How to teach a kid to shred.
My eldest son Terje has just turned 7 (april) and I want to get him up to the hill, any suggestions on how to get him started? Do I start him strait-up on a board, with lessons or ease him in on ski’s? Would prefer to get him lovin on a side slide, but any connections to the snow would be great…..any advice/suggestions would be truly appreciated. Thanking you! 
Get him into a Powderpak Park
Seriously though I think 7 is old enough to skip the whole ski learning and go straight to board
Get him into a Powderpak Park
Seriously though I think 7 is old enough to skip the whole ski learning and go straight to board
Agreed. My best mate had his girls on skis at 2, by 3 they were ready (and wanting) to shred like mommy and daddy
Ask him what he’d like to start off on?????
That way he’s gonna be more stoked cause he’s had a say!!!!!
He’ll most likely wanna board like the old man, or at least he’s gonna show an interest to do so later on!!!!!
Group Lessons are a great way to get them off to a good start cause they’re in a peer group scenario!!!!! Pushes them to at very least keep up with the gang!!!!!
From there, whatever he shows interest in!!!!!
We’re taking my 4yr old nephew up on his birthday where he will have his first shred lesson!
Babybear was almost 7.
We were all learning together.
He has his first board hanging on his wall…it’s just too cute! Almost skateboard sized 
As long as that’s what he wants to do, learning won’t be an issue.
Getting clued in to avoiding crashes and dangers and being courteous on snow is the bigger challenge!
I wish I could find the digital copy of the clip I made of Babybear when he was 8, its hilarious - jacket open, flapping in the breeze, only marginally more than his arms are flapping about.
Ask him what he’d like to start off on?????
That way he’s gonna be more stoked cause he’s had a say!!!!!
This
And if they are not interested in either don’t push it!
But i will say that the group kid lessons rock.
They want to do what other kids are doing - privates that early aren’t the best.
So many kids get handed over bawling their eyes out and leave begging for more! (not usually a 7yp though)
Thank you all, I was also thinking about just askin him, and running with that! I have asked him more than a few times over the past few years and he didn’t seem interested…....but this year he has been askin to go to the snow, so it’s time I think. Don’t care which he chooses, just love to slide around with my boy!
If he wants to board, there’s no reason to start him on skis. If he wants to ski, that’s a different story but the below applies to both.
In regards to getting him started on a snowboard, it’s important to get him into a lesson (or a few), unless you really know how to teach snowboarding. Lessons are super important in getting him progressing in the right steps. It’s a safer and quicker progression, meaning he will be more stoked and you will both have more fun together when you do shred together after the lesson.
Kids love showing/telling their parents what they leant after a good lesson. It also gives you an opportunity to speak with the instructor after the class to see how he’s going on what he needs to work on. It’s a good opportunity to take some tidbits of information away yourself so you can assist with his progression after the lesson.
If you have an interest in teaching some of the progression yourself, I would highly recommend you read this thread: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/2596 — basically everything you need to know and the exact order of steps/progression. It’s good knowledge to have.
Most important thing is just have fun. Skiing and snowboarding is meant to be fun, so everything you do should be to reinforce this. Even if he wants to just sit in the snow and build a snowman, go with it. Enjoy!
Definaltey ask him want he wants to do. Its OK to push a little to get out there, don’t force…... we had to use a little incentive driven action sometimes, i.e You get a Harry Cup cake from the Chill Bar when we have done 10 runs.
Take it slow, the most important thing is to have fun!!! They will be shit times in shitty weather, drag them out, dressed warm (and bribe them) before you know it, you will have created a snow bum
You realise taking your child/ren down this path will set them on a lifestyle of dormitory style living, basic wages, drinking too much, having stacks of fun, never calling Mum & Dad and living life to the fullest…....
[quote author=“Azz” date=“1435789192”} never calling Mum & Dad
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Might be the case with your kids and me… but I can assure you that a good portion of people here are on the phone for 30+ mins every night with their parents
Seriously????? We would be putting the phone on silent if that started happening
Seriously????? We would be putting the phone on silent if that started happening
Hahaha that’s what I was doing with you and Mizu!
Seriously????? We would be putting the phone on silent if that started happening
Hahaha that’s what I was doing with you and Mizu!
So we thought 
Seriously????? We would be putting the phone on silent if that started happening
Hahaha that’s what I was doing with you and Mizu!
Thank fuck for emails!!!!!
kids pick up skiing way quicker than boarding. do you wanna be stuck at the smigs carpets
and j bars for a year ??! its really the wee mans choice, but I think its best to get them
on skis and getting a feel for going fast, learning about the mountain etc then jumping across
in a few yrs where the transition will be quicker. he will be bigger, more muscle development and more aware mentally of what is going on. my daughter is 8 and I teach her to concentrate on the
technical aspects of skiing. make her think of body positioning etc while skiing. shes becoming
a little shredder. Ive asked her about boarding but she loves the skis. I don’t care. its one of the great
things of being a dad riding with your kids! even if its in one of perishers shitty runs ending in ‘valley’ in the early days lol