Parents these days!

[Snow Wolf]

Okay! heres a real gripe I have....

We have an extensive kids program where I work and we have a minimum age for snowboarders of age 7. This is becuase children younger than that usually just do not have developed motor skills neccessary to snowboard. What I hate is getting stuck with a bunch of these really young kids that are younger than that, but the parent lies about the age. They cant get up by themselvels, cant stay up, cant control the board, have tantrums, seperation anxiety about being away from mommy, etc etc....and then at the end of a 2 hour group lesson, the parent is pissed off becuase you did`nt turn their child into Shaun White like magic!! I hate it when parents want to go ski or ride with their friends and use us like day care.....we even have a real day care at the lodge so WTF!!!! You get a kid (and some adults) who are just so out of shape or lacking in any athletic ability that it is impossible for them to snowboard...but the parent won`t listen.....if the kid cant do it its the instructors fault! Sometimes I just want to tell people parents and some of the adult students to get up off the couch and go get some excercise and get in basic shape prior to coming up to the mountain and wasting not only my time but the time of the other students who want to learn and are capable!!!!! They have this idea that skiing and snowboarding is just standing on a piece of wood sliding down a hill while your sluggish body is totally at rest....you know the ones who say the mountain does all the work!!

[Naked Hiker]

Hey bro, I know the feeling. Bad day at work? lol.....

[Snow Wolf]

Hey bro, I know the feeling. Bad day at work? lol.....


Yeah, I had to go flying as therapy......LOL

[Naked Hiker]

hahahahaha......are you going to be up there on sunday?

[SpottyFish]

hahahahaha......are you going to be up there on sunday?

He works nights on the weekends

I had to ask him that a million times before I finally remembered ;)

[Naked Hiker]

lol............

[thedude]

is there some sort of company policy that forbids you form askign the kids age when they are part of the group? just liek go down the lien and ask the kids names and hwo old they are so you can "know them better so you can instruct them?" and when you get the one kid who goes "i'm fou' an' a haf" and hold up 4 fingers or wahtrever, then ask to talk to the parents and then chew the parents a new ******* because they suck at life.

[Snow Wolf]

Not a bad idea...I think I am going to do that and before I leave the lodge if that comes up< i am going to get hold of a supervisor. This particular parent was talked to after I told my boss. While it frustrate me...I feel worse about the other kids not getting the attention they should get out of the lesson becuase you spend all your time dealing with the weakest members. Great idea though and I think I will add that in the introduction phase!

[Snow Wolf]

hahahahaha......are you going to be up there on sunday?

Sorry, no. I have to work my driving job. I think Friday night Ski Bowl is open.....what do ya think?

[DPancoast]

Man, that bites. I wouldn't be able to formally conduct myself around people like that. I cmon, have some common sense.

[Nephyte]

Sometimes I just want to tell people parents and some of the adult students to get up off the couch and go get some excercise and get in basic shape prior to coming up to the mountain and wasting not only my time but the time of the other students who want to learn and are capable!!!!! They have this idea that skiing and snowboarding is just standing on a piece of wood sliding down a hill while your sluggish body is totally at rest....you know the ones who say the mountain does all the work!!


OK, while I agree with your basic premise of arguement I have to disagree based on personal experience. I'm not in shape at all, and I'll probably never be in shape. During my late teens I was incredibly active in baseball, hockey, tennis and jogging and was still considered overweight by most of my peers. During the past couple years it's gotten bad however, and I am what would be generously called "overweight" these days.

I went and took lessons, and among the 30 or so people taking lessons at the same time. Most of them teenagers and early 20's and just about all of them in good shape only one person I believe did better then I did my first day. I think it's because I was highly motivated to learn, and I've got excellent natural athletic talent and balance. Just saying though, I'm a fat dude.. really fat... and I wouldn't have been a waste of your time at all. I was there, and I was determined to learn, and I did.

The basic moral I suppose, is don't neccessarily judge a book by it's cover.

[Levi]

I see where you're coming from wolf, we have the same policy at our mtn but the age limit for snowboarding is 8. I have taught kids as young as 6 and not had a problem but these are friends kids that I know, and I know can handle being on a snowboard. But as far as dropping the kids off for day care that’s what we get paid for. I myself drop my kids off in lessons and go riding, pick them up for lunch and then at 3. It’s my freeday to ride, that’s if I'm not teaching myself. My problem with parents is the ones that send their kids up on the school bus with nothing to wear but jeans and a light jacket. NO gloves, and NO hat, and why the school would even let these kids come up, just because they paid their money!! I spend half of the time getting gear out of the lost and found for these poor kids.

[kelly]

my parents used ski school as day care as well. It's a way for kids to learn some skills while the parents get some free time to ride. If parents didn't use ski school as day care, there'd be a lot less call for instructors.

