Who else has converted from skiing/snowboarding to snowmobiling?

[smokenjay]

Who else still skis or snowboards?

After years of kicking around the idea of buying a sled for backcountry snowboard access, in January 2007 I purchased my first sled, a 2002 mtn cat. That season, I spent most days towing around my snowboard freinds. Anyone who has done this knows its not very exciting. The mtn cat gave me a ton of headaches, so I retired it in April and spent the rest of the season on my board.

This past august, I found a deal on two Yammies and a trailor. I kept one and sold the other to one of my snowboard buddies. Needless to say, we have been snowmobiling at least once a week since early December. Memorial day weekend was the first time my machine has sat dormant for more than a week. My freinds and I have a tradition to snowboard Rocky mtn natl park as soon as they open Trail Ridge Rd (usually Memorial day weekend). I found the trip to be surprisingly unfulfilling.

My conclusion is this: after 20+ years and about 1000 days on my board, snowboarding has taken a back seat to snowmobiling. My board still goes on a lot of my snowmobile rides, but those days may be numbered.

Who else has had a similar experience?

 

[duffman]

I used to ski 30-40 times a year. I have only averaged once per year in the last 5. My one time skiing this year was a perfect day on mt. baker. There was wall to wall sunshine with epic powder, it was fun, but only comparable to a mediocre day riding.

Welcome, but don't tell too many of your friends

 

[Alberta Boy]

I used to be a level 2 ski instructor. I was tired of the masses of people, the crazy prices for lift passes not to mention the lines... the hotels in the sledding areas had at least doubled their prices... etc

I had one trip to the mountains, paid $50 a night for a hotel (Shared with a buddy) and the 3rd night was free, no trail pass, saw a total of 20 sleds up top and played in deeper pow than I had EVER seen on a ski hill and I never looked back.

I will teach my son how to board and ski but he will be exposed to everything... school and life is easier if you can do everything half decently...

ie. Corporate golf tournaments, ski weekends with clients, shinny hockey games with co-workers or customers, wakeboard or waterskiing... the list goes on!

 

[Nate]

Snowboarded religiously. My last board was an 06 Burton Custom X I miss it alot, but I found myself doing it less and less. There are some days where I want to leave the sled and just go bust down the hill on my board. I bought that board late 05 when I sold my REV and picked up a board and thought I was done with sledding after owning 2 Skidoo's . Then I picked up my kingcat and rode my board twice that year. So my Kingcat kept me into sledding Since then I have not even considered it. But I may reconsider it due to rising fuel costs. I like going down the hill on the board carving up deep pow as well as going up the hill, ski's in the air, and blowing over the top

but its hit and miss, some days you go skiing/snowboarding its a rats nest of people and hard snow. Your almost guranteed fresh deep snow everytime you snowmobile

id love to get back on a board....

 

[Bucket!]

I use to snowboard 30-40 times a year for the last 9 years. First season with the sled it was 50/50 split between the two, second season didn't even touch the snowboard. I still would like to get out on the snowboard but sledding is the most addictive sport I have ever tried!

 

[Bubba700]

Skied for 10 years and boarded for 14 and the last 5 years boarding I averaged over 60 days a winter. Bought a sled 2 seasons ago, road my board twice since. Did over 30 rides on my sled the first winter till I broke the crank, bought a dragon last fall and put over a k on this year, Thinking of just selling all my snowboard gear, just don't have the desire any more. I look at the other hills from the lifts and want to rip up them on my sled.

 

[rev800151]

I did. Why ride the slow a$$ chair lift up the mountain. I like motorsports much better. My snowboard hasnt been touched in seven years. It will remain up in the attic.

 

[Wade]

Still snowboard with the wife some. Snowmobile every weekend. That's why there's two days in a weekend.

Got to hear a bunch of Middle Aged guys up in McCall lecture another sledder (ok it was me they were lecturing ). They all said they had been skiers, grew up skiing Brundage, but their knees couldn't take it any more. Heard the same discussion with a couple guys in Fairfield Idaho also. I think there's a whole class of snowmobilers, that used to ski, but can't anymore. So, to fulfill their need for snow and backcountry, they sled. They aren't the hotdog hill climbers, but they know every rabbit hole in the mountains.

Me, I'd love to do some backcountry boarding, but I know what would happen. I would just end up lugging a board around all day, for no reason.

 

[SHEFFY40]

I use to snowboard 30-40 times a year for the last 9 years. First season with the sled it was 50/50 split between the two, second season didn't even touch the snowboard. I still would like to get out on the snowboard but sledding is the most addictive sport I have ever tried!

I used to board any where from 50-100 days a season for the last 7 yrs...skied for 18.....Seasons passes every year.THe wife and i bought sleds(xrs 800 and a 04 summit 600) last March and to say we are hooked is an understatement.I ended up using my pass 4 times and my wife 3...ha ha..what a waste of money...thats the last year year of the seasons pass.Im tired of lift lines...pow ripped up in 2 hours...crowds.I ended up getting a Cheetah Factory Racing board rack.....so well just hit the odd backcountry snowboard day....but not many

 

[Bucket!]

