 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Guys,
I am wanting to get my kids introduced to skiing as soon as possible, its a long way off as they are both under 3 at the moment. But I am a snowboarder and I am assuming its probably best for young kids 3/4 to learn to ski first obviously via lessons. What I am thinking is that it will be a bit silly if I take them out in a couple of years time and I am boarding and they are skiing??! I am wondering if I should put snowboarding on the back burner for 2 years and learn to ski, so that when they are old enough we can all go out together on Skis.
Any thoughts??
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't see why I've always snowboarded and my daughter skis and we've never had any issues. I'd rather be comfortable on the slopes with her rather than bumbling around on skis.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@jimmytwoburgers, Don't give up on the boarding. The numbers of snowboarders appears to be dropping every year. Maintain the dying art. Please. The kids will follow you happily. But you will have problems following them. Just wait until they pop out of the trees
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Simple, just teach the kids to ride. Rather than cramming their feet into stupid Tupperware boxes and paying Fast Pierre to scream at them, show them the True Path to one edge enlightenment. You KNOW that we are having more fun than our two planked brethren.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I might be wrong but I thought it was more to do with weight and being able to flex the board properly and therefore turn as you should - hence the vague 6/7/8 guideline?
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Don't quote me but I think it's to do with how heavily you go down when you catch the wrong edge. As I understand it you either go down heavily on your spine or your wrists. Although you can get protection I think your skeleton still takes a bit of a hammering. It might also just be that very young kids pick up skiing very quickly and rarely fall (they do seem to be crazy stable in those wide snow ploughs) whereas in your first few days boarding you are going to take quite a lot of falls and, whilst a youth/teen/adult might be willing to take that punishment, a sub six-year-old is likely to do a lot of crying and you might struggle to get them back out again if they get really miserable.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I did exactly this, haven't got the board out since i learnt to ski. I was surprised how quickly i progressed and am able to keep up with the kids quite happily.
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Why can't you keep up with people on skis? I spend as much time riding with skiers as I do snowboarders and it's not a race.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kid's biomechanics and co ordination is the barrier to early years boarding. 6 yrs on no big deal.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| francium. wrote: |
| Why can't you keep up with people on skis? I spend as much time riding with skiers as I do snowboarders and it's not a race. |
Actually in powder snowboards are significantly faster. I feel a little sorry for people who don't ride enough powder to realise that, but then there's no point in wasting it with skis so it's all good.
Outside the race course, expert snowboarders are just as quick as expert skiers. All it takes is a bit of practice and the right gear.
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You know it makes sense.
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that looks so cool! My grand-daughters would love that, I'm sure. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My niece had a go last season and loved it @pam w, she is having lessons with Mint this year- they are amazing with kids
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Poster: A snowHead
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I went through the same thought process last year. My kids are all 'old enough' to board with me, but I ended up putting them in ski school with my wife - who wasn't going to go on a board for anybody. It was a challenge, getting on and off lifts with them and often having to take off my board so that I could pick up a child who had fallen over.
A few years ago I did try to enjoy some skis for a couple of days but was so much happier to strap my board on once the snow fell - I wasn't going to waste a good powder day wobbling around on skis!
This time around I'll ask the dear ones whether they want to try boards. I'm no longer thinking of skis for me. I've given up the idea of starting over again from scratch with a decent course of skiing lessons for myself, just so that I could learn with the children.
I know that if I'm happy I'll be better placed to keep them happy; if I'm struggling to get along on skis, then I'll struggle to be the good, patient parent who wipes noses and picks up fallen children!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Depends on the resort you ski at and if you happy to walk your kid to ski school until they are good enough to ski there.
We always skied our daughter to ski school between our legs, we also took her out skiing on the green run from the age of 2.5 skiing between our legs, it got her used to skis and balance and I think was a great help to her development.
IF you can get good enough/confident enough in your skiing in the next two years to do that then its a massive advantage and something you can't sadly do on a board.
I am now in the opposite position to you, my daughter is 4 going on 5 and can ski blues confidently but she wants to start snow-boarding as her cousin told her it was cooler, so I am thinking of trying boarding so that I can at least understand what she is talking about when she is having problems.
G
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| Simple, just teach the kids to ride. Rather than cramming their feet into stupid Tupperware boxes and paying Fast Pierre to scream at them, show them the True Path to one edge enlightenment. You KNOW that we are having more fun than our two planked brethren. |
PMSL, mate I love your posts 
As a skier, I obviously want to convert you however whats really important is that you can help and control your kids on the slopes - if thats on a tea tray or planks, I dont see how it matters.