[Snow Wolf]

Okay, some good points brought up. I guess the problem really is in putting groups together.....you can`t expect a 5 or 6 year old to progress at the rate a 14 year old does and that`s what the resort did to me...I had 10 kids ranging from 5 to 14...it sucked really bad for the older kids who could have gotten a lot more out of the class.

On the day care issue.....sure we get paid for that I suppose, but when we offer legitimate day care why not use that? My gripe is the situation where the kid does not want to be out on the snow and is throwing fits....its the parent who pushes the kid and causes the bad situation. I wouldnt even mind so much being a day care attendant so much if at the end of the lesson the parent was`nt all bent out of shape because their kid was`nt an expert snowboarder in 90 minutes!

With regard to being in shape, I never indicated that someone was out of shape simply because they were overweight.....I have had plenty of really big people do great and in fact, with adults, the overweight ones actually do well. I am talking about the people who are so weak, they cant lift their board off the ground, or even roll over with it strapped on. I mean, if you are so weak you can`t get yourself up even facing uphill, you have no business on the hill yet.

[dirtyjerz]

i could never teach someone to snowboard im too short fused

[Snow Wolf]

Don`t get me wrong...90% of the time it is very rewarding and satisfying....thats why I do it. Even the free pass is`nt the incentive; I make enough in one weekend on my regular job to pay for a pass...I enjoy the work and most people are eager to learn and have the ability...its just those few that make you want to pull your hair out!

[BadassBunny]

We have a regular day care for kids, but we also have an Explorer's program here for kids 7-12, n they have their own special hill. There's a morning session from 10-12, break for lunch, n an afternoon session from 1-3. Parents have the option for either session or both. I only worked up at Explorers once. I had a group of 7 kids [6 boys, 1 gurl]. There was the 1 know-it-all who thought he was the greatest, then his twin brother who hated heel side turns cuz he couldn't do them very well, so he had a tantrum every time he fell down, screaming that 'snowboarding is nerdy!' The only thing I liked about Explorers was getting paid for the entire time I'm there [9-3], the free hot chocolate, n the better chance of getting tips, as u get to speak to each parent 1 on 1.

As for the regular snowboard school, same deal, no kids younger than 7 can participate. I heard that a kid who weighs under 50lbs will have an extremely difficult time turning a board, even when it's the smallest board possible. My boss's son had that problem. Anyway. As for parents who lie, yeah, happens often. Depending on how busy we are, if 5 ppl show up for a beginner group lesson, no matter their age, they're all going into 1 group. The only time we try to divide em up by age is when there's multiple lessons going out at once, which usually only happens on holiday weekends/weeks.

With 2 weeks left of the season, 1 afternoon this older guy shows up with this tiny boy for a lesson. It was mid-70s, snow's melting, n it was the 1st lesson of the day [at 1pm]. The guy said the kid was 7 n bought a lesson package. I took the kid out n asked him how old he was.. yeah, he was 4. Did I care? Not really, ONLY becuz it didn't matter. The guy explained to me that he was the grandfather, all this boy ever wanted to try was snowboarding [he said he was a great skiier/skater], so he was gonna be however old he needed to be. I showed the kid the extreme basics on how to turn, n surprisingly, he did very well! He had a blast, n the grandfather n-joyed himself n kept thanking me constantly. Needless to say, I got a tip, so everybody was happy.

I once had a lesson where I started off with 5, n by the end of the hour I was down to 2. The 1 chick [late teens, early 20s] was extremely, extremely overweight [like, could barely walk], so she only lasted maybe 2 mins. She could barely bend over to click her foot into the binding. She fell down, n needed help standing back up. THAT'S the kind of overweight/unathletic type that I think Wolf's talking about. She quit. Then there was the guy, 16ish?, who showed up late, n never took his hands outta his pockets. <~~ That's always a bad sign, lol. Yeah, he had zero athletic skills too. He couldn't even skate. He'd fall down after a second of just STANDING, n then he couldn't stand back up. He stuck around to when we reached having both feet strapped in to make turns, n again, he could NOT stand up. Even on his knees, facing uphill, he couldn't do it. After like 5 mins of trying to show/explain, I was getting frustrated n said, 'Just use ur leg muscles!' to which he replied, 'I don't have any!' He quit shortly after. Then there was the kid who didn't want to listen n be patient n wait [altho he did decently], n with 10 mins left, he says, 'when do we get a break?' so I say 'In 10 mins.' so he says, 'Can I leave now?' so I say, 'Fine.' Down to 2. These 2 were doing very well, n I felt so bad that the lesson went so awful, I stayed out for an extra 20 mins with them. The 1 woman's husband asked me if I did private lessons, which I do, so we set a private up for an hour later [yay more money for me]. She did excellent, n she tipped. score!

omg.. I can go on for hours telling crazy stories... like the chick who had an asthma attack cuz she didn't know the sport was so active.. then there was the chick who complained he boot was too loose, so I told her to retie it tighter - she effortlessly pulled her foot outta her boot [amazing - my boots are soo tight I gotta unloosen every lace], retightened em, said it was much better - 10 mins later, I'm shocked - I watch as a snowboard with 1 boot STILL ATTACHED TO THE BINDING makes its way down the hill n off the side into the ditch - the gurl hops down after it, with only 1 boot. I never laughed so hard..

whoa, okay, I wrote a novel. I'm done. ;x

[IceCoastChick]

:pound: Those stories are priceless.

