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Ski and snowboarding

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Original poster

Ski or snowboard?

17 replies

TeetotalKoala · 02/03/2020 23:09

DS (aged 8.5) was a natural when we put him skis for the first time at half term this year. He's an adrenaline junkie anyway.

He loved it, but has asked us this week if he can have snowboarding lessons next year instead.

I'm pretty laid back and I don't mind if that's what he wants to do. My concern is that he'll be frustrated being back on the nursery slopes again rather than up on the blues and reds with the intermediate ski group. Though knowing him, he'll be riding reds by the end of the week on a snowboard anyway.

I've done some research and the ski school we use only offer half day snowboarding lessons at the same price of the full day ski lessons.

Just wondering about other people's experiences and preferences really.

OP posts:

Ginfilledcats · 03/03/2020 06:31

As someone who skis and boards, the saying "skiing is harder to learn but easier to look good, snow boarding is easier to learn but harder to look good" I found to be true.

In that actually snow boarding is literally the opposite of skiing (the way you face how you turn and stop) but I picked it up way quicker than skiing (that being said, I was doing a ski season and my friend I just rented boards and taught ourselves, we were on reds after a couple of half days).

If he's confident and a daredevil and can ski I'm sure he'll pick boarding up quickly.
The only downside with mixing skiers/boarders in a family is you have to wait for him to do his board up at the top of every lift. But then he'll be buzzing when you stop at restaurants and he has a light board to carry and can actually walk with some ease in his boots compared to ski boots haha. Boarders (especially newbs) don't go as fast as skiers bare in mind.

Skiing is my true love but I always have a day or two on a board. Especially on powder days.

I'd say let him have a taster day lesson at an indoor ski centre and see how he does/what he wants to do!

Enjoy

Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 03/03/2020 08:05

Great reply thank you. The not being as fast thing is not a problem! I'm a skiing newbie myself and didn't feel comfortable going down even blues with him as he's so much faster than me. So if boarding slows him down, then that's all good with me.

We haven't got a snow dome near us (all dry slopes). But we're visiting my dad near Manchester at Easter so I might take him to Chill Factore.

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massistar · 03/03/2020 10:20

My son switches between the 2. He learned to ski first then switched to snowboarding at 11. It took him about a day and a half of frustration before he mastered it. He didn't do lessons as my DH and I both snowboard but it's definitely advisable for your DS. Sounds like it's a good time for him to learn if you're a beginner on skis anyway.

Only thing I would caution is that my DS stayed on skis this whole holiday as the conditions were so bad. Very few powder days for snowboarding.. :(

LIZS · 05/03/2020 14:41

I don't think there is any harm in him having snowboard lessons, although he may be at the younger end of the group. However I would suggest he sticks to skiing as it is only by experience that he will learn to ski or even snowboard properly. By that I mean to stay in control and cope with different snow conditions, visibility and weather. The same run can vary from one run to another and changing light affects how easy it is to read the terrain. Young kids often feel speed is everything and are confident but inadvertently can put themselves and others at risk.

Frost1nMay · 05/03/2020 14:47

All the cool kids ski these days! I used to ski as a child then switched to boarding. I want to switch back to skiing but the boots are so uncomfortable!

Snowboarding is hard for maybe 2 days, then easy and get good at very quickly.

Skiing is much more technical and to get "good" at.

As a parent I would prefer my kids to ski as boarding is all about the park and jumps and tricks.... so more injury prone! And as a family ski/board you take different lines down the mountain which is tricky if you are trying to monitor a child as they learn and ski beside them

Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 05/03/2020 14:48

Young kids often feel speed is everything

That's my DS through and through. All about the speed! Some solid advice there, thank you.

I saw a little girl of no more than about 4 having a boarding lesson this year. I couldn't stop watching them.

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user1423578854468 · 05/03/2020 14:55

Don't have anything useful or practical to add, just sitting here thinking how glorious snowboarding is. Plus at least when you fall over you can just get up and go again without clambering around trying to retrieve skis.

You've reminded me of watching a toddler snowboarding lesson - any time they toppled over the instructor just picked them up and set them off again. Adorable.

Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 05/03/2020 15:03

boarding is all about the park and jumps and tricks..

Well if he hears that, I'll not be able to keep him off the board! Back here in the UK, he'd move into the skate park if he could...

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Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 05/03/2020 15:06

I will say that I'm now interested in snowboarding hearing about the whole 'get up and go' if you fall off. Lost count of the amount of times my skis got tangled when I tried to stand back up or I stood there trying to break the ice off my boot to get it back into the bindings. Okay, that was one bad day. The rest were fine. But still...

Think I'll stick with skiing personally at least until I'm significantly more confident.

OP posts:

Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 05/03/2020 15:07

Though my instructor did congratulate me on one occasion when I managed to fall over. Whilst stood still on a perfectly flat piece of ground. I just sort of leaned sideways... And kept going

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massistar · 05/03/2020 15:13

Totally agree with the falling over.. the thought of those 2 planks tangling and twisting your knees terrifies me! At least on a snowboard you mainly fall on your bum!

I'd also like to say that skis are no guarantee of keeping them out of parks and jumps. My DS went without poles a few days so he could do tricks better. He's a skater/surfer and def thinks he's too cool for school even on skis.

massistar · 05/03/2020 15:14

But then he does have 2 middle aged snowboarding parents so that probably explains his slight preference for skis..

frequencykenneth · 05/03/2020 16:13

I'd do another year skiing as he is still only early intermediate. Then promise the board after that. Or duck out of a week of skiing to try boarding for a morning. Most families I know get a decent foundation skiing and then the kids who are interested try boarding about 10/11 (and get good very quickly).
To be honest there's no way I'd want to ride a chairlift as a novice next to a novice boarder though!

Ginfilledcats · 05/03/2020 21:10

Ooh just to put into context, I did a ski season and the chef in our chalet had never seen snow let alone ski. We taught him to ski over weeks and weeks. One day he picked up a board (he's a skateboarder at home) and within 2 hours was zooming along with the rest of us on our skis down reds on a board whilst we were on skis.
Came so much more naturally to him than skiing because of skate boarding. Don't think he touched skis after that.

Original poster

TeetotalKoala · 05/03/2020 21:29

Interesting @Ginfilledcats

DS is getting pretty handy on his skateboard. He's already very good on his scooter. He got a skateboard for Christmas 2018, had a few frustrations with it so it went into the shed. Got it out last summer and he was immediately flying round on it. Something obviously clicked in those six months. He's not doing tricks or anything yet (saves that for the scooter), but his balance is decent and he can make a turn at the bottom of a hill comfortably.

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ChateauMargaux · 10/03/2020 12:36

Mine all do both. We live near mountains. 2 prefer boarding and one does it to feel included. Youngest started lessons at 7. We used to think we could insist they reached a certain level before trying a new discipline, instead we are facilitators rather than directors of their leisure pursuits!!

Wrinklesareenhancing · 12/04/2020 11:48

instead we are facilitators rather than directors of their leisure pursuits!!

Love that! I can never understand the anti boarding attitude in some resorts either. It’s sliding down a mountain, do what feels good. I can do both but a much better skier. The ability of move both legs freely and face down the mountain makes more sense to me.

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