This is kind of a random/stupid/just for fun question, but are snowboarding boots more comfortable than ski boots at all? Obviously, this isn’t that big of a deal, but I’ve been skiing and I hated how uncomfortable the boots were. They are a pain to get on, and I hated having to take them off while walking around because they were so uncomfortable, so are snowboarding boots any better? Is it possible to walk around in them without wanting to amputate your feet?
Also, I’m an absolute beginner and I know that I probably won’t be hitting the terrain parks the first 2-3 times while I get comfortable, but when is it typically safe to attempt freestyle stuff? How comfortable do you have to be with general carving and whatnot? I’ve heard a lot of responses with some people saying as soon as you have basic turning down, and others saying you have to be good enough to go on double blacks before you attempt that stuff, so any thoughts?
thanks
Boarding boots aren’t exactly your house slippers, but they seem to be more comfy than ski boots. They are a lot more flexible and the soles are pretty much just like skate shoes, except larger.
It all depends on how quickly you pick up the basics and how comfortable you feel on the board. Some people probably can start on jumps and rails after the first few times. For others it might take a dozen trips out. It also depends on what you practice. If you’re in the park the entire day every time you go, then you’ll pick up freestyle stuff quicker. If you spend most of your time on groomers, it might take a bit longer.
I hope this helps.
if you get the right boots, they can be really comfortable, I’ve had mine on for as many as 16 hours between working/riding and they are as comfortable as my normal shoes. The only way to ensure comfort is to try them on before you buy them, everybodys feet are different so what is good for me may not be good for you
If you are good at basic riding then you have no business being in the park, unless you want to get a toboggan ride down the mountain from ski patrol. You need to have the skills to be able to control your speed as well has have good balance and be able to save yourself in tough situations. If you cant ride groomers you aren’t going to be able to ride park
in my opion snowboard boots are wayyy more comfortable… but some of my friends say that ski boots are more comfortable but thats just because they dont board.
you will know when u are ready to hit the park….youll get bored of just ridin around and your gonna look for something more exciting. but once you think u are ready… you cant be nervous because thats when things go wrong… you have to tell yourself your going to do it and just commit and you’ll get it. and if u dont get it keep working at it and u eventually will.
16+ years ago the ONLY reason I switched from skiing to snowboarding was because I saw a group of snowboarders walking semi-normally while I was philandering around awkwardly in ski boots. However, with the technology these days so much better, aside from having to walk up and down stairs sideways I haven’t seen nor heard anyone complaining about how uncomfortable they are. But then again, I haven’t touched skis since I converted but doesn’t hurt to try.
As far as the park is concern…I didn’t hit them until my 4-5 season because I wanted to perfect my carving. Now, that whole double blacks theory is opinionated as I’m an advanced level snowboarder and although I can hit the steep terrain I absolutely hate it. I hate moguls, I hate steep terrain, I hate anything to do with black diamonds or higher. Not because I’m scared, or unskilled to do so, I just prefer going down blues and greens and being technical all day, and being able to hit jumps or the occasional table tops. Plus, I do a lot of filming so carrying one camera in one hand, and having a goggle mount doesn’t make for good footage carving on steep slopes.
As far as when you are ready to freestyle, that’s up to you and your level of confidence. If you have a good center of gravity, and a good sense of balance, you can hit the parks once you’re able to ride. Will you do good, maybe, maybe not. So long as you can turn whenever you want and not fall down because you over did it, you should be fine…but for a lot of people this usually takes an entire season to get down.