Growing up a Snowboarder, learn young and ride old

[jtslalom]

I was a little late to the sport of snowboarding mostly due to the fact that my local mountain hadn't opened to it. I'm 37 and started riding a snowboard 20 years ago this year. I rode a mountain back then that was in my home town and never left. I still live in the same town with my wife and two kids. I still ride that same hill today about 30 - 40 times a year but now with my 5 year old daughter (soon to be 6). This is her 3rd year riding and she loves it. Last night while riding up the chair lift with her I could see that she is starting to get that same addiction that afflicted me 20 years ago. I watched her eyes looking down off the lift as other riders and skiers passed by under us. She followed one person and as they rode out of vision she quickly switched her glare to another. She then looked at me and said "Daddy I love snowboarding with you, it's so much fun." I just smiled knowing that she is hooked for life and replied, "I love snowboarding with you to." I have successfully taught two nephews, now 12 and 9, a niece now 14 and my daughter. All of which live in the same town as I do and have grown up snowboarding together. They are all hooked and absolutely love to ride. My point here is start them young folks. Contrary to some beliefs, kids can learn to ride at 3 and 4. It is a function of time, effort and knowing your kids personality. All 4 kids mentioned above started at 3 and 4 and by the looks of things will ride for many years to come.

[Steve Prokopiw]

My 4 year old,Evan is in his second season.We were at the magic carpet at Silver the other day for his third session this year.He had ten sessions last season.Mommy,who was an excellent kids' instructor(has a real job now)takes on most of the teaching duties as Evan is a little competetive with Daddy and isn't too into receiving instruction from me.He is an intense little character who learns on his own terms and that's the key with the rugrats;they learn how they want to learn.When he's in the mood he is hilariously good.When he's not we just play king of the hill on the snow mounds.His two year old little bro,Nathan,was on skis for the first time Friday .I used a racer-chaser which his big bro would never let me use.Two different kids to be sure!

I love being a DAD!

[BadBrad]

I'm soon to be a new dad, and I was wondering whether it would be better to start a child on skis or a snowboard. I was thinking that it would be easier for me to hold him and control his speed if he and I were both on skis. I still have some time since the boy we're adopting is only 6 months old now, but I was thinking that I might need to buy a ski setup a few years down the road.

And I don't understand your comment about being late to the sport of snowboarding. I also started about 20 years ago, but I was in my late 20's then, not 17 like you were, so I guess I started really really late. Now I'm a gray-bearded knuckle-dragging geezer. Based on the people on this forum, it looks as if there are quite a few carvers in my age group.

[alexgforce]

I have 2 week old daughter, my first, and I can't wait to get her on the mountain. Most people suggest that the age of 3 is the best to start by I 've seen kids in Austria younger than 3 on skis. Which brings me to the next question. I also started late. I am 38 and have been snowboarding for almost 20 years and never been on skis. For a child is it better to start off on skis or snowboard?
I tend to think that skiing is better and especially for a child it develops the muscles and anatomy evenly. Later the child can decide which way to go.

[newcarver]

Skating and surfing since teenager. Didn't hope on a snowboard until I was 29. Still riding 10 yrs later(almost 11) and just now starting hardboots. Have 7 yr old that has been skiing since 4. Just now got him started with a board. He is having a rough time with it and usually ends up back on the skis. I wouldn't start my kid on a board until at least age 5-6(and only if they have strong enough legs). He allready wants an alpine set up:biggthump. I told him if he gets good this season in softies that I'll get him some JR bindings and get him set up for next season on something. Start them young I say.

[dingbat]

Jtslalom,
That's awesome having that sort of day with your kid! This past Sunday I went out with my daughter for the first time just her and I and had a day like that. I can't think of anything better than having that much fun with your kid doing something you both love doing.:biggthump

[Allee]

Brad, that's so cool that you're adopting. Good luck!!

[jtslalom]

Brad,
My 2 year old son is adopted from Korea. He was 10 months old when we got him. He will be 3 in May. He is a joy to have and I bet it will be the same for you.

