Snow vs Water

[jpattigr]

I have worked in the snow ski world for my entire life and many people have asked me what i like better? I have given this a lot of thought and the answer is clear.

Water skiing is mostly consistent, if the water is bad we don't ski and my results in the course are 90% me. Thus we ski on good to very good water almost everyday and some days we ski better then others.

In snow skiing the conditions vary way more, run to run and as the day changes. That is the biggest challenge to snow skiing, you never know what you will face on the next turn.

Bottom line, I love both sports, but every water day is awesome but when I get to go Cat skiing in deep powder, perfect snow it ekes out the win! Basic resort snow skiing, water ekes out the win!

Thoughts?

[jpattigr]

 

[skibrain]

I would think the snow skiing comparison to buoys would be skiing gates.

[dvskier]

Similar but different. When running gates you get into the grooves left by previous competitors. Waterskiing everyone has similar conditions.

[mikegile]

Both awesome. Snow better in the cold, water better in the warm.

 

[Dockoelboto]

Deep light powder skiing, especially untracked, is nearly a religious experience. But so is glass smooth water. Both are a blast, nice to be able to do both!

[Bulldog]

In both seasons a bad day of skiing always beats a good day at work.

[Hallpass]

I love both. But, to me your comparison is off. I feel like the "vibe" of powder skiing is more close to surfing (ocean, not five feet behind a boat) than to water skiing. FWIW.

[ScottScott]

I hear it gets kinda cold where there's snow skiing..... I'll stick with water, in the warm state of FL.

 

Besides, nothing beats being out on the water, on a boat.....even if you're not skiing, but especially when you are.

[Jerry44]

Have a course? Definitely water skiing

 

Don't have a course? Snow skiing but it's close still.

[Highland_MI_Skier]

I enjoy both. Snow skiing gives you more freedom to pick and choose your line. Water skiing is dictated by the boat path. Nothing beats making fresh tracks in the morning on a mountain or carving up glass on the lake. Both sports are great!

[jpattigr]

@skibrain Interesting, but have never skied many gates on snow and when I have was excited to get back to the rest of the mountain free skiing. On water, love skiing the course. Not as comparable as it seems I think.

 

[jpattigr]

@Dockoelboto I agree about DEEP, untracked Virgin snow, It is magical and flat water is close BUT not quite. My second pic is me skiing at Baldface (British Columbia) Cat skiing, I am 6'5" and that snow was going over my shoulders!

[Keith_Menard]

I snowboard because it is the closest feeling I have found to waterskiing.

[oldjeep]

Running gates requires the ability to adapt. We don't get perfect conditions or consistent conditions. - 20f we race, 20mph winds we race, sunny with a melted sloppy knee destroying slop we race.

 

Waterskiing is fun, and I'll do it regardless of conditions but it is a weird outdoor sport where people act like it is an indoor sport.

[BraceMaker]

If waterskiing had lift passes there would be a queue of boats ready to go.

 

Conditions would vary but there would be control.

 

Slalom skiing a public lake is like if the terrain park crossed the busiest groomer down the hill at an angle. No one would dare go down the park

[jercrane]

Knee to waist deep untracked powder I go snow skiing all day long.

 

Part of that is I have been snow skiing since I was 2 and of the 43 years of skiing I spent 14 racing. so at this point snow skiing is a completely mindless experience in all but the most extreme terrain. I really don’t have to think about it anymore than I would going for a jog down the street. Still physically demanding but technically it just happens now. Water skiing is a lot more work and a lot less free flowing for me at this point. My brain isn’t to a point in the water where I can turn it off like on the snow.

 

All that said I agree though that an average resort day on the east coast I’d rather be working on my 28 off in the course.

 

 

[tru-jack]

With 2 daughters racing 4 plus days a week, we see a lot of similarities, especially a perfect gs turn and a perfect on side carve. I love both. Daughters prefer snow primarily because more friends and social time on chairlift.

[jpattigr]

@jercrane I get your comments 100%, well said and same experience for me! Booked at Chatter Creek at Christmas for 3 days, Heli in to lodge and 3 days of steep and deep!

[dbski]

I enjoy both immensely. Being a bit older one thing I like about snow is that I can still spend a long day on the slopes, water not so much. These days 1 set of 6-8 passes is plenty although its still fun to be in the boat BSing with my ski buds.

[Wish]

Both. And bucket list is to do both in the same weekend or even same day. @jpattigr That is DEEEEEP.

[eleeski]

@Wish This year was unusual but we skied the morning of the 5th of July at Squaw then dropped down to Stan's lake in Marysville for an afternoon waterski session. Good times!

 

It's easy from my lake in the socal desert if you cheat a bit. Morning glass at the lake, fly the Cessna to Big Bear airport for lunch and a few afternoon snow ski runs, and fly back to San Diego for the sunset at the beach. Life's good!

