How young can you start'em? - Snowboarding Forum

Jeffksf · 01-21-2009, 03:30 PM

So I've seen 3,4,5 yr olds on the slopes but always on skis. Can you start'em out on snowboards that young?
I have a 2 yr old girl who will be 3 in Sept. and was just wondering if it can be done.

01-21-2009, 03:44 PM

the resorts around here don't give boarding lessons till age 5 or 6.

what matters most is having gear that fits & whether they are mentally capable of grasping the concept.

Flick Montana · 01-21-2009, 04:22 PM

I've seen 5 year olds who are already better than me. I'm sure some parents get their kids out there as soon as they can walk. I've seen infants at resorts before. Even if they are skiing, they are exposed to the sport. I plan on taking my kids as soon as they express an interest. (When I have kids, that is)

Catman · 01-21-2009, 09:03 PM

My little guy is on his second season and. I started him when he was 3years old.He is 4 now and loving it he begs to go.one piece of advice is try the burton chopper with the rocker tech. makes life easy for them to learn to link turns.I say as soon as she wants to go take her and have fun.

mijinkal · 01-21-2009, 09:35 PM

The way I look at it is that if they make gear to fit them, they're old enough to go.
I had my boy skiing when he was 2 and my daughter when she was 3. They're now 4 and 6 and can handle most black diamond runs I throw them down. I chose to teach my kids how to ski because it looks easier to teach and I used to be an avid skier so I know how to teach it.
Start off on the magic carpet and skip the rope tow if you can. remember to have patience and make shure they're having fun the whole time. When they start to get grumpy, give them hot chocolate, take a break or pack it in for the day.

girlsare2fun · 10-19-2010, 06:06 PM

Awesome advice guys. I have an 18-month old who started walking at 10 months and is full on running and kicks around soccer balls. I was thinking of getting him started at 3

oneshot · 10-19-2010, 06:20 PM

skiing is much easier to adapt to when very young. being able to snowplow on skis and learn to stop just comes way quicker. learn em on skis, then they get a feel for chairlifts, the mountains and the dynamics of mountain sports. then drop a board under there feet.

IMO = .02

Argo · 10-19-2010, 06:26 PM

I started my son at 5, he is 10 now and is very good. He can go down any run linking turns all the way. I sent him with instructors for about 15 days the past 2 years as well as summer camp on mount hood this year. He can do anything that 90% of his instructors can do. They usually look like they are doing some sort of partners dance coming down the hill on their snowboards. I only put him with instructors because he is better than any of us in the family and better than all of the snowboarding class kids so he always ends up being in a private lesson type of setting with only him and MAYBE one other student. It also makes him step up to their level of boarding to keep up. Sometimes by the end of the week they are trying to keep up with him.... He loves it. I make him wear protective gear always, if I catch him without it he is done for the trip, no exceptions. I dont need/want a head injury kid....

Argo · 10-19-2010, 06:28 PM

oh and one other thing. get the younger kids full protective gear in the summer and put them on a skate board and/or ripstick. The ripstick is a little big for 2-3 year olds but my kids started on them at 4 or so. The snowboarding was just a natural thing after that, it was just getting over the height of the mountain and not worrying about falling down.... way down....

john doe · 10-19-2010, 07:53 PM

YouTube - Wesley Muresan - 3 year old snowboarder - Incredible!

Three seems to be working for this kid.

By three most kids should have the physical ability to do it but whether they can take and use instruction really determines when they can start.

01-21-2009, 03:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jeffksf Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: OHIO Posts: 102	How young can you start'em? So I've seen 3,4,5 yr olds on the slopes but always on skis. Can you start'em out on snowboards that young? I have a 2 yr old girl who will be 3 in Sept. and was just wondering if it can be done.

10-19-2010, 06:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
oneshot Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: PAC NW Posts: 636	skiing is much easier to adapt to when very young. being able to snowplow on skis and learn to stop just comes way quicker. learn em on skis, then they get a feel for chairlifts, the mountains and the dynamics of mountain sports. then drop a board under there feet. IMO = .02 __________________ http://oneshotproduction.net Helping Old Dudes Look Kooky Since 2005

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01-21-2009, 03:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
N~R~G Guest Posts: n/a	the resorts around here don't give boarding lessons till age 5 or 6. what matters most is having gear that fits & whether they are mentally capable of grasping the concept.

01-21-2009, 04:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Flick Montana Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Beech Grove, Indiana sigh Posts: 4,168	I've seen 5 year olds who are already better than me. I'm sure some parents get their kids out there as soon as they can walk. I've seen infants at resorts before. Even if they are skiing, they are exposed to the sport. I plan on taking my kids as soon as they express an interest. (When I have kids, that is)

01-21-2009, 09:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Catman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 295	My little guy is on his second season and. I started him when he was 3years old.He is 4 now and loving it he begs to go.one piece of advice is try the burton chopper with the rocker tech. makes life easy for them to learn to link turns.I say as soon as she wants to go take her and have fun.

01-21-2009, 09:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
mijinkal Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 180	The way I look at it is that if they make gear to fit them, they're old enough to go. I had my boy skiing when he was 2 and my daughter when she was 3. They're now 4 and 6 and can handle most black diamond runs I throw them down. I chose to teach my kids how to ski because it looks easier to teach and I used to be an avid skier so I know how to teach it. Start off on the magic carpet and skip the rope tow if you can. remember to have patience and make shure they're having fun the whole time. When they start to get grumpy, give them hot chocolate, take a break or pack it in for the day.

10-19-2010, 06:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
girlsare2fun Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 31	Awesome advice guys. I have an 18-month old who started walking at 10 months and is full on running and kicks around soccer balls. I was thinking of getting him started at 3

10-19-2010, 06:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Argo -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vail, CO Posts: 1,939	I started my son at 5, he is 10 now and is very good. He can go down any run linking turns all the way. I sent him with instructors for about 15 days the past 2 years as well as summer camp on mount hood this year. He can do anything that 90% of his instructors can do. They usually look like they are doing some sort of partners dance coming down the hill on their snowboards. I only put him with instructors because he is better than any of us in the family and better than all of the snowboarding class kids so he always ends up being in a private lesson type of setting with only him and MAYBE one other student. It also makes him step up to their level of boarding to keep up. Sometimes by the end of the week they are trying to keep up with him.... He loves it. I make him wear protective gear always, if I catch him without it he is done for the trip, no exceptions. I dont need/want a head injury kid....

10-19-2010, 06:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
Argo -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vail, CO Posts: 1,939	oh and one other thing. get the younger kids full protective gear in the summer and put them on a skate board and/or ripstick. The ripstick is a little big for 2-3 year olds but my kids started on them at 4 or so. The snowboarding was just a natural thing after that, it was just getting over the height of the mountain and not worrying about falling down.... way down....

10-19-2010, 07:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
john doe Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,245	YouTube - Wesley Muresan - 3 year old snowboarder - Incredible! Three seems to be working for this kid. By three most kids should have the physical ability to do it but whether they can take and use instruction really determines when they can start.