Skiing or Snowboarding?

Does he skateboard? I understand snowboarding is easier if you know how to ride a skateboard but that it is easier overall to master the basics of skiiing.

I think that is true. Nigel took a snowboard lesson at about that age and
picked it up pretty easily. He had taken skiing lessons earlier but prefers
"riding" to skiing.

I already knew how to ski, but I took the snowboard lesson with him.
I quit halfway through. My butt and my wrists were killing me from falling on
them so much.

Hello Eva. Since he hasn't learned either, they both can be learned easy. It's when you've done one, and tried to learn the other, the difficulty joins in.....something like" teaching an old dog new tricks".
Whatever he chooses, brace yourself for the addiction, that surely will follow.

Who you callin' an old dog, kiddo?

Thanks, everybody!

No, he doesn't skateboard. But he did learn to surf this summer when we went to Hawaii on our big anniversary trip. Picked it up in no time at all. I wonder if that would help him?

I'll pass on your advice and see what he thinks.

I think surfing would definately prepare him for snowboarding.

Most people under the age of 30 snowboard instead of ski.

I actually gave up skiing because of three things: Cost, time, and snowboarders.

Snowboarders, despite their best efforts, simply don't mix well with skiiers. They cut the bumps funny, the sit down all the time where you can't see them, and they cut across the hill too much. That may not be so much the case now, that most places have created areas that cater to boarders. Last winter I sat in a lodge while my kids went boarding. Looking up the "face" (Michigan's ski areas aren't that big), at any moment you could see a dozen or more snowboarders sitting on their ass in the middle of the hill, and watch as skiiers wiped out trying to avoid them. So it hasn't been completely corrected. And I won't ski because of it. Before boarders appeared, I literally went years without wiping out - I was a pretty advanced skiier too. Not any longer.

I'm old school but I love skis. They are easier to control as I rush down the mountain with the wind in my face and the panoramic beauty all around me. Later we go to the ski lodge, drink Daiquiri Cocktails and schmooze with the beautiful brunette as we warm ourselves in a passionate night of lovemaking.

But, at his age, snowboarding might be best.

Hi Eva - just saw this. Don't know if it's too late to respond or not. I found skiing to be easier to learn than snowboarding. I learned to ski pretty well in one day, but it took longer for me to get a decent feel for snowboarding (and I did skateboard as a kid).

But, that being said, I enjoy snowboarding more - and once you get past the beginner stage, I think snowboarding is actually easier. I'd say the best thing is to let your son choose. You might decide that skiing would be smarter since he might well learn it faster and have more success on the slopes on this particular trip (probably true), but if he sees all the young people out there on snowboards having fun, he may regret not trying it.

Some time back, I posted some tips for learning to snowboard. They're at the link below. I hope they help if he tries snowboarding...

http://able2know.org/topic/43187-1

I hope he has a great time, regardless!

Thanks, rg!

He's in the middle of Finals Week right now, but this weekend I'm going to have him sit down and read that thread. He leaves on the 27th and will have three full days on the slopes. He has decided he wants to try snowboarding, and there's a mandatory 1st day lesson package for first-timers (2 hrs. in morning plus 2 hrs. in afternoon) that goes with the rentals. That will probably be of great help to him...but it's also good for calming anxious moms!

Out of curiosity, how did it go?

I found this clip on YouTube of newbie snowboarders which shows a pretty typical type of first experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ptd0WWrXr4&feature=related

Ha! I wish I'd been there to see him do that! (I'm quite sure he's grateful I wasn't!)

He had a great time...really enjoyed it. He said on the third day, he went down a medium-hard slope with a group of 8-10 0ther newbies...he came in first and never fell down! ("That was the highlight of the trip, Mom.")

He never wore the wrist guards we spent 2 days looking for. (Sigh.) Said he didn't need them because he always fell down backward. His butt was sore for a couple of days, though.

I asked him if he'd want to go again, and he said, "Definitely!"