Students hit the slopes this winter

October 27, 2017

December is now upon us.

As the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the amount of snow here in Pennsylvania grows with each week.

This cold and snow brings along a whole new set of sports and activities for students to enjoy.

Among these winter sports, skiing and snowboarding are high up on the list of popular outdoor sports for people to enjoy during the snow season, and Franklin Regional is no exception to this.

For newcomers to the slopes, knowing the difference between skiing and snowboarding, and the difficulty of each will help in finding what works best for each individual.

“When you’re skiing, you’re going straight down the hill while snowboarding requires you to slide side by side down the hill,” said senior Nate Seymour, who teaches children from ages 4-7 on how to ski at the Tiny Tots ski school located at Seven Springs. “Skiing requires you to use your two feet independently while snowboarding is more of a full body action.”

But the question many newcomers who want to learn how to ski or snowboard ask are, where do I start, and which one of the two is easier to learn?

Snowboarding is much harder to learn at first, according to Seymour, due to the rider having to move their balance outside of their support to create movement and turns. With skiing, a rider is able to keep their balance within their supports at all times when moving and picking up speed.

“Overtime, as your balance becomes better, your turns and comfortability with your balance will improve, allowing you to move on to

higher skills,” said Seymour.

But what many forget is that skiing and snowboarding fall into more diverse categories and divisions within themselves.

Skiing has evolved into many different disciplines that differ greatly. From cross country skiing to freestyle, there is a wide range to choose from.

According to Reader’s Digest, some of the more popular types of skiing include cross country skiing, downhill/ alpine skiing, telemark skiing, and freestyle skiing.

Snowboarding also come in a variety of styles including FreeStyle, FreeRide, and FreeCarve snowboarding.

But, as many know, both skiing and snowboarding require a large amount of space, and lots of snow.

So where can enthusiasts go to enjoy these sports?

“I’ve been skiing for around eleven years, and some of the places I like to ski are Hidden Valley Ski Resort and Seven Springs,” said junior skier Carter Boger, a member of the National Ski Patrol. “I’ve made many fun memories there with my friends and family.”

So while many may consider the winter season, with it’s cold weather and endless snow as an end to outdoor sports for a time, skiing and snowboarding are a fun solution for those who don’t wish to remain indoors all season long.

And while the sports may seem daunting at first, the memories and experience one makes while on the slopes will make up for any runny noses and cold fingers.