[BadBrad]

Thanks Allee and jtslalom. We are adopting from Guatemala. We recently got final approval by the legal system there, and now we have to wait another 6-8 weeks for the U.S. embassy to do a passport, new birth certificate, another DNA test (to make sure the baby wasn't switched), etc., so we should go down to pick him up around late February.

I'm planning to be at SES -- looking forward to a solid week of carving before fatherhood hits.

[jdgang]

that awsome. I am right now on the fence with my son (who is 4) whether to start him with a snowsport. I know he can do it physically but mentally I dont know if he is ready. I was thinking about bringing him up to MC and trying him on the LTR area? How to you start with your girl?

[185er]

Congrat Brad ! Happy for you !
As for starting, I have a 8 month baby girl, witch who, as you all know what I mean, can't wait to put her on the slope. I'll start with ski in two years, that will make her 2 and 8 months. As for snowboarding, I will just wait for her to be able to hop on one foot a couple of time (well both but separatly), making her able to control her upper body balance and her arms mouvement.
Just hope she like it. She tune her first board at 6 months with me in a ''belly pack''.
Well have fun with the kids in the snow !

[John E]

How about "learn old, ride old".

I think boarding is easier on the knees than skiing. Most of my friends ski. Many have had knee surgeries.

I started skiing when I was about 12 and migrated over to boarding in my late 30s & 40s.

Last week I was riding the chair with a skier & the subject came up. I said that I thought boarding was easier on the knees. He said "I don't know about that - how old are you" I told him I was 51. He said "I've got 22 years on you - I'm almost 73 and I ski almost every day". I told him it was only my 2nd day out this year - he said it was his 47th.

An inspiration.

[pebu]

I'm not sure how skiing compares to boarding on the knees, but I know alpine boarding is alot better than freestyle. Every time I unstrapped my back foot and started kicking, my left foot was rotated almost 90* inwards... That hurt like mad. Now with my hardboots on I'm only rotated 35-40* inwards and it's very bearable.

And as for the kids... Don't have any yet, but I know it feels great when my cousins daughter runs up and gives me a big hug. I can only imagine how good it feels for it to be your own blood and having her say something like that about something you love to do.

[mbweppner]

I have been skiing 37 years and hard booting for 16 years. Except for graduate school in the Rockies (and lots of Western ski trips) most of it has been on the same small set of hills in my hometown in Western NY</ST1:p. I always enjoy both hard driving slalom skiing/moguls and hardboot snowboarding in the same day (when my muscles get tired of one, I switch to the other). I think hardboot snowboard helps you perfect your skiing and visa versa.

<O:p</O:pI have three kids ages 4-10 who all started with skiing first at about age 4-5. I did because I wanted them to learn skiing as there is a lot of peer pressure as they get older to snowboard. I think there are a lot of unique skills in learning skiing that are best learned at a young age. It is also A LOT easier as a parent to teach a skier as a skier (trying to pick/hold them up as they go down the hill, climbing up the hill when they fall, get them up a lift, etc.).

<O:p</O:pAs they turned 7-8, I get them boards too (soft boots until they get older). I could have started them earlier snowboarding but found skiing easier for me to manage (try taking three kids out by yourself...). I also didn't want them to miss out being the best skier/ski racer they can be too as well as eventual hardbooters/carvers.<O:p</O:p

[stradas]

I have a 16 month old son and I really can't wait to take him on the mountain with me. I will get him started on skis and after a couple of years I will get on boards, that's the plan at least.
It's an incredible thing to have a child, such a life changing experience, i can't imagine how good will feel to have him on the slopes with me!

[C5 Golfer]

Good family stories -- Being a Psuedo Grandfather at 61 I am lookng forward to the grandkids on a little bitty snowboard while fighting the remaining skiers in the family about skis. :lol:

I started the opposite way - my kids took me snowboarding at 50 or so and after many tries and feeling lke I was in a severe car crash each day I was up and running. 20 some snowboards later the quiver has settled a little bit. Hope to ride with my great grand children --that is my goal. :biggthump:biggthump

[jtslalom]

jdgang,
My daughter started snowboarding a few weeks before she turned 3. She only went twice that year and all I did was bring her to the slopes, walked up the hill 30 feet, straped her in the board and ran with her the 30 feet down. She stood up the whole time and generally looked in the direction she was going. The next year we worked on facing the direction of travel (down hill) and standing up the whole way down the hill. By the end of the season she was working on getting the correct feet in the correct bindings and trying to strap in. The next year is when it started to come together (age 4). We worked her heel side edge control using the falling leaf technique. By the end of last year she was able to stop and start on her own. She could get up after a fall, roll herself over and start heel side. She could also buckle herself in with a little help and totally unbuckle. This year (age 5)we are working on toe side control and acomplishing a heel side turn which she did the other night. By the end of this year I think she will be able to turn in both directions and have total control of most of her movements. Her control now is excellent. She is totally aware of her speed and can control it better than any other 5 year old I have seen. I am extremely proud of her and her accomplishments on her board.

[boarderboy]

Son took up skiing at 3. Waited til 7 for boarding, because

(1) I read an article recommending that age as an average
(2) He's ADHD and impulsive so looking over left shoulder consistently (regular foot) was wishful thinking when he was small
(3) We average only 2-3 days on snow a year.

I think it probably depends entirely on the child, how often you can access slopes, and your (or board school's) teaching ability and patience.

I started at 38 on a Burton Elite swallowtail, took up hardboots within a couple of years, and now ride alpine exclusively at age 60. I've often read, and really believe, that snowboarding's easier on your knees than skiing. I also think carving boards are superior vehicles on ice, hardpack, cord, and pm mashed potatoes. That takes in most of the riding I get in the southeast.

As posted previously, my son's adopted from southern Siberia, and as vividly as I remember my first linked turns, his will always be etched in my mind.

At 11, he now skateboards, Riptstiks, snowboards, and stood up on the first wave he paddled for this past summer.

Ride on!

[jdgang]

cool did you rent for her or just went out a purchase a setup.

[chippermon]

As many of you have indicated, all kids are different but here is my story:

Daughter, 21, started out skiing at 7, swithched to the board at 9, extremely smooth and confident and had a very steep learning curve on the board. Won't go back to skiing.

Son, 19, started on a board at 6, struggled for three years before he was able to excell. Now he is wicked. He ended up that way only because he is so G. damned stubborn.

Son, 14, started on skis at age 4, switched to board at 10, was very good and took to it easily and effortlessly, now back on skis. He is very good on both.

When they are that young you have to keep them interested. you can be a sh*tty skier and still have fun. If they are constantly flayling around on an uncontrolable board, always muggin' out they will quit. It is no fun crying on the slope all day.They are easier to teach when they are on skis. Once they understand how the edges work when they pick up the board the learning curve is much steeper. Almost effortless. For the two that did it that way it was a matter of one day for the transition to take hold.

As soon as the kids could make it down the runs without me holding them up, I could slip on the board and still teach them. Even with a leash, mind you I was in soft boots.

I agree with oldacura. Boarding is easier on the knees. I was a skier for 20 yrs before I took up the board.

[stradas]

...
It is no fun crying on the slope all day.
...

That is exactly why I plan on starting the boy within a team, have a coach to teach him the basics and then we can ride together.

[D-Sub]

I was a little late to the sport of snowboarding ...started riding a snowboard 20 years ago this year.

:freak3: 1988 is "a little late?"

:) jeez...I started in 1990 and kinda thought I was "old school!"

I like the idea of seeing my kids grow up doing something...but I'll probably never have kids. I'll just watch y'alls, ok?

[John E]

I skied for 20+ years before boarding. Though it has been a long time since I've skied for a full day, if faced with very steep terrain or bumps, I suspect I would do better on skis than on a board.

Some of my skier friends are critical of boarders in general. Also, some of them have tried to get their kids to ski instead of board because of their attitude toward the sport. I agree that if a person is ever going to learn to ski, they should probably learn before they learn to board. Also, there is value in learning the independent leg action of skiing.

I don't know anyone who has mastered both and chooses to ski regularly.

I can ski. I choose to board.

[shawndoggy]

That is exactly why I plan on starting the boy within a team, have a coach to teach him the basics and then we can ride together.


:D So somebody else can deal with them crying on the edge of the slope!

My kids (8 & 11) take instruction much better from their coaches than from me. They won't complain (much) or roll their eyes at their coach. Daddy, a different story. So they ski with the team this year.

Daughter (11) is interested in snowboarding, but despite being a gymnast, is a bit of a spaz. Told her she could get a lesson when we go to mammoth this year. Son (8) has no interest in boarding (yet) and don't figure on pushing him.

They're both rippin' little skiers, tho. Last Sunday up at Mt. Rose, we were there when they opened the slide side after 6' of snow. For the kids it was literally bottomless. Neither was shredding the pow by any means, but both made it down in conditions that a lot of growups won't ski in. I told them to look around in the lift line. Not a kid in sight. 150 powder hounds, and them, the only kids. It was awesome.

[BadBrad]

A couple of tips for teaching kids:
1. Criticize and punish every little failure. Kids need a lot of negative reinforcement.
2. Push them well beyond their limits. They can't know their limits until they have exceeded them.



Just kidding, of course, but I have seen parents put their kids in sports, or music lessons, and do exactly these things.

[stradas]

:D So somebody else can deal with them crying on the edge of the slope!

My kids (8 & 11) take instruction much better from their coaches than from me. They won't complain (much) or roll their eyes at their coach. Daddy, a different story. So they ski with the team this year.

....

I am guessing that this is the case for 99% of children...

I was a basketball coach for small children once, and I could see this behavior to all of them, dad talked about something and they did not care, but when the coach was talking....well they had a totally different attitude...

Don't want to experiense this as a dad...:)

[Rob Smith]

and snow rocks! As a Cdn. we fulfilled our duty of enrolling all three (2 girls) in hockey programs. With the kids at 8,11& 13 we made the family decision to drop the hockey to favour full time skiing; which quickly became skiing and snowboarding and now pretty much all snowboarding. Mom (level 2) and I (level 3 and 2 coach) must be lousy ski instructors. At 46 I crossed over to the "dark side". I love having one foot in each camp - ya, skiers suck; oh ya snowboarders suck too. For the last 11 yrs our winter social and sport life as a family has revolved around riding on snow. We have made so many lasting frienships through the snowboard programs. Our oldest daughter made it to the Nationals for BX and now lives in Whistler. Our middle daughter was Provincial GS champ, achieved a 6th place GS at a NorAm in California, 10th place SL at 2003 NorAm / Nationals in Quebec completed a 4yr kinesiology degree and is living in Whistler for a year. Our son happens to be the Cdn. under 20 BX champ - riding hard boots and GS racing was a big part of his soft boot success.He is riding the full NorAm circuit this year. Mom and I are very proud and very broke!

[ar(angel]

Nice to see someone else sharing the family stoke. I usually end up posting at least one of these type posts a season, so good to see someone else doing it too. Started snowboarding late myself, I was 37 when I learned and this will be my 7th season...you do the math. All 3 of my kids learned to ski first with my son coming to the "dark side" first at age 6, than the girls followed 2 seasons ago. I taught all 3 to snowboard. Zach was on hardboots by the age of 8 and now rides both alpine & freeride at age 12. My oldest daughter will be trying hardboots for the first time this year and rides her freeride setup with forward angles and loves to carve. Of all the things I've done sports-wise with my kids, riding the mountain with them beats them all. Here's some pic's

[photodad2001]

that awsome. I am right now on the fence with my son (who is 4) whether to start him with a snowsport. I know he can do it physically but mentally I dont know if he is ready. I was thinking about bringing him up to MC and trying him on the LTR area? How to you start with your girl?

I started my daughter at 4 but it wasn't until she was 6 when she got the concept of watching her edges and linking turns. You should take him out there and have fun with it even if it's just going straight down for the first year. It will still build balance and get him used to riding.

