Snowboarding or Skiing?

DD is 9 and is dying to go skiing or snow boarding. We plan to take a family trip for some snow tubing, and get her a beginner lesson. What is easier for a child learn skiing or boarding? She doesn't have a strong preference and DH and I are not great at either but I will go with her to a lesson for either. So what have your kids enjoyed more? and what has been easier for them to learn?

Snowboarding or Skiing?

I've "heard" that kids should always learn to ski first and then move onto boarding if they want. I don't know if it has to do with learning certain techiniques on skis that can transfer to snowboarding (I only ski). But I think it is also in part because very few kids will go from a snow board to skis but many will go from skis to snow boarding. So if you want her to know both, I would start with skiing. My nephews (now 9 & 11) both learned to ski from a very young age and can now use either skis or snowboards.

Message edited 2/10/2014 3:10:06 PM.

Re: Snowboarding or Skiing?

We live in CO and head up to the mountains almost every weekend and we had our kids learn to ski first. Its less of a learning curve and less prone to injuries (wrist breaks are very common) than snowboarding. That being said, my 7 rd old son picked up snowboarding very easily after 3yrs on skis.