I look at the other hills from the lifts and want to rip up them on my sled.

haha i thought the same thing riding up the lift

 

[tm8man414]

i was a boarder for about five years then my dad got this idea that he should try sleding cuz he didnt like boarding he bought a 2003 zx summit 800 and enjoyed it alot i went up with him one day doubling sure glad thoes days are over. then he bought me a 99 powder special and he got a 2004 1m cat and now were where we are today two new 08 cats and riding as much as possible! my days of a ski hill are over for good! my buddys that still board have no clue what sledin does to a guy.

 

[montanasledder]

I totaly gave up snow skiing. Skied 3-5 days a week, then bought my first sled and now might ski once or twice a year.

 

[ZL50068]

ski/snowboard? what are those?!, oh yeah,.....those things go uphill yet?

 

[hilinerider]

2 guys that ride with us are former board dorks, young guys that are nuts on sleds, needed more of a rush that a board could give i guess

 

[AkHockey10]

I have never gone snowboarding. I've taken ONE lesson but thats it and that was years ago. I learned how to ski that same year and i got it down the first couple of trips down the bunny hill! LOL (this all happened three years before i fell in love with sleds) three years after that i fell in love with sleds and since that year i got into sleds...ive only gone skiing about 4 times and probably 11 times total. Havent been on a set in 3-4 years. I do enjoy skiing still even though it has been a while.

 

[sledskiing]

Moved out here specifically for skiing. Bought a snowmobile for backcountry access (2002 Mountain max). The following season was about 50/50. This season i skied less than a dozen days. I won't be buying a ski pass next season unless i have a place up there.

I look at it this way. It can dump POW on monday. When i go snowmobiling on Fri/Sat I will be in POW all day. If it snows Friday night by 10am on Sat most of the POW is gone at the resorts.

 

[307 Snow*Moto]

Interesting

This is interesting I just got done posting this on the thread "just visited a ski shop" and I actually think it applies here to. I think its all to common, most people skied because it was cheaper (use to be) and it was generally easy to do with family, friends etc. Just like everyone else I skied and still do. Of course not as much as sledding but no one does because sleddin is so expensive but as the title of my own boot legged post goes here is the happy median: Buy a Cheetah Factory racing rack they are amazing...than you too will be backcountry snowmobiling...I truly believe that the sport is more active than people think. Here is my post from the other thread

"The answer is find a happy median!!! The point being that there is not one. This looked like a fun thread to add my .02 plus after 3 pages of it I dont think that the horse has been quite beat yet. So as many have elluded to may a sledders came from skiers. My self included. I skied before I could walk, I competed in mogul/freestyle trials and back country big air and use to eat sleep and breath skiing. Growing up sledding was a side hobby for the family because skiing took prescendence. After college and law school and also watching the evolution of ski areas in general I traded in expensive lift tickets and season passes for expensive snowmachines. As if it was a wash or something, honestly what a justification right? But now I would call myself a sledder. I would tend to agree with the school of thought that you cant lump "them" and "us" together because one day you guys may find me walking back down one of the trails to get to a spot where one of my buddies is going to pick me up to take me back to the top or trade off. I do feel bad that guys are mistreated because someone dislikes snowmachiners in general. The entire issue can be summed up in one phrase much like MountainHorse's Analysis. This is a situation called the NIMBY theory. NOT IN MY BACK YARD. Those that ski and love the serenity of skiing, probable love huggin trees, vote for Hillary, and eat granola and yogurt, just kidding, they just simply dont want these "loud *** snowmachines in their backyard" but they cant and will never get over that its not their backyard. All this aside I am willing to bet that 99% of the snowmobilers on here regardless of age, brand loyalty etc will always and do always slow down show respect, wave and go one by. Be the better person regardless of if you ski or sled, there will never be a happy median and we have to accept that. In the mean time about a year ago I was looking for a happy median so I could take my powder sticks up the mountain and huck some sick lines in the backcountry and Woodisde Motorsports in Hailey Idaho got me hooked up with Chettah Factory Racing, one of the sweetest, best looking setups I have seen, plus you can take it with you if you swap sleds, brands etc. here is the link for the website, and I promise I have no affilitation with them I just love their product, they are stronger than hell and they look factory. I have often gotten our sleds stuck that have these racks on them and they are way stronger to lift from than anything else. Plus they are called the Doube-D racks cant beat that name.

http://www.cheetahfactoryracing.com/

They make a couple different set-ups skis or snowboards, one of each, etc. Anyhow it appears as though maybe there is one happy median, well at least in my opinion."

Keep in mind it had to deal with skiers hating snowmobiler and visa versa. What a stigma.

 

[Snomofo]

I skied for years, my schedule at work gave me one weekday to ski, and the weekend---seasons pass, the whole deal. My schedule changed, and the only times for me to ski was the weekends and nights. I got so tired of the crowds, I went less and less, even though I loved skiing. Then I was introduced to sledding 7 years ago, and have only been skiing twice since.

 

[05900]

Lift ticket $80.00+ a DAY
Gas for 900 $30.00 a day
Snowboard has dust on it from 10 years accumulation!! Gear and travel is a wash. Food is less when ridin,Beer is a little more ridin'

 

[HUNDO]

Yup I used to snowboard...couldn't figure out what was so great or challenging about riding sleds down a trail. I went out once with a friend years ago so he would shut up and have only been back up in the lift lines twice since...also found out it's not just trails I was amazed at how much of a workout it was and how much more sore I was the day after snowmobiling than I was when snowboarding.

I've got friends that still aren't interested in trying sleds even though I offer to let them use my spare...their loss.