# 3 year old in the park video and tips



## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Here is a quick little video if my son from the past two weekends. He is killing it but I'm wondering if anyone had any tips to tricks as far as getting him to want to turn toe-side more consistently. He can do it when he isn't thinking about it. 

I'm also curious from those out west how he stacks up with some of the really young kids there. We live in NC and there seams to be very few kids close to his age that ride. All skiing.

http://youtu.be/v3byqldNiZQ


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Sorry I've no suggestions for you for that age. 

Just wanted to say I enjoyed watching it, especially when he looked at the camera and wiped the lens after that one spill :laugh:

Adorable kid, and looks like he's having fun!


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Thank you for putting that silly little tune in my head right before bed. Now I'll never get to sleep. What's to say? He's like the luckiest kid in the world doing this at that age.

And best part in watching the real little ones is how effortlessly just pop right back up after a little spill. They just take it in stride and pop up and keep going.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

That's a bad ass little kid! A true champion the way he takes spills and just gets back up.

The main reason they teach kids skiing at a younger age than snowboarding is that snowboarding requires more fine motor skills and core strength to make the board turn.

I would work on his core strength with whatever activities at home you can figure out. Something like jumping jacks will work both the core and hone in on some fine motor control to make them clean.

Other than that, just try to get the kid making some actual turns. He seems to like sliding down on his heel edge, so get him on his toes and sliding down while looking over his shoulder.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

By 3 they are hitting 15' jumps and doing cork 5s....

He is having fun. Don't worry about his ability vs other kids.... Just ride and enjoy your time with him while he is young and hope they wanna hang out when old.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

awwwww, so adorable. still ride better than 80% of the people I see here.:blink:


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

f00bar said:


> Thank you for putting that silly little tune in my head right before bed. Now I'll never get to sleep.


 I'm going to be hearing it for days after trying to edit this.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Have the sound off...at work...no jingle in my ears

Don't worry about stuff...its about having fun. But for toeside...think about doing games of follow the leader or being an animal...where he has to follow you or do things that involve being on toeside and looking back up the hill....making right hand/toeside turns. He looks to be fairly and naturally instinctive...leaning back weighting the tail when picking up speed and being heelside inorder to look down the hill. I think it is difficult for most folks to overcome the natural instincts/reactions. Don't worry he has plenty of years to get it figured out. Important thing is liking to be on the snow and having fun.


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## tannersdad (Jan 9, 2013)

Cool video and great little rider. I live in NC too and love Beech Mountain. :thumbsup:


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

*AWESOME *Swede you have decades of fun coming your way with your son. Not sure if you have or will have other kids but this is just awesome. 
Coming from a dad who's kids started at 13 you are in for a great time !!!!

Hope you can keep up with him as he really progresses.

You may want to take up cinematography cuz I see you needing to do some professional edits in your future 

I hope you stay on this forum for yrs to come as I would love to see his progression over the years. :eusa_clap:


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

for his age he absolutely rips! good job!


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## spino (Jan 8, 2013)

great vid!

one thing that our instructor told us (and that is still valid for my younger one, now 5 years old) is that at the beginning the toeside turn is more difficult for one simple fact: their feet are still so short they basically have no overhang and thus no way to leverage the board at all.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

spino said:


> great vid!
> 
> one thing that our instructor told us (and that is still valid for my younger one, now 5 years old) is that at the beginning the toeside turn is more difficult for one simple fact: their feet are still so short they basically have no overhang and thus no way to leverage the board at all.


I've wondered a bit about this. My son is 9, but small for his age and favors heel. He's a size 3 foot and has no overhang toe or heel, the boot is probably a .5" less than the board. I've been wondering if I should nudge him a bit more toe to try to help. He's growing good now so next season should be in a 5 which will probably make it a non issue.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

For my daughter I made riser plates that fit under the bindings to give her a better leverage angle when the board is too wide. It was easy diy out of high density plastic...cutting board material and just use wood working tools...cuts and shapes very easily. 

A pic 

http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boots/51066-boots-faq-etc.html


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Luckily is giant for 3 and can wear the size 12 Burton boots which seam to work well on the 90cm. One thing that I think has help is using the burton riglet real to pull him sideways across slopes when I get the chance. He gets used to the toeside feeling and balancing on his toes without thinking about it. I've tried the follow the leader idea but he just rides switch to follow me. 

