I don't see boarders as an arch enemy. A lot of my mates ride them and I'll happily ski with them. I reckon the problem is that a snowboard is harder than skis to get under full control, particularly if it's icy. Skiing is arguably a harder sport to master but initially (if you have good balance) it's easy to get around without taking people out. Snowboarding takes longer to learn the basics I believe, and there's a lot of kids with attitude that ride them. Twice in the last 2 weeks I've had to dive out of the way of a runaway board because the dumbasses don't use the leash. You soon learn to never turn your back if you stop for any reason.