School me on Massanutten

[Chamtrain]

My son is dying to go snowboarding in the next month or so. Anyone have experience with Massanutten? I've been a Snowshoe guy my whole life but the cost for a family of 5 is pretty extreme, thought I might give this a try if its decent for kids (they are all beginners).

 

[PINEHEEL]

Have you compared with App Ski Mountain? People rave about it for beginners and kids, and that's where I plan to start my 3-year-old sometime in the next month. Buddy from Raleigh just took his kids who are similarly-aged to yours for the first time and said the rates for lessons were awesome.

I've only been to Massanutten in the summer, but I was surprised it was a ski resort. Felt a lot more like a hill than a mountain.

That said, I do know people who go with their kids and enjoy it, so I'm sure it would be sufficient for your beginners. I would just compare it to pricing at Wintergreen and App Ski Mountain before driving farther to get to Massanutten.

Also, I would strongly suggest you steer your son towards skiing. It's much easier for beginners, and if he wants to learn to snowboard later he can, but skiing will be valuable for him his entire life. You never see anyone over 50 snowboarding, and that's not just because it's a newer snow sport. It's a bigger pain to get on and off the lift, to navigate flat areas, and everyone else on the mountain hates you.

 

[OakForestHeel]

As an almost 43 year old snowboarder I resent those comments! Flat areas do suck. Luckily for me (and Pine heel knows) I only board out west or in Vermont. I’ll board till I die though.

however I got my 3 year skis as well, way easier to learn. He’s not super into it yet but no way would I start mine snowboarding until they could ski first.

 

[PINEHEEL]

As an almost 43 year old snowboarder I resent those comments! Flat areas do suck. Luckily for me (and Pine heel knows) I only board out west or in Vermont. I’ll board till I die though.

however I got my 3 year skis as well, way easier to learn. He’s not super into it yet but no way would I start mine snowboarding until they could ski first.

I was in Steamboat last week with a buddy who peruses the ZZL and is a snowboarder, so some of those thinly-veiled comments were in hopes that he sees them lol.

I can't wait to see you snowboarding at 70 though! By then they'll have made crazy advancements in the step-in bindings though so you'll probably be gucci. May even have e-boards by then to help you get some speed on the cat tracks.

 

[OakForestHeel]

I was in Steamboat last week with a buddy who peruses the ZZL and is a snowboarder, so some of those thinly-veiled comments were in hopes that he sees them lol.

I can't wait to see you snowboarding at 70 though! By then they'll have made crazy advancements in the step-in bindings though so you'll probably be gucci. May even have e-boards by then to help you get some speed on the cat tracks.

It’s funny that you bring that up because I’ve had those same conversations with people on ski lifts like do I want to be the old guy snowboarding and basically what it came down to was that my skill was good enough to where I could pull it off, but if I sucked at snowboarding, I definitely would go back to skiing.

A good saying about the two sports is snowboarding harder to learn easier to master — skiing easier to learn harder to master and I think that’s pretty accurate.

 

[PINEHEEL]

It’s funny that you bring that up because I’ve had those same conversations with people on ski lifts like do I want to be the old guy snowboarding and basically what it came down to was that my skill was good enough to where I could pull it off, but if I sucked at snowboarding, I definitely would go back to skiing.

A good saying about the two sports is snowboarding harder to learn easier to master — skiing easier to learn harder to master and I think that’s pretty accurate.

I actually want to try snowboarding at some point. Since I've only skied out west the last twenty five years I never want to give up one of my limited days to try snowboarding, but now that I'll be on the slopes here some with the kids I'm going to try and spend a weekday doing it at some point. I grew up wakeboarding so how hard can it be...is the lie I keep telling myself.

 

[OakForestHeel]

I actually want to try snowboarding at some point. Since I've only skied out west the last twenty five years I never want to give up one of my limited days to try snowboarding, but now that I'll be on the slopes here some with the kids I'm going to try and spend a weekday doing it at some point. I grew up wakeboarding so how hard can it be...is the lie I keep telling myself.

I started wakeboarding as well and the transition was super easy because like wakeboarding it’s toe and heel weight shifts so you just have to get speed and fall a few times and then you’re fine.

 

[unctarheel1984]

Skiing = death sticks

 

[Mr Winterville]

I actually want to try snowboarding at some point. Since I've only skied out west the last twenty five years I never want to give up one of my limited days to try snowboarding, but now that I'll be on the slopes here some with the kids I'm going to try and spend a weekday doing it at some point. I grew up wakeboarding so how hard can it be...is the lie I keep telling myself.

From my experience, snowboarding is only hard for the first couple of hours--but those first few hours *are* really tough. The way you have to put your weight--mostly on your front foot--felt very unnatural for me (and I grew up water skiing, wake boarding etc). I caught so many edges and wiped out so many times that advil was a must. BUT, after the lightbulb goes off, it's like riding a bike IMO. I hadn't gone in 5+ years until my son wanted to learn last year, so he and I went to Beech Mtn for the day. He caught on pretty quickly.

I do agree that riding ski lifts with a snowboard is uncomfortable. My left knee starts aching by about mid day from having to twist like that. Kind of hurts thinking about it. I haven't snow skied since college, when I had it for a PE class at App.

 

[SuttonsSpecial]

I would recommend App, Sugar, or Winterplace in WV for true beginners. The beginner lifts at Massanutten are super slow. But the upper half of the mountain is a great time with fun slopes, a fast lift and mid-mountain hut with food, beer, music, and college kids partying.

 

[Chamtrain]

Have you compared with App Ski Mountain? People rave about it for beginners and kids, and that's where I plan to start my 3-year-old sometime in the next month. Buddy from Raleigh just took his kids who are similarly-aged to yours for the first time and said the rates for lessons were awesome.

I've only been to Massanutten in the summer, but I was surprised it was a ski resort. Felt a lot more like a hill than a mountain.

That said, I do know people who go with their kids and enjoy it, so I'm sure it would be sufficient for your beginners. I would just compare it to pricing at Wintergreen and App Ski Mountain before driving farther to get to Massanutten.

Also, I would strongly suggest you steer your son towards skiing. It's much easier for beginners, and if he wants to learn to snowboard later he can, but skiing will be valuable for him his entire life. You never see anyone over 50 snowboarding, and that's not just because it's a newer snow sport. It's a bigger pain to get on and off the lift, to navigate flat areas, and everyone else on the mountain hates you.

Took your advice and went to App yesterday, 60 degrees out so def. felt a bit weird skiing. Whole operation is run pretty smoothly, kid was dead set on snowboarding so that is what he did. Bit of a steep learning curve, but by the end of the day he made it down a black diamond without falling. I'm a big Snowshoe guy (have never been out west) but would do App again if I'm in a time crunch. Was a fun day.

 

[PINEHEEL]

Took your advice and went to App yesterday, 60 degrees out so def. felt a bit weird skiing. Whole operation is run pretty smoothly, kid was dead set on snowboarding so that is what he did. Bit of a steep learning curve, but by the end of the day he made it down a black diamond without falling. I'm a big Snowshoe guy (have never been out west) but would do App again if I'm in a time crunch. Was a fun day.

Awesome! I decided to wait until next season to take my 3-year-old up there. We went to Hawksnest snow tubing a few weeks ago and she was fine but all she really wanted to do was make snowmen so I didn't see the urge to rush her over to App to ski, ha.