[Snow Wolf]

The board with the boot still on it......ROFLMAO!!!!!! Great stories....:)

[Naked Hiker]

HAHAHAHAHAHA that was funny...=)

[ftblplyr46]

lol.... one boot:rofl: bwahahahahahahahaha... would love to hear more

[nek]

Speaking of boot stories when I first started I went to a beginner lesson with 4-5 people. One of the girls came late and her boot was all untied. She kept telling the instructor "the boot is too tight...the boot is too tight....". Turns out she still had her shoe on and stuffed the entire thing into the boot...crazy stuff.

[Naked Hiker]

hahahaha that's great!

[Shelbycobra2008]

isnt the skiing age limit lower ussually?

[Snow Wolf]

Yeah at Meadows I think its 4 for skiing

[thedude]

Speaking of boot stories when I first started I went to a beginner lesson with 4-5 people. One of the girls came late and her boot was all untied. She kept telling the instructor "the boot is too tight...the boot is too tight....". Turns out she still had her shoe on and stuffed the entire thing into the boot...crazy stuff.
wtf? hwo the hell did she pull that off?

[yawningisgood]

HAHAHA SNOW WOLF, yeah that **** would piss me off too, like a 2 hour session with a "Snowboard Instructor" is supposed to turn there "7" year old kid into the next shaun white or something... Yeah first of all it helps if there kid is above the age of 7, and capable of coordinating his body to do what it wants, not standing up, and sliding for 10 feet, falls then sits there and crys for his mommy cuz he cant do it...Ive been thinking id like to be an instructor at a mtn one of these upcoming seasons, itd be cool... but yeah im sure id go off on some stupid ass Rich prick ass piece of **** parent who thinks you can just BUY the ability to be a good snowboarder... hell u CANT, shaun whites as good as he is today from one thing...PRACTICE makes perfect... hell i wish i could ride as much as him... hell id probably be a pro then hahaha... next time one of these parents gives you any Guff, just give em' a quick throat punch, theyll shut up right quick haha...

[Snow Wolf]

LOL....well at the very least I can fantasize about it! Yeah it has it`s moments, but also very rewarding and fun too especially mid winter on nights when we get the college groups who are into it and have good athletic aptitude...not to mention those lessons with hot college girls.........ah lets do tree runs...and bring a blanket!! :)

By the way, looks like youre back from the sand box? welcome home...I was Air Force P.O.L. in the mid 80`s!

[yawningisgood]

LOL....well at the very least I can fantasize about it! Yeah it has it`s moments, but also very rewarding and fun too especially mid winter on nights when we get the college groups who are into it and have good athletic aptitude...not to mention those lessons with hot college girls.........ah lets do tree runs...and bring a blanket!! :)

By the way, looks like youre back from the sand box? welcome home...I was Air Force P.O.L. in the mid 80`s!

Yeah i wouldnt mind teaching some hot ass college chicks around my age, i have several different payment plans hahaha... naaaa i still got 13 days over here, but soon, soon i will be gone!!!! You were POL... Hahaha, i work with a bunch of dudes in POL, well im air transportation, but the POL guys live in my mod with us...badass...i cant wait to go ride for the last week of may

[Snow Wolf]

From the sound of things, Mammoth will still be sweet...assuming you`re going back to Travis...anyway welcome home a few days early!!

[JesterBOOM]

first of all, I still cant skate. ( i mean long distances..i rock in a lift line)



I once had a lesson where I started off with 5, n by the end of the hour I was down to 2. The 1 chick [late teens, early 20s] was extremely, extremely overweight [like, could barely walk], so she only lasted maybe 2 mins. She could barely bend over to click her foot into the binding. She fell down, n needed help standing back up. THAT'S the kind of overweight/unathletic type that I think Wolf's talking about.


Now that we got that out of the way. My roommate wants to learn how to snowboard. apparantly watching me trying to butter on my carpet, watching first descent with me and watching the olympics stroked some inner athlete within her. So she wants to learn how to Snowboard.
(she's also said that i have to teach her. i laughed at her.)

