[Closed] to ski or to snowboard?

Ski's, more versatile and you'll spend less time on your ass and walking to lifts.

If you're going to be living there why not do, or at least, try, both. I find boarding a lot easier and as such, because I only get to go once or twice a year I board as it means I'm not confined to the pistes.
But, if I had plenty of time to learn I would almost certaintly ski, it's everything boarding is but without the mind numbing shuffling and walking.

Oh and forget what's 'cool' and what's not. Sking and boarding are both amazing and anyone who's any good at either can appreciate that.

Ski, why would you want to ride a window sill?

I can honestly say, some of the best moments in my life have been riding powder on a board, this is better than any MTB trail i have yet ridden.
For this reason i would say boarding over skiing as you simply can't get the wide turning sweeping floating sensation on powder with ski's like you can on a board.

As you are out there for the season, do both! You'll need some instruction at the off foe either of these.

Get on a board and get riding. You will have completely mastered it in a couple weeks, but you will be doing well enough after just a few days to hit a variety of terrain.

On skis, expect it to take much longer to master. It depends on you, the quality of instruction and frequency of practice. You will be doing the basics on blues and some reds after a week and after three or four, you will be at an early intermediate level covering all terrain. It can take a very long time to break through to the advanced level, perhaps even years if you don't have a decent instructor.

Whichever you take up, you will love it, especially after the first few weeks of falling over and aching muscles.

Find people to ski with who have some patience and will help you find your feet a little.

Full time job in the Alps - Bastard! 👿 😆

Dave - I would've agreed with you before but we got led off piste last season by a guide on skis and it was incredible to watch.
The new, wider, twin tip, powder skis are pretty amazing.

That said, I surf and the feel of a big wide powder turn on a board is the same to me as a big bottom turn on a clean wave and I have to say, that is a bloody great feeling!

Snowboard, you'll have plenty of time for skiing when you're coming up to pensionable age.

I board, but skiing does have plenty of benefits, like getting along the flatter sections

also skiers are less likely to treat you like complete scum at the lifts

had some top hat ski right over my board last time I was in Austria at the lifts. It was only when I got back to the hotel that I noticed 4 huge chunks out of the top sheet of the board

I reckon you should try both, but you'll probably soon get bored with learning to board as you'll spend a lot of time on your arse

Well out in the alps the number of boarders is on the way down. There are very few who board out there compared to the ski resorts here. From this I would recommend probably skiing. I am howevre a bit biased I have been skiing for the past 10 years, but I started boarding for the first time last year and having slated boarders for my whole skiing life I actually really enjoyed it, but you do spend quite a lot of time sitting on your bum to begin with. I think it looks really cool seeing a really good boarder carving down the hillside, it is preference to be honest. But if most of you work mates are skiing I would probably suggest that.

I board, but skiing does have plenty of benefits, like getting along the flatter sections

As above. I've not felt that I'd be better off on skis when actually riding (although obviously it depends what you're doing, and if I was any good I might think differently) but there's a lot of faffing about at the top/bottom of lifts and on flat sections that skis would avoid.

If I had the time I'd learn to ski as well but like Richie I'm lucky if I get a week or two a year so snowboarding for me. Coming from a surf/skate background I picked it up really quick.

carving on a snowboard feels similar to riding a succession of berms and i like berms.

I am sure would enjoy both
Skiing for me thou,
You may probably get fed up of snowboarding after a while,
walking on flats sections and unclipping at lifts.
Dont be fooled by the rad dude look, as most young kids these days have given up on the board in favour of twin tips and fats etc as you can do more on them.
Which ever you do you are one lucky chap spending winter out there.
Biking will seem quiet tame after spending the season on snow in the alps,
unless you buy a downhill bike 😛

Ski. Start off by skiing because you can do so much more. Once you get good at skiing maybe mess about on a board for a bit and see if you like it but to be honest, if you have never done either before it won't matter. There just as hard as each other to learn so take you pick

Oh yeh Ski's are "cooler"

Well you know what they say, the hardest part about skiing is telling your parents you`re gay, only joking ,but as a rule of thumb over 60 years old -ski under 60 years old board all the way.

I 'board, the wife has done a bit of skiing. However, when we went to Whistler, I talked her into trying the boarding. In one day, she had surpassed her skiing ability. Plus, when you stack, your hips, knees and ankles stay together rather than being forced to do the splits!

However, you've got time for both, so try both. However, try the boarding first as it's easier to get up and running.

If you're there for the season, try both and decide which FEELS better. Don't worry about how you think it looks. It's actually really nice being able to do both.

I snowboarded for years (started in 1991). My second season away, it stopped snowing mid-Feb (honestly, not one more flake all Winter). I learned to ski as I find snowboarding on pistes a little dull and I'm too big for park stuff. Came back for a third season and found skiing to be far more pleasurable all-round. I like the style of tricks, the extra control and speed and the reduced faff of having to swap between board and snowshoes. Ski-touring with skins is ace too.

I haven't done either for 4 years though, so perhaps I'm a bit out of touch.

Either way, my winter seasons were the happiest years of my life (don't tell the wife). Have a good time.

You will likely get up and going more quickly on skis than boarding, however as others have said it takes longer to get to intermediate level and competance off piste will likely take a long time. Plus point with skis is that getting round the mountain is so much easier than with a board, you can cover flat ground much more easily, which is a killer when you first start boarding.

Now for boarding, as others have said the feeling of being off piste in deep powder snow, in the trees or on steep open slopes has on occasions for me been almost a spiritual experience :0)

So try both they are both great in there own ways and for different conditions.

I've done a lot of boarding and skiing

I prefer boarding but you should try both if you have the opportunity

Plum

Skiing everytime for me(I tried boarding first before skiing)...too much faffin about when learning to board when it comes to the flat sections and lift like people have already said.

