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Teaching a kid to carve


TimW

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My 11 year old son, good skier, now wants to start snowboarding. He getting lessons on a dryslope now on softboots, but of course he wants to snowboard like his father does....

Based on my own experiences in the late 80s, starting as a 13 year old on adult snowboards and rear entry ski boots, kids quickly learn on anything. So I don't expect it will be an issue to quickly switch to hardboots. Or do you have other experiences?

I already picked up a speedster sl 145 with f2 titaniums cheap and he fits my wife's old hardboots. I also came across a speedster 139 (50 euros), wondering if I should get that as well. At 40kg he is on the light side for the 145. What do you think?

Any other advice for teaching your kid?

Edited by TimW
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No; no experience of that specific, but I learned mostly on dry slopes (transitioning from skis to a board with ski boots) and it wasn't really an issue. I guess I got a fat lip from my one and only "edge related" issue, but that was about it. I think you're correct: if they want to learn, really that's pretty easy.

I was older, but if there had been anyone else around who knew how to ride, I'd have asked them for some feedback/ suggestions, so there is that, but if I was watching... I'd wait until I was asked before volunteering an opinion.

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@TimW I went through this with my son. I started him on soft boots around age 8, I did not put him on an HB setup until he could ride his downhill edge. Once he learned to do that and could  carve a solid line on heel and toe sides I knew he was ready to try HBs. Now he is 17 ski’s 70% of the time and loves to carve on skies. He refuses to ride HBs, as a teenager he doesn’t want to be the “weird guy”. He is very talented and would be an amazing HB rider, he is getting an CBXFR from Bruce this season. I can only dream that he tries HBs again.

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It is his own wish to go alpine, never pushed him. He is a good skier and really likes skiing, so I actually held it of a bit because skiing kids are terribly convenient. My daughter switched to snowboarding when she was 9, but she likes softboots (never tried hardboots).

But I surely like the thought of him carving, so I like to facilitate and not do anything that will put him off. That is why I am a bit hesitant on getting the 139. This year might be a bit early for going hardboots. And although kids are not too sensitive to it, having two boards specifically for him might give some unconscious pressure to try them.

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My experience is that the initial discomfort of hardboots determines the interest of the learner to persevere or not.  If he is used to skiing and has never been in softboots this may be an easy transition.

Secondly: although kids learn quickly, if he is a good skier, having some early lessons to get the turning basics sorted early will help that transition.

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My daughter started hardbooting at age 9; when her feet were big enough to fit properly in a pair of Head stratus pro boots (22.0M).  She is 13 now and started riding a Thirst SF 162 last year (when she was under 5' tall).  She has never softbooted at a resort; though we do ride softies at home when we get fresh snow.  Hard part is she does not have any friends who hardboot, and she wants to have fun with her friends so she will switch to skiing at some point in the day to hang with them.  She puts up with us "old guys" and we are happy to have her represent "us".  I enjoy having this time with my daughter, even if she chooses to ski from time to time.

Getting them set-up might be difficult to do since they lack the experience and "hardboot vocabulary" to convey to you what they are experiencing.

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I think that F2 looks totally right.  If he wants to learn snowboarding on hardboots, he will.  And it certainly looks like he does!  Back in my instructing days, I taught a handful of never-evers to snowboard in hardboots.  They were all skiers, and to my amazement they actually had an easier time than most people trying to learn on shite softboot rental gear.  So I would say if he has never snowboarded and wants to do hardboots, don't even bother with softboots.  If he were already snowboarding in softboots, I would say wait until he can carve his downhill edge in softboots.

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Down hill edge always the killer and you can't learn that on skis !  My son was always the park rat but enjoyed alpine board to race. Still hauls it out and sends me pics from Whitewater the absolute black hole of alpine boarding in Canada. Sometimes being the only boarder at a mountain is cool . 

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Thanks for all the feedback! Always great to see how enthusiastic and positive this forum is!

 @Jack M,He already had a few lessons on softboots, so I missed the opportunity to put him directly on hardboots. But it makes a lot of sense, his ski carving is closer to hardbooting than what he is doing on a snowboard now. Anyway, it never hurts to learn different things.

So I guess the board length thought not be an issue, although I am amazed that @BLOODTYPEZX10R's daughter rides a board longer than herself! 

@softbootsurfer, I liked reading those 'unnecessary additions', good to see a proud father!

 

Edited by TimW
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Yes, she is quite comfortable on a longer board.  

A few things that I found we worked on were: In the very beginning she would freak when she would get half way through her turn...keep in mind that in the beginning he will not be linking trenches, when he is drifting from one turn to the next tell him to be patient, be mindful of the downhill edge, it'll come around as long as you can keep him from falling back on the tail with his weight. Oh, yes..and, his board angulation comes from his hips in hardboots, not his ankles.

To work on carving: It takes a little speed to make a turn, so start by pointing straight down the fall line then make the turn across and up the hill to stop ("J" turns). Work on that trusting of a set edge.  When he can come out of his turn and begin to prepare for the next,  look into your turn and through the turn, rotating hips and bringing your shoulders square with the direction and not having an arm lagging behind (the latter kinda one in the same).  .  I am sure you know all these things, just thought I would bring them out in the open for some teaching ammo.  

Hope you guys have a great time carving it up!

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