9 y.o switching to snowboarding. Need advice

A snowHead

@Langerzug, @cameronphillips2000, don't be silly

@BCjohnny, I don't get it, what attitude is that and why do you think I will chew his ear off?

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@BCjohnny, The opening remark was just a tongue in cheek "light side vs dark side" joke. I am not religious about it - if he wants to switch, or do both, I am absolutely fine with it.

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@Oleski, read again. I’m very serious.
If topresorts like Val Thorens, or e.g. St.Anton are not good for snowboarding, what is snowboarding good for?
You are aware snowboarding is seriously in decline, with sportshops offering fewer choice year after year?
Snowboarding is a dead end road, and your son is about to go there. Such a -costly- shame.

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After all it is free

why to have two skis, two poles and two casts, that you call boots, when you can only have one plank and comfortable boots? Hands free to show middle finger to all old farts on skis when you pass or spray them Very Happy

on a more serious note, travelling is easier with snowboards than skis. They are shorter, never had to use roof rack even when 8 persons in MB V class extra long base, all with own gear. In one travelling bag you can fit more sets of snowboards than skis.

Fatality rate ant serious injury rate is smaller, simply because slower speed. Knees are also healthier, feet are fixed, more things has to go sideways to get some tendons/meniscus/ACL teared.

Since you go sideways, even smaller speeds are thrilling. It's not a race, it's about having fun. And 40-50 mph on a board is plenty for heart rate to go up.

Safer for everyone around, you rarely can see a noob on a snowboard bombing down the hill at full speed with very little control. Very common to see first year skier straightbombing and praying for the best.

Perhaps inevitably this thread has turned into a boarders v skiers spat.

We were in Les Menuires in April and my son spent probably as much time on his board as he has anywhere. No idea where people get the idea the valley is no good for boarders.

The only real pain I recall was taking the track down from Mont Vallon to Mottaret. But that was a bad call on our part and like most things avoidable.

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@Layne, I didn't say it was no good, just not ideal due several notoriously long flats - Mottarret link you already mentioned, home run in VT, magic carpet area next to Peclet, Caron - Les Menuires run, etc. Most are avoidable of course, but still not ideal for a beginner boarder no matter how athletic.

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@Oleski, I feel you're right in your assessment of getting a raw beginner around the mileage you want to do. Guess it's not a massive consideration if you take his skis too for at least the option to run those. It's just the pressure to progress would be unwelcome at this early stage.

I think it will hugely enhance his balance and appreciation of what he can do with it in both disciplines so only see it ultimately as a positive.

Also found from my having a good teacher initially to go from ski to board that as kosmoz says, the conversion is fairly logical.
A plus of that Ive found, is that I can teach my kids to ride a long board back here with exactly the same instructions, so it can give him far more summer practice to refine without needing snow. We just use very smooth and gently sloping carparks here to bring techniques on.

And a catch all phrase to get him out of trouble, this from a lifelong snowboarder and Chamonix resident Very Happy

"hang like a monkey and point where you want to go" it really does work. Puts your legs to flex properly, and orientates your shoulders to align with the board. It'll get him out of all types of wrong stance and easy to remember. Very Happy

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only some flat greens in Courchevel area were troublemakers for my slow'ish girlfriend and still they were short, maybe 50meters walk unstrapped. VT is ideal. Were living in Les Menuires last time, in Orelle 5 years ago. Home run to the base of Les Menuires could have been a problem, but wasn't for the most part except one time. There is a possible of 200 meters walk waiting for anyone, who doesn't carry enough speed.

You know it makes sense.

Mayrhofen is advertised as the best place for snowboarders, maybe they have very good snow park in mind, but I don't remember anywhere else my girlfriend had to walk so much unstrapped because of flat spots Smile

some friends also had to walk, because skier mommas were blocking whole width of the piste while pushing themselves with poles and chatting Laughing

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

A snowHead

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wow, this is getting ugly.

@mods I found the answers I was looking for, time to close the thread. Thanks to all who contributed.

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If you’re footing the bill for the holiday - you decide whether he’ll board.
I let my 11 year old son have a day here and there on a board after getting a solid grounding on skis between the ages of 3 and 10. He had one first day lesson but after just four days total on a board he can now travel the whole mountain with us - even ungroomed black slopes.
They pick things up very easily at that age.
We just hire gear for him.
He wears his ski clothes. They keep him warm.

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@Oleski, Sorry don't mistake fooling around as ugly from us all.

After all it is free

I have skied, badly (thanks ESF) and boarded, fairly well (thanks Canada). I have never bought anything other than clothes; still rent boots etc. Have done maybe 8,9 weeks boarding in my ski clothes. Went back to skiing when my children started.

