Is snowboarding dying?
By Joe Lindsey, Men’s Journal
When sporting goods giant Nike quietly announced it was dropping snowboarding, it seemed like yet more confirmation of the sport’s downward trend that got so much press last year. After all, participation peaked a decade ago, and has declined 31 percent since, according to figures from the National Sporting Goods Association.
So is snowboarding, credited with reviving snowsports in the 20th century, cooked for the 21st?
Industry sources understandably claim the concerns are overblown. Snowboard icon Jake Burton spoke to that feeling last month in an interview with action-sports industry website Shop-Eat-Surf, saying, “A lot of haters jumped on it as an opportunity to take a shot at snowboarding and I think a lot of it was really misguided.”
Pro boarder Jeremy Jones of Truckee agrees, but also admits boarders have to face the numbers. “There’s no denying that there are fewer boarders out there than there used to be; that’s the reality of the sport,” says Jones, who is also founder of Jones Snowboards. The question then is what’s driving the decline and whether it will continue.
Snowboarding faces several obstacles. It’s almost impossible to learn the sport without falling a bunch, which isn’t true of skiing. And for various reasons — including equipment availability and basic physical development skills like balance — most resorts’ lesson programs start as young as three years old for skiing but only five or older for snowboarding.
Read the whole story
Read more: http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/skiing-boarding/is-snowboarding-dying-20141107#ixzz3IaZormmM
Follow us: @mensjournal on Twitter | MensJournal on Facebook
I am a skier.. And no.. Snowboarding is not dying. But I have a theory some may not like. Now that the ‘snowboom’ generation of boarders are no longer living on mom and dad’s dime, and are learning to make it in the real world, they are by and large less financially secure and successful than skiers of the same age. It’s fact. Most of my boarder friends are now in their early thirties and have never held a real job, had a mortgage etc. now that they are starting that life they cannot afford to board.
Articles with titles in the form of a question are almost always click-bait fluff, and the answer to the question is almost always ‘no’.
Didn’t read.
yes,yes yes
Bluewire-
I think the scenario you propose has some merit, and is part of the decline in Boarding.
A significant number of the skate board fraternity and much of the snowboard group tend to be the tattooed aggressive, get-out of-my-way types, which makes a number of ordinary people look at them and think ” Do I want to be known as one of these?” and they go back to skis.
I think another factor is the popularity of the back country aspect of snow sports, and the fact that the snowboard is not really well suited to back country travel. The climbing ability and general flexibility that skis have cannot be matched by a snowboard.
Personally, I am happy to see less of boarders because of the extra damage they do to slopes.
Good riddence!! They won’t be missed.
My one remaining ACL (after being hit from behind by a boarder) sure hopes so. But now I will have to watch out more for teenage boys on skis!
Lisa, Soul Skier and others, A little confession here, I can no longer ski. I have no ACL left in either leg. So the Drs. said no more skiing for me. Bummer!!!
When boarding first came on the scene it was nuts! Alot of people crashing into others.
A bunch of kids new to the sport and out of controll.
Crashing into people, cuttin’ others off, lots of collisions and lots of injuries… lets just say, it was a mess!!!
As time went on the learning curve for both boarders and skiers went up and things got a little better. Okay, maybe just a little better!
A few words of advice: If you do see a boarder where your skiing stay far away as possible and try to get ahead of em’ and keep your eyes open for other boarders as they can be hazardous to your health!
Skiing is not meant to be a contact sporting event!
Pray for snow and happy skiing!!! Old Long Skiis
Dude…!
Snowboarders need to take some responsibility and watch out for others. One main problem with them is a COMPLETE lack of respect for others on the mountain. Nature does her part with tree wells from time to time.
Does this mean there will only be three boarders sitting on the middle of the slope in a blind spot instead of five??
Skiers cause just as many problems. The final left hand turn on Orion is a great example. Slow signs are not places to take a break.
There is something interesting with humans where they simplifying understanding by placing people into groups and assigning them sweeping characteristics.
I’ve had more problems with skiers being overly aggressive, rude, and standing in the middle of runs in large groups. I’ve taken lots of poles to the face (hahahah) in lift lines.
One thing I don’t do is make broad generalizations. People who make such generalizations are simple minded. /~
The common denominator is that they are all people, who aren’t skilled and unaware of their surroundings.
It is really dangerous to spray people with snow, so don’t do it. However, the negative reinforcement might help solve the problem.
Cosa Pescado, As always you make some good points! I didn’t mean to make broad generalizations. I was speaking of what I saw at Heavenly Valley when snow boarding was first getting started as I was there.
The same claims I made about boarders can be said for some clueless skiers as well!
Pray to the angry sky man for snow! OLS
Angry Sky Man will give you snow when you have met their demands and deserve it for your agricultural needs and hedonistic recreational winter activities.
I learned to snowboard when my bones were still flexible, and I had no idea what the bruising of skeletal muscles meant. Last year I put on quite a show on a powder day, bombing down the moguls next to the comet chair, and landed one of the greatest spine compressing face plant front flips of the season. Stuck the landing, rode away and took many naps with a bag of frozen peas taped to my neck for a few days.
If I had to learn to snowboard today, I’d be one of the people you complain about sitting down on the slopes. They probably are beginners, and just fell. Don’t be an a-hole. Some of them might be bro’d out inconsiderate humans, and their choice of equipment is unrelated. I wish I knew who you judgmental people were before I picked up the uphill ski and delivered it to a fellow winter sports enthusiast. Which is what I do every time I have the opportunity.
cosa: Nice you are so impressed with yourself. I see more self pats on the back in your future.
Back in the day you had to wait in line to get up the hill, fewer people on the runs. Since most places now have the high speed chair lifts there are more people on the runs, skiers and snowboarders, it does not matter it’s crowned on those runs and there will be problems. Been skiing for over 50 years and I see rude going both ways, it’s up to you to be safe and that’s why you will see me on the sides of a run most of the time.
This headline bugs me too. Yes, Snow-sport participation and the number of visitors is down recently. But, it is down for Skier, Snowboarders and Cross Country.
Perhaps a drought in the West has a bit to do with it.