Skis or snowboard?
On mountain slopes, a merry group flies downhill on skis and snowboards. High speeds, elegant turns—it makes you want to learn how to do the same. So, what’s the issue? Head to the store, grab some gear, and join in. But then you find yourself perplexed in the store, unsure which of these sports suits you best. Relying on friends’ opinions won’t help much—it’s like asking which music album is better to listen to. Just as with music, everyone has their preferences in sports, but you can figure them out even without trying one or the other firsthand.
Consider Your Existing Skills
Simple Soviet skier
Most of us are familiar with basic skiing from childhood: skiing during gym classes, weekend outings in snowy forests, or gliding down small hills. Some of the most daring individuals would find a steep hill, set up a small jump, and shoot down it like a bullet—sometimes breaking skis, poles, or, in more serious cases, even a leg.
Of course, alpine skiing requires completely different equipment, but many have already had some early exposure to this sport.
Snowboarding, on the other hand, may only be familiar to many through pictures or TV—it’s a completely unfamiliar piece of equipment that requires learning completely from scratch.
You may want to consider what’s better: starting from a clean slate or using your previous experience, while working to unlearn bad habits or mistakes you may have picked up while cross-country skiing.
Snowboarding gear How to properly choose snowboarding gear is covered in another article. Don’t miss it.
Read about waveboarding—a unique type of skateboarding— on this page .
What Slopes Are Nearby?
Ski gear
An important question to consider is how you’ll get to the slopes. If you have your own transport and a good road leading to the winter slopes, the quantity, weight, and size of your luggage won’t matter. However, if you need to travel on crowded buses and trains, possibly with transfers, carrying one board is much easier than a set of ski gear.
Additionally, think about whether there are slopes suitable for alpine skiing near your home. With a snowboard, you can ride on smaller hills, which can typically be found even in city parks. If there are no hills, you could even ride on very gentle inclines. In urban areas, on small platforms, you can also practice freestyle tricks.
A skier will not be satisfied with minor bumps; they need long slopes. Failing to consider these requirements could mean that while you master descending small hills, there might not be places to improve further. Athletes can’t stand feeling stuck, and before long, your ski equipment might end up collecting dust in storage and leave you completely disenchanted with skiing.
Consider Your Personality
Snowboarding or skiing?
Each sport requires certain personality traits. Though skiing and snowboarding may seem closely related, they demand different approaches.
Methodical and meticulous individuals, who are prepared to spend time learning and polishing their skills, will likely prefer skiing. A good instructor will teach proper movements, explain how to stay confident on skis, and only then take you onto more challenging slopes. With this approach, there won’t be many falls—but is this necessarily the best way?
Snowboarding involves learning through trial and error, with beginners falling many times during each session, accumulating bruises and bumps. However, this experience not only teaches them to ride but also to fall correctly. This invaluable skill can help protect the athlete from serious injuries on more challenging descents.
Abzakovo ski resort Abzakovo Ski Resort is one of the most popular in Russia. It is famous not only for its mild climate and excellent slopes but also for its water park.
We also have a description of the Sheregesh ski center—read about it at this link . You can find a review of ski resorts in Belarus here: /en/mountains/skiing-snowboarding/belarusian-ski-resorts/
Skiers often go down the same slope multiple times, analyze mistakes, and rejoice when they manage to shave a few seconds off their descent compared to last time.
If this kind of activity seems boring to you, but you’re drawn to discovering new places and unexplored slopes—opt for snowboarding. It doesn’t require a groomed slope; you can ride where no human foot or ski has ever touched.
Of course, the speed on untouched snow is lower, but you won’t even notice it as you race through the wind and snow towards new discoveries. Snowboards are designed in such a way that you can easily traverse a horizontal snowy section to reach an interesting slope without a ski track leading to it.
What was said in the previous paragraph does not mean at all that skiers are boring killjoys. Yes, they constantly seek improvement and hone their skills, but just look at how passionately and enthusiastically they do it! Finding the right technique to race down a slope faster than anyone else, tackling a tricky turn without falling—isn’t there just as much adrenaline in that as there is in conquering uncharted mountains?
Debating which is better, more extreme, or more exciting is pointless, as both sports fit these descriptions. It’s just that some people are drawn a little more to one of them than the other.
So, what should you ultimately choose?
Constantly perfecting your technique, achieving milestones, small victories over your former self? Or freedom—the ability to ride anywhere, choosing a new route each time?
What to choose?
Perhaps this question isn’t quite the right one to ask. First, decide why you want to engage in winter sports. If your goal is to master your equipment and become—if not a professional, then at least an accomplished athlete—you should commit all your effort to one discipline without any distractions. If you fall into this category, you probably already know which type suits you more.
However, if you belong to the happy majority of people who don’t seek achievements but simply want to enjoy sliding down slopes, then there’s no need to stick to just one option. Try mastering both skiing and snowboarding, and your winter vacation will become much more diverse, while your social circle will expand.
