Skateboarding and snowboarding require you to stand on a board as you race down slopes, over jumps, and through obstacles.
They are both high-speed trick-based sports that involve jump, spin, and grind tricks, and they also require a strong core and good balance.
But does that mean that learning to skateboard will improve your ability on a snowboard?
If you can’t get on the mountain and you’re desperate to improve your skills, is skateboarding a good alternative?
Does Skateboarding Make Snowboarding Easier?
Skateboarding can definitely improve your snowboarding skills.
There are a few things that connect these sports and make skateboarding a viable option for people learning to snowboard:
- Trick Transfer: Many snowboard tricks are variations of skateboard tricks. They’re a little different, as your feet are free on a skateboard but they are bound on a snowboard. However, jumps, spins, grinds, and stalls are very similar. You can learn to practice freestyle tricks that you’re struggling to master on the mountain.
- Carving: Both a skateboard and a snowboard can be used to carve. A longboard skateboard might be best for this, and you can use it to practice carving the road just like you would carve the snow.
- Similar Equipment: Your snowboard jacket, boots, and bindings won’t help you at the skatepark and the actual skateboards are very different as well. However, the general setup is very similar and you’ll get used to riding on a skateboard while you wear head, elbow, knee, and foot protection.
- Athleticism: Skateboarding will help you to build your core and improve your natural balance. The more you practice skateboarding, the more natural it will feel to turn, shed speed, and perform tricks when you eventually get back on a snowboard.
Is Snowboarding More Like Surfing or Skateboarding?
Skateboarding was invented by surfers.
The surf was flat, they were bored, and so they turned to the streets.
It meant that they could rely on wheels and not waves to get their high-speed, big air fix. It also allowed them to hone their skills until the surf picked up.
However, there isn’t as much crossover between surfing and skateboarding as there is between skateboarding and snowboarding.
The same is true for snowboarding—skateboarding shares more in common with the sport than surfing does.
If you want to improve your surfing without actually surfing, look into other watersports, including stand up paddle boarding.
Skateboarding Outside of Snowboarding Season
It’s generally considered harder to skateboard than it is to snowboard, so it doesn’t make sense to start with skateboarding just so you can move on to snowboarding.
However, if you made a lot of ground during snowboard season and want to continue your momentum once it’s over, skateboarding is a good alternative.
It’s similar in many ways—not only the equipment, but also the learning curve, tricks, and required core strength.
Of course, you can also just look for some dry snowboard slopes, but that’s definitely not as practical as grabbing a skateboard and performing a few tricks on the street or at the local skatepark.
