How long do you think you will be snowboarding in your life?
"Probably until I die!"—6-year-old Riley Fisher
Brighton has been teaching kids snow snowboard for decades, and setting young shredders up for a life of snowboarding and outdoor enthusiasm.
I made my first turns on a snowboard underneath of Brighton's Explorer chairlift in 1998. Those formative days set me on a track that has taken me all around the world with my snowboard, and I still call Brighton resort my home. To see the newest generations of kids learning to ride and growing as snowboarders at Brighton couldn't make me any happier. A lot of this has to do with Brighton's renowned snowboard education programs.
Brighton offers everything from day lessons to multi-week camps for kids from 4 to 16 years of age, all with certified instructors on Brighton's diverse and fun terrain.
A close friend and colleague of mine Josh Fisher and his son Riley sat down with me a while ago to talk about the part that snowboarding plays in their lives, and just how special it is. Riley has been snowboarding at Brighton since he was an infant. His father has been riding there for the better part of two decades after having moved here from Montana. He now runs the regional sales for Burton Snowboards here in Salt Lake and Riley actively participates in the snowboard programs that Brighton provides. Here is a little snippet of our conversation-
(All photos by Chris Moran)
PH (That's me!)- What's the most gratifying part of snowboarding with your son at Brighton, Josh?
JF- I'm not sure what the one most gratifying thing is about it, it's just the whole thing and being able to share that with him. Along with a powder day at Brighton, riding with Riley is the best way to spend a day up there.
PH- Riey, who is your favorite person to ride with at Brighton?
RF- Alex Andrews is my Favorite! (Alex is a good friend of ours and a brand ambassador and marketing guy at Burton snowboards).
PH- Alex is one of my favorites too. It is so cool that you get to ride with so many good snowboarders. How old were you when you started to snowboard?
RF- I can't really remember. I think I was two.
JF- Yeah Riley started snowboarding when he was two. We had a lot of snow that year and we would go after school a lot.
PH- How old are you now?
RF- I am six.
PH- Is there one thing that you want to learn on your snowboard by the end of the season?
RF- I'm trying to do 360's, I'm learning how to do it because i'm kind of doing butters, right dad?
JF- Yeah you're doing 360 butters. You've been riding powder a lot too.
RF- Yeah, powder is my favorite part of snowboarding.
PH- Riding powder is definitely the best part of snowboarding. That being said, here is the last question. How long do you think you will be snowboarding in your life?
RF- Probably until I die!
PH- Good Answer!
If that little conversation doesn't illustrate the pure passion that young rippers at Brighton have, then I don't know what will. If you would like to sign your child up for some of these programs, the lineup that Brighton is offering for the 2017-18 season look like this:
Daily Kid's Lessons:
This is going to be your go to program for your kids, especially if you are a local here in Utah or just have a day or two on hill during your stay. Accommodating kids aged 4-12, you can choose from 2-hour sessions to all day lessons with lunch included. There is no reservation needed for the daily lessons, all you need to do is show up to the designated meeting area near the top entrance of the Brighton center the just before the lesson time and your child will be placed into a group. Here is a detailed schedule of the lesson times including pricing.
Kids Lessons Ages 4-12
• $65 - 2 Hour AM Lesson 10:15 am – 12:30 pm
• $65 - 2 Hour PM Lesson1:15 pm – 3:30 pm
• $115 - 4 Hour Lesson*10:15 am – 12:30 pm (break) 1:15 pm – 3:30 pm
• $135 All Day Lesson w/ Lunch 10:15 am – 3:30 pm
• $15 rentals With All Day Lesson
For kids from 4- years of age, the little rippers camp offers a structured program over the course of multiple weeks so your little ripper can get into the groove with learning based games and professional instruction. Availability is going fast, so if you a looking to get your child into a program like this, the time is now. Note that the groups are separated by snowboarding and skiing, so make sure you select the correct sport for your kid, seeing that the availability will be different depending on the sport.
Young Shredder's Camp:
For the bigger kids (8-16 years of age) this program puts kids into groups of no more than 10 riders according to skill level and age. These camps help hone the skills of your young shredder while they do it with their friends, which is the best environment that you can be in while riding.
The snow is on the way and so are the holidays, so what better gift could you give your kid than the gift of snowboarding? You can register here, or give the resort a call at 801-532-4731. Happy shredding.
Note: This is a sponsored post by Brighton Resort.