Here's my problem. She's a big girl. i mean like, 5 nothing and 250 ish. I dont want her to feel discouraged but she's a big gal. she's decently athletic (bodytype not withstanding) and is eager to learn.

Im not going to tell her to not try but i also hate to see her crash and burn.

any of you have had any expeirence with severely overweight people?

[Naked Hiker]

You just have to get her up there and let her try, if she wants to learn she will. If she doesn't then you will find out on the first couple of runs...

[Snow Wolf]

Hey JB....I have been very surprised sometimes with very overweight students....in fact, they sometimes actually have better muscle developement simply because they have to to get around. A heavy person can learn to do this, but you have to work a little differently with them. The hardest thing for them will be getting up. What I do with an overweight student is spend a little more time with them on the flats skating to really get them used to staying balanced so they don`t fall as much up on the hill. Once on the hill, work with toe side first when teaching sideslips , falling leaf, traverse and Garland turns. This way, when they fall they are getting back up toe side which is easy even for a seriously overweight person. When they are ready, get them to complete a turn to their heelside, then work on the heelside stuff. I found in the beginning of my instructing, I was making it hard for these people by starting everything heelside, which is the usual way we teach people since it feels more normal. When I worked with people who could`nt get up on the heelside, by doing everything toe-side they did much better and did`nt get discouraged from not being able to get up.....good luck...hope that helps you out.
SW

[no7ah]

you mean i just can't stand on it and get down the hill... darn better pick an easier sport

[gtarman77787]

i barely have the patience to teach someone who already knows how to get down a green...haha im terrible.. i cant imagine what you go thru

[SBDR_FLATEN]

yea man i know wut yur talking about even though i dont instructor for a job ive taught ppl that are like around my age and thats tough right from the start u get a little kid that cant do anything and its terrible. its not just snowboarders parents that are bad a parents are like that ive like umped for little leagues and the parents are yellin at me for makin calls its like lady shut up ur kid sux deal with it!

[snowboarding_bear]

i never went to a ski school or anything like that lmao...i learn by friggen gettin on a blue square slope and fallin allot ...then learnin from my mistakes...it took me maybe...3 days to b good...lol

about the parents...psh...cant u say that u cant teach the kid? like if they look 4 n they r posed 2 b 7...?

[MissFlyingTomato]

yeah i hate that.. or when kids that are just learning to be able to turn on blue trails and then they go off to the powder on the sides get hurt then you havethe parents and your boss bitching at you. I dont know if you boys have it has a problem with the girls but I get annoyed when I am starting to get hit on by my students

[BadassBunny]

Hey JB....I have been very surprised sometimes with very overweight students....in fact, they sometimes actually have better muscle developement simply because they have to to get around. A heavy person can learn to do this, but you have to work a little differently with them. The hardest thing for them will be getting up. What I do with an overweight student is spend a little more time with them on the flats skating to really get them used to staying balanced so they don`t fall as much up on the hill. Once on the hill, work with toe side first when teaching sideslips , falling leaf, traverse and Garland turns. This way, when they fall they are getting back up toe side which is easy even for a seriously overweight person. When they are ready, get them to complete a turn to their heelside, then work on the heelside stuff. I found in the beginning of my instructing, I was making it hard for these people by starting everything heelside, which is the usual way we teach people since it feels more normal. When I worked with people who could`nt get up on the heelside, by doing everything toe-side they did much better and did`nt get discouraged from not being able to get up.....good luck...hope that helps you out.
SW

Would u begin each lesson [after skating] with only 1 foot strapped in? My order would be: straight glide, toe side, heel side, strap both feet in, learn how to stand up, toe side twice, heel side twice, linking turns if there was time.

I used to do each turn with only 1 foot twice, but it took too much time n they would just fall too much n get discouraged. I'd like to skip the toe/heel turns with only 1 foot strapped in altogether, but that has potential to be dangerous.. if the group was larger, I'd skip it tho.

JB- if u teach ur friend, the 2 most important things to emphasize to her would be to keep more weight on her front foot [to help with initiating turns, n so the tail of the board doesn't swing around] n to keep her knees very bent. Also, make sure she's not bending over cuz that always results in the person ultimately falling into the snow.

[Snow Wolf]

No, once on the hill, it is both feet strapped in.....before riding the lift, we do the skating, gliding, then gliding turns toe and heel side and stopping. Then it is the "how to get on and off the lift" speech. Once up on the hill, it is time for both feet to be strapped it. We teach sideslipping then taversing, then garland turns and then finally completing a turn from heel to toe....my point was that if a person just cant get up heelside, work on all the above stuff, but on their toe edge...when they can complete the turn to heelside they are set...they can always get up toe side then turn to get heelside. Everything is spelled out in the AASI handbook with regard to Snowboard Progression.

