One plank or two? The debate between avid skiers and snowboarders continues as they argue for the best way to slide down the face of a mountain.
“Skiing is more natural, but snowboarding is more adrenaline,” business administration major Moriah McGraw said. McGraw, psychology major Brisa Ayub and environmental studies major Kate Gross are coordinators for the Snowboarding Club. They’ve been snowboarding for more than five years.

“It’s fun, you can do a lot of tricks — there are the trees, the pipes, the parks,” Ayubsaid. “It’s different in the powder. You just fall in love with it; once you go board, you never go back.”
Jared Hoffer, a sophomore who has been skiing as long as he can remember, disagrees.
“I snowboarded in middle school,” he said. “I prefer the feel of the skis; I think you’re more free than you are in a snowboard.”
Hoffer said skiing is more versatile and that snowboarding is more difficult to learn.
“Balance is a lot harder on a snowboard than on skis when you’re first starting,” he said. “It’s harder to learn how to turn and stop, you just have to fall over.”
Gross and McGraw agree.
“Snowboarding you actually have to learn. It’s painful,” McGraw said. “You have to have balance.”

Skiing Club coordinator Courtney Vermaas said skiing is better for beginners because their feet can move separately.
“In high school, I would definitely say that snowboarding was more popular,” Vermaas said. “Now it’s kind of even.”
As for cost, snowboarding equipment tends to be slightly cheaper. Skiers need poles, skis, boots and bindings, while snowboarders require a board, boots and bindings.
At one point in the history of these sports, there was a great deal of friction between skiers and snowboarders.
“”Older skiers don’t like snowboarders,” McGraw said. “But it’s more of a joke now.”
There are many things about being on the mountain that both skiers and snowboarders enjoy.
“My best friends are people that I ski with,” Vermaas said. She added that she loves the adrenaline rush from skiing.
Hoffer said he enjoys skiing for the solitude.
“I like going where there aren’t a lot of people, in the back country,” Hoffer said. “I like being alone on the mountain or with a couple friends and going through the powder; that gets me up in the morning.”
Whether it’s skiing or snowboarding, a lot of fun and entertainment can be had on the slopes. This winter season, students can make their own choice about which sport is better is better by hitting the slopes when ski and snowboard season opens.