Riding With Friends Who Are Better Than You — A Survival Guide

Half of beginner snowboarders are on the mountain because a more experienced friend dragged them there. The good news: that friend is the cheapest motivation you can find. The bad news: the day can go badly if you both don't manage it well.

For the Beginner

1. Communicate your level. "I've never ridden" or "I've done 3 days." Don't undersell or oversell.
2. Don't follow them onto runs you can't handle. If they say "this blue is fine," look at the trail map first. Their "fine" and your "fine" are different.
3. Take morning lessons separately. Reunite for lunch and afternoon green runs. Best of both worlds.
4. Accept the speed gap. They are not going slow. You are not going fast. Both are okay.

For the Experienced Friend

• Pick the slope, not your beginner. A wide gentle green-blue is everything.
• Wait at the bottom of every section, not the top. Standing at the top of a steeper section pressures them to drop in unprepared.
• Don't teach unless asked. Friends instructing friends almost always creates conflict. Send them to a real instructor.
• Take the photo when they nail it. Day 3 is a milestone — capture it.

Manage the day right and your beginner friend becomes a snowboarder for life. Manage it wrong and they never come back.