Finally they may only be three, but time will fly and they will soon be starting!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| philwig wrote: |
| francium. wrote: |
| Why can't you keep up with people on skis? I spend as much time riding with skiers as I do snowboarders and it's not a race. |
Actually in powder snowboards are significantly faster. I feel a little sorry for people who don't ride enough powder to realise that, but then there's no point in wasting it with skis so it's all good.
Outside the race course, expert snowboarders are just as quick as expert skiers. All it takes is a bit of practice and the right gear. |
Darn straight it's all about the powder.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| philwig wrote: |
| francium. wrote: |
| Why can't you keep up with people on skis? I spend as much time riding with skiers as I do snowboarders and it's not a race. |
Actually in powder snowboards are significantly faster. I feel a little sorry for people who don't ride enough powder to realise that, but then there's no point in wasting it with skis so it's all good.
Outside the race course, expert snowboarders are just as quick as expert skiers. All it takes is a bit of practice and the right gear. |
Until you get to the flat bits
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| jimmytwoburgers wrote: |
Hi Guys,
I am wanting to get my kids introduced to skiing as soon as possible, its a long way off as they are both under 3 at the moment. But I am a snowboarder and I am assuming its probably best for young kids 3/4 to learn to ski first obviously via lessons. What I am thinking is that it will be a bit silly if I take them out in a couple of years time and I am boarding and they are skiing??! I am wondering if I should put snowboarding on the back burner for 2 years and learn to ski, so that when they are old enough we can all go out together on Skis.
Any thoughts??
Thanks |
No you need to keep with the board and eventually they will want to follow in daddy's footsteps. Be that shining example of what they could progress to eventually if they stick with snowsports and when they're big enough they can tow you over flat spots as well.
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Not sure why you need to switch. My husband boards and the kids and I ski, we all get along happily together, no hard feelings. At the end of the day you go from high up the hill to a bit further down, it doesn't really matter how you do it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yes
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Do you really need to learn to ski BEFORE the kids do?
I would think you can learn to ski the same time as the kids. It's pretty easy cross over between the two.
In fact, I learn to board when my then non-skiing partner learned to board. I didn't want to be standing around waiting. So I decided to do my share of falling at the same time so the two of us can share the pain and jokes. Turned out I was a lot faster in learning than my partner, having skied (lots). So I ended up waiting nevertheless.
I would venture to guess it's equally easy for boarders to learn to ski...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Be that shining example of what they could progress to eventually if they stick with snowsports and when they're big enough they can tow you over flat spots as well.
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TESTIFY! *Tamborine* TESTIFY!
My two (5 & 4) have done the Burton Riglets thing a couple of times and both loved it (don't make me get the photos out again) They keep badgering me to get them on snowboards but its bleeding hard to find kids kit to hire in resort in France.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Nope you don't have to learn before the Kids.
Personaly board or ski I would want at least one of either my wife or I to be on something we are confident on. Mainly becuase in a worst case scenario and one of them properly hurts themselves, and one of us needs to ski to get ski patrol I would rather be able to do that with a degree of speed.
G
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You know it makes sense.
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Irie, mine care what I'm doing and I have to do the same as them. They were 3 & 4 on the last trip and I make them go to ski school, but they both want to board. So at lunchtime we all have to swap our kit over, so they can board with me. I've been learning to ski for the last year so that I can ski with them, so hopefully this winter they will ski with me in the afternoons and not make us all board.
To answer the opening posts question, I do find it a lot easier doing the same thing as them. It's quite easy to get down the mountain on a board whilst holding them upright and having their board up against yours, good for getting through the steep bits and them letting them get on with it on the flatter stuff. Likewise it's easy to ski with them between your legs if you're both on skis, but it's a lot more difficult getting through the steeper stuff when you aren't on the same thing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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There is a truth in the practicality element to this - if a wee one is on skis and you're on a snowboard and Small decides to stop on a flat bit to fiddle with a mitt or something while you're trying to keep some speed up, its a problem. Likewise if Small takes a spill on a slope, it's easier getting in close to help them sort themselves out if you're on the same equipment.
My wife skis and I snowboard, neither of us have any time doing each others chosen path, but I do admit I sometimes I should go learn the basics at Hemel. Its probably a good idea that anyone should have some multi-discipline experience, if nothing else it gives you a better insight into how the 'others' think.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Richard_Sideways, there's always the ski test this weekend 
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