EDIT: just re-read your post and wanted to add...your idea is great in a perfect world, and most students have it by doing it twice, but in any group there is always one or more who just need a ton of extra attention so sometimes you never get past the falling leaf in a 90 minute lesson......thats the nature of group lessons; you go as a fast as the weakest member.

[BadassBunny]

ohhhhh okay- big difference where I work. 1st off, VERY rarely did we ever teach longer than a 60 min lesson. [Explorers, the kiddie program, was different - 2, 3 hr sessions, or just a single am or pm.] I would usually progress where the average level was at- there's always 1 person who picks it up quicker, as well as another who just isn't getting it. If I have 1 man who just CAN'T get his toe side turn, I can't hold the entire group up. That's when we would encourage a private lesson if he was still interested.

Also, we don't use a lift during a first level beginner lesson. We hike up the base of the bunny hill, which is long enough for 1 long wide turn, or 2 small linked turns. There is a tow rope, but we had such a slow winter, halfway thru the season the mtn turned the tow rope off during the week, Mon-Thurs. Therefore, we'd just hike it a bit more if necessary. The ski school hill had a slow triple, n if the group was small enough, or it was a private, then we would just go over there n use the lift as well. It was extremely, extremely rare for a group of 3+ to make it over to that lift.

By the end of my 60ish minute lesson, I almost always had every one of my students linking a turn. Not always well, but they managed to switch their edges. That always made them happy, especially when I emphasized how hard it is to get in just an hour.

[Snow Wolf]

Yeah...you did have your work cut out for you with only an hour!....I was laughing a bit when you mentioned the rope tow.....I had never seen a rope tow untill this year teaching at Meadows....we usually use the lift. I had a small group of 5 people who were TERRIFED of the lift (height thing I guess) so they all wanted to use just the rope tow.....well, as I said I had never used one myself....had to ask the lifty how in the hell you use it on a board....it was actually easy(after falling once in front of EVERYBODY)..... but from that day on he always gave me sh!t about what kind of an instructor does`nt know how to use the lift?"....hahaha.
At Meadows, our group lessons are 90 minutes and our bunny hill called "Buttercup" is actually long and has a decent grade for a bunny hill. Meadows is the largest teaching area in Oregon and Washington so we are really busy...average group is7 to 10 people....my largest group one time 18! At night we have college programs where the same group comes for 6 weeks....it is a kick in the ass to stay with the same people and take them from greenhorns who can`t stand on a board to taking them through the terrain park and the Vista Superpipe.....they are all so stoked and you were there with them the whole way.....anyway...got off on a tangent....our only flat area is at the lodge so we start the whole skating and gliding thing there then we introduce turning using the torsional flex of the board. We then have to ride the lift to the top. It is steep enough that they need both feet strapped in so that is why we progress the way we do.
You`re so right about group dynamics....there is always the person who just takes to it and then there is the "I`ve fallen and I can`t get up" person. Our policy at Meadows is you do not under any circumstances abandon a student.....adults can leave on their own free will which happens if the student gives a sh!t about their fellow students and see`s they are holding everything up...but if they insist, we HAVE to spend the full 90 minutes with them. As instructors we get to play diplomat; adressing the needs of the weak link and trying to deal with the frustration of the good rider...sometimes its a stressfull juggling act. I have sent several people back to the lodge with a voucher because they truly did not get their money`s worth as a result of a horrible group dynamic....usually this makes everybody happy......I did this once and when I got done with the group, I had that person for a private 1 hour and got them onto the blue runs....also got a $20 tip Woohoo!
Kids are tough as you know...some are fun and some are just horrible brats throwing fits...there we are stuck.....if you loose a kid they can fire you for it right then and there....Meadows policy is safety and security and loosing a kid is a MAJOR MAJOR deal.....with child crimes and all I agree and support the policy, but it makes for some rough days when you get stuck with kids classes.


cheers.......

[SnowGeek]

I wonder if teaching at Timberline would be a little less stressful, since the bunny hill is so well-separated from the rest of the mountain. Meadows' Buttercup is a really great learning slope, but you get a lot of advanced people speeding down from the area above it.

[snowboarding_bear]

terrified of the lift? haha then why learn to snowboard? i mean...if u dont use the lift waht options do u have hiking? or helicopter? or snowcat/snowmobile.. the average people cant pay for a helicopter n snowcat all season(and that would b a complete waste lol)

how tall was the lift? tallest ive been on was the red dog lift in squaw valley...n i still dont think it was that tall..n i dont like heights that much

[SnowGeek]

Well, I was afraid of lifts when I started, and I spent the first 3-4 days using the tow-rope. Several hours of having my arm jerked convinced me to give the lifts a try (and now they don't bother me at all, unless they're getting blown around a lot).

