Author: Tiberiu Macaveiu

Un Copil, O Speranta (A child, a hope) Foundation together with Boarder’s Shop met on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Arena Platos, Paltinis with a common goal: to make children happy, encouraging them to try snowboarding for the first time. The Fresh Meat team joined us, and Toni from Arena Platos was the host.

The beginning of the day was promising with heavy snow. The construction of the park was almost a game, finished on time, at 11:00 the first participants started appearing. The children accompanied by their parents stormed Burton Riglet Park, so the small hills and counter-slopes were not the only “obstacles” on the circuit. Everything became a fun race, where smiling was the order of the day.

Autism and Down syndrome are not options we can choose at birth. Although it may seem an exaggerated optimism, everything was fun. It was an action that made us happy, as well as the children. The little ones got most excited with every moment 🙂

We hope they’ve spent some quality time with us.

You wouldn’t say, be it windy or sunny, children have no problem learning to snowboard. On 22.12.2015, all the installations in Sinaia were closed due to the wind, but at Burton Riglet Park at the base of the Valea Soarelui slope in Sinaia, things were totally different: no wind, only sun and peace. Ariana is only 3 years old and she enjoys every time she snowboards. This was the second time.

After the two events Welcome Winter ’16 and World Snowboard Day in which the children’s play was different from the usual “amusement park”, not a few parents agreed with the idea that the little one is never too small for snowboarding. Catinca from Brasov, at only 2 years old, is another example:

Everything is disguised by the term play and children will acquire the first notions of snowboarding easily. A specially arranged place with adequate equipment (snowboards from 70cm), will make us forget the idea that at an early age the little one must learn to ski first. Technology has evolved, so our mindsets must keep up. The child will catch the bug and he will definitely remember that “when he was little” he first snowboarded and he liked it.