skiing/snow boarding questions

[Wynton]

Two questions about skiing and snow boarding. The relevant background for both questions is that I'm a lousy skier, comfortable only on blue or intermediate slopes. But every Christmas, I go to Colorado because my wife is from there. Usually, that is our only ski trip of the year. Last year, I skipped our annual trip for work. Two years ago, I only skied a week.

(1) Do I need to get my skis "tuned up" this year? My wife does this religiously every year, but she cares about the performance. I only care about them being safe. Also, I don't think there has been any significant change in my weight since two years ago.

(2) The answer to this question might make the first question academic. Because I've made no progress in improving my skiing for years (either because I only ski one week a year, because I didn't start until I was 30, or because I just suck), I've often debated whether to give snowboarding a shot. A million years ago, I was somewhat competent at skateboarding. Should I give this a shot this year? How many days do I have to try it to make it worthwhile? (Oops, guess this question was a multi-part one.)