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January, 2025

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Has skiing passed snowboarding?

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BusyJohnSohn
Posts: 3483 - Karma: 29
I remember a time where noone had a clue what freestyle skiing was, to say you were a skiier was pretty much admitting you were a loser.  However, last weekend when I was out skiing, pretty much every single kid in the park was a skiier.  There were a couple kids snowboarding but the skiier kids were far and away outdoing them.  Im not sure if this is just a regional thing (Wentworth, Nova Scotia) or if its a larger trend we are seeing, where kids who are started on skiing are choosing to stay within the sport rather than switch to snowboarding like they used to (everyone of my snowboarder friends started off skiing)  I think this is due in large part to kids seeing older guys on the hill throwing down.

Obviously it is a little bold to ask if we have "passed them" persay but if you get my jist then it would be interesting to hear some opinions.  I know this is a pretty well talked about topic but its normally a skiing vs. snowboarding debate.  I was just blown away that every single kid in the park was a skiier and how tight they all were, are other people noticing this too?  If not yet, when will this happen? will people ever stop snowboarding, maybe its the fad?
Mar 11 2011 2:08PM
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
It depends on how you define passing snowboarding.

In most, although not all, of the big mountain arena, skiing has bee ahead for years.  If you are talking about park/pipe/urban, I don't know.  Someone else here would be better able to answer.  When I watch snowboarding, I watch Xavier De La Rue, Jeremy Jones, and Travis Rice.  I don't care about the jibbers.

If you are talking about popularity, and cool factor, skiing has caught up a whole lot.

This stuff can also be influenced by where you ski.  I lived in Tahoe, and skied Squaw every day, for years.  Squaw was definitely a mountain dominated by skiers.  Now I ski Mammoth 30-35 days, and Mt. Baldy 5-10 days.  Mammoth is more snowboard oriented than Squaw, but there are still lots of good skiers there.  I would say the steep terrain has more skiers than boarders at Mammoth, but not by much.  I don't ski the park at Mammoth, so I can't really comment.  Overall, I bet the ratio is about 50/50 skiers and boarders at Mammoth.

As for Mt. Baldy.....It is in socal, and unlike Mt. High or Summit/Bear Baldy has legitimate terrain.  I definitely notice more skiers there, which is not surprising.  More of the boarders like the park, so they don't tend to go to Baldy.

The most annoying thing about socal, is having some idiot boarder, who skates and surfs(I surf, so I'm not dogging skating or surfing) and boards maybe 5 days a year at summit/high/bear, ask you why you don't snowboard.  This idiots know nothing about the industry, and think they have something figured out.  When I lived in Tahoe, I was NEVER asked that question.  When I am on chair 23 at Mammoth, I am NEVER asked that question.  It is only snowboarders that suck, and don't go very much, who ask me.
Mar 12 2011 12:09PM
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Gmart
Posts: 1634 - Karma: 273
park skiing is becoming huge i think next year were going to start seeing more people in the park and theres gonna be more free skiiers than snowboarders
Mar 12 2011 12:15PM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
my friends dad works for 4frnt, and he says the ski companies are making more than the board companies are.
Mar 12 2011 12:27PM
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WakeBakeFapNap
Posts: 258 - Karma: 28
im noticeing this year the ratio is about 50/50 but the majority of the snowbaorders being older like 16-20 im not really seeing many youger snowboarders but i am seeing lots of young skiers this isnt just because they start skiing but many young steezy kids some young as 9 years old learning the ways of newschool this is where i think skiing is beginin to take over with the younger generations again
Mar 12 2011 2:29PM
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factory81
Posts: 3967 - Karma: 63
snowboarding is totally lame when skiing is represented properly.

they look like imbeciles on the mountain. Everything from unstrapping and gimping around at the base of the lift, to riding janky on the lift, to skating/falling to a spot close to the top of the lift, to stopping and sitting everywhere they shouldn't, to them getting in the way on a trail because they have to unstrap and try and skate or whatever the fuck they wanna do to get to the powder.

They try and take traverses and cirques and it doesn't always work if they don't know how to get out there. Next thing you know you got a motherfuckin line and people running in to each other because someone is an idiot.

