomed and ungroomed terrain. There are different styles of snowboarding as well, which are pretty similar to the ones mentioned in the skiing section. Since hiking with the board is impossible due to the fixed feet, snowboarding can be separated into slope, powder and freestyling. While some athletes prefer to carve turns in the groomed trails, others enjoy the ride in freshly fallen snow more. Freestylers use natural or man-made jumps to perform spins, flips or other artistic movements in the air.
The sport can be performed in all ski resorts around the world but requires some learning because it does not seem natural in the beginning to not stand in the direction of travel on a piece of sport equipment. Once one has gotten familiar with the necessary movements the sport can be performed in the various terrains. However, ski resorts with dominantly chair lifts are considered more convenient for the snowboarder compared to t-bar lifts. This might be a limitation to the sport but experienced snowboarders can also use both. Now that you know more about the sport, please contact me by clicking on the tab above if you have further questions or just want to know which resorts are recommended in the different countries and regions.
Hope to see you out in the powder...
René Reisshauer