But if you are there for a season give them both a go you lucky sod 😉

Skking is easier to start but slower to progress. Personally if there is powder and off piste then boarding is far superior. Have spent days boarding off piste and still fresh and raring to go while the skiers of better fitness are absolutely done in by lunch.

However hard packed pistes are much more fun on carving skis and they are more versatile with getting about the whole mountain.

Do both, ignore what is cool and see what you enjoy instead.

Honestly, do you do winter sports to be 'practical' and 'versatile'? Snowboarding duh! More reasonably put: I skied to a ok standard but became smitten with snowboarding immediately. It's way easier because it's more direct and less technical. Mountain biking is really just a substitute for boarding for me. I will probably go back to skiing when I'm too old for the knocks or want to do mountaineering.
About flats... It's like a singlespeed where to have to carry speed and pump. Because you can't skate like a skier you must go flat out. It takes balls

Neither. Snowblading is where it's at. Trust your Uncle Cougar.

Neither - tele.

Skiers think boarders are scum, boarders think skiers are boring, everybody thinks telemarkers are super-cool.

If you're going to ignore my advice, IIRC there are some bits of the route between Super Morzine and Avoriaz which are rather flat and a total pain on a board - something worth bearing in mind if you're based there.

Telemarking is like having 29" wheels 😉

Nah - boarding is 29", tele is 650b 8)

thanks evryone i will get back to this once i am sober.

fwiw i'll be there for a few uears as i have aproper job there, not a seasonal ski/bike job. win for me.

A board has a lot less drag on the flats than skis, so it is faster, however you need to be a good smooth rider and carry more speed & learn to pump to acheive this.
Catch your edge slightly & you may have to unclip one foot & push like a skateboard, i can't remember ever having to walk on a piste.

Telemark is wicked fun in powder. Fat tele-skis with a set of skins and adjustable poles are a recipe for a day of fun (and aching glutes).

Ski. Easier to learn with the new shorter carving skis. Get some fat twin tips and you will be able to go everywhere really quickly within a couple of weeks.
You are very lucky and will enjoy it alot.

A board has a lot less drag on the flats than skis, so it is faster

I'm a keen skier. Do both.

Like above -boarding in powder beats anything I've done on a bike.

Ski. You can move around when you're not going downhill and you don't need to wear wrist protectors or fashionable clothing to fit in.

I'm not bothered really, both are fun but if you're just starting with both, skiing will come much faster and will be far less frustrating.

As Mr Cougar points out, once you can ski you can snow blade and that is totally awesome. It's like ice skating on snow, down a big hill. A great laugh, you feel like you're completely out of control most of the time.

Board, how often do you intend to be walking or traversing flat stuff, if you want to do that get some roller blades! Its very similar to riding especially in powder and tree runs etc. I dont really ski v well but boarding is so similar to dh/riding.

I would also board as you can get good (I think) quicker than you can on skis and its easier to get off piste etc. Plus on shit days you can hit the park which doesnt take as long to get into on boards as i does on skis. Having said that though skis are better on icy days.

Gte yourself to bar robison and nail some mutzig! I did a season out there was a right laugh!

Forget ski blades they are ghey, unstylish and very very dangerous. Believe me when I say that you will face enough stacks, danger and high speed slams doing a season that you wont need the added risk of gay blades!!!!

Yeah I did some snowblading for a bit and actually enjoyed moguls because they are so manoeuvrable. I confess to never having tried carving skiis or fat skiis and I'm told they are more fun that long straight skiis I used to use. I would also say that carving turns on piste is more like biking in the way you weight your feet and point in the direction of travel. But last time I skied I did not like how loose my legs felt like they would get twisted. With boarding you legs are secure in a strong A shape. It just feels more direct for me not having separate surfaces and edges tp manage and no poles. Boarding in pow is like heaven real smooth and floaty it feels like flying. But it's a really deep play as you body interacts with the snow and your course while the brain just shuts up and it feels like a direct coonection between you and the environment. The terrain unfolds and you just find places to play little bumps and drop round trees lips and gullys. If you just a handful of good pow runs in a weeks trip it makes my year.

plus if you dh or own mountain bike goggles (ie clear ones!) take those as well as they are great on flat light (cloudy days) days.

Nick

hmm - wearing, hard boots, falling over in restaurants sober, losing skis in the powder, bending poles. I think I'd only ski if I had to. As a seasonire you'll be able to cruise the flat sections, snake the queues and shred the park after a few weeks on a board. The first couple of days are hard if you don't have impact shorts.
Unfortunately skiing is probably more practical if you're doing it for a living though.

Ski, it's a no brainer.
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everybody thinks telemarkers are super-cool.

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Forget ski blades they are ghey, unstylish

You know, I'd forgotten all about my experiences with 'boarders when I was learning and how kewl and l33t they thought they were, thanks for reminding me.

Standing sideways on the edge of the piste with an instructor whilst I was learning to stand up without falling over, there was only one group of people who thought the shortest route between the slope and the uplift was to literally ride over the the front of my skis.

Only shit skiers think blades are shit. 😉

For this reason i would say boarding over skiing as you simply can't get the wide turning sweeping floating sensation on powder with ski's like you can on a board.

I think you mean you can't get it without practicing and getting good whereas on a board you can venture off piste within 5 minutes of starting. The only difficulty I have had with skis when out with boarders was in really dense forest which required constant jump turns in the end and I got goosed whereas they were still able to turn and tea tray heel edge down. Fat skis are where it's at. I personally have noticed that the numbers of boarders is dropping quickly in recent years. Probably because of the reasons stated above. Twin tips have swung the momentum back the other way. If I was going out for a season I would do both. And mono boarding and telemarking.

"Twin tips"??