[SpottyFish]

I wonder if teaching at Timberline would be a little less stressful, since the bunny hill is so well-separated from the rest of the mountain. Meadows' Buttercup is a really great learning slope, but you get a lot of advanced people speeding down from the area above it.

I think Timberline's bunny slope is better, with the exception of random parents just walking around on the slope watching their kids. You kinda have to dodge them.

[SpottyFish]

terrified of the lift? haha then why learn to snowboard?

I'm completely terrified of heights but one of the reasons I learned to snowboard was to get over my fear of heights. When I first started riding, I was terrified of the lifts....but gradually got over it.

[Naked Hiker]

I'm completely terrified of heights but one of the reasons I learned to snowboard was to get over my fear of heights. When I first started riding, I was terrified of the lifts....but gradually got over it.

Now I need to get her out and rock climb, so she can really get over her fear of heights!:tongue:

[grimkitten]

Haha I know exactly what you mean!!! I'm an instructor in the winter, and in the summer I teach surfing in Old Orchard, so we get ALL the tourists at both! They want to go sit their fat asses at the lodge or bar and get cranked, so they stick their kids on you for the whole day. I really hate when parents line their kids up for the full-day lessons, so I have to deal with them for like, 8 hours. Or the weekend/week long lessons? Ohhhhh just **** that. >_<

[snowboardnguy90]

Okay! heres a real gripe I have....

We have an extensive kids program where I work and we have a minimum age for snowboarders of age 7. This is becuase children younger than that usually just do not have developed motor skills neccessary to snowboard. What I hate is getting stuck with a bunch of these really young kids that are younger than that, but the parent lies about the age. They cant get up by themselvels, cant stay up, cant control the board, have tantrums, seperation anxiety about being away from mommy, etc etc....and then at the end of a 2 hour group lesson, the parent is pissed off becuase you did`nt turn their child into Shaun White like magic!! I hate it when parents want to go ski or ride with their friends and use us like day care.....we even have a real day care at the lodge so WTF!!!! You get a kid (and some adults) who are just so out of shape or lacking in any athletic ability that it is impossible for them to snowboard...but the parent won`t listen.....if the kid cant do it its the instructors fault! Sometimes I just want to tell people parents and some of the adult students to get up off the couch and go get some excercise and get in basic shape prior to coming up to the mountain and wasting not only my time but the time of the other students who want to learn and are capable!!!!! They have this idea that skiing and snowboarding is just standing on a piece of wood sliding down a hill while your sluggish body is totally at rest....you know the ones who say the mountain does all the work!!

lol this IS america. The customer is always right.

i ****ing hate people like that, i wanna slap them.

[elmoiscool45]

lol this IS america. The customer is always right.

i ****ing hate people like that, i wanna slap them.

It would be funny if you did slap them. I would laugh if i saw it. especially if you did it with a pickle.

[snowboardnguy90]

i'd slap them with a raw steak.

[elmoiscool45]

any food really would just be outstandingly halarious

[ADRsk8boarder]

like my meat

[jen-e-fer]

I can totaly relate to what you are saying, from a beginners point of view. I hate going to a lesson with a bunch of lazy, complainers who constantly say "I can't do it!" If you think you can't do it get the f***k of the mountain and stop waisting my time and money. It pisses me off sooooo much to pay money (a lot of money) to listen to people cry about how hard it is. Luckily I've had some pretty good instructors who would spend more time with me cause I'm willing to listen and learn.

[ADRsk8boarder]

thats hy u dont waste time and money with ****in instructor and classes watch people and its pretty easy to pick up

[jen-e-fer]

I tried to ski without lessons and ended up busting my ass. This time I swallowed my pride and paid for a lesson. Then I practice and when I'm ready to advance I take another lesson. Seems to work so far.

[snowboardnguy90]

you can always take private lessons.

[ADRsk8boarder]

yea i heard they have these lessons were u go into the park and learn tricks

[snowboardnguy90]

yep. if you're private instructor feel's you're good enough, he'd take you there. Some group lessons might do it also if you sign up for intermediate lessons or something.

i almost went, but me and my 2 sisters shared a private lesson. My 2 sisters, suck, to say the least. so the instructor spent the entire day on the bunny hill. He taught me how to do butters to pass my time there. he told me he woulda hit the park with me if it was just us 2, or if my sisters were better.

[ADRsk8boarder]

damn sisters

[Snow Wolf]

Now I need to get her out and rock climb, so she can really get over her fear of heights!:tongue:

If that does`nt do it, my Cessna might!

[Snow Wolf]

I can totaly relate to what you are saying, from a beginners point of view. I hate going to a lesson with a bunch of lazy, complainers who constantly say "I can't do it!" If you think you can't do it get the f***k of the mountain and stop waisting my time and money. It pisses me off sooooo much to pay money (a lot of money) to listen to people cry about how hard it is. Luckily I've had some pretty good instructors who would spend more time with me cause I'm willing to listen and learn.


