If you’re planning your first visit to a ski resort, chances are you’ll be standing in front of the rental shop at some point asking yourself: skiing or snowboarding? It’s one of the classic questions every beginner faces. Both look fun, both have their fans, and both will give you that “flying on snow” feeling.

I’ll go through the differences step by step. We’ll look at which one is easier to learn, how much they hurt (because yes, you will fall), how they feel on the slopes, what muscles they work, and even which one is friendlier to your wallet. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll know which side of the mountain you want to be on.

Which Is Easier to Learn?

Here's the short answer, which is frankly the common consensus: skiing is usually easier at the beginning, but progressing can be easier on a snowboard.
On skis, your legs are separate, you face forward, and you can shuffle around almost like you’re walking. On your first day, you’ll probably be able to slide down the beginner slope without too much drama. Stopping with the snowplough (the famous “pizza”) feels natural pretty quickly. There are people who go down blue or even red slopes on their first day.

Snowboarding, on the other hand, is a different beast at the start. Both feet are strapped to one board, you stand sideways, and suddenly even getting off the ski lift feels like a challenge. Your first day may involve a lot of falling and getting up. But here’s the catch: once you survive the beginner phase, snowboarding often becomes easier to progress in. Many people say it takes them just 2–3 days to start linking turns smoothly. You will probably spend your first day on the green learners' slope. But once you feel comfortable breaking you can basically go down any slope, just very slowly and without turning.

So:

• First day → skiing is easier.

• First weeks → snowboarding might catch up.

Which Hurts More?

Let’s be honest: you will fall. That’s part of the fun. But the type of falling is different.

• On skis, falls are more natural. Your skis can tangle, one leg might go one way and the other another. Falling on skis is not that much different from falling on your feet. Bindings on skis have a mechanism that unbind your boots when you fall making the fall safer and less painful.

• On a snowboard, falls are usually straight to your bum, back, knees, chest or wrists. From the side they might look less dramatic, but from the snowboarders perspective they are not pleasant to say the least. They are also more frequent. And on you first day you might fill on an even ground. I'm not going to go into too much detail of what falling feelings like on a snowboard but catching an edge can you send flying on your chest which usually knocks the wind out of you. But I guarantee you, the reward is worth the pain.

If you want fewer crashes overall, skiing might be kinder. If you can laugh at yourself and don’t mind a bit of bruising, snowboarding is fine.

What Do They Feel Like?

They feel same but also different, sorry for the cliché. Some would argue that the style affects it more than the sport. It's difficult to explain the "feeling", but here’s my best try.

• Skiing feels like flying. You face forward, legs apart, and once you’re carving turns, it almost feels like skating on snow. It’s smooth, balanced, and fast. It feels more like a sport where you compete with your speed. You can go straight down slope without making single turn. Once you've advanced enough, there is gonna come a point where you're gonna getting that euphoric feeling, as if you were flying.

• Snowboarding feels like dancing. Don't get me wrong, snowboarding can give you a feeling of flying. You can also go fast, but I would never dare to reach the crazy maximum speed I do on the skis. Going 50 km/h feels faster on a snowboard. I usually describe the feeling that snowboarding gives me as dancing. It can be even more euphoric that the feeling of flying. Your body moves as one, the board glides like you’re drawing lines in the snow, and turns feel natural. On soft powder snow, snowboarding is especially magical and gives you a high that is difficult to compare with anything.

There is really no one right answer to this question. The worst part is that you only get the true feeling of the sport once you've advanced in it. Snowboarding can be very deceiving in that matter. The first days of snowboarding are the opposite of what it will feel like once you are comfortable on the slope. Skis expose you to that feeling much faster.

Which Muscles Do You Use?

Both sports give you a solid workout (don’t worry, it’s the fun kind).

• Skiing: Your thighs and calves will burn. You’ll also feel it in your core and lower back as you control your turns. After a few hours, your legs might be jelly.

• Snowboarding: Legs too, but more evenly spread. Your abs and obliques work a lot to help you twist and balance. Your upper body gets more involved because of the falls and the push-ups to get up.

If you want a “leg day” feeling, go skiing. If you prefer a full-body workout, snowboarding has the edge.

Which One Is Cheaper?

This one depends a bit on where you are, but generally:

• Rental gear: Generally speaking the cost is more or less the same. Usually snowboard equipment costs 3-5% to rent than ski equipment. I've heard that snowboarders cause more damage to the equipment, so that might be the reason.

• Buying gear: Skiing can get more expensive if you want all the equipment (two skis, bindings, poles, more complicated boots). Snowboard setups are often cheaper especially for beginners.

• Maintenance: Both snowboard and skis require regular waxing, edge sharpening and other maintenance. Total length of ski edges is usually twice as big as the snowboard's. Snowboarding, on the other hand, can require more waxing. For what I have seen, at least here in Finland, snowboard maintenance costs more.

• Lessons: No big difference. Group or private lessons are priced the same in most resorts.

So in Lapland, don’t expect a big price gap. If you’re on a budget, snowboard gear might be cheaper in the long run.

How Fast Can You Progress?

• With skiing, beginners feel confident sooner. You’ll be exploring easy slopes quickly, maybe even after a single lesson. But becoming a truly good skier (carving fast, handling all terrains) takes time.

• With snowboarding, the first two days are rough, but then progress feels fast. After a week, many beginners can already handle blue and even some red slopes.

Think of skiing as a gentle start with a longer road ahead, while snowboarding is a tough start but a quick rise after that.

Which One Is Safer?

Both sports carry risks, but they’re slightly different.

• Skiing: More risk for knee injuries because your legs can twist when skis catch in the snow.

• Snowboarding: More risk for wrist and shoulder injuries because of falling.

Again, wrist guards help snowboarders, and proper bindings help skiers. And of course, helmets are non-negotiable for both.

The Social Side

This might sound funny, but the vibe is different too.

• Skiers are everywhere, from families to pros. It’s a bit more traditional.

• Snowboarders have a younger, looser image. It’s often about style, music, and hanging out in the park as much as riding slopes.

At a camp like ours in Lapland, you’ll meet both groups. The good news: there’s no rivalry anymore, only jokes. Skiers and snowboarders ride the same lifts and share the same after-ski.

Final Thoughts: Which Should You Choose?

If you’re coming to Lapland for your very first winter sports experience, here’s my simple advice:

• If you want quick results, less falling, and the classic alpine feeling → go for skiing.

• If you don’t mind a tougher start, want that cool surfing-on-snow vibe, and don’t mind sitting on the ground a lot in the beginning → try snowboarding.

And remember, whichever you pick, you can always try the other one next time. Many people end up doing both. The most important thing is that you get out there, enjoy the snow, and maybe even join one of our camps where you’ll have friends to laugh with when you fall (because trust me, everyone falls).

If you are still wondering you can check out more of our articles that go through skiing and snowboarding in more details:

Answering Questions About Snowboarding that You Were Afraid to Ask

Everything You Need to Know About Skiing As Beginner

Ski or board, Arctic Ski Camp is the Perfect Place to Learn

At our ski camps in Levi, Lapland, you don’t have to worry about choosing alone. We offer beginner lessons for both skiing and snowboarding, so you can decide what feels right. And the best part: you’ll have a whole group of like-minded 18–35 year olds to share the adventure with.

So whether you end up a skier or a snowboarder, the mountain is waiting for you.