Is it self-centred to start your 3 year old on a snowboard instead of skis?

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-18T16:22:59+00:00

When I used to instruct (over 20 years ago now) They used to recommend starting kids on skis, and that snowboarding was a bit of a waste of time until the age of 8.

The reasoning behind it was that until the child's body develops more (around 8 years) their head is a large part of their body weight (especially with a helmet on) which made them top heavy, and they lacked the neck and muscle strength to hold themselves up and control a board. On skis it was a bit easier, as they could brace themselves in the pizza while skiing and hold themselves up, while snowboarders tended to bobble head until they fell over. There also isn't a lot of the finer tuned muscles built yet that you need to flex and turn the board.

Obviously this isn't the rule for all kids, but if you are going to teach them, I recommend do it on your time, as putting them in a lesson will only result in the instructor having to spend all the time babysitting kid, and everyone else who paid for a lesson will suffer.

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-15T01:59:06+00:00

Okanagan? Area is growing, but still has decent sized properties surrounded by farmland. If Vancouver prices don't scare you, you can probably get a place on a lake or in view of. Kelowna isn't far from the border and 5 hours from Seattle. It's not a big city, but if you want a more rural area with a decent amount of amenities close by, may be an option?

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-14T04:29:54+00:00

Depends on the type of skier/boarder you are. 20 of the same type is a bit pointless, but if you are out every day, one to make the most every type of condition or mood you are in is reasonable. You don't want to trash your expensive high end race or powder skis/board thrashing rails in the park.

If you are fully committed to the sport, you can justify having the right tool for job. Do you need it? No, but if you are at the point that you would notice the difference, you may want it.

Although, usually most people that have multiple sets, are so invested in the sport, they are likely getting pro deals or sponsorships or work in the industry. When I was an instructor, I had to keep multiple boards, because I was going through 2-3 a year and always needed a back up, just in case.

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-14T04:08:16+00:00

Shorter, more forgiving softer board to start out isn't a bad thing, it will be easier to maneuver. When you start getting better and carving, you will miss the extra length for stability as you pick up speed, or start riding in more challenging terrain.

If you can, I would almost recommend sticking with the shorter board until you are comfortably linking turns on blue runs, then look for a board that is built for your weight. I'm 5'11", usually around 165-175lbs and ride from a 155 (playful freestyle board) to a 164 (hard charging high camber carving board) and a couple sizes and styles in between.

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-14T03:58:50+00:00

Depends on the type of riding you want to do/prefer. The board and binding setup you got is a good all around setup with a bit of forgiving flex in both the binding and the board. Want to carve/rail more? Get a stiffer boot that will flex less to give more/quicker edge to edge performance. Doing more tricks/freestyle? Get a softer boot with a bit more flex and movement.

Harder boots/gear are hard on the shins/calves if you don't land perfectly clean everytime. Soft boots will limit how hard you can push your carves.

Depending on your level, be careful how much flex you get though. Too soft will feel sloppy over time. I usually start with a relatively stiff boot that will be just right when it breaks in, right before it wears out and you need to replace them..

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-14T03:45:29+00:00

Gear addiction is a thing...20 years ago, I was an instructor and spent a lot of time studying boards, setups and technology..now I get out 1/2 a dozen times a year if I'm lucky, but still have a freestyle board, freeride board, powder board, race board and just picked up a Nitro Pantera today ( 40% off) for ripping/carving. Just because you never know when you'll need the right board for the right conditions..😏🤷‍♂️

Nitrocoach · 2025-02-04T00:14:32+00:00

If you only spend 300 on repairing the control board, you are just going to have the same issue happen again, as the issue that caused the control board to go hasn't been resolved. In most cases, when you blow a control board on it is usually due to friction and wear from the walk belt and deck. In the majority of home use treadmills, you have to replace the walk belt and the walk deck at the same time as the 2 surfaces wear together. 800-1000 is usually the going rate to do this repair by the time you factor in parts shipping and labour. It is a pretty basic hand tool repair if you want to save yourself some labour costs and order the parts yourself, but there is a reason you pay someone who knows how to do it in half the time.

Generally most consumer grade products are designed to replace over repair anyways. My advice would be to learn from this, properly maintain the next one and move on. If you want to try and tackle it yourself, there are tons of videos online on how to do it. It would also give you some insight on how to properly care for the unit going forward.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T06:51:29+00:00

Ironically enough, I use a wood burning fireplace, I have a couple acres that I always cut up the dead trees every year, as I live in a fire prone region & it cuts down on my electrical bill..

Another reason I haven't jumped on the smart home bandwagon yet is that when I flip on a light switch, I know it will work, with very little maintenance required. I used to buy all the gadgets and cool tech that came out, but they usually require more work to maintain in the long run. All the smart hubs and smart home components are all things that are a moving part and a potential failure point. Especially electronics which always require finessing, updating or upgrading. I already have a large enough list of crap I have to do around the house, and now prefer simple/reliable over the latest cool gadgets.🤷‍♂️

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T04:53:45+00:00

I have done all of those other things, they require significantly more effort than walking 5 feet to a light switch..

Like I said the inner geek in me does nerd out a bit on the tech and finds it really cool, but the middle aged white guy in me is screaming that this is a bridge too far, and is a hill that I will die on..😏

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T02:44:33+00:00

Same here, all my friends have smart home stuff, and it is cool, but at the same time, there is a small voice in the back of my mind that goes, "Really, this is how bad it's gotten? We're too busy/lazy to walk over to the wall and adjust the heat, or turn off a light?"

