Trying winter sports has always been on my bucket list, and last year, I had the chance to experience both snowboarding and skiing during two separate trips to South Korea.
My first attempt at snowboarding was back in February, and while it was fun, it was also incredibly challenging. So, when I returned to South Korea in December, I decided to give skiing a shot. I assumed it would be easier than snowboarding from reading about other people's experiences, but as I quickly found out, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
What's Included in the Ski Package
For my first skiing experience, I booked an all-inclusive package through GetYourGuide at Jisan Forest Resort. The package covered everything I needed: ski clothes, boots, and gear rental, plus roundtrip transportation from Seoul. We even got a free breakfast sandwich and bottled water to start the day, which was a nice touch.
The only exclusions were the safety gear, such as helmets, goggles, and gloves, which cost an extra KRW10,000 each. I only rented a helmet and goggles as I already own a pair of gloves.
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| all geared up |
The group had only eight people, which made the experience even better. Having a small group meant that our instructor could actually pay attention to each of us and give personalized feedback. The two-hour beginner lesson was just enough to cover the basics, and after that, we had the rest of the day to practice on our own.
My Experience Skiing for the First Time
As I mentioned, I had tried snowboarding before during a winter trip to South Korea earlier in the year. Snowboarding was fun but really challenging—I fell at least 20 times and ended up getting bruises all over. So, I thought skiing might be easier. Turns out, not really.
Since I’m used to having both feet on one board (I surf), snowboarding actually felt more natural to me. Skiing, on the other hand, felt awkward at first. Surprisingly, I only fell a couple of times while skiing, but it still didn’t feel as intuitive as snowboarding.
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| the beginner slope at Jisan Forest Resort |
Another issue I had was with the ski boots. I have big calves, and finding boots that didn’t feel too tight was a struggle. In the end, I got a pair that fit okay around my calves but was too loose on my feet. After a few hours, my legs were in pain, which made skiing even more uncomfortable. I’m not sure if this is a common issue for people with bigger legs, but it definitely affected my experience.
Still, I had fun. I enjoy trying new things, and despite the discomfort, it was a cool experience to ski for the first time.
Would I ski again? Probably not. After trying both skiing and snowboarding, I realized I enjoyed snowboarding more—even with all the falling and bruises. It just felt more natural and fun for me.
Should you try skiing or snowboarding as a beginner? I can’t say one is better than the other. Both have their pros and cons.
If you’re thinking of trying a winter sport, I’d suggest reading about other people’s experiences and deciding from there. Either way, getting out there and trying something new is always worth it!
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