Skiers just have what it takes to get the job done. From powder baskets to crazy progression with ski designs. We are getting around the mountain easier and in better style than ever. Boarders are literally being left behind.

There are good boarders who do stand out and are above the threshold here. But these are seriously the little annoyances that I find with them.

They don't really annoy me though until they are fuckin up a traverse or cirque. Basically this can be an issue at Snowbird or honeycomb canyon i guess in solitude. Brighton is designed pretty well for boarders and that really makes a difference.

Mar 13 2011 12:51AM
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jeR.
Posts: 1325 - Karma: 58
i mean in terms of numbers I think that yes, there are more park skiers than boarders. Sunday River/Sugarloaf, where I've been skiing this season, I most definitely see more skiers than boarders in the park by a long shot. and in terms of skill level there are a lot of big groups skiers that kill it there and I can't say i've seen any groups of boarders that actually shred, but im sure they are there, mostly just boarders who don't really know what they are doing. In terms of the general public's perception I still think that most lay-people think that snowbarding is the cool one, and skiing is lamer, although that is definitely changing over the past few years. in terms of progression I think that they are about equal, skiers have arguably better urban and rail tricks and more variety with the ability to edge, yet they do copy snowboard style presses and butters and shit. skiers can do bigger spins usually on jumps, though mark mcmorris's triple 14 has been pushing it for snowboarders, don't know if any boarders have 16ed or for that matter dub 16ed or not. snowboarders build way more creative bc booters, check any recent movie from this year, though skiers probably push it harder in terms of lines, and bigger airs.
Mar 13 2011 1:08AM
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cool_name
Posts: 4295 - Karma: 3,131
i think popularity wise snowboarded was way ahead  a few years ago but in the last few years skiing has caught and is starting to pass snowboarding

or so ive noticed
Mar 13 2011 4:53AM
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ryman
Posts: 113 - Karma: 21
how exactly is snowboarding several years ahead in progression? because some guy landed a triple 'cork' (biggest disgrace of a commentator ever) at x-games?
Mar 13 2011 8:31AM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
No
Mar 13 2011 9:23AM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
just no
Mar 13 2011 7:27PM
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wtmtss
Posts: 110 - Karma: 12
I really don't think anyone was ever called a loser for skiing. But it just depends where you live really.
Mar 13 2011 7:30PM
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shaggy.
Posts: 433 - Karma: 301
i dont know about the rest of you but i kind of like the idea of being part of a movment that is not well known to the general public but those who are a part of it are fervent about it, like the whole freeski movement of the past decade.
Mar 13 2011 8:02PM
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mikeisener
Posts: 57 - Karma: 13
it is somewhat of a regional thing in wentworth. Hill has so many flat slow spots that it scares most of the boarders off. Also we have a very established freestyle course and training spots( air site, moguls). Go to martock an hour away and it's all fucking snowboarders with shitty boarder set up rails and asshole infested park. I dispise martock or anyone who thinks it's actualy an amazing hill.
Mar 13 2011 8:07PM
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pinhead_larry
Posts: 891 - Karma: 20
I think my mountain is behind. Ive been told by ski patrol that im not allowed in the park.
Mar 13 2011 8:12PM
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macdonuts
Posts: 110 - Karma: 29
what dumbasses
Mar 13 2011 8:18PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 461
at my hill,i'd say the park skier-to-snowboarder ratio is like 1:10
Mar 13 2011 8:26PM
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mikeisener
Posts: 57 - Karma: 13
I've been called a looser by people who think there all hot shit snowboarders because I ski. They ate there words after they saw me compared to their 50/50's over flat boxes. Anyone at my school other then gen who thinks there hot shit only board a few times a year.
Mar 13 2011 8:42PM
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CRiP
Posts: 1323 - Karma: 482
skiing is definitely catching up. last year my mountain was probably 80% snowboarders. this year it was almost 50/50
Mar 13 2011 10:04PM
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crab_pretzel
Posts: 3919 - Karma: 622
how many athletes from each sport can throw a tiple?? im not saying this define which one is better or anything, im just curious
Mar 13 2011 10:06PM
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nlamx
Posts: 348 - Karma: 10
definitely like 60/40 skiiers majority on east coast. At least where i go
Mar 13 2011 11:06PM
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LiamMcKinley
Posts: 865 - Karma: 2,771

