Why do snowboarders go side to side when going down a mountain or hillside?
In: Physics
Carving (for both skiing and snowboarding) is an athletic skill. It requires leg strength, agility, and coordination. This technique is what makes snowboarding a sport instead of a mode of transportation. Yes, you could go straight downhill (which some do), but there is no excitement to that.
Take another sport like sailing, for example. If your only goal was to go fast on water, you would get a speed boat. However, some people enjoy the challenge of sailing. Their goal isn’t to go as fast as absolutely possible, but to engage in a multitasking athletic activity. They do want to go fast, but fast within certain limitations. Running with hurdles is a another example. If you only cared about speed, you wouldn’t put obstacles in front of you. However, the challenge of hurdles is running and jumping. It increases the level of difficulty, and some enjoy that extra challenge.
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