When it comes to popular extreme sports, snowboarding and surfing are right up their at the top of the list. Lots of people actually like taking part in both sports, despite the fact that the geographical locations of both surfing and snowboarding are often very different. But does the fitness and skill sets that you pick up taking part in one sport, go any way to help you in the other? Let us take a look at three important elements that these sports require.
Upper Body Strength. As any surfer will tell you, if you haven't got great upper body fitness, there is not much point even getting in the water. You need endurance in order to repetitively paddle surfboards out to see against breaking waves, and power is need in the ‘pop-up’ phase of getting upright on the board when you have caught a wave. Snowboarding however, does not demand anywhere near as from the upper body, as it is only really used for balance and core-stability support
Timing. Both snowboarding and surfing require honed timing skills. Snowboarding requires very accurate timing of turns and carves, especially when your trying to line up for a jump where a few centimeters out on the take off can sometimes mean you miss your landing my meters. Likewise, catching a wave right requires great timing and knowing when to carve the board to pick up speed is a skill that can take years to learn.
Lower Body Condition. Whilst both sports do require a degree lower body fitness and co-ordination, it is snowboarding that demands the most from the legs. Much like kitesurfing, snowboarding require great skill and agility to turn and carve, and if your leg muscles are not in good condition you will simply not be able to ride well. However, don’t think the lower body can be neglected in surfing, your legs and core need to be strong and flexible, even just to stand up.
