Thinking of hitting the slopes? If it’s your first time, then you might be feeling torn between skiing and snowboarding. Fortunately, this is a good predicament to be in with both offering a thrilling experience as well as their own unique benefits.
Last year, a whopping 6.3 million Brits went skiing or snowboarding, which shows just how popular this activity is. You can book skiing and snowboarding holidays to stunning places like Italy, which is home to some of the best-rated resorts in the world. This means you get the adrenalin from the sport while being able to explore beautiful locations after you’re done on the slopes.
So, if a winter sports holiday seems like the ideal type for you, we’re going to help you decide whether you want to ski or snowboard. Read on to discover the pros and cons of each of them and you’ll be able to pick one you’ll have the best time doing.
Should I ski or snowboard?
Skiing
Skiing is believed to be easy to learn but difficult to master. With skiing, you use two long runners known as skis to navigate snowy slopes. The slopes vary in size, steepness and danger, which gives you plenty of room to improve throughout a skiing holiday. Some of the key pros and cons of skiing included the following:
Pros of skiing
- Easier to ride on flat land
- You’ll have poles that help you get up when you fall
- Easier to balance
Cons of skiing
- More likely to injure knees and shoulders
- Can be expensive to buy all the equipment
- Equipment can be more uncomfortable
Snowboarding
Snowboarding on the other hand is a little harder to grasp at first but once you know the basics, you can master it far easier than skiing. You’ll be going down the same snowy slopes as skiing but this time, you have one long board attached to your feet. Snowboarding takes inspiration from other extreme sports like surfing and skateboarding. The pros and cons of choosing this sport include:
Pros of snowboarding
- More comfortable boots
- The gear is a bit cheaper
- Easier to learn tricks and take on jumps
Cons of snowboarding
- Can be more difficult to ride the lifts
- Harder to get around once you’ve come to a stop
- More likely to injure wrists
We understand that picking between the two can be stressful but we believe that you should have a great time whichever you choose. Plus, some of the resorts may let you switch between the two for an additional cost, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. This should make the decision that little bit easier next time you jet off on another winter sports adventure.
