How Snowboarding compares to Skateboarding and Wakeboarding

This is a really good question.  Man, I could write a whole long article on this subject.  Myself, I came from a skateboarding background and I really know what skills crossed over and which did not.  (I cannot say much for wakeboarding though).  I guess I can just list off some similarities and differences and take it from there.How Skateboarding Skills Cross Over Into Learning SnowboardingSIMILARITIES:1) Standing sideways.  If you are already used to standing sideways on a board or object and turning heelside and toeside, this will really help your confidence.2) Tricks.  Advanced freestyle manuvers and tricks cross over so tightly they are nearly identical.  Can you say Ollie, Indie, Method, Stalefish, etc?DIFFERENCES:1) Catching edges.  In snowboarding, you can easily “catch your edge” which makes fo

This is a really good question.  Man, I could write a whole long article on this subject.  Myself, I came from a skateboarding background and I really know what skills crossed over and which did not.  (I cannot say much for wakeboarding though).  I guess I can just list off some similarities and differences and take it from there.How Skateboarding Skills Cross Over Into Learning SnowboardingSIMILARITIES:1) Standing sideways.  If you are already used to standing sideways on a board or object and turning heelside and toeside, this will really help your confidence.2) Tricks.  Advanced freestyle manuvers and tricks cross over so tightly they are nearly identical.  Can you say Ollie, Indie, Method, Stalefish, etc?DIFFERENCES:1) Catching edges.  In snowboarding, you can easily “catch your edge” which makes for some hard crashes.  Skateboarding has no such thing.2) Dress.  Be prepared for WINTER weather.  Even if it is warm out, do not go out in shorts and a t-shirt.  Wear proper protective eyewear, sun-block, board pants and all that.  All the pros do and so should you.3) Learning curve.  Anyone with balance can hop on a skateboard and go and turn left and right.  This will not happen in snowboarding.  Not for a while.  You have to learn the dynamics of the board on the snow and then you can manuver around the mountain after that.  Take a lesson with a pro.  It's worth it.SETBACKSJust because snowboarding and skateboarding are similar in so many ways, do not be OVER-CONFIDENT.  I have seen so many skater types get bruised tailbones, tweaked wrists, and concussions simply because that think they can do it on a snowboard too!  Be smart out there.  If you are inexperienced, take the good and go with that, but do not make uncool and unsafe assumptions.  Always start small and progress to speed, size, and difficulty gradually.

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