P.E.I. students learn snowboarding in schools

Snowboarding is now being taught in P.E.I.'s elementary schools.

Last year, Snowboard PEI bought a $1,500 kit designed for use in schools by snowboard gear-makers Burton — and this year, they received a $5,000 grant through the Canadian Ski Council to be able to bring it to schools, for free. 

"The kids love it — it's so great seeing them having so much fun," said Julia Hartley, the program's co-ordinator and a coach for Snowboard PEI.

"The kids will say 'This is the best day of school I've had!'" she said. "They're really quite talented. It's amazing."

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Gym class takeover

Hartley and her team of two instructors have been visiting a new elementary school each week, "taking over" the gym classes on Mondays and teaching the phys ed instructors how to teach using the kit independently the remainder of the week. 

"The idea behind the program is a fun, engaging environment for kids 12 and under to get a taste for snowboarding," Hartley said. "It focuses on athletic stance, balance and co-ordination." 

I would love to take this to all the elementary schools in P.E.I.— Julia Hartley 

The educational kit includes four stations. The spinner boards teach stance, balance and spinning moves. The spooner board is a curved board on which kids can balance, developing co-ordination and core strength. The pull board involves one or two students pulling another on a snowboard through a course, so they learn how it feels to be on an actual snowboard that's moving. The fourth station looks like a snowboard on foam blocks, which teaches kids how to turn and do jumps on a snowboard.

"It's definitely becoming something younger kids are able to learn, whereas it used to be you'd put your kids on skis first," Hartley said.

Snowboard PEI has taught the program in seven P.E.I. elementary schools so far this year, reaching more than 2,500 kids. They're bringing it to three more schools in the coming weeks. 

Brookvale Provincial Ski Park and P.E.I.'s Department of Health and Wellness are also contributing to the project — the Island's only ski hill provided 500 vouchers for half-price on lift tickets, equipment rental and a snowboard lesson. The program targeted schools closest to Brookvale first. 

"We wanted them to have another instruction experience at the actual ski hill," Hartley said. 

Hoping program will continue

Snowboard PEI hopes to receive more grants in the coming years to bring the snowboarding program to more kids. 

"I would love to take this to all the elementary schools in P.E.I.," Hartley said. "There's lots of kids out there that would love this program and love to get an exposure to snowboarding." 

They're hoping to create snowboarders for life — to populate the ski hill and to build a healthy, active community.

"It gives you a lot of confidence — there's a lot of kids that might not be exposed to snowboarding," Hartley said. "You might not be a team player in the way that you want to play basketball or hockey but you might really excel in individual sporting like snowboarding." 

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