One of the problems with alpine/carving/hardbooting is entry into the sport. With the lack of readily available gear, on a rental basis, it is difficult to "try out" hardbooting. Colson, my youngest son, 15 has primarily been a skier and has natural ability. He would board a couple days out of the season and maybe for a half day max. He picked up the basics quickly but never progressed until I got pissed and said I'm not going to pack and bring up his boarding stuff unless he was going to try. Suddenly it clicked for him and he was enjoying it much more. Now he is at the beginning stages of riding the edge.
He is now wanting to try hardbooting and I think he would pick it up and start carving quick. Now this is a proud time for me that he and my older son want to HB like dad, but... the hard part is how do I even go about starting them? My older son barely boards has 2 days in and is not as a quick learn as my younger son but he is a skilled but not an aggressive skier. My older son is close to if not fitting into my size so I *may* be able to put him into an old pair of boots, oooold rosignol's that I used for about a season. Do I start him with the soft HB's? or do I try to get him more proficient on a soft set up first?
For my younger son. How do I go about starting him? Rent AT boots and beg/borrow a junior board? He is now 5'1" and barely 100 lbs.
Here is a quick video of myself (3 year hardbooter) and my younger son on the flatter upper part of Gunsmoke.
Gunsmoke