I love snowboarding. There I said it, and I’m glad I got that off my chest.
The fine art of sliding down a snowy hill really fast while strapped to a 5-odd foot plank of wood offers up many magical moments. And if you’re an experienced snowboarder, or you’re perhaps considering learning to snowboard (yes, do it!!) then my list here will perhaps make you smile, or think twice. Maybe both.
I’ve picked out ten things I LOVE about snowboarding, and ten things that aren’t so good.
Anyways – here’s my best and worst things about snowboarding.
The Ten Best Things About Snowboarding
1. It’s hella fun
Top of the list, and obviously the main reason to go snowboarding is, it’s SO MUCH FUN. Sliding down a snowy hill, popping a few jumps (if you can) or just carving some nice wide turns.
The feel of the cold wind in your face, maybe the sun too if it’s a bluebird day. And the idiot grin on your face everytime you get to the lift back up the mountain.
Any day on the mountain is good, even if you get in a whiteout.
2. You can sit down
Skiers often laugh at snowboarders because we’re regularly spotted sitting down. OK, that might be cos we skidded and fell over (again). But, it might also be because we CAN SIT DOWN. And when your thighs are burning from that 7 kms run down a red and black piste, being able to sit down is soooo nice.
3. Enjoying the view
Probably one of the nicest things about snow sports is that it’s a great reason to go and enjoy the views in the mountains. And perhaps the best thing about snowboarding (and skiing for that matter) is just taking time to breathe in the mountain air, enjoy the view from the chairlift, or taking a moment to drink it all in.
4. No poles
Snowboarders can ride hands free because…. We don’t need no ski poles baby! No worries about dropping our ski pole off the chairlift, or watching our poles slide down the mountain after a fall. Or having to climb up to collect our lost pole after we slid three hundred yards.
No poles means we can take some pics with our phones, high five each other, do crazy dances, eat a sandwhich, mix a cocktail. Whatever the hell we want, cos we don’t need ski poles!
5. No lost skis
Everyone falls. Yes, even skiers. But when snowboarders fall, you know what. We just get up, dust ourselves off and carry on. Because we’re strapped to our boards, we don’t need to worry about losing our equipment.
You see a skier fall, a pole goes one way, their skis go flying down the mountain. Ahhh… I feel for you guys. I really do.
6. Getting off the chairlift
Yes, I know it’s a rite of passage for snowboarders to take out a whole row of skiers as they try and dismount the chairlift. But, once you’ve nailed it, it’s kinda satisfying to slide off and then skate to the top of the piste, take a moment to take in the view (see point 3) and then strap in.
Experienced riders can even strap in while standing, and those with serious skills can even strap in while moving!
7. The learning curve
Snowboarding is notoriously harder for beginners than skiing. Perhaps its being strapped in, or learning to fall on your ass without bruising your coccyx. But once you’ve mastered those first couple of days, one of the best things about snowboarding is how small the learning curve is.
You can very quickly master carved turns, popping some simple jumps, riding switch and even get more advanced in a relatively short space of time. Just make sure to wear a helmet!
8. The boots
Snowboarding boots? Pretty comfy. You can dance, you can walk down stairs, you kinda forget you’re wearing them.
How about them ski boots? Ever see a skier walking down a flight of stairs. Owch. That looks awkward guys.
9. It’s cool
Lets be honest here, snowboarding is cool. Board sports are cool. Most of the really cool snow sports pros are snowboarders. Perhaps its the kinda effortless look, or the stance, or something.
Also, pretty much any snowsports apparel brand that is cool is a snowboarding brand.
And before skiers start saying that skiing is just as cool as snowboarding. Yeah, I guess it is. But a lot of the style of skiing, and even the skis themselves, owe a lot to the emergence of snowboarding. It’s fine. We don’t make a big thing out of it.
The coolest tricks on snow…? Lets be true here. Snowboarding tricks look way cooler, get a ton of air and are just – yeah – better.
You can keep mogul skiing. We’ll take the half pipe and the snow park any day.
10. The apres
Yeah this applies to both skiing and snowboarding, but it really is one of the best things about snow sports in general. There is nothing like enjoying a cool drink (or a hot one if you’re hitting the vin chaud) at the end of another epic day on the mountain. And if you pick the right resort, you can really enjoy some serious apres ski….
Check our pick of the best budget apres ski resorts.
OK. So that’s the best things about snowboarding… What about the worst things?
The Worst Things About Snowboarding
1. Drag lifts
Argh! Every snowboarders nemesis. Well, most of us. Riding a t-bar or button lift is a fine art that few of us manage to master – rendering whole sections of some ski resorts off limits.
Not to say it can’t be done, but it’s definitely one of the worst parts of snowboarding.
2. Strapping in
Strapping into your board at the top of every chairlift can be tiresome. Until you either suss strapping in while standing up, or you invest in some step in bindings. I’ll be honest, this doesn’t bother me so much, but when you’re learning to snowboard, it is definitely one of the annoying and fiddly things you need to get the hang of.
3. Falling
Yes, novice snowboarders do tend to slip and fall more often than skiers. Laugh it up.
This does become less of an issue once you hit the intermediate stage, but it’s still annoying. And it hurts too.
4. Skiers are faster
While skiing is faster than snowboarding, as a general rule, that’s not to say that you can’t absolutely bomb past a bunch of skiers once you master riding those edges. And there is something incredibly satisfying about steaming past skiers too.
Although – there is always someone flying down the mountain on skis faster than a Formula 1 car.
5. The flat sections
Didn’t get up enough speed to cross that flat section? Bummer dude. Better unclip and walk – or skate – to the next slight incline so you can get some speed. FML.
Unless you’ve got a skier buddy who can pull you along.
6. Ski rivalry
Which brings me to one of the most annoying things about snowboarding, which is… The rivalry with gloating skiers. They do love to gloat about the fact that you stalled on the flat, or that you have to clip in at the top of the chairlift, or that you are sitting down. Yeah yeah. Whatevs.
But perhaps the most annoying thing is that skiers often see snowboarders as dangerous, reckless or even that they ruin the piste!
Having seen how some people ski, I can safely state that there are idiots on both teams.
7. Stinky boots
You certainly get sweaty after a a serious day on the mountain. And after a few days, those boots do get stinky! Obviously this isn’t a problem unique to snowboarders, but affects skiers too. More of a problem if you own your own ski or snowboard boots.
8. Getting addicted
One of the worst things about snowboarding is that it’s so much fun, you want to do it as much as possible. And because it isn’t the cheapest sport to enjoy, this can be an expensive habit. If you don’t live anywhere near a ski resort, it can be an expense of time to travel there too.
Luckily, there are lots of budget ski resorts to explore.
But yeah. Damn you for being so awesome, snowboarding…
9. The end of winter…
One of the worst things about snowboarding is the end of the winter season. Ski resorts closing for the winter, and you have to go and, y’know… Do summer stuff. Urgh.
On the plus side, we can spend our summer planning where we’re gonna head next winter!
Read our guide: The best places to snowboard in Europe
And… Thats your lot.
I actually can’t think of ten genuine things I hate or dislike about snowboarding.
Is it worth learning to snowboard?
If you’re thinking about learning to snowboard, I can only say give it a try. As you might have noticed, I’m pretty keen on it. And while it does require a bit of dedication to get through those early days of learning bumps and bruises, it really does reward you in the long run.
So, yes. If you love doing fun stuff, you like mountains, and you want to Make Winter Fun Again (MWFA), go learn to snowboard.
Want to explore some of the best ski resorts for snowboarders?