Got my children to ski, maybe 7-8 weeks by now, all rented gear. If they want to start boarding now they have a good grounding in skiing, they can. They will do it in ski clothes and rented boards and boots.

I think the radish is one of the more sensible posts on this thread and I’m still giggling about it now Smile

At the end of the day, if he sticks with snowboarding, he will get hotter girlfriends when he is older.

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Nothing like the internet to determine those with a sense of humour and those who don't.
I ski with boarders and it's great. I sometimes envy them - on the powder but I glad for my poles on the flat bits and at lifts.
Snowboarding grew massively in the 80s and nineties because it was cool and a very the working class kids could access the mountain as it was easier to learn and turn, particularly off piste. Some resorts embraced it and got rid of drags, has grunge bands playing on the mountain whilst other bands banned it.
Carver skis, Fat skis and skis that gave backwards meant skiing was suddenly easier and cheaper (you didn't need 5 weeks on snow under your belt to be doing decent parallels.

My son doesn't like skiing (I can finally say it after years of counselling) but he has expressed an interest in boarding . I hope it's a way he can go out enjoyed the mountains. As long as he doesn't bang on about being 'stoked' I'll be happy for him.

You know it makes sense.

I think most have a sense of humour about this, it's just the same ole same ole ...... bit of banter never goes amiss ....... although not all obviously .......

Anyway, this always comes up because everyone knows 'boarding is way cooler than skiing, that's why most skiers have a chip on their shoulder and just can't stop rising to the bait ....... driven by the fact a fair few have even tried to 'board but can't coz it's not as 'easy' as everyone else said it was ........ wink

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I tried skiing once and it was amazing how different it made me feel. I went from being a snowboarding rad dad to putting on skis and almost immediately feeling like a slightly overweight miserable middle aged loser. It almost started feeling like it would be ok to wear sunnies with a helmet!

Just bizarre. Strapped on a board and felt completely normal again.

Won’t be trying skiing again.

A snowHead

@BCjohnny, I don't mind a bit of banter until it gets ugly as in tovarishch kosmoz's post

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hang11 ...... I tried skis very briefly a few months back, as a 'favour' to someone ....... likewise, Bambi on ice, absolutely deadly contraptions .....

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Interesting and candid article (unlike the ‘in denial’ in this forum...)
https://www.snowmagazine.com/features/1246-focus-on/is-snowboarding-dead

Especially the last paragraph:
“But what about this 45-year-old snowboarder? Am I ski curious? Would I switch to skis? Yes but no; the old adage ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ prevails for me. But would I snowboard if I was starting out on the snow now – or even if today’s skis had been available when I switched all those years ago? Probably not…”

@Oleski, Maybe this would help to convince your son? You don’t want him to say (or -seeing this thread- more likely: silently think) the same when he is 45, do you?

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Oleski ...... certainly, like I said 'not all' ....... not making excuses but maybe it's lost in translation?

A lot of stuff gets said TIC, it's often not easy to to determine what's what unless you can see the persons face ...... all those evolutionary behavioural mannerisms wink

But seriously ....... if your lad wants a crack at it give it a go.

Don't spend a fortune on stuff, no need for new clobber and plenty of good used 'hard kit' available, but renting might be good enough for the first couple of weeks ....... you certainly don't need the latest 'trick of the week' five hundred quid fancy bindings and dedicated boots.

One thing that won't happen is your quest for 'mileage' ....... not yet anyway ....... so as said it's either part time 'boarding or separate main slopetime, to prevent fraying everyone's nerves ........ however it goes, genuinely good luck.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Langerzug ........ "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" ........

Granted, in Europe it certainly has dropped off, but not in more 'enlightened' parts of the world ....... wink

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@BCjohnny, those are my thoughts as well more or less, the Jr loves making a lot of mileage as well so will probably see sense. Rental it is for now until I see how serious he is, because we have been through this already with football and karate and what not.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

both skiing and snowboarding is pretty expensive. Young generations, often living with parents until 30's, can't afford that. Old dads can. One, who wants to start having fun asap will be better of on skis, it's much easier to get going. This is why snowboarding will never be as massive as skiing is.

Even if I was the only boarder on earth, I couldn't care less. It will still slide downhill, all infrastructure is good enough to get up in chairlifts and drag lifts.

The worst dad can do is not to let his kids be kids, put them in a frame of activities, hobbies, education. It's more often than not is wasted investments, wasted time and ruined relationships.

After all it is free

@Langerzug, good grief, he just wants to have fun on the slopes, do you seriously expect me to have the "think about your future, son" talk with him?

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Help!!

9 y.o switching to snowboarding. Need advice

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