Is snowboarding dying?

**RootSkier** · 03-12-2009, 01:58 PM

I'm not slagging on boarding here. I really don't care how people choose to get down the hill and I ride with all different types of skiers/boarders, including idiotic telemarkers.

But I have noticed this year that there are very, very few groms on boards anymore. It used to be that 75% of the kids 15 and under were on boards...and now...hardly any? Is this just around here? Am I just blind?

**rideit** · 03-12-2009, 02:00 PM

You should have seen the line of boards from the Ricks College/TV school district afternoon busses yesterday...like 300 boards lined up like soldiers. It was time to go.

**ian9139** · 03-12-2009, 02:06 PM

I think that skiing has been able to reinvent its image in some ways and increase its appeal to a wide audience. I think the number of new snowboarders might be down a bit, following what was sort of a surge of new snowboarders as it quickly gained popularity. That said, it has certainly established itself very well, and I would guess that well end up seeing a relatively stable ratio of skiers to snowboarders, perhaps 70/30.

**Spyplane** · 03-12-2009, 02:07 PM

I will agree with you that there are many more young skiers than there were a couple of years ago, but there are still a ton of young snowboarders coming up. In Colorado it seems to be an almost even split, but in California, I it sure still seems like 75/25 for young snowboarders/skiers.

**bmg97** · 03-12-2009, 02:34 PM

If it is why is it the only shit they show on TV. I can never find any good skiing on TV but they always have snowboard comps on.

**Lonnie** · 03-12-2009, 02:43 PM

I only seen a few boards all year. Maybe it's because, I've skied alta all but one day this year, I'm not sure....

**Patches** · 03-12-2009, 02:44 PM

Snowboarding is for old people, like today's kids' parents.

If you want your kid to ski, learn to board.

**Sinecure** · 03-12-2009, 02:44 PM

Its definitely cool among kids to ski again. As the father of an 11 and a 14 year old, our balance is 50/50. The older one skis, the younger one boards. They were both given very similar instruction and opportunities to board or ski (ski first). At the time they both made their decision/commitment, I was primarily a boarder. Curiously, this season, for the first time in 20+ years, I'm skiing more than boarding - by a ratio of 6 to 1. Weird.

**smmokan** · 03-12-2009, 02:45 PM

Go to Keystone, Breck, or Vail.... your opinion will change.

**belgian** · 03-12-2009, 02:49 PM

Head up to Mt. Baker some time. That'll change your perspective. Being on skis there is like being 6'2" in Japan. ALL of my many snowriding friends are boarders.

**neckdeep** · 03-12-2009, 03:01 PM

If snowboarding is dying its because over half of its lifeblood was siphoned off to perform a lifesaving transfusion on skiing. New school skiing is a pretty good example of "if you can't beat'em , join'em." We'll just borrow the styles, the tricks, the park, the pipe, board design/technology, the sponsors, the marketing and keep the poles and the incredibly uncomfortable boots - its those boots and poles that I miss the most. Yep, now that we are shoveling the dirt into snowboarding's grave, I can't wait to go get me some ice cold toe crushers...Lets all reflect on the fact that, despite a 60 year head start, at the birth of snowboarding, skiing had progressed to guys in neon fart bags doing back scratchers; that could actually get you in a movie in 1980. Infused with the blood of snowboarding, look what it became in only one generation.

It's all good...anyhow, snowboarding is cross marketed with skate, surf and wake...skiing is cross marketed with huge, expensive houses and investment brokers, hmmmmm, maybe we should be writing the eulogy for skiing too.

**toast2266** · 03-12-2009, 03:08 PM

Every snowboarder I talk to says they're quitting to try rax skis. I'm guessing that has something to do with it.

**adrenalated** · 03-12-2009, 03:09 PM

When I was going to college in NY a couple years ago, I was amazed by how many of the high school kids (mostly park rats) at the local molehill were skiing rather than snowboarding.
At Loveland, it seems like there's a fairly even number of kids taking snowboarding lessons vs. skiing lessons.
It seems like skiing is making a bit of a resurgence relative to 5-10 years ago when it seemed like 80-90% of kids were snowboarders, but there's still plenty of young knuckledraggers out there.

**grskier** · 03-12-2009, 03:24 PM

Pretty balanced here with the groms, where as 8 years ago, it was mostly boarders with the youngens... so yeah... not dying, but not growing at that ridiculous rate it once was.

**snoweater** · 03-12-2009, 03:32 PM

Go to Keystone, Breck, or Vail.... your opinion will change.

Add Winter Park to that list. Sure lotsa locals ski, but all the postholes on traverses says otherwise...

**PNWbrit** · 03-12-2009, 03:32 PM

Only if you snowboard with your dynafit toes locked

**DropCliffsNotBombs** · 03-12-2009, 04:22 PM

What is this sport called "snowboarding" that everyone keeps speaking of?

**iceman** · 03-12-2009, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Patches

Snowboarding is for old people, like today's kids' parents.

If you want your kid to ski, learn to board.

heh, every Grampa on a board is worth about 10 new skiers. Keep it up, Gramps!!

**rideit** · 03-12-2009, 04:32 PM

I skiboard, personally.

**DropCliffsNotBombs** · 03-12-2009, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

I skiboard, personally.

Your secret is safe with me.

**neckdeep** · 03-12-2009, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

I skiboard, personally.

I'm sorry...I'm way too much of a butthurt poser to be seen riding with a skiboarder.

**carvedog** · 03-12-2009, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

I skiboard, personally.

Someone asked about my speedboard today.

I hope to God it's dying. There are far too many still on snowboards going around by association, giving me a bad name.

I hope to God they all go back to skiing soon, and stay in the fucking terrain park. Right where all those teenagers belong.

**bones get broke** · 03-12-2009, 05:49 PM

Have you seen this kid? 8 years old and sends it bigger than most of the kids who are twice his age.

Snowboarding is NOT dieing, skiing just doesn't suck so much anymore.

**Full Throttle!** · 03-12-2009, 08:17 PM

Snowboarders are readily available and of limitless supply. If you don't dig a pit or bomb an avalanche path while in the bc, you should at least send in a couple snowboarder kids (without gear). That way you can observe, therefore allowing you to safely asses the snowpack for stability. If the slope rips, just go get another dumbass snowboarder kid.
Problem solved.

**Pancakes** · 03-12-2009, 08:32 PM

The downturn has kept mommy and daddy from giving money to their teenagers. I guess the excuse, "but I want to be cool too" doesn't work right now.

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