Kids Lessons
Rebel Alliance believe that kids need to be taught in specific young rider groups. Si and Rhys are inspirational specialist coaches, not ski instructors, and are the most qualified and experienced in the business. They have the ability to keep it fun, but at the same time teach kids the proper technique, that without careful coaching will not be acquired naturally. Kids will learn the hand shakes, the jargon and most importantly the skills, and leave Tignes already excited for their next snowboarding holiday….
Beginner Young Riders – Private Lessons
If your kids are total beginners, Rebel Alliance recommends purely private lessons. They will pick it up much more quickly, and the risk of them hurting themselves is greatly reduced. If they have their own coach they can be helped hands on. Kids learn by doing, not really by listening or watching the instructor, so we find group sessions do not work very well in this instance. The basic technique is to ride with them holding their hands, talking to them about simple things like where their next turn should be and which edge to press. After a while, like with riding a bike, they will get the feeling for it. We then start to be a bit more explanatory about what they are actually doing, and how they can control their snowboard on their own. Rebel Alliance have found that setting simple, fun little challenges like how many turns they can make down the run works really well.
We teach freestyle from the very first day. Some tricks are easy to learn and really gets kids stoked on snowboarding. If you really want your child to learn snowboarding safely, quickly and have a good technique then this is the way to go. As a rough idea, 4 two hour sessions spread throughout the week will almost guarantee they can snowboard by the end of the week. Properly!
One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How old do children need to be to learn to snowboard?”
We teach kids from around 6 years old. A lot depends on their physical strength – some kids are more developed than others. The sports and activities they are involved in at home also play a big part in what age they should start, and how quickly they will pick it up.
One tip Rebel Alliance would give is to get your kids a Rip Stick. These are form of skate board that develop the twisting action that is required to properly steer a snowboard. They are also balanced on only two wheels, so their balance will be developed at the same time. Rebel Alliance would recommend them to all parents who want their kids to learn to ride. They really do make the learning process of snowboarding much quicker and therefore more enjoyable. Check out this link: Ripstick
Advanced Young Riders – Private Lessons
Continuous coaching is the key to continuous development. Even if they have had lessons previously, kids left to their own devices are more likely pick up a bad technique. If you really want your child to take their riding to the next level then book them some advanced private sessions with Rebel Alliance. We can teach them absolutely anything, but they invariably want to learn freestyle, which quite often scares the life out of their parents. We can teach them fun tricks which are safe and cool. Although kids usually want to just learn freestyle, Rebel Alliance believe it’s better to make all mountain riders out of them, so we will improve their technique and their ability to ride more challenging terrain as well. If you can get them riding well from an early age, then they will progress further as they get older.
Please refer to the Personal Coaching page for prices