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.

Ooooooh get YOU!! Skiing AND snowboarding. 😂😂😂😂 👜

Honestly the appeal for me (aside from boarding being much easier ) is that I don’t injure myself boarding, despite riding a lot harder than I ski.

When I skied regularly and not just pootling about on blue runs with DS after ski school, I used to twist my knee at least once per trip and need a few days laid up icing it.

Those sorts of injuries just don’t happen on a board (because your legs are tied together). Your joints are so much more protected on a snowboard.

I love to ski but the ease of walking in snowboard boots always tempts me. That and the feeling of falling through the air on the turns rather than fiddling about with poles! But overall skiing wins.

Oh there is no one was on about the difference. It was about the money and that if they didn't snowboard on the trip then they are missing out of an opportunity they would never get....bull, if they can afford such a high cost trip then they could afford a high cost activity was the point you missed.

He had no reason to think snowboarding was included, even if it had in previous years, as the letter clearly stated it wasn’t. The trips have ratios of staff to students, and if there isn’t anyone to staff to advanced snowboarding group as he seems to want, it then the activity can’t go ahead. If all the parents complaining are doing so because they want their kids to snowboard too, then there could maybe be a shuffle in the groups. But if she’s the only one, or if the others are all going to be in the beginners group, I doubt they’d all be willing to pay the extra for another member of staff (plus possibly their supply cover) for her to be able to do it. He probably thinks he can take her himself and will expect her to still be involved in the activities with her friends despite not being part of the trip.

Sounds like the school doesn't have a teacher who snowboards and can keep up with the group bur if the letter was clear then he doesn't have any complaints to make.

Either she goes or doesn't sounds like he is foot stomping because that's the type of person he is!

Quite a lot of schools in our area have stopped doing snowboarding on the ski trip as too many were getting injured

Agree with this! I went on one in yr 7, and had been skiing since I was 3, so wasn’t bad. Ended up in the advanced group with just yr 11’s who were very cross their little group had been hijacked by a 12 year old (they eventually mellowed!). Lasting memories of just skiing with a group of girls who didn’t want me there and as we had 6 hours of ski lesson a day, didn’t actually see my friends until the evening.

Op
Surely someone on the chat has pointed on to him that given it was clearly stated on the intro letter that it was skiing and not snowboarding this year that he hasn't a leg to stand on!

This. I don't know how anyone agrees to be a teacher these days so don't be surprised if it gets harder & harder to find dedicated teachers for your DC.

And embarrassing his daughter into the bargain, well done.

Was it labelled as 'ski trip'? If so he can do one.

If it was 'winter sports' or something then maybe he has a point.

I’d reply to every message he sends as if you are agreeing but replace the word ‘snowboarding’ with the word ‘knitting’:

Eg, if he says “it’s so unfair that Daisy doesn’t get to snowboard on the ski trip; she’s really good at snowboarding and loves to snowboard much better than skiing! I really think the school should allow a group of them to have snowboarding lessons instead!”

You reply with: “I totally agree! My daughter, GentillieJunior, loves to knit. it’s so unfair that GentillieJunior doesn’t get to knit on the ski trip; she’s really good at knitting and loves to knit much better than skiing! I really think the school should allow a group of them to have knitting lessons instead!

And then add, to use his latest words:
““I might just pull GentillieJunior from the trip and take her knitting that week instead, if they try to fine me they can go f*ck themselves”

Lifts aren't an issue for anyone other than complete novices - and the new generation of step on bindings have made the whole endless ab workout of strapping in/out history. They are absolutely brilliant - better than the best strap on bindings for feeling completely locked to the board with zero slop. Cat tracks will always be a PITA but in most places can be avoided.

Personally I think its more that skiing has 'caught up' with snowboarding - modern shorter, wider skis with a pronounced rocker and side cut allow you to do loads of stuff that previously you could only do if you were either an expert skier, or on a snowboard. As a result a lot of kids learning don't see the point to ever try snowboarding - they can do all the park and off piste stuff they want on skis even as intermediates.

Add to that climate change which means that a lot of the time European resorts are not great on a board - too much ice and not enough powder. Black runs are only fun on a board if they are knee deep in pow - giant moguls not so much.

@Gentillie he's being unreasonable. Staff ratios will be a problem here.

There might be another child who wants the space on the trip - is it waitlisted? If so then they need to decide whether they transfer the place to the next child on the list.

If snowboarding had previously been offered, you didn’t get to read the letter and the person who did read the letter kept that information from you, it would be a logical assumption. And it sounds like that’s what happened from the OP’s posts.

But that’s a problem in communication between them, it’s not for the school to solve

Which is irrelevant to the question I was answering.

From what I read in Outside snowboard is loosing to skitouring, offpiste and splitboards rather than on piste skiing.

Seems like a US take maybe? Although I do see a lot more splitboards. Off piste skiing in the Alps is not what it was due to the poor snow we’ve had for the past decade or so. A lot more snowboarders in the Alps are riding directional boards which you can use mostly on piste with skier friends but can also work well off piste if you are lucky enough to have a powder day.

Snowboarding is way cooler that skiing so I kind of get iot - my kids wouldn't be seen dead on a pair of skis.

Then presumably they wouldn’t sign up for a ski trip. Or they may decide trying a new activity or being with their friends is more important than being cool. We have kids come on guiding trips they aren’t particularly fussed about but want to be away with friends.

Tbf - if I saw it advertised as a ski trip I'd also assume it catered for snowboarding - I can't see any logical reason to make it ski only except for some weird snobbery intended to exclude snowboarders.

We run a ski trip every year with Explorer Scouts and while the lessons are only for skiers they can snowboard if they want and are already competent. There is always enough boarders to form a nice group so they can go off and explore together.

But if the sign up letter explicitly says "no snowboarding this year", then there's no confusion. Don't sign up for it if you want to snowboard.

It said it specifically excluded snowboarding so I don’t see why any confusion unless you are a parent who doesn’t read emails. Different rules for different trips - if school have risk assessment that they need a teacher with them and no teacher for a snowboarding group then that’s it. Different organisations have different rules.