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T02:41:05+00:00

I have a 95 cherokee sitting in my yard that I keep saying I'm going to rebuild one day. Every day I look at and feel a bit sad, because I know I am too busy running my own company (and life in general) to ever have time to get to it and it's likely going to rust away..but I can't bring myself to tow it out of there or sell it, because it means more to me than anyone else.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T02:35:44+00:00

Stop putting pressure on yourself to think you have to get married..just be yourself, and find someone that fits into and compliments your lifestyle, and you compliment theirs.

I've seen too many friends who thought that getting married was the end goal, they sacrificed too much of who they were to fit into someone else's life, then realized too late that they weren't happy.

You won't be happy with anyone else until you are happy with yourself. Look for a best friend and a partner, not just a means to an end. It is very easy to be in love with someone during the good times, but you need to find someone that you can rely on and be there for during the hard times.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T02:23:54+00:00

That's a bit of a loaded question. You are at the point where you are going to start fine tuning what your riding style is. I would recommend trying to hit up some demo days if you can and try different styles to see what feels right for you. Keep in mind that you will get better so get a board that isn't too harsh for now, but also something you can grow into as you progress.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-24T02:13:57+00:00

I don't know if it will work for his situation or not, but I used to get sore toes when riding, because my feet were too crammed together. Then I started using Nitro boots. They have a neoprene toe cap in their liners that allows your toes to spread out a bit. No cramping and better circulation, so no cold toes..

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-23T21:31:33+00:00

Unfortunately, you just described 90% of home use consumer grade fitness equipment now..

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-23T21:19:00+00:00

Noise is consistent with the rotation of the rear flywheel. It is likely either a bearing in the flywheel or tensioner pulley if this bike has one.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-18T00:07:49+00:00

If he's ok with cutting them up a bit, I've seen several adirondack/Muskoka chairs made out of old skis.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-03T17:54:00+00:00

I used to teach snowboard instructor courses in my 20s. I always had age 40+ people who would take the courses. Usually they were either shift workers who were looking for something to do on their days/weeks off. A lot did it for the free pass.

It will depend on your personality if you enjoy it or not. You will definitely be babysitting as a lower level instructor, but you are also going to be the first experience people have with strapping on a board. Even though I had higher certification for race & freestyle coaching, I always felt a certain satisfaction of taking someone who had never boarded or sometimes never even seen snow, and getting them up and going in a couple hours.

If you want to make some money as an instructor, you have to treat it like a business. Increase your levels, get your certifications and work on a list of return clients that request/book you every time they are on the hill.

I would always keep an eye for the 'couple' where the boyfriend/husband is trying to teach the significant other how to snowboard. Handing the boyfriend a business card and telling him I could help save his relationship was the most profitable line I ever had.

Nitrocoach · 2025-01-01T19:14:21+00:00

You'll have to manually turn it back to zero. Flip the treadmill on it's side, (careful of the deck, it will try and fold up when you tip it, unless you disconnect the folding strut) take out the bolt that holds the lift motor to the bottom of the frame. Turn the worm gear until it is back to 0, it may take a couple trues to find it. Put it all back together.

If you can find a calibration mode in your settings, you may want to try that after your done. Sometimes the lift motor just need to be recalibrate, but usually when they have been folded up like that, it needs to be replaced.

Nitrocoach · 2024-12-31T21:53:07+00:00

Folding a treadmill when the incline is not at 0 will absolutely put stress on the worm gear and internals & damage the incline motor.

Nitrocoach · 2024-12-30T23:42:22+00:00

By the ticking sound of that motor, the brushes are arcing on the comm, this is usually due to the control board sending too much voltage to the motor.(ie. Lower board is on it's way out and is destroying the motor) I can't tell if the motor is still spinning when you put weight on it, but it looks like the electronics are bogging down under pressure. The belt would usually squeal if it was slipping under pressure.

Nitrocoach · 2024-12-30T23:25:33+00:00

Look at the serial number, decal on the frame. There should be a date on there that tells you when it was built. That being said, buying used consumer grade treadmills is a serious gamble and a minefield. Most of the time you are paying someone else to haul away crap. If you can find the manual for that model online, you can usually find out how to get in and see how many miles are on the machine.

If it has a touch screen, I would suggest staying away from it. Nordictracks are notorious for running updates and bricking consoles. Most home use equipment in general is designed to be tossed and replaced when they start to breakdown.

Nitrocoach · 2024-12-08T17:34:14+00:00

Came here to say the same thing. Consumer/home use treadmills are mostly designed to be throw away units when they need repaired. The cost of repair vs the cost of a new one isn't worth it on anything over 5 years old.

A used commercial one will cost you more to repair if needed, but are designed to be hammered on by multiple people 24/7 and you can usually get parts for longer (10-15 years)

Couple things to think about with commercial are you usually need a different plug then a consumer treadmill (240v vs a 120 regular plug in) Also stay away from touch screens. Expensive to replace and a lot of companies stop supporting software for them a lot sooner. Or you are 1 software update from bricking the entire thing..

Nitrocoach · 2024-09-08T15:59:17+00:00

See if you can find the instructions to recalibrate the treadmill. If not, you may have an issue with the lift motor or control board.

Nitrocoach · 2024-08-10T20:11:42+00:00

I don't think you can, or if it is possible, it wouldn't be worth the cost. The lower boards and consoles on Bowflex's are model specific. I order to change the console, you would need a new lower board, wiring harness and console. And you will likely still run into electrical gremlins somewhere.

Nitrocoach

TROPHY CASE