Photo: GoPro
Is skiing generally faster than snowboarding? Let’s examine. Based on the principle of just pointing it downhill and letting physics take over – not accounting for factors like ability, terrain conditions, and obstacles – skis have a smaller surface area than snowboards and create less friction. Skiers can tuck and make themselves smaller, but they’re also facing wind resistance from shoulder to shoulder, while snowboarders are naturally tucked into a slimmer profile slicing through that same wind. Two skis, however, create a lot more stability than a single snowboard and therefore a lot more control at higher speeds.
The nuances of this pointless debate are endless, to be honest. When we break it down to actual results, the fastest speed attained on skis is significantly greater than the fastest speed ever reached on a snowboard: 157 mph to 126 mph, respectively. That should close the book on discussing or debating which is faster.
Don’t tell that to Krister Røhme Kopala, though. The Norwegian snowboarder is no stranger to tackling some big, steep lines, and he took on skier Nikolai Schirmer in a friendly little game of fastest-to-the-bottom through the Malangaisi Couloir in Tromsø, Norway. If you’re not familiar with the location, it’s steep, it’s sketch, and it’s a place athletes have targeted for speed record attempts in the past.
How’d it go this time around?
Kopala: 32:22
Schirmer: 44: 22
Watch for yourself:
