No snowboarding on school ski trip

[Gentillie]

This is so frivolous I know!

My DD is Y8 she has two very close friends and they are all going on the school ski trip in January. Today one of the friends dad has complained in our group chat non stop about how they aren’t allowing his daughter to do any Snowboarding, he claims he’s offered to send her with equipment etc.
Now when it comes to it, it’s because his daughter is better at snowboarding, she’s been going on a trip with her dad every half term since she was a child and always doing private snowboarding lessons. He keeps making it clear she can ski but isn’t as advanced.
He’s now asked a slightly larger group chat of parents 7 kids worth, to join him in complaining to the school as it’s unfair she won’t get to snowboard.
One of the parents has pointed out that it will be because for lessons they will split into ability groups and even if they made a snowboard group she’d probably be too advanced as it would be a small minority who would pick it.
Others have agreed it’s very unfair and will be joining him in complaining.

AIBU to think he’s being very precious and his DD can ski with everyone else for 5 days? Is this normal in your kids school or do they let them ski or snowboard.

This was a previous years letter, and intermediate and advanced snowboarding were one group.
I can see why he’s annoyed that it’s happened in the past (my DD is my eldest so I didn’t know it was offered in the past).
On this years letter it clearly stated that due to
staffing no snowboarding would be offered.

@Margzarita It’s just widely acknowledged- the decline is less apparent in N America and Japan vs Europe but just looking around it’s clear that there are far fewer boarders around than in c2005 when it was at its peak. There are a couple of reasons- lifts aren’t designed for boarders- have to clip in and out and fall off a lot more, much harder to traverse a flat on a board than on skis, you have to be a better boarder to keep up with a skier as skis run faster, and you can’t get “uphill” easily if you end up a bit low when off piste. Unless you’re going to be big into the trick/ snow park stuff, skiing is a better experience IMO.

The dad is a knob. I almost miss not coming across those types now my children are older. They were always good to laugh at behind their backs.

My son (21) is going on his first ski holiday. His friend Ben, who lives in France near a ski resort is an accomplished snowboarder. But Ben has said he'll do ski lessons with my son and not do snowboarding at all. It's called being reasonable. I don't understand why this silly father agreed to pay for a skiing trip in the first place. Maybe the daughter wants to ski for a change. She'll have enough of him embarrassing her one day.

Exactly this.

They will be allocated a finite number of instructors for the group (5/6 for 60 kids). Maybe uptake of snowboarding lessons has been imbalanced in recent years, with only a small group continuing throughout the week, while ski groups have been much larger to compensate. Parents may complain about that too! Staff have to be on hand in case of injury or illness. I can see his point if previous years have offered snowboarding and it was not mentioned at the time of booking that this has changed. A compromise might be to offer a session in lieu of skiing during the week but that is likely to be at novice level and a faff to organise equipment.

I get the idea that a lot of people have never organised a school trip. Nevermind a school trip to a foreign country involving winter sports with a ludicrously long and involved risk assessment, which has been planned to the nth degree, keeping costs as low as possible to make it accessible for as many children as possible. And then been wholly responsible for all those children. It's not a family holiday.

And perhaps something happened on that trip so that it is no longer offered. I’ve not run a uni skiing trip but I’ve run plenty of European city study trips - and just because something was featured in the itinerary on a previous trip does not mean it will feature next time.

If it was not offered on the current trip he should not expect it.

I'd tell him that my child was really excited about going on the snowboarding trip he's presumably running for 40+ kids next year.....

Exactly. If every parent complaining was asked to draw up a risk assessment for a uni trip, let alone an under 18 trip, they might have more appreciation of factors that will
limit what can be offered.

Teachers are giving up their spare time for free to organise this trip. Regardless of how much anyone might 'expect' or 'want' snowboarding to happen, if they've said no, then him throwing his toys out of the pram is just creating even more workload dealing with his complaints.

Teachers really don't need this shit.

Yeah it’s important to recognise that school ski trips are done on an absolute shoe string which means 6 days of group lessons at max ratio with same instructor and the same kids each day, one 6 days equipment hire, not to mention foam mattresses on 2 * apartments and questionable food. It’s still fun but it’s not a family ski holiday where you might throw a bit of money at it.

I'd have also assumed both would be an option over the week.

and that's from someone who used to run these school trips in France many moons ago for the ski companies!

Costs have increased. Schools have less money. Trips have to be organised as cheaply as possible to give as many chikdren as possible the opportunity to go.

He's BU. It's a school ski trip not a bespoke cater-to-all individuals trip. He shouldn't have signed her up to it without checking first.

We've just had similar at my DDs school and they did say they would need to check numbers and demand for snow boarding before committing to offering it.

If it's the same at your school, it's on him to have taken the gamble.

My DD is going on the school ski trip in Feb and she is taking her skis for the ski school and her snowboard for her down time on the slopes. The school were happy for her to bring her snowboard - no issues no drama. I just asked them
and they replied. She likes both so she was happy either way

And people wonder why teachers don't want to take school trips.... It used to be part of my job to take 10 and 11 year olds to ski camp every January. Yes, it was hard work and took a lot of organising.

WTAF?!

That's interesting. I haven't been for a while and am going this year with the kids for the first time so it will be interesting to see if there are less boarders.

I agree that flats are harder to traverse on a board and certainly button lift are much harder to negotiate. But there are so many advantages, much more comfortable boots, easier to of piste due to the surface area and it is easier so a lot less likely to find your self on a run and out of your depth.

I respectfully disagree skiing is a better experience. When I worked a season we started with 5 boarders and 6 skiiers we ended with 9 boarders and 2 skiiers. Pre kids I started skiing with a group of 8 skiiers that is now 4 boarders, 3 skiiers and one does neither. I love snowboarding so much so I am going to sell my skis as I can't imagine I will ever go back to it.

I personally would assume that a ski trip means both skiing and snowboarding, or a choice between the two.
Dont understand why people are saying it would make it more expensive, or need more staff.
I would also expect clear info from the school at the start as to how its going to be organised. Or better still, a discussion or a questionaire etc. to find out what is actually wanted.

I kinda see this - but my god is he setting her up for a fall with that attitude. Whats going to happen when this child doesn’t achieve a full house of grade 9s at GCSE?

Dont understand why people are saying it would make it more expensive, or need more staff.

This school has a teacher with each group. They do not have one now who snowboards.

@Gentillie On this years letter it clearly stated that due to staffing no snowboarding would be offered.

Well in that case the pillock doesn't have a leg to stand on, does he ... if you'll pardon the phrase in this context. 😉

He's a twat
Needs to think about the commitment of those wonderful staff that organise and execute it!

How weird that her snowboarding is more important than being with her friends. Surely she would rather have the time with her mates than her dad.