go for boarding BB

Started skiing in Oz at about age 15, My older bro had a car, so we used to drive down for weekends and sleep in the car (we had to, the cost of a lift ticket wiped out most of our funds). I was a totally crap skier. When snowboarding started to emerge in Oz i was hooked. It was (is) the next best thing to surfing for me.

Started skiing 'cos was born and lived in a ski resort and there is not much else to do in the winter there and 'cos boarding was not invented yet. Then moved on to Monoskiing with friends for a few years. Then snowboarding came out and since I was doing a bit of skateboarding I thought I'd give it a try. Never looked back. I now alternate between boarding & skiing depending on the conditions. Boarding for powder days, skiing for steeps, hard-pack, ice or a combo thereof. That means that I am mostly snowboarding here in Japan.

It just looked like fun.
Went on a holiday with friends to France and that was it.

Started skiing in Oz with the ex about 15 years ago. Weekend trips for the next few years. Decided to go for a week and being a surfer I thought I would give snowboarding a go. There was a big dump while we were there and I was hooked. A trip to Canada and then three to Japan, I decided it was time to make it my job.

My bro was a ski and board instructor, he went to Tahoe 1 year on holiday and bought a couple of boards (The US is way cheaper then the UK), i saw a couple of films on TV with snowboarders thot it looked cool and I wanted a piece of it. Convinced him to take me and a couple mates up the mountains where he gave us some pointers and let us get on with it!! Awesome, I love boarding, I'm still not that good but I can get down the mountain without falling....usually!!
Last year i learned to ski as part of my job, which was pretty cool. Skiing is fun but I prefer boarding. Also had a try with snowblades, good fun but couldn't do it all day

It always seemed like a luxurious (for want of a better word) sport and more than that looked like fun. So I wanted to give it a go, and my family took me on a ski holiday to Banff. Loved it straight away. (How can you not??!)

I was provoked by a skiing vid I saw. Can't remember the name now but it looked incredible. At first I thought I would be skiing but when I went my friends were boarders and so I tried that (free lessons!) so that's how I ended up snowboarding.

I always thought it looked fun but my family never took me (ahhh), but when I was at college I went and had a lousy first time out. Things improved second time though and I started to really enjoy it.

When I was younger (from the ages 7 to 12) I lived in Austria and my parents took me skiing a fair bit, that's how it started. Snowboarding didn't exist back then.

I was brought up skiing - from Colorado.

I actually had to be dragged into it by some friends. I wasn't keen at all at first. I like being warm. I was soon hooked though as I had so much fun.

I started at age 14, that's 22 years ago now (god I'm getting old). I started alpine skiing with school but did a couple of days XC and gave telemarking a go and was hooked. For the next 10 years or so I mainly skied backcountry in Victoria and numerous trips up to the Main Range in NSW. As I got older and fatter and less fit I started skiing more and more at resorts again but I still love getting backcountry. The changes in Tele gear have been amazing over the years and now I spend my winters tele'ing the powder at Niseko.

You must be gutted

May tele'ers in Niseko, Go Native?

My family first took me and I got hooked pretty fast.

Part of the fun is the challenge to get better.

I've been at it since 1975. I'm always trying to get better. Last season was an off-piste breakthrough. Yo powder

Did you change gear last season soubs?

Good to see the fossils breaking out into that pow.

Yes I did. Three seasons here and I've stepped up a level. At 55, I've made a big improvement in my technique. Enough for me to spend the moolah on on dedicated powder skis. Roll on winter

Good for you. What skis did you get?

I bought a pair of K2 Apache Chiefs. 182cm long and 131/98/116mm wide. I'm going to put some Naxo touring bindings on them. Patrol won't be able to catch me.