 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, looking for some experience with a similar situation if possible.
Will be heading out to the slopes for the second time with my kids 6 and 8 years old. this will be their second week away and after last year I'm expecting them to be out skiing a bit more after their lessons.
They were skiing easy blues by the end of the week last year and we're doing really well.
Im a snow boarder and really struggled with helping them when they fell and generally child maintenance on the piste due to different lines and obviously being a little less mobile. My wife skis and they generally followed her and I followed the train and dealt with any issues.
Question is do I continue to board or do I learn to ski. I've done a few lessons in the domes so can link turns and parallel ish ski. But never on a mountain (fairly similar to the kids really).
I'm expecitng them to be a bit more self sufficient this year so thinking that I may just be frustrated as before as not being as good a skier as a boarder. Figured if I'm going to convert now is the time to do it as can have lessons when they do.
I'm also a bit worried that I'm just going to get fed up as obviously won't get around the mountains quite as much as I would normally of I was to ski.
Anyone have a similar quandry?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yeah just do it, it's well worth being able to do both. Just do a day or two on skis to start with.
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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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If you want to be with them then bite the bullet and ski for a year or two then if they think they want to board then you can show them how. The great joy of winter sports family holidays is doing what the children want to do. I love it when my children come with me (they are now around 40) and they bring their children as well. If my children or grandchildren wanted to learn to board then I would learn along with them. Just playing in the snow with kids is such a great joy it doesn't matter whether it is on skis or board.
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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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We are in a very similar situation to you, I ski and my husband snowboards. We have 2 kids, 5&7 who have a 4/5 weeks skiing experience. The kids generally follow me and hubby brings up the back. We’ve never thought about him switching to skiing, we’ve never had an issue with it. Our eldest will go down anything with daddy, red, black, you name it. The youngest is more reserved so he sticks with me in blues and reds.
I would stick to your current system, they don’t need to follow lines for that long, eldest does her own thing a lot if the time.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@therock, just be prepared for them to have dropped back a fair bit from the previous year (unless they have been doing regular lessons on dry ski slope / snowdome during the year).
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Both my kids learned to snowboard at 3 years old (taught by me) They are both late teens now. The youngest one teaches part time, and has no issues with taking kids that young for lessons. It's been great fun watching them grow up and develop their boarding over the years, and been a lot of quality family time and great memories made. They have also terrorised a lot of skiers 
We are all planning to learn to ski together in the coming winter, because one of them is planning to do a ski patrol course, and needs to be able to ski for that.
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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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@therock, I think with kids of those ages I’d learn to ski. I think lessons to begin with very important.
Although very different techniques, your experience of sliding down a mountain should be an advantage in helping you learn skiing reasonably quickly.
In the longer term, being fairly competent at both will be an advantage for you. Your family might end up being good at both too. Being able to choose between skis and board, depending on conditions, how you feel, what type of terrain you fancy that day is good.
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Thanks, some different opinions.
Didn't really consider they would have dropped back a bit.
Might give the skis a go for the first couple of days and also take my board and see how it goes depending on conditions.
Not going till late season so plenty of time to get in a snow dome on skis.
No desire from them to snowboard yet, they can make that descion when they want to.
Thanks all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Our 3 yr old has had a ski taster and snowboard one too. He is in ski school when we go in jan. Both me and my wife board and to be honest are not planning on picking up skiing again, we can both ski but prefer boarding.
We can't see the point in learning to ski with him as it's likely that by the time we get up to speed he will be faster anyway. So am going to go for a stiffer board and make sure I am quicker on the board.
not bothered which he wants to do, as long as he wants to spend time in the mountains
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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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I started out snowboarding, clicked really well with it and love it. Wife broke her arm snowboarding - but has been skiing since she was a teenager. She went back to Skiing, and when we had kids and they started to ski I decided to switch over to Skiing. I hated it. Fell all the time, hurt myself, hated the stupid poles - stormed off the pistes in fits of rage because I just couldn't get on with it. I stuck with it, and now think I prefer it - definitely from the speed POV, though. Still watch some boarders and think about switching back, and this year I think I'm going to rent one for a day when I go on a trip with 3 skiers, and 3 boarders - so at least I'll have some company 
Anyway, point being, I'm glad I stuck with it. My kids have progressed fast, and it's so much easier to deal with them. Watching a family who's father (presumably.. ) was boarding, and wife/kids skiing and him having to undo his bindings and help the little ones up because the wife was already down the piste a little way made me realise how easier it is on skis. I can force my feet out of the bindings if I need to and I feel a lot more stable/secure being on them around the kids... knowing I can easily get to their aid if need be.
As you say, give it a go in the snowdomes - it'll give you the feel of how you'll pick it up
You never know, one of your kids may want to switch. My kids are 9 and 7, and my 7 year old wants to snowboard desperately - so I think once she's finished the ski school she's returning to this year we'll try her on a board. If she gets on with it, I'll probably switch back to boarding (typically this is bound to happen as I've just bought my first set of skis)... she rips the pistes up, so I'm sure she's going to take to boarding equally as well as she's always been a little grommet!
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My kids have skied the past few years, whilst I board. Initially I thought i’d get back on ski’s... but I was too rusty and lacked confidence, so found it easier to stay on the board. Tbh, they progressed so quickly, i’ve not found it an issue. (They do lessons in the morning and an afternoon with my wife and I, until they want to head home)
My kids are 12, 10 and 6.
For the older two, the issue is now more one of keeping up with them...
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You know it makes sense.
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me and the wife board......took our kids last year for the first time 6 & 11.......they didn't want to do anything other than board.....they loved it 
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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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Husband did the switch last year from Boarding to skiing. Costing more money as now he wants lessons !!! However soo much less faffing around at the lifts. Plus think as he was getting older (50) found the face plants and getting up again with boarding quite tiring. He wishes he did it years ago.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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