[photodad2001]

When they are that young you have to keep them interested. you can be a sh*tty skier and still have fun. If they are constantly flayling around on an uncontrolable board, always muggin' out they will quit. It is no fun crying on the slope all day.They are easier to teach when they are on skis. Once they understand how the edges work when they pick up the board the learning curve is much steeper. Almost effortless. For the two that did it that way it was a matter of one day for the transition to take hold.

I took a different direction. Instead of skis it was a skateboard. I have pictures of her dropping in on a small ramp at a local skate park at age 3.

[BadBrad]

Would you consider adopting a 45-year old?:biggthump

I might consider that if the 45-year old has a successful medical practice or is independently wealthy.

[willywhit]

I took a different direction. Instead of skis it was a skateboard. I have pictures of her dropping in on a small ramp at a local skate park at age 3.
THAT..... I wanna see ! got a scanner ?

[photodad2001]

I have them on disk. Let me dig them up and I'll put some on here. Her helmet is eating her alive! She looks like one of those bobble head dolls!:biggthump

[photodad2001]

It might take me a while to find the skate pics. I have nearly 40 disks I have to go through. (I don't have them labeled as I'm disorganised) I did come across her first day of snowboarding though. She's 4 here.

[queequeg]

It might take me a while to find the skate pics. I have nearly 40 disks I have to go through. (I don't have them labeled as I'm disorganised) I did come across her first day of snowboarding though. She's 4 here.

That's ridiculously cute.

I remember when I was in boarding school there was this one very young, small, and frail looking kid that excelled in any sport that he tried. He was amazing! We got him snowboarding and his family wouldn't buy him a board so he saved up his very meager allowance and got himself the cheapest snowboard that the mountains would let you take on the lift at the time (yes, that would be the "black snow" board that had metal edges). His feet were so small we had to put wooden blocks in the bottoms of the bindings so that they would close firmly enough to hold him in. That little kid was a BADASS! Despite the crappy board and the wooden blocks, he absolutely kicked ass. He was like this fearless midget snowboarding dynamo. I have a great picture of him and I standing next to each other with our boards in the spring, he really wanted to get a race board when he could afford one.

[photodad2001]

Here's a pic from last Saturday. She's 7 now. I just noticed she's still wearing the same hat!!! I suppose I should buy her a new one.

[Silver Bullet]

Thanks a great action shot. My girls are 6,8 and 10 now. They have all been riding since 3. I've been riding since '84.

[Steve Prokopiw]

the coolest job there is!Snowshoeing last week.4 year old Evan following Daddy on his Spiderman snowshoes and two year old Nathan gettin a free ride on Mommy's (Maureen)back..

[photodad2001]

the coolest job there is!Snowshoeing last week.4 year old Evan following Daddy on his Spiderman snowshoes and two year old Nathan gettin a free ride on Mommy's (Maureen)back..


"...This is nothing, Why when I was your age the snow was up to my waist!!!..."

[Mark Brown]

Sniff... My keyboard's getting wet.

Very cute stories --Love the pictures of the young shredder!

Surfer as a kid. Skiing never worked for me. Didn't start boarding until I was in my 40s - so I subscribe to the learn old and ride until you're on the wrong side of the grass.

Started my daughter skiing at 7 'cause that's what Mama did. Her friends would say "You should snowboard. It's cool!" to which she would reply "My Dad snowboards, how cool can it be?" Now she's 16 and can't really be bothered with skiing. Guess it's part of that adolescence thing (sigh)

[photodad2001]

Her friends would say "You should snowboard. It's cool!" to which she would reply "My Dad snowboards, how cool can it be?" Now she's 16 and can't really be bothered with skiing. Guess it's part of that adolescence thing (sigh)


I also, well, used to play in a band. We were pretty big locally and we'd play the big festivals and open for national groups when they'd come through. I took my daughter to one of our outdoor concerts last Summer. She couldn't understand why everyone was so excited when we went on stage. When your dad's a snowboarding rock star, what's cool?:smashfrea

[photodad2001]

"My child is cooler than your honor student... AND she's and honor student too!!!"

She also rides better than 3 out of 6 of my grown up snowboarding friends!!!!