these GIRLS rip.
Mar 13 2011 11:31PM
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special-J
Posts: 1572 - Karma: 4,477
at 7 Springs, the ski scene is blowing up and is well beyond snowboarding. There are only probably 4-5 legitimately good snowboarders, but a ton of skiers that absolutely kill it. Plus the general ratio is about 3:1.
Mar 13 2011 11:36PM
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3230 - Karma: 1,107
In CT there are more and more skiers in the park every year. And as far as progression goes, I think skiing is very close in some respects and ahead in others. I was at dew tour at Killington and skiing pipe made sb pipe look like a joke. Also, i dont watch a ton of snowboarding, but to me, i think BC skiing is past snowboarding too
Mar 14 2011 9:52AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
never. they are leaps and bounds ahead of us
Mar 14 2011 10:03AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14535 - Karma: 11,051
I am definitely noticing more skiers than boarders in the park today. It used to be like a handful of park skiers and then swarms of boarders, but it is definitely changing. Snowboarding isn't the "cool" thing anymore, which is pretty much why everyone our age started snowboarding in the first place. Like 10 years ago all the kids started to board because skiing was "lame" and it's funny now because I know tons of boarders who wish they started skiing instead of snowboarding.
Mar 14 2011 10:38AM
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televail
Posts: 24 - Karma: 10
Snowboarding started to get more popular for a little while at least in powder before they had shaped skis and fatter skis, but now skiing is much more popular
Mar 14 2011 10:39AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
this is true. there are at least twice the amount of skiers as snowboarders at seven springs. so many freaking skiiers
Mar 14 2011 10:57AM
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jibnut
Posts: 3038 - Karma: 304
I feel like snowboarding has been stagnate for the past year, no new "extreme" pros. Yet the freeskiing world is blowing up. Definite change in the park this season where the snowboarder to skier ration is 5:10. I would say 5 people out of 10 are skiing this season. Including me, who has been snowboarding for 9 seasons, I'm skiing pretty much all this season. I taught myself last season. I think my mountain has a number of people who are doing both skiing and snowboarding, too.

In other news, I think snowboarding has gotten way less rad over the past season and is getting super washed out. But that's my opinion, especially because I've been doing it for so long and have seen everything. I think skiing is way more intense and difficult, park wise, than anything. Because most parks are not skier friendly in these days, but they're working on it.
Mar 14 2011 11:26AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
you're kidding
Mar 14 2011 12:05PM
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Gallivan
Posts: 23 - Karma: 10
skiing in the younger kids is definantly getting bigger
Mar 14 2011 2:26PM
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Mr-conutco
Posts: 327 - Karma: 26
my moutin sucks!...me and like 5 other people are the only skiers there. all the rest are snowborders. the ratio is like 1:15 1=skiers 15=snowborders.
Mar 15 2011 12:36PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903

i'm sorry, was that sarcasm?  my 16 year old brother is better than that..

Cool from Aaron Agre on Vimeo.

i hope the embed works..http://www.vimeo.com/20395676

Mar 15 2011 5:30PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
don't think so...I was shoveling for an urban today and two guys walked by and asked if I was skateboarding, their next guess was snowboarding, then i told them skiing.
Mar 15 2011 5:49PM
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bambooze
Posts: 65 - Karma: 50

I'm really glad to see that no one is really hating on either side. This is a huge progression ive noticed even from just 5 or so years. But the only reason i prefer skiing is snowboarding seems to be more like getting pushed down a hill with your pants around your ankles... and i think once others do both they will realize the same.

Mar 15 2011 7:45PM
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lucas569
Posts: 526 - Karma: 14
i like how alot of people think boarders are "cool" til they see a freeskier pull some sick tricks.
Mar 16 2011 3:02AM
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Jaznewt
Posts: 919 - Karma: 1,686
never been so excited for a snowsports movie.