 

I'm the best skier on the mountain AND the lake! GNAR.

 

Eric

[ral]

@eleeski , we are lucky in Santiago. We can do snow it in the morning, waterski in the afternoon and sunset at the beach in a regular car...

[jercrane]

@jpattigr if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend a trip to Silverton Mountain. Trust me

 

 

[eleeski]

@ral Regular car? We burned up the brakes on the rental car we took up the crazy road to Vale Nevado. Flying is way safer! But the snow skiing was reasonably close to Lago Los Morros.

 

While we were out of season for snow, the mountains looked fun. The waterskiing is spectacular. The beach reminded us of our California beach. Chile rocks!

 

Eric

[jpattigr]

@jercrane I have heard good things about Silverton! Will put it on the list. Come try Kicking Horse in BC, the steeps are awesome! And yes my wife does drop those lines and skis as good as she looks!

 

[sixball]

Snow is so much more a choice to the skier. I don't care if its pack or powder. I don't snow ski any more as I have been spoiled skiing mountains. I don't travel enough to ski the Rocky's or Cascades and I don't like snow if I don't have at least 1,000' vertical drop. Good powder is an experience. Glass is special but not like good powder. And packed or off run skiing if your no getting enough excitement find a cliff a jump, trees and up the anney. I was so lucky in my young years I got to ski with Olympic skiers free skiing. Did some racing coaching and gave lessons. Worked for two years at ski sites. Even got to ski prototype skis. Then I grew up and got a job that payed. Still spent many winters skiing around Colorado I volunteered for many many winter trips for the company one to two months each trip. I love water skiing but it not snow. Even gates in snow rhythm yes but never the same like balls. Water skiing is often with a special grope of good people often early mornings or late evenings special yes but not quite as good! Could be I was a better snow skier.

[OldboyII]

What is better - chicken wings or good steak?

I love both.

[adkh2oskier]

@jpattigr & @jercrane I love both snow and water. Baldface, Retallack, Kicking Horse, Red, Whitewater, Panorama, Whistler all incredible. Nothing like deep pow or skiing steeps where the slough is running down ahead of you. I with @jercrane, east coast average resort day is pretty bland. Nothing like smooth glass for miles free skiing or running your toughest pass in a tournament.

But hypothetically, if you had to choose between one or the other forever and you could retain your youthful physical abilities, which one wins out? For me it would be snow skiing hands down.

[DW]

Both great, thank goodness skis were invented! Love H2O in either form.

Begs the question what would you do w/o skiing options :o

PS: awesome pics above

[skinut]

@jpattigr You're 100% on the money. Especially a few days at Baldface. One of the best experiences I've ever had.

 

Are you still skiing in Sandpoint? Do you still have the 196?

 

Next time you come to Southern Idaho give me a shout and we'll go make some turns on the mountain.

 

Quinn

[hacker]

My disclaimer: I've only snow-skied in the northeast, mostly on the molehills in central NY and I'm a hacker water skier (rarely run 32).

Anyway, years ago a water/snow ski friend of mine and I quite often would try to figure out; what's better, water or snow? One day, riding a chairlift, we were talking about how we couldn't wait to get our boats out and start waterskiing. It was then it dawned on us, never had we been sitting in a boat looking forward to hitting the slopes. Our debate was over!

[jpattigr]

@skinut Great to hear from you!! Been to Baldface 2 and now doing another "bucket list" operation called Chatter Creek, supposed to be bigger, deeper and steeper the Baldface!

The 196 is awesome, and I suspect we will be skiing it for many more years, thanks again for your help on that!

Might head your way next spring again for round 2 of ski Road Trip. Bring your skis up our way, summer or winter and we can link some turns.

[richfoster]

I love waterskiing and I absolutely hate being cold but snowboarding in fresh powder takes the win. The floating sensation under your feet is phenomenal.

[ral]

@eleeski , that is quite a road indeed. Have been driving it up and down almost every weekend of the season for around 30 years now...

[tjs1295]

I only cross country ski (mostly skate technique), but I would take a day of cross country skiing every time over a day of water skiing. I love water skiing, but the cost, need of other people, daylight hours only, and constant threat of someone else ruining your water makes it a no brainer for me.

[BraceMaker]

@tjs1295 funny because you rely on groomers at presumably xc ski parks to have skate tracks

 

Can you do that after dark?

[Cent]

Another serious Nordic (XC) skier here.

 

Not really possible to pick a favorite. I appreciate both and start each new season with enthusiasm after my time away where participation was not possible due to the season.

 

My waterskiing comes with “ amenities” like my island second home, 5 generations of shared lake experience and is simply unique and wonderful.

 

Nordic is at times more solitary. At other times it is group oriented for training, coaching, group events etc. I experience XC in an ideal community including extraordinary coaching, numerous Olympian’s with whom I have skied and who I count as friends. Competitively I have had some success at high levels.

