I haven’t been snowboarding in years because our kids are so young. But now that Timmy is turning 6 years old, it’s time for him to get up on the mountain and learn how to snowboard. With the record January snow storms, the powder is amazing! There are several ski resorts to choose from within a short drive or flight. Mammoth Mountain is known to have some of the best powder in California, so we booked flights on JetSuiteX.
In This Post
Getting to Mammoth Mountain
From Orange County, the drive would take 5 to 6 hours. With all of the rain and snow that we had in January, driving was not an attractive option. xInstead, we took advantage of $99 flights on JetSuiteX from Burbank to Mammoth. If you’re interested in flying JetSuiteX, use our referral link to save $20 off your next flight of $129 or more.
Learn How to Snowboard at Mammoth Mountain
It has been about 15 years since I last visited Mammoth Mountain, so I reached out to Mammoth Resorts and Visit Mammoth to learn about current events and promotions at the resort. I owe a big thank you to them for the discounted lift tickets for me and the comp’d snowboard lesson for Timmy.
If you’d like to reserve lessons for your child to learn how to snowboard or learn how to ski, click here for the latest prices. Prices vary based on your child’s age, how many days’ lessons you want to reserve, if you need to rent equipment, etc. Since Timmy is 5 years old, his lessons how to snowboard and snowboard rental would have been $255 for one full day or $437 for two full days.
We were staying across the street from the Village Gondola, so it was a short walk from our hotel, the Alpenhof Lodge, and a quick gondola ride to Timmy’s snowboard lesson.
We went to the Canyon Lodge to check-in for Timmy’s snowboard lesson. After some quick paperwork, Timmy was getting fitted for his snowboard rental boots, board, and helmet.
I’m not sure who was more excited for Timmy’s first lesson of how to snowboard… him or me.
We walked out to the slopes and were introduced to his snowboard instructor for the day, Chase. There were 3 other children in his group lesson. The first step in learning how to snowboard is how to put on the snowboard.
After a little instruction, it was time for the Magic Carpet for Timmy’s first run down the bunny slopes.
For being his first time snowboarding, Timmy did really well. And Chase was a great instructor. Here they are during lunchtime, which was included with the lesson.
Timmy and the other children progressed to the point where they were able to try the Schoolyard Express ski lift. Timmy had problems getting off the ski lift, so he got grumpy. Luckily, it was the end of the day so it didn’t affect the rest of his snowboard lessons.
Learn How to Snowboard – Day 2
On the second day of snowboard lessons, we had a new instructor, Mike, and a new group of kids. Mike was just as friendly and caring as Chase was on Day 1. I was really impressed with how patient the instructors were and how well they interacted with the kids.
Timmy did even better on Day 2 because of what he learned on Day 1. It also helped that we talked about overcoming adversity. I told Timmy that falling is completely natural… and that I fell a bunch on Day 1.
I was able to meet up with Timmy during his lunch break. I was glad to see that the meal was well-balanced with a slice of pizza, mixed fruit, carrot sticks, chips, and a drink. For dessert, there was a chocolate cookie, too. All the right ingredients for focused energy while Timmy learns how to snowboard.
At the end of the day, Mike told me how great Timmy did. He still had trouble exiting the ski lift, but he was ready for it this time and was able to move forward with the lesson, even though he fell.
Each day, the instructors provided a report card so that the next time Timmy took lessons, the snowboard instructor would have a good idea of his skill level and areas to focus the lesson on.
Timmy’s Thoughts on Snowboard Lessons at Mammoth Mountain
When the lessons were over, I asked Timmy a few questions. Did he learn how to snowboard? Did he like his instructors? How was the lunch? Here’s the video of his responses.
Mammoth Mountain Lift Tickets and Snowboard Lessons
Skiing and snowboarding is not a poor man’s pastime. Equipment can be expensive and lift tickets are not cheap. I was reminded how expensive snowboard clothes and equipment can be because I make a rookie mistake and left my snowboard bag at home. It literally was standing next to my front door… and I still forgot it. Luckily, I was able to borrow a jacket and goggles from our friends. But, I still had to buy new goggles for Timmy ($30), and gloves ($80) and pants ($99) for me. And these were the cheap ones! Many of the pants I saw were $150-$300. Expensive mistake, for sure.
Mammoth Mountain lift tickets are $149 per day for adults and $60 for kids 5-12 years old. There are discounts for buying multi-day passes and for students and seniors. Mammoth also offers the “Quad Pack”, which is $399 and is good for 4 days of lift tickets. Reloads save you 20% as well. Click here for more information and the latest lift ticket prices.
If you’re looking for discounted lift tickets, consider Liftopia, where you can save up to 80% on your ski resort lift tickets.
And if you need snowboard gear, I recommend The House. I bought my Flow snowboard bindings from them several years ago. They’re so much better than traditional bindings because they allow me to step into my bindings as I’m ready to get off the lift.
Skiing and snowboarding can be dangerous. I know plenty of friends that have been hurt by taking ski runs above their skill level or making a simple mistake. About 10 years ago, I fractured my ankle and broke my tibia while snowboarding at Heavenly in Tahoe. Consider insuring your family vacation with Allianz Classic Travel Insurance. Kids under 18 are covered for FREE! Click here to get a free quote. Now that we’re traveling more internationally and participating in riskier activities like snowboarding, I’m considering getting a family policy… just in case.
The Bald Thoughts
Mammoth Mountain has had record snow so far this season. As of today, they have up to 350″ of base depth… yes, almost 30 feet of snow at Mammoth Mountain ski resort! More than 20 feet of snow fell in January alone!!! Mammoth has the deepest snowpack of any ski resort in North America. Because of all of this great snow, Mammoth Mountain has already announced that the mountain will be open until at least July 4th. While most Americans are BBQ’ing and watching firework shows, some people will be skiing and snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain. How awesome is that?
I’m so proud of Timmy and how well he performed during his snowboard lessons. Although children can start taking lessons at 3 or 4 years old, I’m glad we waited until now for him to learn how to snowboard. He’s much more physically and emotionally ready to handle the falls that happen to all snowboarders, especially those that are brand new. With the extended ski season into the summer months, it is a great opportunity to get Timmy even more lessons this year.
