We’re here to set the record straight once and for all. Our name may indicate that we cater to skiers, but that’s simply not the case. We have plenty of Mountain Travel Experts and staffers who are snowboarders, who can provide snowboarders with unique and important perspectives on ski resorts with the best terrain (and terrain parks) and off-mountain activities and attractions to suit their interests and budget.
Since the sport’s inception, more than 35 years ago, snowboarders have often been a downtrodden people. In the 90s only seven percent of ski resorts allowed snowboarders, and there was segregated “snowboarders only” runs. They’ve been snubbed by skier “friends” who tell them that “you probably don’t want to come with us because there’s a lot of traversing,” or told by the random skier guy at the bar “you snowboarders ruin the moguls.” It’s no wonder that there’s been a history of tension between the two groups of snowsports enthusiasts. While some skiers, like all people, will never accept change or new ideas, we, at Ski.com, would personally like to thank snowboarding, and its culture, for all the innovative and inspirational things that the sport has contributed to the modern mountain experience.
Here’s why we love snowboarders:
They invented ski resort terrain parks.
Did you know in the early 90s terrain parks were called “snowboard parks?” The concept was derived from skate parks, but snowboarders added their own take with jumps and boxes. While the 2014 Sochi Olympic freeskiers may have just showcased their gravity- and logic-defying skills for the first time, their style and sport is entirely born out of freestyle snowboarding. Check out the ski resorts with the best terrain parks.
They have a good sense of humor.
Snowboarders know best that sometimes having a board strapped to your feet and no poles can be inefficient in certain terrain. Check out the video below to learn about what “backside scootching” is.
They surf powder.
Think about it for a second. Imagine how that would feel. If you’re a skier who dabbles in snowboarding or has mastered both sports you know what we’re talking about. Snowboarding in powder is likened to the feeling a surfer experiences when riding a big wave. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
They are leading the charge in climate change activism.
What would happen to skiing and snowboarding if there was no snow? That’s what snowboarder Jeremy Jones, of Jones Snowboards and TGR’s Deeper, Further, Higher film series, is addressing with his non-profit Protect our Winters (POW). POW has united 50-plus professional snowboarders and skiers to form the organizations’ Riders Alliance to “actively engage the global snow sports community to lead the fight against climate change.” In October 2013 17 athletes traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to meet with 11 U.S. Congressmen to discuss climate change and how it affects both alpine environment and mountain economy and lifestyle.
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