 Poster: A snowHead
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My 21 year old son has been skiing for the last 3 years but wants to have a go at snow boarding. Is it worth trying snowbarding out at Hemel for a day, or should he just try it out for a week next year? If one day at Hemel is a go-er, I was thinking of treating him for his birthday! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The obvious answer is 'yes', with a but...
Snowboarding in Hemel or similar is like comparing a fine steak dinner to a bag of beef monster munch. You'll get a flavour, but not any real idea. And I personally believe that the only thing about snowboarding skiers will learn-in-a-day is that snowboarding is stupid and that you love skiing a bit more than ever.
IF your son wants to really learn to ride, do the week on a proper mountain.
A suggestion for his birthday, why not one of the really good freestyle skiing courses run at hemel by people like Definitions or Maverix.
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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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pfft, he wants to do it because snowboarding is cooler. The End.
Considering I live in the desert, skidubai (indoor snowdome as well) was my only option to learn when my wife and I learnt at the youthful ages of 32 and 38 
We had 2 lessons in one day (introduction course) and I havent shut up about snowboarding since (4 years ago). We went to Kitzbuhel year one and once in the mountains it is as Sue said, steak to flavoured savory snack. However, having already learnt the basics and practiced a fair bit, we could enjoy the mountains much more, and explore, rather than be stuck on bunny slopes.
Get him to try it, but you have to get past visit/lesson 3, then you realise that you should have been 'boarding the whole time.
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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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You may as well spend your first couple of hours mucking about in a shed as in an expensive resort, so I'd say it's certainly worth it in terms of cost-effectiveness. If you're at all competent then snowdomes are very boring, but they're great for learning.
I've never eaten "beef monster munch", but if you're athletic and you want to learn then you can make significant progress on a small slope.
If it was me I'd wait until low season as it'd be cheaper and less busy.
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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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Thanks guys, I'll put the suggestion to my son that we go to Hemel for the day in the low season so he can try it out. I'll stick to skis though!! 
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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've learned snowboarding at an indoor place (as an already-skier) and eaten beef Monster Munch.
Do I win £5?
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The only thing you can learn about snowboarding in a day is that you cannot learn to snowboard in a day - if you want to learn, devote proper time to it.
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You can kind of learn to link basic scrappy turns together inside of a day. Then when you hit the hill properly, you have an advantage.
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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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Or you can learn that day one on the mountain and follow it up with day two and three while its still fresh, and come out someone who can ride competantly. People only find out how snowboarding sucks on a one-day course. Without the follow on, its pretty much wasted.
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Well I really liked learning to snowboard indoors, I was admittedly pretty crap, and I'm still doing it regularly. So thrrrrrrppppp.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sue Cymraeg, how about this:
If you're going to treat the lad for his birthday, why not pay for a days 'boarding tuition in the mountains on the second, or third day of his next ski holiday? I'm sure the costs would be similar enough for it not to be a deal breaker and chances are he may get more out of it. I know what I'd prefer.
In the meantime just learning balance, weighting, edges and the like can be done at any old dry slope, at comparatively little cost, or maybe more convenience.........
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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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BCjohnny, I like your suggestion. Thank you for that
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| The only thing you can learn about snowboarding in a day is that you cannot learn to snowboard in a day |
 If you mean: "learning does not stop 24 hours after you start", then that's obviously true.
If instead you mean there's no value in a day at a snowdome, then that's not true in my experience. I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but different people are different. Everyone has to start somewhere, and a snowdome's a great place to do it.
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You know it makes sense.
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I just don't think you can grow a good snowboarder in one day, and particularly I don't think you can show a skier why they should carry on riding in that time period - they need that 'click' moment and its really unlikely to come on day one, hence my original suggestion.
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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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