Like everyone has said we just have fun but as soon as he can ride the lift on his own I will be history.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Our of curiosity how does he hold out through the day? Looks like he's having a blast so a full day wouldn't surprise me, but that could just be good editing on your part. I know I tend to see a lot of whining, crying, and parents driven to the edge with some of the young ones. But they are no where even close to tackling things on their own like your son and some kids just want to be outside in the snow all day more than others.


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

f00bar said:


> Our of curiosity how does he hold out through the day? Looks like he's having a blast so a full day wouldn't surprise me, but that could just be good editing on your part. I know I tend to see a lot of whining, crying, and parents driven to the edge with some of the young ones. But they are no where even close to tackling things on their own like your son and some kids just want to be outside in the snow all day more than others.


I found with little kids that you have to be prepared that on any given day they might bail out after a very short period of time, or they might go for a long stretch, it's unpredictable, so you just have to roll with it. 

This can cut both ways; there's times where the kid wants to do 20 more runs and you just want to sit down and have a beer, and other times you've hardly arrived and the kid is cold or tired or both. 

Having some hand and foot warmers and starting the kid off with them in when you know it's a cold day can make a world of difference too.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Agreed. It is very unpredictable and you just have to be prepared for anything and go with the flow. Going in the morning definitely increases your chances. On a good day he will go for about 1 1/2 hours, take a break(Play a couple games in the lodge), and then maybe go for another hour or so. I have also gone when he was a younger and only made it for 15 minutes. Sometimes he wants to go on the lift but other times he just wants to stay at the magic carpet with the other kids.

The right cloths makes a huge difference as well. After buying him Obermeyer stuff and seeing how it works I would never get anything else for a small kid. He has gone in that same superpipe jacket and pants from 10 degrees up to 55degrees and never complained about being hot or cold. Good mittens with a tight wrist strap are a must as well. If he gets snow down his gloves he freaks out.

He is very motivated by other kids so I pretty much just to keep him around the other little kids that are skiing. I wish they would start the group snowboard classes at a younger age around here.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Kids are actually pretty resilient to cold if you can keep their minds off it. I'm sure we can all remember playing in the winter with soaking freezing hands and feet. I know there is no way I would go out and play football in the freezing snow for 2 hours like I did when I was growing up. My feet hurt now just thinking about how frozen I used to get regularly for fun. I think it's not until you get older that you are able to process everything around you and start to question some of the things you do.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

I started my step son at 6, he is now 8, and we found the exact same problem for the little we did the 1st year, start of the second was the same, so we put cones out...

We made it fun, so he had to do just front board slide all the way, taught control for movement, the same looking up the hill so he learnt movement while looking the wrong way, and then he had to go straight after a couple of long sessions doing this...

Caught it from quickly, and got the turning without thinking...

Maybe worth a try, with the cones. Maybe even put 2 sets out, so you can "race" and have some fun on a very gentle slope... More likely to succeed with the turning that way i would imagine...

If you want to see some of the vids we have, they are all on his Facebook, which can be found on www.sneakysnowboarder.com


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## sclogger (Dec 3, 2013)

Awesome...


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Kevin137 said:


> I started my step son at 6, he is now 8, and we found the exact same problem for the little we did the 1st year, start of the second was the same, so we put cones out...
> 
> We made it fun, so he had to do just front board slide all the way, taught control for movement, the same looking up the hill so he learnt movement while looking the wrong way, and then he had to go straight after a couple of long sessions doing this...
> 
> ...


I think the cones might be the trick. I might just have to get some small ones to take with me. The one time they had flags set up here it helped.

Loved the videos on your site.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

Swede said:


> I think the cones might be the trick. I might just have to get some small ones to take with me. The one time they had flags set up here it helped.
> 
> Loved the videos on your site.


Let us all know how the cones go, we have a nursery slope which has cones, but they are never out so to speak, but they allow you to set up yourself if you want, and this really is where it worked, that and a small comp for slalom for the kids, so it gave a little bit of drive for them, everyone got prizes so there where NO winners...

In Norway, you cannot give a child a prize for winning under the age of 10, all children must be treated equally regardless of position... Hehe

And definitely work on getting that backslide as well, that is gonna be hard, so unnatural for a kid, but once confident, makes the world of difference...

The other thing we worked hard on, was complete rotations on the board when coming into a hill on flats, rotating 360 both ways as that gave him a headstart with switch, and made his learning progress much faster...

