hey....how about i give you guys a little piece of advice....skiing and snowboarding, its the same shit different pile. i said it, and i don't care. Thats what it is. If you go to the Toronto show, people think they are extream and unique for snowboarding....but they are not.
So you would think that snowboarding has bigger numbers right? Well in canada the % of people who ride ( ski/snowboard/snowblade/snowskate) is 10%. Out of that 10%........8% are skiers.
Thats 3% snowboarders guys, skiing is still #1 ( mainly due to baby boomers). Now with the arrival of twin tips, the market for skiing has only gotten more appealing and is growing at 100%+ every season.
" But snowboarding is soo much more creative, innovative, and don't sell out to the man like skiing does?"
Well i would come to say that there are points for and against both sides on that one. For snowboarding you have AWSOME independant comapanies like airblaster, arbor that are super sick. But then you have companies like burton, and Sims that are so not core.....its not even funny.
Hell, burton sells goggles, shoes, helmets......and their market is everybody. How many random kids wear burton to think they are cool? Hell burton sells their shit at west 49.....good luck trying to find airblaster there ( but im sure someone on this site will prove me wrong).
Then for skiing you have Armada, Faction, movement, 4FRNT, Orage, Ninthward ( well that one is a little give and take....you don't shit on your customers, thats just bad buisiness). Like just for Orage i look at their stuff, and I have snowboarders in my program that want to buy one of everything. then those exact snowboarders look at the graphic on my AR5s madsteeze and they just love it.
Then for vids, people always say that snowboard movies are better.......but honestly i would have to dissagree with that. Look at IDEA, that movie is just about having fun....just skiing for the fuck of skiing. Like its just like you gave them cameras and they just took footy of their vacation time. Then look at TBC, one of the sickest "standard movies" ive seen in a while. Sorry guys, but im gonna say that snowboarding movies are not really better.
Then for progression......well snowboarding is still progressing, but not very much anymore. Like you still have those weird edge grinds, and double corks, but we have been doing double corks for a while....on regular jumps ( not crazy massive red bull ones). To be a pro now, you have to at least spin 1440 on your skis, if not bigger. Double flips, double grabs, octos, buddahs, seamans, truckers. In the air we just have so many more options physically then boarders because we don't have our feet tied up. For ginds we have grind grabs, switch ups, insane spins off, and on, and cork/misty to grinds. Sorry guys, but skiing just wins on this. Like we are pushing the limit on style ( Pollard, JP, Tanner, Pep), and technicallity ( TJ, LJ, Charles Gagnier).
I have to say that all this shit about snowboarders vs skiers was just designed to sell you shit. We both are on the hill, and we both love our sports. Im a skier.....through and through, but snowboarding is fucking sick. Like your boards are fucking awsome, and Nomis makes some shit that no skiing company could ever rep. You guys have style, and the ability to just have fun. I think that is what skiing is lacking right now, and thats the big change going through. Just skiing for the fuck of skiing, no sponsors, no showing off, just to be on the hill having a great time. Now let the flaming begin.
