Skiing/Snowboarding Questions

[mooby]

So me and some buddies are going skiing/snowboarding on Wednesday up in WV. None of us have ever done it before but we want to because it looks pretty awesome, hence why we're going. Anyways I just have some questions if any of you guys have done either before, most of it just basic stuff like what to expect, what is it like, etc. And which in your guys' opinion is better? I think I might be better suited towards skiing, because snowboarding reminds me of skateboarding without wheels, and I've never been good at skateboarding. What do you guys think?

[Hog1]

Check out the website for the resort you are going online. They should offer and might demand you take a lesson session before going out on the slopes. HIGHLY recommend this. Entering and Exiting the damn chair lifts are the most treacherous part.....I always thought.
Dress in layers as you will be stripping off stuff as the day goes on and putting is back on later.
Its a great time....never been snowboarding.
Bring plenty of $$$

[firstdown]

Hog 1 gave great advise and I would aslo recomend the leasons.I have been sking sense I was around 12 and tried snowboarding once. I gave up and put the skies back on because I did not want to spend the whole day busting my ass. With the little time I had on the board I say skiing is easier to learn. Neither will be asy if you don't take a morning leason. Have fun.

[saden1]

Take some classes first! You are going break your ass bone if you don't have the basics down. They may offer classes at the slopes so be sure ask about them. Some people say skiing is harder, others say snowboarding is harder...try both and see which is easier for you. I find snowboarding easier. Oh and be sure your cloths are water resistant and bring extra set of cloths as backup.

[mredskins]

i skied most of my childhood and my early twenties when i lived in New England. I suggest starting with skiing then snowboarding. Let me be clear l skied for awhile then learn to snowboard. To me unlike saden1 i found snowboarding tough maybe because i was so use to skiing, also back in the day I skated really well, I was dropping into half pikes and everything and still didn't really take to snowboarding.

Also your first day of either skiing or snowboarding is going be a long day but stick with it. You will love it in time. also the only thing worst then the 1st day is the second you are going be really sore. I remember being sore my 2nd day really bad and I was 6 i could only imagine what my body feel like today if i tried skiing for the first time.Lots of falling on your first day!

[mooby]

Thanks for the advice guys. Yeah me and my friends are already planning on taking a class, just because it's obviously not as easy as it looks. I'm sure the class will be really helpful, I'm completely psyched about doing this.

[firstdown]

Some have said try both but if your only going for a day or two pick one and stick with that.

[Hog1]

It will be a GREAT time....you'll be sore the next day

[mooby]

Oh man, I do love snowboarding now. Just got back home today and the worst part of the whole trip, besides driving in the mountain roads of the boonies most of the way there, was only being able to stay there a day while we boarded. It is so completely epic, I can't wait until I can get enough money saved up to take a real vacation and spend a few days there. When I started this morning, I was semi-decent at steering and stopping and everything, but by the time me and my friends left I was good enough to take the beginners' ski lift up to an actual run, not just the side area where we were practicing most of the day at. I've still got to get a few things down, like my stopping and steering, while okay for a beginner aren't really anything to brag about, and the thing I struggle with the most is being able to get back up and stand up and get ready to go after a spill. I took the class and busted my ass a lot today, but my final 3 runs of the day I didn't fall once and I was able to get some decent speed going while going down a nice grade.

Can't wait to go back and just keep getting better at it. Now I need to invest in some snow pants lol, I tried finding some at a Walmart in VA but couldn't find any and once we were in WVA it was like 95% boonies and small deserted looking towns from there. The ones they had at the shop were too expensive so I held off and kept getting my ass soaked from all the spills I took. Overall though snowboarding = awesome. And much thanks for the advice guys, it really came into play and helped me out there today. I wore multiple layers, I had a wife beater on underneath a undershirt which was under my t-shirt, and I wore some longjohns under my jeans which helped a little. Snowpants = worthy investment though.