Monday, July 19, 2010

Colorado Mountains: Skiing or Snowboarding?


In the days of rope-tows and T-bars, there was little in the way of choice. You had skis, you went downhill. Nowadays, choices abound—not only among resorts and terrain, but among the very thing you stand on to go downhill. Should you ski, or should you snowboard? Both have their own benefits. Ask anybody on the slopes and they’ll say it comes down to a matter of style. In fact, the whole debate has caused a bit of a friendly rivalry between to the two sets. So which is right for you? We tracked down a skier and snowboarder, and asked them to describe the benefits of each sport. In the end, we found that they did agree about one thing: no matter how you do it, nothing beats carving powder.

We had a brief conversation with both a snowboarder and a skier to get their views on what is the perfect way to enjoy a
Colorado Vacation. The styles may be different but both love the slopes.

Why do you ski? What’s the draw?
Just getting outside, hanging out with friends and the adrenaline of it—it’s still fun after all this time.

So why is snowboarding not your style?
I grew up skiing and I like the speed of skiing. You can go a little faster I think. That’s the biggest reason for me. It’s just being able to go fast. Plus I grew up doing it so there’s no learning curve with something new.

Have you ever tried snowboarding?
Yeah.

Did you like it?
It’s OK, it’s a different feeling you know. I used to run a snowboarding shop and I got into it a little bit then, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

What’s more your speed: moguls, bowls, corduroy? What do you like?
Probably bowls the most.

And why is skiing not your style?
Because it’s nothing like surfing (laughs). I like how snowboarding allows you to float on the snow...plus, there’s no risk of getting carried away by a shark (laughs).

Did you used to ski? What made you switch over?
A couple times to meet boys in high school. I’ve been snowboarding for 15 years.

What’s more your speed: carving through powder or playing around at a terrain park?
Oh, powder. Again, its the whole surfing feeling. I like to fly off jumps, but at this point in my life, nothing’s more enjoyable than that feeling in powder.

What mountains do you like to ride on?
The Rockies. No specific resorts, they all offer something spectacular and something different. I love variety and I love the different types of people at each one. And I love the different kinds of terrain. Variety is good.

Either way you choose, the Rockies are an amazing destination for skiing and snowboarding. Some ski slopes even have half-pipes, snow tubing and bobsleds. Research which ski or snowboard style you prefer when choosing a slope for your Colorado Vacation.

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