Just fishing for any tips from anyone with kids that learnt to ski initially and then switched to snowbaording - what age, did they do it all on real snow or have a go at an indoor place? Anything you'd do differently if you went through it again? Did you try and teach them yourself (sounds like a recipe for disaster) or get them lessons? Let me learn from your mistakes!
My kids are 8 and 10 and each OK skiers (8 y/o is still a little timid but gradually speeding up, 10 y/o is fast but not particualy in control) - they've each been on 3 family ski trips. For the first 2 I was on skis helping them learn but on the last trip I took my board (Im a much better snowbaorder than a skier).
Now my son (10) says he wants to try snowboarding. Haven't booked anything yet but might do an easter trip. Thinking maybe he does snowboard school in the mornings and then I let him decide if he wants to practice in the afternoon or switch to skis...
Any sage advice appeciated!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
10 is perfect... as is 8! Having a bit of skill on snow is good, but not so much as the temptation to jump straight back onto skis is too strong.
Find a good snowboard instructor and get them into a lesson - group is fine. Make sure its a GOOD snowboard school, not some outfit who offload the snowboard beginners on whichever of the junior instructors lost the drinking game on Saturday night (ESF, looking at you!).
Make sure they know they are committing to doing a full week of snowboarding - I know you can switch gear, but having a way out of something that may temporarily seem difficult can be too tempting.
Be ready to compromise your own trip for afternoon basic riding with Jnr, even if you only go out for a few runs together, the reason he probably wants to try snowboarding is because he's seen you doing it. Find yourself a nice easy piste you can lap with Jnr, which doesn't mean a massive slog back to your accommodation, so you can call it a day.
Don't forget to celebrate a session riding with Jnr, even if its just one lap. It's what we do - its about smiles, not miles.
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?
And then @Richard_Sideways, they switch back to skis!
@jd_evans, the traitorous dog that he is... but I've got a 50% hit rate!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My kids were 2 or 3 years old when they started boarding. One of them threatened to take up skiing again at about 20, so I refused to provide transport up the mountain, which solved that issue.
They are both annoyingly good riders now in their mid 20’s.
My son starting skiing just shy of his 4th birthday. After he'd done 9 weeks and when he was 8 we hired a board at the end of the skiing day and he did a couple of hours.
A year later, so when he was 9, we bought second hand gear and most afternoons he would switch from skiing to boarding. My wife (who has snowboarded once in her life) helped him to learn. They checked out some stuff online and chatted to friendly boarders. As you are a good boarder I suspect (along with a few lessons perhaps) get your kids into it pretty quick. They are at the right age IME/IMO.
Over the next 5/6 years he would flip between skiing and boarding. He got to the point where he could board anything on or off piste competently. But after that he stopped and just stuck with the two planks. We still have the gear but at his request haven't taken it the last few trips.
Our daughter, two years younger, dabbled also but didn't take it as far.
We've done anything indoor (skiing or boarding), just mostly two weeks a season.
We've never really pressured/hassled them to do one or the other. And I thinks it great that they've both done a bit of boarding - even if they don't currently.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Now my son (10) says he wants to try snowboarding. Haven't booked anything yet but might do an easter trip. Thinking maybe he does snowboard school in the mornings and then I let him decide if he wants to practice in the afternoon or switch to skis...
This would be a good choice. On the first day or two, for family fun, he's better off on a pair of skis after lunch and as he progresses, the skis will take up less holiday time.
This is similar to the route we took in the beginning. The youngest (now 17 and owner of a new board this season) hasn't skied in the last three years. She will be skiing a bit this year due to the bf's influence, but he's ok really.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
We did this last Easter.
Both children (9 and 12 at the time) had talked about snowboarding having skiied four times previously. We got them a taster day at Hemel Hempstead - my son (9) hated the fact that he could no longer go fast haha, so chose to stick with skis. My daughter (12) enjoyed it though and made the decision to switch to boarding.
After an unfortunate start with group lessons we managed to switch her to two private sessions instead and she loved it, and is sticking with it this Easter.
I've been boarding for 30 years so reasonably competent but I know for a fact she won't listen to me anyway so we're doing another couple of private ones this time.
I've skiied with them the last four years but taking my board this year so I can show her how it's done properly
Obvoiusly it will be slow going with a beginner boarder in your midst, good time to work on your switch riding if you've neglected that over the years.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@AliAfro, both my kids (9yo & 13yo) learned in a fridge prior to going on their first holiday, one of those 'learn in a day' courses they run at Tamworth. Both able to pizza nicely, do some kind of basic parallel turns, not exactly Franz Klammer but relatively confident.
However, before the holiday my lad decided skiing was lame AF so wanted to do snowboarding; he did a short taster session at Tamworth then we put him on the beginner slopes at Oz and paid for a 3hr private lesson with ESF - he took to it like a duck to water at that point. I have tried to teach him in a sense but he's now developed his own style by watching Youtube videos and I can't keep up with him now.
Obvs mine were right at the bottom of their learning curve so I think the transition was super-easy for him to swap over; what he did say was because he had confidence going downhill on skis, it felt easier on a snowboard, even though the whole dynamics of riding a board are different to skiing.
I'd guess that if your kids are seasoned then that part - the confidence on snow - won't be an issue and as I see it (being both a skier and boarder) there are significant differences between each discipline that there's no transfer of (bad) habits, only the confidence of being on snow.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
The biggest thing to overcome is the feeling that they are being 'left behind' particularly if they are riding with friends or siblings. If they get that then they will just go back to what they know. That's kind of why I suggested that if they want to learn, you stick with it in the afternoons, and don't go back onto skis. Spend the time riding with just them at their pace, even if that means a week of falling leaf and a lot of waiting and boot-packing flats.
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.
Thanks all - some really useful chat which is just what I was hoping for...
I think I'll see if there is any availability for a snowdome lesson so he can get past the absolute beginner stage before we actually get to the mountains...
On a related point, I saw a really interesting youtube vid (justaride snowboard channel) with the founder of Soul snowboards who was massively critical of existing kids snowboard design and teaching (short true twin shape, relative stiffness vs kids weight, 3d shape design limiting edge contact, and duck stance) - he designed a long bendy directional swallow tail for his kid and set him up posi posi and the kid (almost) immediately started shredding! http://youtube.com/v/ludnaSmyt-A&t=1946s
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