But most of all, while pushing a little, remember it is FUN and if you push too hard then interest will be lost... Sneaky is a little older so understood more, but we had an agreement that 1/3 of the slope was what i wanted him to do, and the rest was fun for him to do what he chose... So he always practiced a little on every run, but he always forgot that on the way down as he was just enjoying himself doing what he wanted... Hehe


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Is there a Burton riglet park nearby? They have em at Bear Mountain, so I'm counting down the days when my soon to be born son turns 3 and I can take him to the slopes. Going to completely skip the skis.


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Awesome. Impressive to see any kid up at 3! 

As for in comparison to other kids and toe side, it's really because 3 is too young for kids to "properly" snowboard. Snowboarding, especially transitioning from heel to toe side requires you to move your feet independently, however at that age most kids brains can't differentiate fully between the left and right foot. It's pretty bizarre actually, take him and tell him to just lift his left toes and watch his right foot, chances are he'll lift it some too without even meaning to! Because of this many resorts don't even allow for lessons for kids until 5-6 years old. So that fact that he's out there getting heelside nailed down is great and as he grows up he'll have a huge leg on all the other kids just starting :eusa_clap: (This is also why you see more kids skiing, it's a more normal movement for the brain to understand at young ages)


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Congrats. We just had another one in January so I'm thinking he may have to hit the slopes while he is still 1. Unfortunately being in North Carolina the facilities with are pretty limited when it comes to the little guys. Burton did do that park one day this winter but it was pouring down rain. 

Hopefully they will make some exceptions, but most of the camps and group lessons for snowboarding don't start until age 6 or 7 around here.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Tune was almost out of my head, couldn't quite remember how it went, and that was driving me nuts. So I had to watch it again, now it's back full bore. doh!!!


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

f00bar said:


> Tune was almost out of my head, couldn't quite remember how it went, and that was driving me nuts. So I had to watch it again, now it's back full bore. doh!!!


Watch this version. It has the words which might make it worse.


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## jamesdthomas2 (Nov 22, 2011)

I am also a father of a snowboarder. My son started about the same time (3yr). I taught him toes side first. I used a simple technique. I told him to face up hill and make shapes with hands in the snow as he goes down on his toes. If that doesn't work. Tell him to hover one hand over the snow to slow down. Put two hands down to stop. This will help him get weight over his toes.

PS: I started my 2 year old daughter last weekend. :yahoo: FYI my kids have never skied.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

No idea if this will work, and i am probably not the best to be giving advice here, since i dont have kids, and my technique is nowhere near perfect... but i did help my friend to link turns on his first day snowboarding by teaching him to stick his arms out, and point into the direction he wants to go. This turns the hips, which ends up making the board turn too.

For a kid you could make it fun, give him a small toy or pointer to hold in his left hand, and you then go in front of him and tell him to keep that pointed at you. Play follow the leader or something like that and as long as he is pointing that at you, his shoulders, hips and legs will be turning to follow.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

jamesdthomas2 said:


> I am also a father of a snowboarder. My son started about the same time (3yr). I taught him toes side first. I used a simple technique. I told him to face up hill and make shapes with hands in the snow as he goes down on his toes. If that doesn't work. Tell him to hover one hand over the snow to slow down. Put two hands down to stop. This will help him get weight over his toes.
> 
> PS: I started my 2 year old daughter last weekend. :yahoo: FYI my kids have never skied.


Awesome! Gunnar started at 2 and I bypassed the skiing as well. Last time we went though he did say a couple times that he wanted to ski but never pushed it. I guess being the end of the season in might not hurt if I let him but I'm worried he might like it?


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## Ninja (Mar 22, 2014)

Like the other guys have been saying, as long as he is having fun that is the main thing. He has many, many years ahead of him. Kids at his age will figure a lot of the stuff out for themselves. As long as they are enjoying the experience and you keep things games related it will keep them in the sport.

One thing that may help with him learning his turns and keeping it relatively safe, would be to use a hula hoop. It is a super useful teaching aid as they can hold onto whilst turning and it will help hold them up if they catch an edge. You hold onto the opposite side so there is space between but you give a level of support. I have taught a lot of lessons using this tool. Like people have been saying there muscles have not quite developed yet which is why it would be harder for them and why they start snowboarding lessons at a later age.

