Most snow sport enthusiasts typically either ski or snowboard. However, the gap is narrowing for the number of people who now do both.
Industry groups estimate there were 7.4 million to 11.5 million skiers in 2010, with a quarter of them also snowboarding at least once that year. Similarly, about a third of the 6.1 million to 8.1 million snowboarders also skied at least once.
The change is primarily by snowboarders, who have discovered they can do more tricks with two boards on their feet than one, according to a recent story by the Vail Daily. Skis allow for more tricks in the pipes, and also provide more backcountry accessibility, where flat terrain frustrates most boarders.
Technological advances have come in today’s skis, which were borrowed from the snowboard.
“Before, you were either a skier or a boarder. Now people do both,” Greg Ditrinco, editor of Ski Magazine, told the Vail newspaper. “It’s a new phenomenon.”
Snowboarding didn’t gain popularity until about three decades ago, although many skiers didn’t think they belonged on the slopes. Riders were considered rebellious, while skiers were accused of being elitist.
Eventually, snowboarding earned acceptance and became an Olympic sport in 1998. Still, not every resort has given way to snowboarding. Three resorts – Deer Valley and Alta in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont – forbid snowboarders. However, the other 322 resorts nationwide welcome snowboarding.
“Those in the industry really view the turf wars as over,” Ditrinco said. “If you talk to the kids, they say: ‘Ya, we ski, we board, we hang out together.”’
While the younger generation tends to be more welcoming, some older skiers still have a hard time with boarders.
There are regional differences in winter sports. Snowboarding is more popular in California and skiing remains more popular in the East.
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