Yeah....I love customers like you...it is so much fun to take someone who really wants to be there and get them going....it is so rewarding to see them later on in the day when I am free riding and they are doing blues with a big sh!t eating grin on their face.
A lot of the time, I will give someone like yourself who is getting screwed by being in a group with the "I`ve fallen and I can`t get up" people a voucher to take to to customer service and get a rain check or a private lesson...a lot of times I`ll get that person in a private lesson that same day and it is so much fun teaching and the person gets so much out of it.
My favorite prgrams we offer at Meadows is the night time college programs that run 6 weeks......I get the same group each week and they go from never having been on a board to riding the park, the pipe and our double black Diamond runs by the end and I get to be with them every step of the way....it is things like this that make this the best job on the mountain and gets you through those rough days.

[Snow Wolf]

yea i heard they have these lessons were u go into the park and learn tricks

Yep....we will do anything, go anywhere a customer wants...park, pipe rails, trees......it is all up to the customer and what their actual riding ability is. You are correct also that anyone can learn to snowboard on their own, but it really makes it easier especialy as a first timer to take a lesson to get the basics down without so much trial and error....I usually suggest a biginner lesson to get them started linking their turns and then lots of practice. At some point, they will pinpoint certain things they are having trouble with, then go get another lesson to address those specific issues......works like a charm. From that point on its all about learning new skills like freestyle, powder riding, tree runs etc.

[snowboardnguy90]

have you ever had a customer who really wanted to learn, but sucked so incredibly bad that there was no hope for them?

[ADRsk8boarder]

haha that would be hilarious

[elmoiscool45]

yea i heard they have these lessons were u go into the park and learn tricks

Wait do you mean like go to the park and learn by yourself and saying it sarcastically? or do you mean get lessons and go to the park with an instructor?

[ADRsk8boarder]

go to an instructor and pay him to teach u tricks in the park

[grimkitten]

have you ever had a customer who really wanted to learn, but sucked so incredibly bad that there was no hope for them?

...well, you could say that about my ex boyfriend. Some 2-plankers just never learn. Haha

[Snow Wolf]

have you ever had a customer who really wanted to learn, but sucked so incredibly bad that there was no hope for them?
Oh yeah!! I had this one poor guy who came out to line up for a group lesson. He easily weighed 400 pounds.....he was huffing and puffing so bad just from walking out of the lodge to our line up I thought he was going to have a heart attack right there. He literaly could not strap in to the board becuase he was too fat to reach the bindings. Had to do it for him, but after the second or third fall he pretty much figured out that snowboarding was a little beyond his ability...we refunded him his money....I felt so sorry for this guy...it had to be so embarrasing.

[ADRsk8boarder]

haha fat people make me laugh

[snowboardnguy90]

Oh yeah!! I had this one poor guy who came out to line up for a group lesson. He easily weighed 400 pounds.....he was huffing and puffing so bad just from walking out of the lodge to our line up I thought he was going to have a heart attack right there. He literaly could not strap in to the board becuase he was too fat to reach the bindings. Had to do it for him, but after the second or third fall he pretty much figured out that snowboarding was a little beyond his ability...we refunded him his money....I felt so sorry for this guy...it had to be so embarrasing.

damn, that sucks. that's why i never want to be fat.


snowboarding. my anti-fat.

[Proximate Platypus]

My favorite prgrams we offer at Meadows is the night time college programs that run 6 weeks......I get the same group each week and they go from never having been on a board to riding the park, the pipe and our double black Diamond runs by the end and I get to be with them every step of the way....it is things like this that make this the best job on the mountain and gets you through those rough days.
hehe, now I kind of want to be a snowboard instructor... maybe they need English-speaking instructors at Niseko in Japan.

[ADRsk8boarder]

oooo japanese women

[elmoiscool45]

oooo japanese pancakes

[ADRsk8boarder]

oooo kobe beef

[elmoiscool45]

mozzarela sticks

[Proximate Platypus]

ooo Japanese snow...

[snowboardnguy90]

ooo Japanese military history...

[snowboardnguy90]

they've 0wned my countrymen several times...

[elmoiscool45]

anybody else think it is funny that we just started naming off stuff for almost no reason at all other than a comment about japan

[ADRsk8boarder]

Ohh Tank Man

[snowboardnguy90]

ooo Pokemon!

[elmoiscool45]

oooo computer

[ADRsk8boarder]

_______snap!

[Naked Hiker]

ooo snap on's.

had to try and fit in =)

[snowboardnguy90]

sorry old timer, this is a 21 and under only, let me lead you to your wheel chair...



hahaha jp hiker where you been lately? i haven't seen you on many threads recently =\.

