Leave it to Beaver Creek for lessons

By Gavin Ehringer, Special to the Rocky

Published March 25, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Snowboarding really got its start 20 years ago, when winter resorts throughout North America began opening their slopes to boarders. Now, the children of that first generation are starting to ride themselves. In the early days of boarding most of the beginning riders were in their teens. Today, kids who only a few years ago were learning to walk are shredding the slopes alongside mom and dad.

What is the best way to encourage young riders to adopt your own passion for snowboarding? I got the chance to ask this question while visiting Beaver Creek Resort a few weeks ago. My experience there helped me gain some practical advice for young families with a passion for snowboarding.

When are your kids ready for snowboarding? Most ski and snowboard schools limit snowboarding participation to children at least 6 years old, while many will allow kids to take part in skiing as young as age 3. Beaver Creek doesn't offer group snowboarding lessons for kids under age 7.

The reason: Snowboarding requires more lower-body strength, balance and coordination than skiing. You may also find it difficult to purchase or rent equipment for preschoolers. If you are really stoked about getting your kids on the slopes with you, consider starting them off as skiers. The main point of early snow-sports training is not to make it training at all; make it fun.

It might seem natural to want to teach your kids yourself, but you'll probably find they make more progress initially by enrolling in a ski and snowboarding school program.

As parents, we may push them to advance too quickly, so they become frustrated or bored. Ski and snowboarding schools like the one at Beaver Creek train thousands of kids a season and make learning easy and fun.

I observed a few children's classes at Beaver Creek. In their programs, children are divided by ability levels, the same as teens and adults. Play activities, a lunch break and nap time helped to keep the children from becoming bored or exhausted.

Two things impressed me:

* One was the new Buckaroo Express gondola. Slow-moving and short, it allowed the kids to get up the hill without the need for volunteer helpers.

* Second, Beaver Creek had a magic carpet, a conveyer-belt-type lift in the children's learning area.

Gavin Ehringer has covered snowboarding for the Rocky Mountain News for 15 years.

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