It is the question we hear most often before a first trip: skiing or snowboarding? There is no wrong answer, but there is one that suits you better. Here are the points to look at, from the point of view of people who teach both.
The first days: not the same learning curve
You often hear the same thing, and our instructors generally confirm it:
- On skis, the first hours are easier to live with: your two feet are independent, and you move and brake fairly quickly with a snowplough. Beginners often manage a green run safely after a few sessions.
- On a snowboard, the first days are often more confusing: both feet are strapped to the same board, you fall more easily at first, and you have to learn to keep your balance before you can slide. In return, once it clicks, many snowboarders progress quickly.
These are tendencies, not rules: everyone learns at their own pace, and a good lesson makes all the difference in both cases.
The feeling
- Skiing: forward gliding, facing the slope, with two skis and two poles. You can link runs quickly and move around easily on the flat.
- Snowboarding: a "sideways" glide on a single board, closer to skateboarding or surfing. The sensations are different, and the flat needs a bit of technique.
Equipment and comfort
Skiing means carrying more gear (two skis, two poles), but it stays easy to handle. A snowboard is more compact. In both cases, choosing your boots well and having them adjusted makes a real difference to comfort: do not set off with equipment that hurts your feet.
A few criteria to choose
- You have already done a board sport (skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding): snowboarding may speak to you straight away.
- You want to move quickly around the slopes from day one, or ski with children or friends who already ski: skiing is often simpler to start together.
- You want to change from one season to the next: nothing stops you trying one then the other.
- You are travelling as a family: not everyone has to choose the same discipline, but one instructor can juggle the levels.
And if you do not know?
A private lesson is precisely the chance to try without getting it wrong: the instructor assesses your level, explains the basics of each discipline and adapts the lesson. At Performance Ski School, our instructors are qualified in both skiing and snowboarding, from the first turn to off-piste. Snowboarding is, by the way, new this season.
You can discover our snowboard lessons or our private ski lessons, and book online in a few clicks. A question? Write to us.