How The Sports of Surfing and Snowboarding Compare
Posted on December 17, 2009
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Both surfing and snowboarding have continued to grow in participation levels over the last 10 years, to the point were they can be considered two of the most popular extreme sports around. It might be the case that one takes place on snow covered mountains and the other often takes place in warm waters with sandy beaches, but that doesn’t stop people enjoying both sports. But does being good at one sport necessarily mean that you will be good at the other? Let’s compare 3 of the main elements needed for these sports.
Upper Body Condition. There is no denying that surfing demands large amounts of upper body strength and endurance. You need endurance in order to repetitively paddle surfboards out to see against breaking waves, and power is need in the ‘pop-up’ phase of getting upright on the board when you have caught a wave. Snowboarding however, does not demand anywhere near as from the upper body, as it is only really used for balance and core-stability support
Timing. If you want to perform either of these sports well, then good timing is a must. Timing your turns just right in snowboarding isn’t easy, especially on the steeper runs, and unless you have got it sussed, you can quite easily be eating snow before you know it. Likewise, catching a wave right requires great timing and knowing when to carve the board to pick up speed is a skill that can take years to learn.
Lower Body Agility & Fitness. Although surfing is reliant on having a strong and agile lower body, snowboarding is the sport that is more leg-focused. Snowboards require great skill and agility to turn and carve, and if your leg muscles are not in good condition you will simply not be able to ride well. Don’t for one minute think though that surfing does not require you to have good lower body fitness and flexibility, because it certainly does.
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