How much does snowboarding help?

I have been a skier for the past 18yrs of my life and I am now thinking about switching over to snowboarding in the hopes that it will improve my wakeboarding. I can throw basic flips and spins on ski's but there are not really any similarities to wakeboarding. I am wondering if you guys think that snowboarding really improves your wakeboarding at all? On a wakeboard I am to the point where I am able to throw hs 3's, hs & ts 180's, hs backroll and grabs from both sides. The cost would really not be an issue because I have had a couple of friends say that I could ride their old boards.

(Message edited by mhsb1029 on November 22, 2004)

The difference between a beginner snowboarder and an expert snowboarder........?

About three days.

Ah, I love that old joke.

Snowboarding is all edging. Yes it will help. Any board sport for that matter.

Come ride with me for three days and see if you can keep up...ha

But in all seriousness, snowboarding will help you a bit, but the physics are quite different. That rope really changes things. If I were you I would borrow my buddies snowboard to check it out, and go from there.

Sorry, I'm not at all intested in snowboarding after all of the time that I've spent having fun on two planks.

Got independent leg action?

::

What's the difference between a vacuum and a sonowboarder?

Where you put the dirtbag...

helps you have no fear flying down the mountain!

Definetly helps you with edging/carving.

Thanks for the input, from these responses I think that I am going to stick to the two planks.

If it's a board, you should ride it.

Like the Hawaiians are watermen, we're boardriders. That's what makes our generation so coolio.

(I feel ya though, only retired the Connelly last year, and still have a pair of Rossi's in the rafters.) Already have an expensive hobby - don't need to add $50/day for lift ticket and new equipment to buy.

"but the physics are quite different"

when you get into tricks (rails and jumps), they are absolutely different. But all of the riding/edging is the same. Now you're leaning against a decline instead of a rope.

On a snowboard you rotate around the nose edge of the board, as opposed to rotating around the tail edge on a wakeboard. That concept took me a while to get on a snowboard, partially since you rotate around the portion facing down the hill!

If you are a good skier you should just stick with skiing. I have a few friends that are really good skiers and they rip on a wakeboard. Always thought it was kind of funny, but that is how it is.

one thing that used to kill me with the trasition from snow to water is the way that you do moves on a snowboard. So Many of the tricks you either wash your edge out on the way up the jump or you carve your edge into the jump (for all spins) This would always kill me in the spring. I would try to carve off the wake to do spins and stuff and get worked. Nothing that one cold crash would snap out of you tho-

I agree if its a board you should probably ride it!

I skied for 20 years and then tried snowboarding 8 years ago, and haven't skied since. Skiing's fine, nothing against it, snowboarding has been more fun.

I haven't skied in about 7 years or so but started snowboarding last winter and love snowboarding. For me, wakeboarding has helped me a lot with the fundamentals of snowboarding and I've caught onto it quicly, just working on getting my speed up to par this season on the mountain. Just keep in mind that snow isn't as forgiving as water.

They're the same in that if you catch an edge in either sport, you're screwed.

IMO I think wakeboarding helps snowboarding ALOT. But after I snowboard it seems to mess up my wakeboarding the first set. So if its the off season I would do it but I just think that wakeboarding helps snowboarding period.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Mark

I skied for many year and I just started snowboarding last year. For the first few days I found it frustrating due to the lack of speed coming from skiing for so many years. However now I would never go back. Nothing beats the feeling of the smoothness of having that single edge carving through some deep powder.

ever ride switch on skis? if you learn how to ride goofy on a snowboard, you will have no problem riding switch on a wakeboard

At age 21, TRY IT ALL, While you still can!

As a long time wakeboarder, I thought it would be a breeze to snowboard, matter of fact, I purchased a snowboard without ever riding one. It did not take but five minutes to figure out that they are two completely different sports.My snowboarding has improved but I will take the water over the snow any day.