Skills: If you are an experienced skier and think you can easily get to grips with snowboarding you may be in for a surprise because there are very few "skiing" skills that will be transferable. However if you have had experience at skateboarding or surfing you may find snowboarding simple to pick-up.

In the beginning: Snowboarding is easier and more straightforward than skiing. Having said that the first few days of learning to snowboard are damn difficult. You'll spend loads of time falling, sitting on your bum, and from a psychological perspective its torturous because you'll need to start right from the very beginning - so it'll be back to the baby slopes for you - augh!

Position: The fixed stance in snowboarding will take some getting used to and you'll need a good sense of balance if you want to progress rapidly. Having your feet fixed to the board instantly dictates your style (unlike in skiing where it can take years to learn to keep your skis together, knees bent, pole planting etc.) but does mean when you are not moving you'll probably be sitting on your bum. You'll also need to get to grips with the awkward shuffle action required in order to approach the chair lift. This is where your front foot remains in the binding (pointing your foot inwards at almost 90 degrees) and you hop along with the other - not ideal.

Persevere: Basically if you want to take-up snowboarding you'll just need to persevere over the first day or two or until you can feel confident with your ability to stop, control your speed and turn. Once you have learned those basics techniques you rapidly progress from the beginner to the intermediate stage.