 

Much of my Nordic is on groomed terrain. Much of it at night on lighted groomed trails. There are multiple lighted venues available where I live in Alaska. However there is off track also available that I often pursue with my dogs out of town as well.

 

So I love both experiences. I need both. I cannot choose a favorite. My life would be entirely different if I could not pursue both.

[BraceMaker]

@Cent funny the last 2 seasons have been bad for both activities here.

 

Our snow has been coming down either in extreme amounts, or in ice storms but then its been switching quickly to rain and melting.

Then springs have been cool and wet with flooded waterways. Mid summer was pretty good and then right back to rainy damp.

Hopefully we can get a good snowy winter.

 

This last winter I used my metal edged BC skis about 10 times, didn't touch my skate skis, didn't touch my classic skis and a few times used my touring skis.

 

[tjs1295]

Good points BraceMaker. Yes, I definitely rely on groomed ski trails, and ski specific facilities. In fact, I ONLY ski on groomed trails. I took a little initiative though, and created my own triail, and do my own grooming. It's nothing special, just a short loop that takes about 15 minutes to groom. But, with my headlight on I can literally take three steps outside my garage at 0500 and ski plenty before I go to work. So yes, it can certainly be done while it's dark. Or, there are other facilities close by that have trails lit up way past my bedtime.

 

I agree with Cent as well. My boat is kept at a multi-generational house where all I do is push a button to lower the lift. There are a lot of memories, etc. It feels incredible whether I'm gliding on snow or water. Although, I can't remember the last time another person, or group of people ruined my cross country skiing. I need at least 6-7 fingers to count the times it happened just last summer while water skiing. I also get much colder water skiing than I do XC skiing. Sometimes I'm even wearing more gear in the water than on snow.

 

 

[BraceMaker]

I'd be curious to see your groomer. I made something for the snowmobile when was a teenager which was basically a sheet of corregated steel screwed into a 2x4 frame with the front angled a bit upwards. Trouble I had was to get enough width of track I would have had to cut a ton of trees down. Eventually I just screwed a couple old Trek skis into the bottom of the one side and cut it narrower for grooming classic but the metal didn't last too many passes.

[KRoundy]

Water skiing is by far my favorite thing to do. I snow ski if someone asks me to go, but do not seek it out. Plus, I know so many people who have blown out a knee or broken a leg snow skiing... when I hear those stories I think, "Man, if I did that it would ruin my water skiing."

[tjs1295]

My set up only works for a skate deck. But here's what I do. The main part is a 30 hp Kubota tractor. I put rear chains on the tires. The drag that I use is a couple layers of plywood. It's probably about 6 feet wide by 4 feet long. I have some screws drilled through the bottom edge to break up ice and provide the corduroy look. That piece of wood is attached to the three point hitch that I can raise and lower the front edge to get various angles. The tires create some troughs, but for the most part are completely filled in by the drag. The chains on the tires help to break up hard snow as well. It's not as good as what a real facility can do, but I do believe it's 80 to 90% as good. My heart, lungs, and muscles sure don't know the difference. I might have some pictures of the trail, and set up somewhere if you're really curious. I'm not quite set up to go so far this year though. I almost forgot, this is not through woods. It's mostly over grass. So that's a huge difference.

[robmollysilverlake]

I love both water and snow!! I love waterskiing more because I just love being on the water, and only having to wear a swimsuit :smile:

[Kimbymon]

Water skiing is by far my favorite. There is just something about being on the water that makes all my problems go away. I do love snow skiing and love my girls ski trips but take me to the lake any day. I am very fortunate in that my group of female water skiers is also my group of downhill skiers.

[aspski]

Snow skiing has always been #1 for me, but waterskiing keeps creeping up on it for first place

 

[TomH]

Snow holds a minor edge for me and pretty much always has. Love of these two activities are why I prefer to live somewhere with seasons. Waterskiing may creep into first next summer though, now that we have water out the back door and I don't have to trailer the boat anymore.

[Mortyski]

Back in the day I used to be decent at both. I always said "I like snow skiing more but I respect water skiing more". Sadly water skiing has that "start" that I'm sure has turned a lot of people off. I've been colder water skiing than snow skiing and I live in Canada "eh". I've been skiing courses on snow and water for more than 50 years. You can fake being good at snow skiing a lot easier than water skiing.

 

 

[Bdecker]

A perfect day of either is tough to beat! Knee deep powder or better takes it by a hair for me. Getting to ski alongside your kids, spouse, buddies, etc is a really cool advantage for snow skiing.

 

This time of year, I’m always extremely excited to get on the snow. Come March/April, the excitement shifts back to the buoys.

[braindamage]

Love both. Done both all my life. If I had to pick, I’d take waterski. I live at the wrong latitude. ?‍♂️