Mar 16 2011 3:30AM
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East.
Posts: 2314 - Karma: 128
snowboarding can follow skateboarding much easier.. which is where real progression is. fuck aerials.
Mar 16 2011 4:40AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
i still want to know if you are serious. because if you are, then you must be living under a rock
Mar 16 2011 10:03AM
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Walkawalka
Posts: 314 - Karma: 43
I think it depends where you are. Where i'm from (canadian praires), there is definitely more snowboarders. snowboarding is still considered the cooler sport. For example, last week i was having a conversation with one of my friends parents  and he was asking me about wether i ski or snowboard he said "ive always considered snowboarding as being more extreme". Another time i basically had to explain to my friends mom that skiers can use the halfpipe just as well as snowboarders.  That being said, i have noticed a huge increase in park skiing at my local hill. Last year i was one of about 3-5 regular park skiiers, this year theres about 10-15. I think skiing is definitely gaining popularity and once it is in the olympics and exposed to the public eye it will be on another level
Mar 16 2011 10:50AM
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S.P
Posts: 207 - Karma: 26
theres lots of kids in my school who used to snowboard but they switched to skiing, im pretty sure they only did it because they wanted to be thug or something because there parents buy them the nicest shit and they wont hit one feature in the park, they spend the whole just watching kids and trying to look steezy when there riding to the park.
Mar 16 2011 11:06AM
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ASkierNamedJaymz
Posts: 1209 - Karma: 341
I have noticed the same at my mountain.  But i also think there are a lot of skiers with twin tips that don't really rip.  Just because all the new skis are twin, everyone has them now and it doesn't mean much.
Mar 16 2011 11:25AM
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guesswhat
Posts: 10 - Karma: 10
yeeah i noticed that too but i know why skiing is waay easyer to pick up than snowboarding i havent skiied ever and the first time i did it i hit rails and jumps and even did a 7' so that's why little skiers ripp because snowboarding is harder on a professional lever it's both equally hard dow

Apr 3 2011 3:32PM
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zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
At my mountain (Mont Tremblant) IMO but I feel like theres more park skiers than snowboarders. Deffinately more skier in general.
Apr 3 2011 3:40PM
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erazzleski
Posts: 117 - Karma: 14
It's about 50/50 right now at my home hill in the midwest. But I am hearing a lot more about people switching from snowboarding to skiing than I have switching from skiing to snowboarding. I would also say that the skiers are going bigger in general with my boy alec nelson throwin switch misty 540s and  blake fraustchi is throwin d-spin 900s
Apr 3 2011 3:41PM
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PeteySkeety
Posts: 996 - Karma: 209
In the past year snowboard sales have gone down by 30 %
Apr 3 2011 3:46PM
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CSpruit
Posts: 368 - Karma: 55
There are a lot more freestyle skiers at my mountain.  most of the younger kids are throwing down and most of them ski
Apr 3 2011 3:53PM
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jonny.brom
Posts: 90 - Karma: 34
i think its going to be 50/50 before no time and i hope it stays that way because i love to ride with snowboarders, its a nice variation and keeps thing awesome
Apr 3 2011 4:46PM
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Cantskiforshit
Posts: 42 - Karma: 12
To the point about people who don't rip riding twins: I just started skiing this year learning on other people's equipment. Next season when I invest in skis, they will probably be twins. I just can't see myself spending money on skis that I don't plan on using in the long run. Not to say that there aren't kids wearing twins and just trying to look hood, but some of us might be broke as fuck and trying to be economical.

Snowboarding is still huge, but there is definitely a better balance these days. Some people still hate on skiing and say it's queer, but I have been snowboarding for years, and I love riding with skiers, especially in the park.
Apr 3 2011 5:14PM
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N.L.
Posts: 2420 - Karma: 2,747

skiing needs snowboardings influence,

if it werent for snowboarding wed still be doing spread eagles and daffys, and since skiers dont do front bluntsameways yet ( an easy press trick for boarders) its safe to say we are no where near their progression. its been said we are four years behind, we still are.

Apr 3 2011 5:15PM
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drugula
Posts: 117 - Karma: 10
Watch this..

Loonatics Episode 9 from Keep The Change on Vimeo.





Apr 3 2011 5:47PM
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