Some of us want to make the best of winter. We love the waft of beaver tails lingering in the air. The crisp air and cozy nights in blankets with tea. We also love being active. Some of us on the fourth floor are skiers and some are snowboarders. Here are our thoughts on which ride trumps the other.
Ross Rebagliati wannabe’s
Lara: As a young girl I learned how to ski on the bunny hill at Earl Bales and moved up to Lakeridge, but my heart was never in it. When snowboarding became the new “it” sport, I jumped on the bandwagon. My friend Hayley oozed the cool snowboarder vibe, was an instant pro, quickly became a teacher, and gave me lessons on her front lawn “slope”. I was in love and seriously dove in a few years ago. I crave road trips to bigger mountains, am constantly looking for new gear, and love the culture – a.k.a. poutine and nachos for lunch and talking about every ride, how good or bad or fast it went. Gnarly dude.
Christina: I’ve been a boarder since ’96, when an embarrassing ski accident (involving moguls and a younger child) caused me to see the light. I have never looked back. I think the ultimate reason boarding is better is the outcome after falling. When you bite it on skis, it’s downright embarrassing. As a skier, you yard sale on the hill, poles tossed in every direction, one ski sliding down the hill and with the other 20 yards up. You have to climb back up the hill (awkwardly, because walking in ski boots is the pits and your onesy ski suit is inevitably too tight) and collect all your gear piece by piece. Thankfully, as a boarder my equipment never strays. When I fall, my board is attached by a leash. I can sit down on the hill, strap back in and still look good doing it.
Abby: Skiing! Even though I am into snowboarding, I’ve only done it once. It was a blast, but hard on my wrists from a million falls, and my knee was aching by the end of the day, unaccustomed to being flexed for hours at a time. Skiing feels smoother and freer. I used to figure skate competitively, so skiing came easily. I love to push myself and go down moguls, triple black diamond hills and occasionally venture into the half-pipe. There’s no way I’d get that thrill factor with snowboarding – I’d have to put in years just to avoid giving myself a concussion. It’s also easier to get around on flat ground (instead of doing that awkward pigeon-toed snowboard walk).
Rachelle: I love alpine skiing. I’m originally from Montreal and the skiing in Quebec is great. I love the speed, the amazing workout and and the cute après ski outfits. My husband and I love the good food you can always find in ski towns.
The former skier/snowboarder:
Matt: The year was 1998. I was a very good skier, had a pair of K2’s and all. I made the horrible mistake of trying to impress some ladies, so I tackled a triple black diamond hill. My ski fell off on a hairpin turn, I crashed through the orange barrier fence, launched over a cliff and had my fall broken by a lone tree. Ski patrol tied me to a spinal board on a sled and took me down the hill to emergency. Along the way I saw the girls. Needless to say, they were not impressed. I was on crutches for two months. Sadly, I haven’t skied or snowboarded since, but put me down for drinks by a chalet fireplace.
RIB 2 