Snowboard inspired streetwear

Why Snowboarding Will Always Be Better than Skiing

Ever since snowboarding arrived on the scene back in the '70s and '80s, the debate over which sport rules the snow has rumbled. Skiing has the history, but snowboarding has the cool. Skiing's image tends to be stuffier than that of snowboarding, and certainly the image of a middle-aged skier in an '80s-style all-in-one suit, awkwardly inching down a mountain, doesn't really cut it when compared to the stylish snowboarder cutting fast lines through fresh powder. With their cutting-edge skate culture fashion, snowboarders certainly look better than skiers. But there's more to it than that.

Snowboarding developed as a counter-culture sport, taking the surf and skate scenes onto the snow, breaking rules as it went. The original snowboarders were shunned by many in the skiing world, with snowboarders banned from many resorts. Even today, there are still some exclusive resorts that are skiing-only. The first world snowboarding championships were held in 1985, but the sport did not gain Olympic status until 1998 – testament to the lack of imagination within the ski scene when it came to embracing a new sport. If snowboarders are the punky upstarts of the snow, then skiers are the stuffy headmasters. It's not a hard choice.

The sport itself also offers more freedom and flexibility than skiing. While skiers stick to the groomed runs, snowboarders can cut much more easily through the virgin powder off-piste – again, snowboarding comes out as the sport for the non-conformist. Snowboarding also comes into its own when it comes to impressive tricks. The sport's skate heritage is easily evident at any snowboard park, where boarders ride half-pipes and twist through the air.

If you've never tried snowboarding, but would like to, there are lots of resorts in Europe with great snowboarding facilities. Tignes in France and St Anton in Austria are among the best. If you can't wait until winter, then there are snowboarding activity days available at an indoor snowdomes in the UK, or you could even head off to the southern hemisphere, where the season's just starting. You'll find great resorts in South America, Australia and New Zealand.