Keep it simple, keep it fun! Let me know if you are confused about the hula hoop thing or need anymore advice.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

The hula hoop sounds like a great idea. I've done it a lot holding his hands with him but I'm not the greatest snowboarder so being above him to teach him toeside makes me nervous. The hula hoop would have helped.

Yesterday was probably our last day and he did love the cone idea. They kept him entertain for an hour or so. This wasn't the best run but it will give you an idea. I'm not sure how he manages to turn his shoulders one direction and turn the other. 


Anyway. I think with a couple lesson early next year(mainly to get him to ride with his foot out) he will probably be good to go. Thanks for all the pointers.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

That's awesome, and you can see he is trying his toeside through the cones... 

It is just a time thing, as he gets older he will get more, that all do, but moving forward at the right pace is important, and he has the basics that is for sure...


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Swede said:


> Yesterday was probably our last day and he did love the cone idea. They kept him entertain for an hour or so. This wasn't the best run but it will give you an idea. I'm not sure how he manages to turn his shoulders one direction and turn the other.


Kids that age can do a lot of things that seem to defy logic to us. Like bend at the knees and squat for an hour straight playing cars and them stand back up as if they'd been sitting in a lazy boy. Wait, it's worse, I can't even get out of the lazy boy that easily any more


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

f00bar said:


> I can't even get out of the lazy boy that easily any more


Ummmmm, why would you want to?


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Donutz said:


> Ummmmm, why would you want to?


Exactly! That's where the wisdom of age trumps youth every time.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

So I figure out another little trick that might be helpful for others. Was trying to get Gunnar to keep his speed up through the flats as I don't think at 4 he was grasping the concept. So we had a little lesson at the house using Hot Wheels. Just put a flat area and hump in the track and showed him how starting it high would make it over and low that it would get stuck. Next time out on the slopes I yelled "hot wheels" before the flats and it actually worked. He would point his board and go. It made it fun for him to as he was pretending he was a hot wheels car.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Swede said:


> So I figure out another little trick that might be helpful for others. Was trying to get Gunnar to keep his speed up through the flats as I don't think at 4 he was grasping the concept. So we had a little lesson at the house using Hot Wheels. Just put a flat area and hump in the track and showed him how starting it high would make it over and low that it would get stuck. Next time out on the slopes I yelled "hot wheels" before the flats and it actually worked. He would point his board and go. It made it fun for him to as he was pretending he was a hot wheels car.


Good deal! That's the key with kids. They totally have a different concept of everything. The toughest hurdle I think you'll have with him is he will get to a point where he is having a blast but you will want to see him progress a little further. And he just won't see the need as he's out there having fun and getting where he wants to get down the slope. 

The concept of progression for the sake of progression just isn't there for kids that age. So you'll have to continually think of new games to get him there.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Yep, You are definitely right. The latest one is to see who can make the most S's from top to bottom instead of talk of heal side and toe side. Heading to Breck and maybe Copper next week so hopefully I will pick up some more ideas from their instructors as far as fun ideas.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Swede said:


> Yep, You are definitely right. The latest one is to see who can make the most S's from top to bottom instead of talk of heal side and toe side. Heading to Breck and maybe Copper next week so hopefully I will pick up some more ideas from their instructors as far as fun ideas.


So is he carving now at this point and able to turn both toe and heel? I know your original posts were what 9-10 months ago.


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

He's got it down pretty good now when he puts his mind to it. This is the latest video from a good day from a few weeks ago when he had some motivation from other kids. If you look in the video at one point he tries to spray his buddy in the lift line.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Swede said:


> He's got it down pretty good now when he puts his mind to it. This is the latest video from a good day from a few weeks ago when he had some motivation from other kids. If you look in the video at one point he tries to spray his buddy in the lift line.


Awesome! Doing great for 4 years old.


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## mikeLA (Dec 28, 2014)

I freakin love it!!! What a huge change from last year!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

sweet! just watched the first video again...wow!

linking turns like crazy. this kid is gonna pop 3s out of the trees in a couple years.


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## sleev-les (Feb 26, 2010)

That is so cool... I wish I could get my nephew out. He's 6, but would love to start teaching him to ride....


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## Ballistic_BW (Jan 12, 2015)

He's doing awesome man. Keep up the good work


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## Swede (Mar 23, 2013)

Here is the latest one from the last couple weeks. Starting to get him over the fear factor of the boxes. I think him doing Parkour class has helped with this. Also made him a little website with everything in one place www.gunnarandrews.com


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