I read American resorts are better set up for little snowboarders.
Will have to wait and see what instructors will say in Davos.
She will definitely learn with instructor (not with me)
Cheers!
My main concern was - shall I let me daughter start learning snowboard at 5?
With 5 its possible to learn to snowboard. If your daughter is an active 5 year old then it should work. There can sometimes be a minimum age for groups lessons but if your thinking of privates then it wont be a problem.
Im not sure about American resorts being better set up for little snowboarders. Finding a snowboard that is small enough might be an issue but as far as terrain is concerned any gentle hill will do just fine.
Maybe double check with the rental place that they have snowboards small enough for your little ripper.
Our youngest skied blue runs and a few reds no problem at age 4, also using tows and chairs, and we're keen but not skiing every day. Definitey not in the baby class, and fun to ski with especially through forests where the small size and below-branch height evens the field!
The only trouble I would see with a board is that there are a few places with long or steep tows, where it's useful to be able to push them between your legs. Same with going down steep bits (e.g. the top of a perfectly fine run is often a cut up nightmare of traversing beginners ), not sure how easy it would be to help them.
But then if you're a good boarder and a beginner skier, clearly better to be on the thing you're good at and not the blind leading the blind!
Just like the OP and several responses here, most people find that for very young children it's much easier to start them on skis. With a board they're going to have to find their balance point before they can even stand up, and that means they need to be able to understand and repeat what's been said to them.
I'm not sure at what age this ceases to be a problem (I teach skiing, not boarding) but with most kids it's likely to be much later than 5 yo.
Learning to ski first will allow them to develop and enjoy the sensation of sliding, even of speed, in a much less intimidating way (all else apart, for a child there's a much bigger chance of being hurt on a board than skiing) and will enable them to learn snowboarding much quicker if and when they do it.
Edit: I also second the idea of parents learning the basics too, for reasons previously stated, as well as the fact that a child may feel much less pressured if Mummy or Daddy are also falling over and struggling to grasp it.
I rang ski school in Davos just now.
They only do snowboarding for kids age 6 and above.
Ski it is then! (assuming we get snow for Christmas)
Cheers!
I agree, and the children of racers usually can ski better than you or I will ever achieve before they're ten. I actually passed a 6 y-o on the Ski Club Silver test back in the day, and you probably remember that used to be the minimum standard for reps
His mum was also a racer.
But Odile's point, as I read it , was more about what generally happens if you just book them into generic "Ski School". I've successfully taught kids of that age how to ski properly, but private lessons with one or two kids will be needed to do so.
that made the decision easier then. I thought that might be the case. Private lesson are pricey but it wouldn't be a problem to tkae a 5 year old. We have no age limits on our guests.
the snow ahs been ordered, it's just stuck in traffic.
Lucas
Well decision done then.
Ace you read right. Our first family ski hol with grandkids was when grand-daughter was 3 and 10 months- very bright and fearless- we had to lie about here age as the FRench ski school would not take kids below 4. It did her no harm at all to go into Piou-Piou and have fun with the penguins, tunnels, etc- she loved it and skied with us all over the mountain outside school- taking chairlift with ease and bombing it down, snowploughing as they do (would kill my legs)- and singing all the way, lalalalalala. This year she will be beginning to parralel ski quite naturally in lessons- and ski the whole of the 4 valley with us- but taking the bubble down with me at Tortin- my 'Wall' days being over- watching the others go down- including 9 year old grandson doing his 6th week by the end of the week if he feels up to it- as he will spend his lessons learning to deal with bigger bumps and beginning to really carve- and ski the whole mountain with mum, dad and other great skiers. Sadly granny will stay on reds and blues- as her days doing blacks and off piste are over. Never mind. Perhaps when I have my new knee, hey.
Our girls did Tortin from age 5- but they skiied for at least 2 weeks+ every year.
Nope, it all dropped in Engelberg before getting as far east as you
Shame I'm not supposed to ski until February though although I've been out a little bit just to test the knee and is been ok,but heavy almost slushy snow on the sunny Brunni side on Saturday was something of a tester
Ouch- bonne chance. One reason why I am delaying my knee op till March- red and blue piste skiing on good snow is easier for my knee than walking.
Patience will pay off- push it too quickly and you'llbe back at square one. just not worth it. I shall be a fair weather cruiser after my knee op- my double balck diamonds, ice, bumps and powder over- that's ok- as long as I can ski with the grandkids near year x