[ADRsk8boarder]

hes around i saw im hanging out on the curb

[elmoiscool45]

what the hell did you just say?

[snowboardnguy90]

"he's around (Naked Hiker). I saw him hanging out on the curb."

[123taylerlee]

lol my mom put me in the "daycare" when i was 3.... yet i was preetyy good

[elmoiscool45]

"he's around (Naked Hiker). I saw him hanging out on the curb."
ooooo.... okay i didnt finish reading your previous post so it seemed random

[ADRsk8boarder]

sorry i was to lazy to correct it

[elmoiscool45]

yeah u better be sorry or else...


I'll apologize for misunterstanding

So take that bitch. lol

[ADRsk8boarder]

u wanna go ... u wanna go.. cause i can tak u anyday any where.. fool..lol

[elmoiscool45]

i'll take you down to china town. and buy you some sushi. so ha take that your food wont be cooked.

[ADRsk8boarder]

ohh no not food poisining :behindsof

[elmoiscool45]

yeah thats what i thought

[ADRsk8boarder]

OOOOOOONNNNNNN DUUUUEEEELLLL:fencing:

[snowboarding_bear]

lol crack heads...

[boarderofsnow]

:kev:ya parents think there helping there kids by starting them off earlier and earlier but in the end those kids knees are gonna be ****ed!!! My knees are screwed and I started when I was eight but I the experience from skiing to give me the motor skills:shocker:

[snowboardnguy90]

you're knees won't be bad at all so long as you learn snowboarding the right way and never land funny or anything.

[SnowGeek]

I thought it was skiing that screws up your knees.

[Naked Hiker]

I think just living, screws up your knees.....haha

Somedays I wonder about me........

[ADRsk8boarder]

sking screws up knees cause of the impact from taking moguls head on.. snowboarding is a lot safer on the knees..

[elmoiscool45]

if you never walk you never screw up your knees

[elmoiscool45]

lol crack heads...

maybe your the crack head:hungry:

[ADRsk8boarder]

wanna go snowboarding_ bear.. elmoiscool will eat u alive

[snowboarding_bear]

haha ill eat both you alive at once with SPORKS!!!!haha...damn that would hurt

[elmoiscool45]

o yeah well in that picture your actually running from the pillsberry doughboy chasing after you with a ghetto blaster. and he wins.

[ADRsk8boarder]

i ran for office at my school and gave out free taco bell sporks.. surprisingly i didnt win

[Snow Wolf]

Well....you would have got my vote.... spork or not... :)


I thought it was skiing that screws up your knees.

Usually you see more ACL and MCL injuries in skiing from the independent twisting of the knee. On a board, there is`nt that wisiting due to both feet being attached. A lot of skiers with torn ACL`s are riding boards to enjoy snow sports and are doing well. From my experience, I am finding that impact is the biggest threat to knees on a board....landing flat especially! Also, long days in this Cascade Cement causes sore knees from simple muscle strain. Like Hiker said........aging just sucks!!!!!!

[snowboardnguy90]

The things they do are awefully cold (talking bout my generation)
i hope i die before i get old (talking bout my generation)

[jen-e-fer]

you can always take private lessons.

Private lessons would be great if I could afford them.

[customrideVT]

You know what kills my knees the most though, is helping beginners. My friend seriously fractured his knee this year by just the constant pressure on the hard snow of the bunnyslope. Watch that, knee pads can be savours!

[elmoiscool45]

The things they do are awefully cold (talking bout my generation)
i hope i die before i get old (talking bout my generation)

Im guessing your refering to the song

[snowboardnguy90]

mmhmm.

referring to the fact that i hope i'm dead before im' too old to be snowboarding.

[snowboardnguy90]

Private lessons would be great if I could afford them.

private lessons aren't too much more expensive than group lessons.

[Snow Wolf]

And well worth the extra...you get 2 or 3 times more out of a private lesson than you do a group lesson!

[snowboardnguy90]

i agree. Unless you're a horrible snowboarder, then in group lessons you sometimes need extra attention and then it becomes sorta like a private lesson.

[Proximate Platypus]

The drop-in group lessons I took were almost like private lessons: only 1 or 2 other people. And I was the only one in my level 4 lesson... So buy drop-in lessons, and take them at weird times like 10:30 am on Tuesday or something. :)

[Laura Jean]

I like the parents who tip well :o)

[Proximate Platypus]

Hold on a second... you're supposed to tip your snowboard instructor? Is this true?

[Laura Jean]

umm well I get tipped all the time. heh, I dont really know thou, Like Private Lessons I'd say that you're suppose to tip atleast $20 for an hour, thats what I usually get... but for full day kiddies that you take to lunch n stuff only the rick kids rents will do that.