Monday, November 5, 2012

Skiing vs. Snowboarding

Skiing and Snowboarding have been associated with each other ever since snowboarding was invented in the 1960's.  But why? Though they both utilize snowy mountainous terrain, they are actually very different in their mechanics.  So what? Well this is actually quite dangerous and puts a lot of people at risk for injury or worse.  To give you an idea of just how different these two sports are lets start with mechanics of skiing.

Skiing is the act of traveling over snow with skis attached at the feet as a sport or recreation.  As skiers travel down the mountain, they use the each edge on the sides of their skies to carve into the mountain back and forth, throwing very little snow around.  The higher the skill of the skier, the tighter the carving pattern will be, showing more control and finesse.  Also, skiers typically have a pole for each hand, allowing for much more control going in and out of each carve.  When it comes to snow, skiers do much better in bad weather conditions such as ice and rifts in the snow. Furthermore, skiers have the ability to stop and start quicker than snowboarders, with an advantage in overall speed and velocity.

Snowboarders on the other hand have a more difficult carving and controlling their movements.  They have a one larger, heavier board that their feet rest perpendicular on the board.  Snowboarders have to take larger carves into the snow, taking up more room on the slope. Also, snowboarders are notorious for throwing snow to the edge of the slope when they carve because of the surface area of their board.  By throwing the snow to the side of slope snowboarders are stripping the center of the slope of fresh powder, creating a dangerous surface for everyone else on the mountain.

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